The first step to getting fast is to play slowly. You have to be able to play nothing before you are able to play something, right? Actually, it’s not as philosophical as that. But being able to totally drop out your ride limb, the limb that is usually playing the greatest number and most constant notes of the average drum beat, is a great way to prepare your body for how awkward it will feel later on – to play rests in places where you are used to playing notes.
Try to play this simple rock beat without playing anything in the right hand. Remember, START SLOWLY AND USE A METRONOME.
1a.
Now, we’ll add a sparse ride pattern. The goal here is to be able to keep your place within the beat (that is, keep counting 1, 2, 3, 4) and still place the ride notes in the correct place, according to the music. Try to play your way through the entire exercise. These are basically permutation exercises. Check out any David Garibaldi book for a full explanation of this concept.
Start out by taking 8 passes at each phrase, and work your way down the page. Then go play some of the beats that appear later on in the book. Next time you open the book, take 4 passes. Then the next time (or whenever) do 2. The final goal is to be able to play the whole thing through, no repeats, at a fast tempo, maybe 180 BPM. Record yourself playing these exercises. When you play it back, imagine different sounds that your ride could be replaced with. How many different sounds could you come up with from your acoustic drum set? What would it sound like if the snare and bass layers were each replaced with notes?
The tempos for this rudiments section (tracks 1 through 27) are 120 BPM for slow, 180 BPM for fast.
2a.
SLOW
FAST
2b.
SLOW
FAST
2c.
SLOW
FAST
Now, here is the same type of exercise, but the ride patterns appear in groups of 4 measures. Musically, each measure builds upon the last one, creating momentum. Follow the same 8 times through each measure – 4 times through each one – 2, and then one time through each pattern (as described above). Go slowly at first, and USE A METRONOME.
When you get to the point where you are playing these groups of 4 measures at 180 BPM, it really sounds like you are building up to something exciting at the end of the forth measure.
3a.
SLOW
FAST
3b.
SLOW
FAST
3c.
SLOW
FAST
3d.
SLOW
FAST
Now, for extra credit, go back and repeat exercises 2a through 3d – same ride patterns, but a different snare/bass pattern, one that is found quite often in DnB.
4.
5a.
SLOW
FAST
5b.
SLOW
FAST
5c.
SLOW
FAST
6a.
SLOW
FAST
6b.
SLOW
FAST
6c.
SLOW
FAST
6d.
SLOW
FAST