For this 9/8 groove lesson you will be taking the idea of keeping a count with the left foot and applying it to grooves in the time signature of 9/8 as dotted crotchets. The theoretical side of this lesson should be fairly straight forward as you are just adding in a slow left foot count to existing. However, you may need to spend some time playing the patterns slowly to get the co ordination between the four limbs working. Obviously, where the right hand plays dotted quarters they left foot and right hand match up.
The purpose of adding in a left foot count like this is to both give a groove a stronger sense of pulse whilst also giving any other band members something solid and constant to latch onto. As the groove gets more complex, this count becomes more useful.
Groove 1
Groove 2
Groove 3
Groove 4
Groove 5
TASKS
- Using the 2 minute rule, get all grooves up to a tempo of at least 120bpm.
- Create your own variations on these patterns. Write as many down as possible.
- Use these patterns as part of a Structured Pattern.
- Go through our other 7/8 groove lessons and add in this left foot pattern. Some lessons are linked below.
