< PreviousModern Drummer December 2022 58 Realistic Linear Rudiments By Carmine Appice M odern Drummer is concluding the year-long celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Carmine Appice’s legendary book Realistic Rock, which has been re-issued by Modern Drummer with even more sections and is now called The Ultimate Realistic Rock. We are presenting one of those new sec- tions called Realistic Linear Rudiments that Carmine added to the new book. In August’s Modern Drummer we interviewed Carmine about his book, and this new Linear section. This is what he had to say, “Rick Gratton sent me his book called Rick’s Licks, and when I tried to read through it, I really couldn’t follow it. The way it was written was very confusing to me. Rick and I did a clinic together up in Canada, and when I saw what he was doing I told him that we should release a video together with my video company. I told him that his stuff was cool, but the way he explained it was just too complicated. We did a video together, but I helped him break down his ideas to make them more under- standable. In the process, I came up with the Linear Rudiments: RLF, RLLF, RLRRF, RLRLRF. Groups of three, four, five, and six notes. Then you combine diff erent combinations of them to create groups of 16 (one bar of sixteenth notes) or 32 and put them all over the drums. I just clarified Rick’s ideas and made them easier to learn. Then I began playing those ideas in clinics and on gigs. I saw how well they worked in a “realistic” setting. Then I incorporated those ideas into The Ultimate Realistic Rock book… Rick and I have since become good friends.” Realistic Linear Rudiments The definition of linear is, nothing hits together. Until now we’ve played patterns where diff erent limbs play at the same time as other limbs. The following exercises will give you a new outlook on playing and will open many new concepts for you to use. These rudiments should be practiced slowly at first, and gradually speed them up. These could be called linear group- ings as well as rudiments. A grouping is a group of notes that when played, create a phrase or a melody. R= Right Hand L= Left Hand F= Foot A. The three-note grouping is played RLF. B. The four-note grouping is played RLLF. C. The five-note grouping is played RLRRF, if-when it’s repeated it alternates to LRLLF. D. The six-note grouping is played RLRLLF. Putting It Together Let’s put some of these rudiments (or groupings) together so we can use them as grooves and fills. E. The seven-note grouping is played RLLFRLF. This is simply the 4+3 note groupings added together. F. The nine-note grouping is played RLRLLFRLF. This is simply the 6+3 note groupings added together. Then we can combine the 7 and the 9 to equal 16 (or a bar of 16th notes.) Repeat all of the above groupings over and over and very seriously because these groupings-patterns are the building blocks and the foundation for linear playing. Use a metronome playing quarter notes to practice these examples! All linear rudiments can be played as follows to create further independence. Practice all of them the following ways. 1-Rights are played on the bass drum (right foot when you see the F.) 2-Lefts are played on the bass drum (left foot when you see the F.) 3-Alternate feet or bass drums (if your first hit is a right the next bass drum hit, or F, is a left) 4-When alternating your feet, you can also use your left foot on your high hat. How To Use These Rudiments In 4/4 time there are 16 sixteenth notes to a bar. So let’s start to count our linear groupings as 16 sixteenth notes. To do that we need two groupings that would equal 16. A good one to start with is the 7 and the 9. Together they equal 16 which equals one bar of sixteenth notes. The syncopation created by this combination is what makes this stuff interest- ing, fresh, and new. Below are some examples of this concept. Play them slow at first, then build up speed. DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDEDecember 2022 Modern Drummer 59 Check out Carmine’s Modern Drummer profile page and his book collection at moderndrummer.com 9 + 7 = 16 notes, or one bar of sixteenth notes. Two-bar phrases sound great using this same pattern. Here are some two bar combinations. These ideas consist of 32 16th notes. 1-Repeat the above example for two bars: 9 + 7 plus 9 + 7 and play over and over. 2-You can reverse this pattern to 7 + 9. It still has the same total of notes (16.) One bar equals 16 notes, and two bars equals 32 notes. Here is the 9 + 7 (A) and 7 + 9 (B) sequences. Play A and B together as a two-bar phrase. Try putting two bars of straight time in between the two-bar linear grouping patterns. Once you get these patterns down, try putting your right hand on the high hat, and your left hand on the snare drum, and play the same exercise. Then try putting your left hand on the high hat and your right hand on the snare and-or toms. This will create a different variation of syncopated sounds. More Linear Grouping Combinations One bar, 5 + 5 + 5 + 1 (one bar of sixteenth notes.) Two bars, 9 + 9 + 7 + 7, or 7 + 7 + 9 + 9, or 7 + 7 + 2 + 9 + 7 (each adding up to 32 notes, or two bars of sixteenth notes.) Four bars, 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 1 (or 9 x 7 + 1) adds up to 64 notes or 4 bars of 16th notes. The possibilities are endless! Always use a metronome playing quarter notes to practice all of these combinations. It is always a good idea to write down your own linear combinations of patterns and groupings. Good luck and have fun! œœœœœœ F œœœ F œœœœ F œœœ F 1 R 1 L 2 e R 3 & L 4 a L 5 2 6 e R 7 & L 8 a 9 3 R 1 e L 2 & L 3 a 4 4 R 5 e L 6 & 7 a 9+7=16 notes Repeat etc. œœœœœœ F œœœ F œœœœ F œœœ F 1 R 1 L 2 e R 3 & L 4 a L 5 2 6 e R 7 & L 8 a 9 3 R 1 e L 2 & L 3 a 4 4 R 5 e L 6 & 7 a œœœœœœ F œœœ F œœœœ F œœœ F 1 R 1 L 2 e 3 & L 4 a 5 2 R 6 e L 7 & 8 a R 9 3 LR 1 e L 2 & L 3 a 4 4 R 5 e L 6 & 7 a A) B)Modern Drummer December 2022 60 On Technique and Progressive Accents By Joe Morello T his month Modern Drummer is providing another excellent example of Joe Morello’s masterful teaching from his essential book Master Studies. Both Technique , and Progressive Accents deal with the vital aspect of developing (and improving) your control while playing the drums. On Technique Master Studies is not intended to be a how to book. By that I mean that it’s not an instruction book that will teach you various hand and stick positions, nor does this book have anything to do with any style of playing, nor is it intended to give the drummer some “hot licks.” Master Studies is a workbook of material to use in developing the hands for accenting, and for controlling the different pressures used in single strokes, double strokes, and closed rolls. You can go through this book using whatever techniques you’ve been taught, and you can apply the ideas in this book to any style