This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the February 2017 issue, which is available here.

Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic

Groove Construction

Part 10: Exploring a Killer Cowbell Pattern

by Jost Nickel

In this lesson we’ll examine a pattern that I get asked about often. I recorded this groove on the song “Rave Against the Machine” with Jan Delay and Disko No. 1 in Germany some time ago, and I encourage you to check it out in the video on moderndrummer.com to hear its phrasing. Although the exercises in this lesson are notated with a straight feel, they should be shuffled with a 16th-note-triplet feel. Let’s break down the groove starting with the cowbell figure.

 
For the complete lesson with transcriptions, check out the February 2017 issue, which is available here.