Lesson: Developing Bass/Snare/Tom Triplets

[billdrum]

Developing Bass Drum/Tom triplets

There are six combinations of triplets using alternating hand strokes and one bass drum stroke:

R=right hand, L=left hand, F=foot/bass drum

1. RLF
2. LRF
3. FRL
4. FLR
5. RFL
6. LFR

If you can develop each of the six combinations, you will have more flexibility in using them in fills or solos, and develop more dexterity around the kit in general.

1) Start with one of the combinations. RLF is probably the easiest for a right-handed player, and is very easy to apply to the kit. Start with your hands on the snare drum only, slowly, repeating the sticking pattern over and over, maintaining a steady, even triplet. Gradually increase your speed until you hit your limit. Do it repeatedly to increase your speed limit. Also be sure your sounds are in balance (ie. the kick shouldn’t be significantly louder than the hands and vice versa).

2) Now try a pattern….keep your left hand on the small tom, begin your right hand on the snare for the first triplet then the floor tom for the second triplet (snare-high tom-foot/floor tom-high tom-foot) still maintaining the RLF sticking pattern. Again start slowly and gradually increase speed. Find other repeating patterns that work for you.

3) The last step is to spread the pattern randomly around the kit. Keep the RLF sticking pattern but move your hands anywhere on the kit, using toms, snare, cymbals, whatever you can hit. Be strict and consistent with the sticking though, keep the triplets even, and balance your sound. Start slowly and gradually increase your speed.

Now follow the same steps for each of the other sticking policies. Convenient patterns will vary with each. With daily, patient practice, you should develop the coordination and speed to master all of the combinations. As you begin using them in actual fills, remember they can be used as triplets or sextuplets, or super-imposed over quarter note triplets for more advanced fills. Experiment with different patterns for use in fills and solos.

BONUS: Take each combination a step further for use with 16th/32nd notes by adding an extra foot: RLFF, LRFF, FFRL, FFLR, RFFL, LFFR. You can use a double pedal on this for real speed, or use it to develop your single pedal speed.

Enjoy!

[sLarkin20]

While I didn't get to full read it as I am about to head out to work, I for one severely underestimated the ease of snare/tom/bass triplets before I ever tried messing around with them. It's a relatively simple motion for most all of the different patterns so I never thought much of them at first, but for me some of them are pretty hard to keep smooth, accurate, and even hits at faster and faster tempos.

I will definitely get a better read of this when I have the time, thanks billdrum.

[billdrum]

Most people only know or use 1 or 2 of these combinations. But learning and mastering them all can open alot of possibilities.

[NUTHA JASON]

cool lesson. i practice this as a chop for solos and song ends but i also practice shorter orchestrated versions as fills.

j

[billdrum]

Thanks Jason. Yeah, they're great as song enders and solo licks. I encourage my students to find ways to put them into measured fills as well.

[OzzyTheDoggy]

Awesome lesson bill, something great to work through no matter what stage of playing you are in.

[USAOwnz]

Cool lesson!

[Harrow]

One of the things that helps you learn this really fast that I did early as a drummer is to play these with one hand leading in a progression. Try playing RLF RFL FRL then when you are comfortable with that switch to your left hand leading LRF LFR FLR. Pretty soon you will be able to feel the bass drum switching places instead of thinking about the pattern as a whole, good exercise!

[rohbit]

Isn't this what people call the "Bonham Triplet", even though they most likely existed before BOnzo?

[billdrum]

Yes

[GoodVibration]

Hello everyone,

i just joined this site and im looking for other sites like this to talk to other musicians to converse on topics relating to theory mainly... I listen to all types of music and plan on majoring in music. I have a little less than fundamental foundation of theory but i am reading anythin i can get my hands on and trying to learn sight reading by sept of 09. SO thats my goal, right now im in a music theory class. If someone could explain time signatures for me id appreciate it, im having trouble distinguishes downbeats and upbeats.. I understand the notation symbols as far as the top number indicates how many beats occupy a measure and the bottom number indicates what the notes duration is. BUt i need help understanding beats, measure, tempo, meters and esp. syncopation.... I need a good book or something because when i use the books that come with cds i can never distinguish the diferrence between beats and measures. To me most phrases could all be played in 4/4... Just at different tempos... ANyways thanks if any help... And is it just me or are there on 2 topics posted in this forum?? Is this site new?

[billdrum]

Try posting your request in the main Drum & Percussion forum with a new thread, as opposed to in the lessons section.

We have several sections to our forum:

The general Drum & Percussion forum, for general topics.
The Gear & Media section for audio posting and discussion of drum-related gear.
The Lessons & Reviews section for, well, lessons and product reviews.
The Classified section for selling gear.

I'm not sure what you are looking at, but there are many active topics at any given time.

Thanks for joining, stick around and read as much as you can.

I'm going to highly suggest that you get a qualified private teacher ASAP who can help you with time sigs and reading, as well as oversee your technique, etc. Especially if you are looking at majoring in music down the road, you are going to have to be able to read and understand it.

[annihilate]

essential lesson!! vey good

[billdrum]

Ty!

[Riding The Short Bus]

Triplets are a bitch.

[-TGP-]

triplets are the best

[Riding The Short Bus]

Originally Posted by GoodVibration

Hello everyone,

i just joined this site and im looking for other sites like this to talk to other musicians to converse on topics relating to theory mainly... I listen to all types of music and plan on majoring in music. I have a little less than fundamental foundation of theory but i am reading anythin i can get my hands on and trying to learn sight reading by sept of 09. SO thats my goal, right now im in a music theory class. If someone could explain time signatures for me id appreciate it, im having trouble distinguishes downbeats and upbeats.. I understand the notation symbols as far as the top number indicates how many beats occupy a measure and the bottom number indicates what the notes duration is. BUt i need help understanding beats, measure, tempo, meters and esp. syncopation.... I need a good book or something because when i use the books that come with cds i can never distinguish the diferrence between beats and measures. To me most phrases could all be played in 4/4... Just at different tempos... ANyways thanks if any help... And is it just me or are there on 2 topics posted in this forum?? Is this site new?

I can give a quick run at explaining the difference. 4/4 means there are 4 quarter notes in the measure. the top number is how many and the bottom is what note. You said you already had that. A quarter note can be at any tempo, tempo doesn't affect the note at all. just how fast it is played. each quarter note has 2 eight notes and 4 sixteenth notes. so 4/4 is the same as 8/8 is the same as 16/16. so 5/4 means there are 5 quater notes. count being 1 2 3 4 5 where 4/4 is 1 2 3 4. No matter how fast or slow you play them, 5/4 still has one more quarter note, so even if you ccan play it to fit in with 4/4 it is still a different measure. You must understand a measure is determined by the number of notes, not how fast the tempo is.

bassically downbeats are on the quarter note beat. so if you have 4/4 broken into eight notes 1+2+3+4+ the numbers are going to be your downbeats and the + your up beats.

Hope that helps. I would write more but i have to go to work. Good luck.

I would stay after class and talk to your music theory teacher and ask him/her all of this. It is pretty simple when you get it down.