The Figure-8 Crossover

By Terence Higgins
Originally published in the November 2010 issue of DRUM! Magazine

Here we go again! I stumbled upon this lick during one of my bombastic shed sessions, and as I progressed into a manic frenzy I thought, Wait, what was that lick? So I slowed it down and I realized I was playing a simple crossover pattern between the snare, floor tom, and kick, but instead of just crossing the left hand over the right hand, I noticed I was using a figure-8, or a twirling pattern with the right hand trailing the left as it crossed over to the floor tom and back to the snare – hence the figure-8 crossover was born. Not only is it a great-sounding fill but the visual aesthetics are just killing.

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Terence Higgins is a long-standing member of the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band and one of New Orleans’ funkiest drummers, specializing in second line, funk, and R&B. He also leads his own funk band, Swampgrease. http://www.swampgrease.com