Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Peter Erskine: Polyrhythm Practice

Here are some exercises that introduce the uninitiated to the world of polyrhythms by examining two-against-three and three-against-four rhythms.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Danny Gottlieb: Jazz Figure Reading

Practice reading jazz figures, and learn how to find that swing by singing the figures like a horn player or scat vocalist would.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Peter Erskine: When Limbs Unite

Practice these jazz coordination and independence exercises to help perfect playing contrary and opposing rhythms between four limbs.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Danny Gottlieb Salutes The Great Paul Motian

Danny Gottlieb gives us some of Paul Motian's great drum licks to practice with a song from the Bill Evans trio, "Gloria's Step" (one of his favorites).

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Schnalle Method: Jazz Bass Comping

Wally shows us some rhythms to be played on the bass drum, which we can use to develop our comping vocabulary.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Peter Erskine: Long Tone Stickings

Peter Erskine examines ways to voice a fill using a variety of potential stickings in order to create “long” tones.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Danny Gottlieb: Soloing Around A Band Figure

Learn how to solo over a band figure, starting by playing the figure each time and eventually soloing by thinking of the figures as a guide.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Peter Erskine: Fun With 3-Against-4 Bebop

Three-against-four is perhaps the easiest polyrhythm to master. In this lesson, Peter Erskine offers some fun ways to apply it to the drum set.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Peter Erskine: Triplet Ideas For The Hi-Hat

Give your hi-hat foot a little workout with these exercises, courtesy of Dr. Peter Erskine. Some are easy, others are hard, but all are musical.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Danny Gottlieb: Melodic Solo Exercise

Here is one of Adam Nussbaum's exercises that Danny Gottlieb has found so helpful for the development of a jazz drum solo on a song form.