A little beat I want to learn...

[rhythmISfun]

Hello there!

This is my first post. I've been playing drums for about a few weeks now. I'm a guitarist so I'm quite familiar with music, although I must admit drums require much more work. Basically I'm having a lot of trouble detaching my right hand and right leg.

I've been having a go at this for a week or so now with no hope. I can play the bass and snare part by itself no worries, but once I add the hi-hat in, It all goes messy.

I know there are limb separation exercises, of which I've tried a few. I don't think I'm looking for a quick fix but rather any advice from the pro's here to help me along a bit, if possible.



Thanks!

[drum fusion]

welcome to drum chat rhythm!! i would try this tempo without the snare at first. just hi hat and bass drum. do that for a few minutes til its comfortable.then do hi hat and snare, no bass drum. the same, 'till its natural. then combine the three elements. see how that goes.

[pastor_bob]

I am in complete agreement with Drum Fusion. I would only add that you might need to slow everything down when you put it together again. Just make it slow enough that you can play eveything the way you want. Don't worry that it's too slow, because you're building muscle memory (like when you thought your fretting fingers would never remember where to go, and then they just did). When you get it all right, then gradually speed it up. Pretty soon, you'll be playing it just the way you want.

[=^-..-^=]

Bass drum independence / 16th notes on the bass are a natural obstacle on the road to drumming. I practiced just the 16ths between the kick and the hats SLOWLY over and over and over until I could do it. Let's see if I can diagram what I did:
The top x's are the hats; the bottom o's are the kick notes

X___X___X___X
__O O_____O O


Also, practice the following SLOWLY over and over until you get it:

X___X___X___X
O O_____O O__

Next, practice this 16th kick exercise thing: (basically a slow roll between the kick & hats)

X___X___X___X
__O___O___O___O

[drummer]

Play it so slower than death itself! I teach my kids this way. It "always" works. The problem with most students is they just practice everything too fast. Slow it down to where it almost doesn't even have a tempo. Play every note one at a time until it's perfect. You then just speed it up a hair. And I mean only a "hair". Do this several times and you will have it very quickly. If you don't get it after using this method, you're either doing it wrong or you have no musical talent. Quit the drums and take up poetry.

[pastor_bob]

If you don't get it after using this method, you're either doing it wrong or you have no musical talent. Quit the drums and take up poetry.

Or maybe knitting!!

[rhythmISfun]

....or just stick with guitar :P...

thanks for the advice guys. i'm getting the hang of it, well better than my futile attempts before anyway........ i just had to slow it down (slower than my dignity wanted to allow it :()...

also i find it rather interesting that:

X___X___X___X
__O O_____O O


is easier than:

X___X___X___X
O O_____O O__

my right hand just aches to hit the hit hat twice :P

[bruarm]

Slow it down to where it almost doesn't even have a tempo.

Man, that is so painful, but absolutely the best way to do it!!! You'll be amazed at how quickly it comes together in a short period of time.

Great advice all!!

[=^-..-^=]

Once you get that little thang down, move on to the classic Pink Floyd 'Breathe' beat:

X___X___X___X___X____X___X___X___
________O________________O_______
O_____________O O____O___________

Speaking of the Floyd, there is a useful beat toward the end of 'Crazy Diamond' It kind of sounds like a heart beat - ba-bump . . .ba bump:
(You can also play a kick on the snare note if you want)

X___X___X___X___X___X___X___X___
________O_______________O_______
O_____O_______O O_____O_______O

Speed the first beat up, add a little kick note on the 16th after the snare, and try the Molly Hatchet 'Dreams I'll Never See' beat:

X___X___X___X___X___X___X___X___
________O_______________O_______
O_____________O O___O_____O_____

Now to get real fancy, and use the 1/16 roll exercise between the hats and kick, this is from an old Yes song, called 'Sweet Dreams':

X___X___X___X___X___X___X___X___
________O_O_____________O_______
O___O_________O___O___O_________

[Mysterious Stan]

Great advice from all here, thanks theres a few beats i wanna try and i shall use the advice given in this thread! Btw, sorry off topic a bit, but what program did you use to get that sheet music rythmisfun cause that looks real nice!