Jonah
This week, I would like Jonah to continue working on “Triplets” with two types of supplemental exercises:
- The two pages from the Green Book with the corners folded
- The exercise notated on the staff paper
1. Green Book Exercises
When practising the two marked pages:
- Follow the written sticking carefully.
- Keep your hands and body loose.
- Treat the exercises as an opportunity to develop your reading.
- Continue looking at the music as you play rather than trying to memorize the patterns.
The goal is to become more comfortable reading and responding to the notation while maintaining relaxed, consistent movement.
2. Second-Line Groove
Practise the rhythm notated on the staff paper using a drum pad.
- Follow the written sticking.
- Accent the strokes marked with circles.
- Keep the unaccented notes lower and lighter so that the accents shape the groove clearly.
- Begin slowly and focus on producing the correct rhythm and character.
This pattern is known as a New Orleans traditional syncopated second-line groove. This type of rhythm is embedded in a great deal of ragtime music.
Listen to the following example to become familiar with how the groove should feel:
New Orleans Second-Line Groove Example
3. “Triplets”
For the piece itself, learn the notes through bar 21.
Many of these phrases begin almost identically but change during their second halves. Pay close attention to where each phrase begins to differ rather than assuming that the entire pattern repeats.
Also remember to:
- Observe all accidentals carefully.
- Follow the written sticking.
- Notice the relationship between the repeated and changing material.
- Shape the melody with the same sense of groove found in the second-line drum pattern.
The goal is not only to learn the correct notes, but also to make the music feel rhythmic and alive.
Sam
Sam is now maintaining the pulse very well from the introduction through the chorus. Today, we played with the track at 60% speed. The only place where Sam rushed slightly was the pre-chorus, which seemed to come from excitement rather than a problem with the coordination.
Continue aiming for a steady pulse at all times, and use the bass line as your rhythmic anchor.
Sam can currently play most of the song comfortably at approximately 145 BPM, while the full tempo is around 240 BPM. For now, rhythmic accuracy and stability remain more important than reaching the original tempo.
1. Bridge: Triplet Rhythm
The bridge appears to have been learned at a faster tempo before the underlying rhythm was fully understood. This week, use the exercise notated on the handout to compare the feeling of eighth notes and triplets.
Practise at approximately 135 BPM:
- Play the triplet exercise using only your hands.
- Make sure all three notes are evenly spaced.
- Slightly accent the first note of each beat. This will help drive the pattern forward and keep the rhythm even.
- Once the rhythm feels secure, practise it using the R-L-K coordination: right hand, left hand, kick drum.
- Maintain the same spacing when moving the pattern from the hands to the drum set.
Do not increase the tempo until the difference between eighth notes and triplets feels completely clear.
2. Paradiddles
Work on the paradiddle exercise written on the handout.
Using R L R R as an example, think of the first right-hand stroke as the main throwing motion. The final two right-hand notes should come from recycling the bounce created by that motion. At faster tempos, the first right-hand stroke may need slightly more energy to generate enough rebound for the following double.
Practise it in stages:
- Play R — R R, leaving space where the left hand will eventually go.
- Focus on using the first stroke to generate the final right-hand double.
- Add the left hand to create R L R R.
- Aim for four evenly spaced and evenly produced notes.
- Once this feels comfortable, replace the right hand with the right foot on the kick drum while keeping the left-hand note: K L K K.
Keep the movement relaxed and allow the rebound to do as much of the work as possible.