Walkthrough

A Section (Bars 1–9) from the third where only two eighth notes are to be played.
The first section of this piece features a funky groove with Because 16th notes are most commonly counted as “1 e & a 2
open hi-hats. In bar 8, there is a repeat sign indicating that e & a”, count the phrase used here as “1 e & 2 e &”. Although
bars 1–7 should be played again. After playing this section you are not playing on the “a”, the value of this 16th note
for the second time, skip the first time bar and continue should be preserved. Once you understand the rhythms in
directly to this second time bar. this bar, look at the voices used and practise moving around
the toms with confidence and a solid pulse (Fig. 2).
Pick-up bar | Counting the pick-up
In this piece, there is a pick-up snare flam before the groove Bar 17 | Unison fill
starts in bar 1. The snare flam is placed on the last beat of Your ability to play this fill well will depend on your
the spoken count in (i.e. the fourth beat of the second bar). achieving accurate unison between the drums. Start with
the hands pattern and cut out unnecessary flams between
Bar 3 | Quarter-note open hi-hat the snare and toms then add the bass drum and focus on the
The open hi-hat in this bar is opened on beat one and balance (your natural tendency will be to play the bass drum
should only close on beat two. This means that the open louder than the snare and toms).
hi-hat sound needs to ring for a full value of a quarter note.
Practise the hi-hat pattern until you achieve fluency then
co-ordinate it with the snare and bass drum. C Section (Bars 18–25)
This is a reprise of the A section but the groove is played on
Bar 5 | Closing the hi-hat the ride cymbal.
The ‘+’ above the crash cymbal note indicates that the hi-hat
should be closed while playing the crash at the same time. Throughout | Sound production
In order to produce the best sound from the drums, it is
Bar 8 | Triplet fill important to keep in mind some fundamental principles.
The fill in the second part of bar 8 includes an eighth-note The snare and toms should be struck in the middle of the
triplet on the snare. In a triplet, all three notes should be drum head. After hitting a drum, allow your hand to bounce
even. As these are eighth-note triplets, they are played in the back. Ensure that your grip on the stick is not too tight and
space of one quarter note. There are many sticking options allows the stick some movement.
that will lead you to the crash on the fourth beat. However,
the first stage is deciding whether you prefer hitting the
crash with your right or left hand. Both sticking options are
shown above the triplet on the third beat of Fig. 1.
Sticking options:
R L R L

Œ
R L L R

B Section (Bars 10–17) y y yœ y y

ã œ œ œ œ
The groove changes in this section, offering many variations
and fills that allow the drummer to shine.
œ œ
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Bar 10 | Groove
This groove is a musical interpretation of the parts played by
the other instruments. The unorthodox snare and bass drum Fig. 1: Triplet fill
pattern may be hard to co-ordinate at first, but if played
convincingly this is an impressive funky drum moment.

Bar 11 | Groove variation

∑
In this bar, the snare plays on the third beat and the bass
œ œ œ œ œ
ã œ œ œ œ œ œ
drum on the other three. Changing to this pattern from the
previous bar might require some preparation. Try playing
bars 10 and 11 repeatedly and aim for fluent movement
between the ride or crash cymbal and the hi-hat. Count: 1 e & (a) 2 e & (a) 3 (e) & (a) 4 e & (a)
Drums Grade 2

Bar 13 | Fill
This fill is based on the rhythmic phrase of two 16th notes Fig. 2: Fill
and an eighth note. This phrase is used on every beat apart

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