A "Controversial" Exercise to Improve Your Jazz Drumming

Download the transcription - the8020drummer.com/lessons/to...
Five years ago, I made the first incarnation of this lesson. Some loved it, others said I was full of it.
(Here's that lesson - • How to (Really) Play J... - contrary to popular belief, I was not stoned.)
I decided, it's time for a remake.

[@PhilHenDrums]

That metronome practice placing it on the 8th off-beats is a great exercise (around 18:00). Young drummers definitely need to learn to lead rather than follow. Of course, one thing no one ever mentions is that the drummer also has to evaluate the ability of their bandmates, and lead in a way that they are capable of following. If the time is too open for part of the band, it only leads to trainwrecks, even if it's technically not the drummer's fault that the other players aren't up to the same level. Bring the weaker members along. Leaving them trashed by the roadside only makes the whole band sound bad.

[@0mnis14sh]

I learned this one the hard way. Well put.

[@gregoryhussey6477]

Good call - thats a very useful observation

[@kpra.2pro590]

👏🏾

[@noahbirdrevolution]

Nefertiti was the song that got me into pretending to play jazz drums. Love Tony.

[@jonescrusher1]

'It's 75% of the way to backbeat funk in terms of the way it feels to play' - got me thinking

[@TaylorMorgeson]

DM me if you need terrible Jazz drumming, cameras fired up ready to go.

[@jamestfra10]

What type of ride are you using? It sounds AMAZING!

[@squidito2534]

Hopefully a Paste 101

[@morganneher8643]

It’s AMAZING how much “Picture 3 Comping” opened up the vocabulary 😮 Still some of my favorite stuff

[@kraigompls]

Thanks for this. I'm an old rock drummer who recently got pulled into a jazz situation. The first song was a jazz waltz. Great! I can fake a jazz waltz well enough for the punters for a long time! Their regular drummers have nothing to fear, but I can make it work well enough. The second tune was a Wayne Shorter tune that I don't know. "It starts in a Latin beat then goes to straight swing." Yikes! My knowledge of Latin is that I don't really know Latin! I mostly did the "ah" of 4 and 2 (along with the downbeats - ah1 - ah3) on the kick, something clave-ish on the side stick and pretty much quarters on the ride, then took audibles when we went to swing. I snuck it by, but I may need to step up my jazz chops a bit as I transition into the lucrative nursing home circuit.

[@brads4606]

Thirty years ago (and probably still somewhat) teachers were telling drum students to over accent 2 & 4 on the ride if they wanted to swing like the pros. I don’t know what crappy clinic this came from, but evidently every high school Jazz band teacher in the country (outside of New York) was “hip” to it. So you had all these young aspiring Jazz drummers slamming the 2 & 4 thinking they were swinging like Gene Krupa! Man, am I glad that era is starting to fade. Thank you for emphasizing the funk in it. If you listen to Bebop, and not just in the drum part, it’s funky. Roy Haynes. One of the funkiest drummers there ever was.

[@Carlo24515]

Lol so true

[@farshimelt]

Roy doesn't play the hi hat on 2 &4, he uses it as another voice.

[@brads4606]

George Neidorf, yes. Precisely my point.

[@kevinfrazee7690]

I'd like to add to my comment that this should be a "go to" video for any aspiring jazz drummers. Jazz is a groove not just an independence exercise. Thanks for bringing back that groove element, and for mentioning the great Connie Kay. He is so often overlooked. Thanks again for a great lesson!!!

[@Algo1]

To sum up: It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

[@liam_er]

*scat*

[@hifijohn]

Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah

[@bernardonobre1651]

I've known about your channel for a long time, but only recently did I start watching really your videos, and just when I was getting really tired of what I was experience musicaly, both playing and listening, you started to tell me about the world of jazz, that I already loved, but now I do so in a new way. And now this is making me want to actually play good jazz. Thank you Nate for bringing joy to my art.

