This 16-bar exercise is inspired by a couple of funky grooves taken from the Trinity Drum Kit Grade 2 piece, “Cherry Blue.” Here, the patterns are designed to be played along to a drumless backing track—preferably something funky and upbeat to help you lock in with the rhythm and develop a solid groove.
I create these exercises for my own students and give them away to others learning to play the drums and also to help other teachers. Drumless backing tracks (see some examples below) are good fun to practise to because they don’t have any weird phrase lengths, time signature changes or STUFF LIKE THAT to trip you up. Here are some key features you may wish to consider:
Part 1: Syncopated Groove (Bars 1–8)
The first half of the exercise focuses on a two-bar phrase that repeats several times. It features a syncopated bass drum pattern, which gives it a lively, off-beat feel.
Key features:
Syncopation: This occurs when the emphasis shifts from strong beats (1 and 3) to weaker subdivisions (such as the “+” counts).
Bass drum placement: Some bass drum hits land on the “+” of the beat, creating tension and movement.
Tricky bar alert: In the second bar of the phrase, there’s no bass drum on beat one—this can feel unusual at first, but it fits naturally once you flow from the previous bar.
Practice tip: Count carefully (“1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +”) and keep your hi-hat steady to maintain control of the groove.
Part 2: Motown-Style Beat (Bars 9–16)
In the second half, the feel changes to a Motown-inspired groove. Here, the snare drum hits on all four beats, giving a driving, danceable pulse. The bass drum again uses syncopation to add interest and variation.
Final touch:
The last line introduces a crash cymbal on the “+” of 4, which is tied to beat one of the next bar. Remember—when notes are tied, you play only the first note and let it ring through the duration of the tie.
Drumless Backing Tracks
And Finally...
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