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Syncopation Exercises: Sixteenth Note Pulse

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647 views3 pages

Syncopation Exercises: Sixteenth Note Pulse

Sync

Uploaded by

Ab Khawlhring
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Syncopation Exercises

This is a series of exercises to help you become familiar with some different ways that the
beat is commonly subdivided, and to help you to hear syncopated rhythms which fall on
odd subdivisions of the beat.

The beat is where the average person taps their foot in regular and steady time to the
music. Obviously not every note of music falls right on top of the beat. Much of music falls
in between beats. Therefore we have a system to subdivide the time which exists in
between each beat, so that we can describe precisely where in between the whole beats
musical notes might exist. This helps us understand how to remember and reproduce the
music.

In this series of exercises you will be counting the pulse out loud (for example “1 e & a 2 e
& a 3 e & a 4 e & a”), tapping your foot on the downbeats (the whole numbers), lifting your
foot up on the true upbeats (the “&”s), and playing on the various parts of the beat in turn.
This combination of counting, tapping the foot and playing each part(s) of the beat in turn
will also help develop some of the coordinated independence that is required to play
drums.

Sixteenth Note Pulse


In this first series you will be playing on just one part of each beat:

x _ _ _ x _ _ _ x _ _ _ x _ _ _ (downbeats)
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

_ x _ _ _ x _ _ _ x _ _ _ x _ _
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

_ _ x _ _ _ x _ _ _ x _ _ _ x _ (upbeats)
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

_ _ _ x _ _ _ x _ _ _ x _ _ _ x (pickups)
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

In this second series you will be playing two parts of each beat:

x x _ _ x x _ _ x x _ _ x x _ _
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

_ x x _ _ x x _ _ x x _ _ x x _
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
_ _ x x _ _ x x _ _ xx _ _ x x
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

x _ _ x x _ _ x x _ _ x x _ _ x
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

x _ x _ x _ x _ x _ x _ x _ x _
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

_ x _ x _ x _ x _ x _ x _ x _ x
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

In this third series you will be playing three parts of each beat:

x x x _ x x x _ x x x _ x x x _
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

_ x x x _ x x x _ x x x _ x x x
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

x _ x x x _ x x x _ x x x _ x x
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

x x _ x x x _ x x x _ x x x _ x
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Triplet Pulse
In this first triplet pulse series you will be playing on just one part of each beat:

x _ _ x _ _ x _ _ x _ _
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a

_ x _ _ x _ _ x _ _ x _
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a

_ _ x _ _ x _ _ x _ _ x
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a

In this second triplet pulse series you will be playing on two parts of each beat:
x x _ x x _ x x _ x x _
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a

_ x x _ x x _ x x _ x x
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a

x _ x x _ x x _ x x _ x
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a

Tips on Practicing
• Play these exercises by tapping two drum sticks together. If you don’t have sticks handy,
you can play these exercises by simply clapping your hands together

• Play these exercises by tapping two drum sticks together. These exercises progress in
order. Start by practicing only the first series of exercises. After mastering that series add
subsequent series (in order) to your practice routine. Don’t jump ahead to subsequent
exercises until you have mastered earlier exercises. Always play through the earlier,
previously mastered exercises in order before working on new exercises.

• Do not do these exercises too fast! Go slowly enough that you are able to clap precisely
on top of the count. Only increase your tempo after you have mastered the exercise at a
slower tempo.

• Always count out loud when practicing these exercises. If you’re not counting out loud,
you’re not really doing the exercise.

• Remember to tap your foot. Make sure that your foot is coming down squarely on top of
the downbeat, and that you are lifting your foot on the true upbeat.

• Practice these exercises with a steady pulse and at a constant tempo. If you have
difficulty maintaining a constant tempo then play along with a metronome.

• Practice at least a little bit every day. You can practice these exercises anywhere,
whenever you have a little time to kill.

© Brandon Marger (2003)

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