[@TheYeqy]

Finally! Someone talking about consistency in timing 🙂 This perfectly relates to your video on advanced drummers being able to be locked in with themselves 🙂

[@bmillerdrums]

Amazing lesson. By far my favorite of yours so far

[@josephchambers3394]

Man, I needed to hear this. Thanks for the killer lesson!

[@ZoomRmc]

I appreciate how you respect other players and do you best to not represent anyone in a bad light in your videos very very much!

[@8020drummer]

Yea, after Aric Improta and Dylan Elise jumped me in an alley I decided to clean up my act :P

[@terrorfirma7813]

Amazing Lesson! So much new material to dive into... will keep me busy for a looooonggggg time.

[@musices7907]

this is actually amazing! I felt It directly when you started talking about bottom up!

[@kostadinosvasilakis9829]

I really liked this video! I like the deconstruction and reconstruction stuff! You should make a few more of them!

[@davidofpiano423]

How in the hell does this man not have millions of subs!? Not only some of the best drum lessons on KZbin, but some of the best MUSIC lessons on KZbin. Super articulate descriptions and a masterful understanding of what to prioritize when practicing.

[@nickfili9409]

I just revisited this one, and am inspired to go back in and play with some of these ideas some more. A couple of spots in those patterns that are begging for a triplet that starts with a kick or a "chick" and is finished in the left hand on the snare, with an accent on the third note of the triplet. Excited to try it!

[@OogaB0oga]

Great video as always, Nate. Some really nice, in-depth insight into developping good sound, confidence and understanding of jazz condensed into a 20-min video - as a long-time drummer who never really got jazz, this is infinitely helpful! Thanks a ton

[@somefreelog]

Using the metronome the way you say to is one of the most valuable piece of information I've EVER gotten since I started playing drums. It's exactly what you say, you end up finding yourself leading rather than following. It's dramatically improved my approach to swing and rhythm and general. So, yeah, thank you!!

[@TheMashto]

Great lesson, thank you, Nate!

[@markielinhart]

Best dissipation yet for this upstart startup - thank you so much‼️✌️🌻

[@danielkinney3286]

Man, you are like the weed guy that always has the best shit. 🔥 Best drum channel out there.

[@igloososa]

bro. you're awesome! love your objective viewpoint. let's get this band going.

[@collinscollins5595]

Absolutely genius. You showed me the way if I practice it. The freaking missing piece I have been searching for! Thank you so much Nate. A life time ( 33 years playing)of searching ,compressed into a 21 minute video. Incredible ,but sad in my case . Lol!

[@cybrinternational3391]

Good stuff...great exercises. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@akete_aka_te]

You’re amazing bruv! I love all your analyses ^^

[@peteswanproductions]

Really interesting and insightful approach to creatively updating the swing pattern, and looking at the development and contributions by three master drummers

[@brianmcguire5175]

Finally a drum lesson that covers drum comping in jazz in more detail. This lesson is gold dust among others on KZbin. The video should be labelled as a drum comp video for those seeking it. I'm glad I watched. Great lesson plan, great demonstration, great philosophy. Again, I'm glad I discovered this and watched it it. Now begins repeated watching for learnings sake

[@earthjustice01]

Wow! I needed this thirty years ago! Never could get that jazz feel, even though I love jazz. That straight four on the kick, re "Syncopation" was so exasperating, and it totally doesn't work playing along with a string bass. Thank you for this. Your bass drum seems so high pitched. I guess I'm a rock drummer at heart because I really crave that low low Bonham sound.

[@alabi-michaelakande1210]

Very helpful! Broken down excellently, sir

[@kennethtaylor964]

Glad to see someone else that loves Connie Kay!! The greatest colorist in jazz!!

[@J0intV3nture]

Blows my mind! De La Soul and ATCQ are an amazing example for this stuff.

[@ValterS91]

Amazing lesson! Great work man!

[@fall9stand10]

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. was looking for such explicit lesson for past months... thanks a lot!

[@lurgy5177]

This awesome thank you for putting this up!!!

[@sharethefootage1088]

One of the best thumbs up to thumbs down ratios I've seen ever for a video. Good job.

