DYNAMICS FOR DRUMS

by Hans Cleuver

Get your sticks for a little introduction to the drumcourse in dynamics. We show you several examples in accents: groups of one, two, three or four single accents. The groups are always separated by two beats in between. The several ways to play mentioned in one table:

1 om 1 2 om 1 3 om 1 4 om 1
1 om 2 2 om 2 3 om 2 4 om 2
1 om 3 2 om 3 3 om 3 4 om 3
1 om 4 2 om 4 3 om 4 4 om 4

Explanation:
An example: "2 om 2" means `play groups of two single accents and repeat this within one or two bars'.
Another example: "4 om 3" means `first play a group of four and than a group of three single accents, and repeat this within one or two bars'.

General exercise: this exercise is valid for all variations mentioned in the table. Each of the exercises must be played with four different starting points.

starting point 1: 1tnt (table example 3 om 2)
please click on notebar for sound example

starting point 2: 1Tnt (with table example 1 om 2)
please click on notebar for sound example

starting point 3: 4Tnt, of the bar before (with table example 3 om 3)
please click on notebar for sound example

starting point 4: 4tnT, of the bar before (with table example 4 om 2)
please click on notebar for sound example

Watch it: all excercises must be played one bar. If you are in control of that, play all exercise once again, but two bars each. Play your hi-hat, if possible, in quarter notes.

Excercise A: Play sixtheenths on snaredrum as RLRLRL etc., and use the table accents. Just as has been used in the sound examples.

Exercise B: Play sixteenths on snaredrum once more, very softly. Now, add the accents (those from the table) on bassdrum. Again from the starting points. have a look at example B, in which the combination 3 om 1 has been used, with starting point 1Tnt.

Example B

Exercise C: Play sixteenths on hi-hat as RLRLRL etc., with the snaredrum played on 2 and 4. Play accented notes on the bassdrum. Example C is combination 2 om 4, started at 4Tnt.

Example C

Example D: All accented notes of the right hand are being played on floortom and snaredrum; always start at the floortom. All accents of the left hand are being played on snaredrum and high tom; always start at the snare. All the non-accented notes are being played on snaredrum. Have a look at example D, with combination 3 om 3, started at 1tn.

Example D

Example E: Use the system of exercise D again, but replace the sixtheenth note (the one which is played before the left hand accent) by bassdrum plus floortom; so these are 32's. Have a look at example E, with combination 2 om 2, starting at 4Tnt.

Example E

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