In this syncopated groove construction lesson you are going to take a sixteenth note '43333' rhythm and apply it as the snare part. The right hand will then maintain some kind of steady rhythm whilst the kicks fill in all sixteenth note between those snare strikes to create what can be described as a simple multi layered groove. At the bottom of the page you will find a list of links to lessons you may find useful. Some of the parts can be demanding on your co-ordination so if at any point you find yourself struggling, have a read through some of these. If you aren't sure what is meant by a '43333' rhythm a link to a lesson explaining this terminology is also linked at the bottom of this page.
The first half of this page will involve building a base version of the part over a few steps. You will then learn some simple variations to encourage you to build your own grooves using this concept.
The starting point will be the 33334 rhythm played on the snare underneath straight eighth note closed hi hats. Watch out for the notes that falls in between the eighth notes on the 'e' and 'a' counts, an exercise on improving your ability to place notes like this is given at the bottom of the page.
Before moving on, make sure the snare placement is spot on otherwise the part will end up sounding sloppy.
The next step involves filling in all gaps between the snares with sixteenth note kicks. This can be draining on your right foot stamina and a helpful exercise is again linked at the bottom of the page. There is a lot going on in this groove so take your time working through it.
That completes the base groove. The next section of the lesson will involve applying some simple variation to the right hand and kick. Make sure you can play this base groove consistently at a decent tempo before moving on though. The two minute rule (linked below) is very useful for this.
Variation 1
Variation 2
Variation 3
Variation 4
TASK
- Learn the grooves above up to a tempo of at least 120bpm.
- Experiment with creating more variations using the ideas given.
- Use the concept as part of a phrased example.
- Try constructing longer patterns based on this rhythm, such as two or four bar grooves.
- Combine different elements of the grooves given above to create even more construction ideas.