[@grumpydrummer8960]

Ive held onto my Syncopation book for 45years. No wiser for what it meant to teach. I just chucked it out before i took up playing the set these last 2 months. I FEEL so free without it.lol. loving your sessions. Cheers from Australia.

[@craigberry4051]

I’m a guitar player but get so much out of these videos. Thank you!

[@LA-hx9tx]

This is one of the best videos I've seen. I've been playing jazz bass for over 40 years, and "time" and "feel" are two areas I spend a lot of time thinking about. It's an area that is sorely neglected in the educational world. I've also been playing drums for quite a few years, but have been approaching them more seriously lately. These issues that are discussed in this videos is right where I'm at. It's great to see all of these things from a great drummer's perspective since I've been approaching it from the bass point of view for years. This is just essential information for every player, not just drummers or rhythm section players. We ALL need to groove.

[@kevinfrazee7690]

I couldn't agree more. I've been saying this for years that you have to think from the bottom up. The great Duffy Jackson helped me with this. He would stand in front of the set and tell me what to play louder(usually the hi hat and bass drum) and what to play quieter(always the ride) in short I was top heavy. Thank you for spreading this great message and groove!!!

[@borgullet3376]

Damn... has it been five years already ? That was my favorite.... Dope Sequel

[@albitcapinigro1107]

I've been playing a long time. This is the best lesson on jazz I've ever seen. thx

[@RorRiiZzLE]

I never knew that this would’ve helped with the floor up part of playing jazz (bass and hats) that you were discussing, but since one of the main reasons I play is to help gain muscle and muscle stamina because of connective tissue problems I have, so when I start each session I would just do patterns between the kick drum and the hi hat and not involve the sticks at all yet. It’s basically just a warmup, but it has helped get my coordination better than it was and just better pedal technique for the bass and hats just because of spending extra time only on them and you hear just them and wanna hear them sound good. But good video

[@matthewschaeffer4656]

Rory Smith that is such a great and simple idea that I’ve never tried before, thanks!

[@2002drumsonly]

I feel the Jedi Jazz mind melt just took place! Well done, well appreciated as always.

[@jeffreywegener8841]

Freaking brilliant Nate you opened the door . 🎉

[@helemaalnicks6215]

Hah! I'm a non-jazzdrummer, and I totally recognize the first part about consistency between the dotted 8 and the 8. In non-jazz drumming, this is sometimes also a thing you want to accomplish, to be somewhere between shuffle and straight, and that'll only sound good if it is consistent as well. I would describe these rock-beats as having a 'bluesy' feel to them.

[@DonSChen]

Check out Adam Neely's quintuplet swing. It makes it that you dont need to aproximate how off beat the swing is. You can literally subdivide the beat to short and long phrases and get that limping feel. Cool stuff.

[@TomTeasley]

Very good presentation with useful information! Bravo!

[@GoranRista]

Great job, man!

[@samkallaos775]

I love this lesson. I think when developing these ideas of “swing beats” and looking at drummers that incorporate that in funk you have to talk a little about Zigaboo Moldesti. I’m sure there are others but you did an amazing job here of sharing a ton of awesome information in a short time. Useful information at that!!

[@Unreissued]

Your channel just keep getting better and better .. And I dont even play drums!

[@bacobill]

Awesome video thank you.. these 'time capsules' will last for generations.. I hope you feel the gratitude of many many drummers who may just be shy in saying so.. Drum on drummer :)

[@NaylemEvad1]

Thank you! I am not accustomed to playing jazz, but would love to be able to do so with joy as opposed to self-loathing the next time it gets sprung on me. These voicing ideas help me think in ways that are outside of the norm for me, and that is exactly the kind of thing I need!

[@jimfarey]

That was brilliant,bthanks for sharing that, Nate

[@drummonk3699]

Nicely Done, thank you... and thanks for getting Connie Kay and Mel Lewis in there... not enough folks know about these two...especially Connie Kay.

