Lesson 4 - Variations for the 8th note beat

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Written by Henrik

Variations for the 8th note beat

Now you should add some more snare ond bass drum notes to make the beat more interesting.

As you can hear (as well as see), the snare drum plays on beats 2 and 4 throughout this lesson regardless of the other added notes.
This is called the back beat.
 

Bass drum variations

1.

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2.

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3.

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If you only want to play one eighth note, this is what it looks like:               
Then you must add a eighth note rest as well:                            

Rest are "silent notes". Rests move the following note to where it's supposed to be.

N.B. If the note system contains more than one voice (common with drum kit notes), rests can be excluded as long as you can clearly trace the note placement in relation to the other voices. I tend to use rests when I feel it is needed, like now in the beginning.

 

4.

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5.

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This is a quarter note rest:    

 

6.

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Snare drum variations

You have to be aware of not altering the backbeat, when adding snare drum notes.

Reason being that the back beat (beats 2 and 4) is central in Afro-American music (rock, pop, jazz etc.). Do not exclude or move the back beat unless you want a special sound or groove. If you want to play Funk or Drum ´n Bass though, that's the thing to do.

Snare drum variations

Bass drum notes on 1 and 3. Snare drum variations are added.

7.

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8.

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9.

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10.

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Snare and bass variations

Both snare and bass drum variations are added . As you can see, all beats contain backbeat (2 and 4).

11.

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12.

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13.

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...........and some fills to spice it up:

A mix of 16th and 8th notes:

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This is the same fill played with a drum part:

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And another one to go. It's the same rhythm, but another variation.
Note the two bass drum notes on beat 3:

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Don't forget to practice keeping the beat going after the fill

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etc.....

 

Good Luck!