In this groove concept lesson you will be learning some variations on the offbeat 8th note right hand pattern (linked at the bottom of the page) that all involve adding one or more additional hi hats on an 'e' count. This is a subtle but effective way of decorating a part that can be applied in many situations.
The movement you will be applying is shown below. Both hi hat notes will be played on the right hand throuhgout all examples on this page. When applied to higher tempo parts it may be better to use two hands but we will come to that later.
This shouldn't be too difficult but make sure you are comfortable with the part before proceeding. Listed below are several examples of this concept applied within a groove. It works best on closed hi hats or the ride as the notes can be made much clearer on these voices.
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Example 6
Example 7
Example 8
TASKS
- Learn the grooves above up to a tempo of at least 130bpm.
- Create some 4 bar phrases where this concept is applied to the groove.
- Experiment with playing these grooves in swing time.
- Try applying the concept within a reggae feel.