[@dynasticlight1073]

Connie was a Master,Find some earlier stuff before MJQ

[@MrLudvigsen]

Thanks for a good lesson 🎶🤗

[@Earthdogbonzo3]

I'm NOT a jazz drummer, but your lesson is freeing up my mind! Thankx!

[@luiszuluaga6575]

The rest will follow… 😉👉🏼🥁

[@channelofdamian8594]

Thank you for the great lesson

[@cfusilier2]

You’re like a sarcastic Bob Ross 🙂 Thanks for this. I enjoy dabbling in jazz, but admittedly, never really researched or learned how to do it. Working from the bottom up is a great way of thinking.

[@conorreedR2C]

The nonchalant stick drop at 17:29 just killed me lol

[@ricosalomar]

This is amazing!

[@fleetwoodbrawm]

I dig it. nice job... and I love your bass drum sound. you really swing!

[@JoeyvanLeeuwen]

Nice informative lesson. This makes me think of the Nicholas Payton album "Into The Blue"

[@AnthonyMuthurajah]

Great lesson man!

[@twcpu2369]

First and foremost the quarter note needs to be there. If you can't swing with just quarter notes, the skip note isn't going to help you

[@griffot]

twcpu2 Wow thank you for confirming something I’ve known and preached for years. Playing straight 4 also helps to clarify the time in really uptempo charts.

[@JeffJohnsonMrJeffToYou]

Great idea with the metronome on the offbeats to lock in the triplet timing!

[@jimmybonaparte-coggins1759]

Thanks for this lesson bro!

[@dylanx_fpv9442]

Great stuff!

[@hmoreno724]

As a bass player, your videos are very helpful. Thanks

[@vincentbuonora8477]

Really nice touch and finger technique. sweet ride technique...I’ll add the bass....

[@udomatthiasdrums5322]

still love your work!!

[@eschaef71]

Great lesson on a mysterious subject!! Ima rock guy so thanks for some cool ideas!!!

[@tommyleanza510]

GREAT lesson! Thanks!

[@philcorrigan6603]

Absolutely love your perspective on this topic, I see no reason why you can't start editing the music notation into your videos. I would guarantee that your subs would accelerate. Not a criticism, as I don't strictly need it, but it'd certainly make me click through more.

[@dannysouthwell3715]

Great philosophical stance and lovely playing. Can’t help but feel the exercises are a little niche, but as compositional pieces, they are really awesome little ideas that address a huge array of bop playing styles. I think a lot of people would be grateful if you also had some concurrent notation as well. For those that do read, the visual aid really helps. I know it’s more work but you’ll pull in more subs. Love what you do though, really digging your videos 🔥

[@boutrosboutrosboutrosboutros]

I noticed so many players with the ghost strokes on both high hat, and kick pedals. That makes me feel a lot better! It's almost impossible for me not to want to hit those notes!

[@salrubgonz]

Excellent lesson!!! Thnx a lot!!!!

[@russelljabara777]

Wow, I'm at best a moderately good rock and funk drummer. I lost interest in playing jazz after taking lessons that were four on the floor after four on the floor. I'm a heavy bass guy, my right foot feels the music maybe more than any other body part. Seriously, I think my right foot was too bored to play jazz the way it was being taught to me. :) this is one of the most intriguing lessons by far. Love the idea of the bottom-up conversation between right foot and left hand, This lesson nails what I hear in jazz and like about Jazz. Thanks

[@adamkelly5478]

I agree, starting jazz SEEMS very boring if you can already play. In my case, once I started to get a handle on a few of the multitudes of basic concepts I was completely hooked.