of music you want. Furthermore, this book does not have to be practiced in any particular order. You can skip around and work on whichever exercises are most appropriate to your needs at any given time. Technique is only a means to an end. The goal is to play musically, but some drummers lose sight of this and approach the drums strictly from a technical standpoint. Often, they become so fascinated with speed that they miss the whole point of music. So just studying this book for the technique alone doesn’t make any sense. You have to apply the technique to the music you are playing. If you need to use accents, for example, this book will help you develop the ability to put an accent wherever you hear one period but when you are playing. You should not be thinking, “Well now I’m going to play page such- and-such from Master Studies. The ultimate goal is to be able to play what you hear in your mind and to be able to play it instantly. Although I am known as a jazz drummer, I never study jazz drumming with anyone. My teachers were Joseph D. Sefcik, George Lawrence Stone, and Billy Gladstone, who were not jazz drummers by any means but who knew how to get a good sound out of a drum. In my travels around the world, I’ve run into many different approaches and techniques. I think it would be presumptuous of me to declare my way of playing as being the “end all” of techniques. However, there is one thing that I want to make clear. I’ve come to the conclusion that everything is done with natural body movement. The wrist turns and everything have to be natural, they have to fit the way the body is made. You must use everything in a natural way. After you have been playing a while, you will develop an individualized style, and each style has its place. Some of the things in this book are unusual, and they might give you different ideas about things you can do. For example, some of the accents are in odd places, and in that respect, it might open your mind to different patterns. But ultimately, it’s up to your imagination to develop your own creativity. So this book is just to help you develop your facility, keep yourself in shape, and help you become aware of what your hands are doing and how they’re working. How you use the technique is up to you. Progressive Accents The idea of these exercises is to give you the ability to accent anywhere in the bar that you want. I would suggest that you start by playing this mf and really hitting the accents hard about f. Play each bar eight times and then immediately go to the next bar until you have reached the end. After you are comfortable with this, practice with various dynamic levels, for example: Unaccented notes p, accents mp. Unaccented notes mp, accents fff. Unaccented notes f accents fff, etc. Another way to play these exercises is with accents on the first four eighth notes throughout. Practice these exercises using alternate sticking (RLRL,) starting with either your right or left hand. . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >>>>>>>>>> 1.2. etc.December 2022 Modern Drummer 61 ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >> 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20Modern Drummer December 2022 62 ? c . . . . œœœœœœ > ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >>>>>>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >>> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >>>>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . œœœœœœœœœœœœ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 16 18 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 17 19December 2022 Modern Drummer 63 Check out Joe’s Modern Drummer profile page and get your copy of Master Studies at moderndrummer.com ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ > ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 21 ? c . . . . . . . . 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ 3 œœœ 3 œœœ 6 œ 6 œ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37Modern Drummer December 2022 64 Mixed Sticking Patterns over the Double Bass Roll by Joe Franco T his month we will continue with another excerpt from Joe Franco’s groundbreaking book, Double Bass Drumming. This month Modern Drummer is including Joe’s explanation of soloing over the double bass roll by playing mixed stickings with the hands. The double bass roll is written at the bottom of each group of examples, to make the hand pattern clearer and easier to read. Although it is not mentioned in Joe’s book, I would suggest practicing the hand patterns (stickings) alone rst. Then put them over the double bass roll. Make sure to avoid any “ amming” between the hands and feet, and as always start slow! In this section of his book, various hand patterns are played over the double bass drum roll. This month these patterns will be mixed sticking patterns, consisting of various combinations of single and double strokes. This article deals with both the sixteenth notes and triplets and is designed to: -Present di erent hand patterns that are useful in soloing or developing beats. -Develop hand independence over the double bass roll. -Develop balance, control, and stamina on double bass. There are many more examples of sixteenth notes and triplets played with mixed stickings included in Joe Franco’s outstand- ing book entitled Double Bass Drumming. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Have fun! Mixed Sticking Patterns Mixed sticking patterns are played over the double bass roll. These patterns can be used in soloing as well as in creating counter rhythms and lls. The patterns are written as R = right hand and L = left hand. Every pattern is presented with its mirror image (or reversed) in which R = L and L = R. It is important to play both. All of these patterns are composed of combinations of single and double strokes. All of the fundamental sticking patterns are included. The single and double stroke roll, the single, double, and triple paradiddle, the paradiddle-diddle, and many inversions of each. Since there are never more than two consecutive strokes with one hand, they should be able to be played with a con- stant ow. Besides practical applications, these patterns are helpful in developing hand independence over the feet. You will be playing di erent combinations of hands and feet together. When working out these hand patterns, it may be helpful to play them on two di erent surfaces so you can hear the rhythm that each hand is playing. Keep in mind that these patterns are written without accents. Experiment with some of your own accents. Besides using these patterns in soloing, try using them to form beats by playing R on the ride and L on the snare. For example:December 2022 Modern Drummer 65Modern Drummer December 2022 66December 2022 Modern Drummer 67 Check out Joe’s Modern Drummer profile page and get your copy of Double Bass Drumming at moderndrummer.comNext >