[@patrickfarley8036]

Rusty, I'm not a " jazz guy", but I have a tip for you. This will require moving your drums around unless you have a dbl. bass pedal and extra hi hat set up. In any case, play your bass with your hh foot and hh with your bass foot and swing the ride and comp as normal. See if that feels better. Like I said, I'm not a jazz guy because I simply don't get it so, I don't like it. At least the stuff going on here. I play fusion and prog but this stuff, nah! I hope one day it clicks so I can at least find out why it's so appealing to others, but right now it leaves me flat. But short story, when I started playing drums it was on drums set up for right handed drummers and not knowing until many years went by, I'm a lefty drummer! When I try to play jazz with my friends I find it sounds and feels WAY better if I play my bass and hats like a righty. I think guys like Cobham, Simon Phillips, Beauford Carter as well as many others are lefties too but have transitioned to righty set ups better than I did and that's why they have that open hand concept. I play bass and guitar righty and I sing both righty and lefty (hahaha!!!!) so don't discount your dominant side is other than you thought. If you try this, please tell me if it helped or not? I'd be interested to know! Best of luck!

[@n8w8rem22]

Geweldig 👍🏼 bedankt !

[@EleniEliades_]

Great lesson Mister ! How about doing a follow up lesson concerning the Jazz ride cymbal " Spang-ga-laang " & " Walk-the-DAWG " stick patterns. For example, where to put the accent on the Cymbal, show us other Jazz ride cymbal patterns to use for faster beats as well as odd tempo patterns. Not many videos about this topic ~💡🐒🌟

[@awaken8888]

great approach thank you

[@jeraldcuccurullo2497]

What you said about the use of a metronome is KEY!!! T.Y jazz cat, meow

[@jr21jr211]

Thanks! Really great video!

[@caffeineadvocate]

I'm applauding this lesson. But, only on the and of one every three measures at 184 bpm. Feels real nice. I still enjoy finding new ways to use Ted Reed or 'Art of Bop Drumming's figures. Orchestration, adding ostinatos around them, limb dynamics, etc... There's a lot to unravel. It's almost like... Jazz! :)

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Connie Kay sounds like second line to me! Thanks for playing the bass drum!

[@TiagoLageira]

Lucky for me I feel everything as 1/4 thank you very much

[@xthatghomiex2939]

Love to see Quincy Davis appreciation. He teaches at North Texas!

[@dougmcintosh9290]

oh god.. I love Tony!

[@tacman1974]

You know what? Thank you so much!! Needed some guidance!!

[@MrDavidFitzgerald]

Thinking of jazz as a series of measures containing beats, rather than a melodic line over a background of ride and hats, has made it so much easier for me to make things feel good and to incorporate bass drum. It's a much better way into jazz drumming for non-jazz drummers as well

[@jonnymoka]

You are one of the best modern drummers I have heard. I have played the drums myself but would consider myself like the tin man these days wishing I had some WD-40 under the covers

[@Lkease]

I've always been decent at set, but I have a background in rock. Even though I'm a music major, I've never had drum set lessons. I made the cut for the 2nd jazz band in my uni and I'm now noticing how terrible I am at jazz stylistically. It's really obvious that I'm not inspiring the rest of the band and they're not engaged at all. It's really noticable because the drummer from last year in that band is like, seriously a god at drum set. I'm amazed he didn't get 1st band last year. Anyways, everyone from last year is expecting me to be just as good. This video came at a great time. I know I am just below where I need to be and all I need is a push in the right direction. I'm gonna be in a practice room for the next few weeks learning everything I can from this lesson. I cannot thank you enough.

[@HiFisch94]

Good luck

[@RichFarago]

Some solid advice and methods.

[@MrZerausogaitnas]

great lesson

[@jimbarcelona1078]

Enjoyed your video ,been playing for awhile but always room for a new concept on Jazz, I am a B.Rich follower as I attempt to play Buddys way with a dash of my own fills, although Jo.Jones ,Art Blakley, etc. Even a bit of Joe Morello, of course more modern ,Dave Weckl ..... But thanks....enjoyed

[@peteryoung4974]

Love that snare drum.

[@maciejgrzesiak]

very very very thanks! :)

[@julianjuarez5741]

You teach so much that I feel kinda bad for not giving something back (knowledge wise) I noticed that your left hand grip is kinda stressed, check out the bruce becker course on drummeo, maybe grab the stick a little bit more from the balance point. Anyways, cheers from argentina, keep up the great work!

[@hanscarmona9269]

I like to learn high! Thank you