13 Levels of Drumming: Easy to Complex | WIRED

Summary

In this engaging drum tutorial, Larnell Lewis takes viewers through various levels of drumming complexity, starting with basic beats and evolving into intricate patterns. He explores the bass and snare drum fundamentals, introduces hi-hat techniques, and delves into grooves, rudiments, polyrhythms, and orchestration. Lewis emphasizes the importance of expression and storytelling through drumming, demonstrating how to elevate energy with fills and embellishments. His passion for drumming shines as he encourages finding one's unique voice on the instrument.

Takeaways

• 🥁 The script is a drumming tutorial by Larnell Lewis, focusing on the progression of drumming complexity.
• 🎶 The tutorial starts with the basics, explaining the concept of 'four on the floor' with the bass drum on beats one and three.
• 📖 Level two introduces the snare drum, emphasizing the backbeat on beats two and four, which is a common drumming phrase.
• 👟 Level three adds the hi-hat, playing consistently on all four quarter notes, creating a groove or drum pattern when combined with the bass and snare.
• 🌟 The importance of the hi-hat's role in creating different sounds by adjusting the foot pressure is highlighted, with 'open' and 'closed' hi-hat techniques.
• 🎵 The script demonstrates the transition between funk and rock grooves, noting the emphasis on the downbeat in both styles but with different energy distribution.
• 🔢 Level five delves into drum rudiments, such as single and double strokes, and paradiddles, which are fundamental rhythmic patterns for drummers.
• 🎵 Accents and hi-hat bark are introduced as techniques to add expression and coordination to the drumming.
• 🔄 Syncopation is explained as a method to create complex rhythms by accenting off-beats, contributing to the overall groove.
• 🎶 The concept of polyrhythms is introduced as a higher level of complexity, where two rhythms are layered on top of each other.
• 🎹 Orchestration is presented as a way to vary rhythms by moving them across different parts of the drum kit, showcasing four-way independence.
• 🚀 Drum fills are described as transitions or energy elevators within a song, demonstrating different levels of complexity and rhythmic variety.
• 🌈 Embellishments are added to drum fills to create more expression and excitement, building upon the foundational patterns.
• 💡 A final tip emphasizes the importance of breathing while drumming and the art of finding one's unique drumming voice through the levels of complexity.

Q & A

Who is Larnell Lewis and what roles does he have in the music industry?

Larnell Lewis is a drummer, composer, and educator. He is known for his work in various music genres and for his educational contributions to the field of drumming.

What is the main theme of the video script provided?

The main theme of the video script is exploring the levels of complexity in drumming, from basic patterns to advanced techniques such as polyrhythms and orchestration.

What does Larnell Lewis consider as the first level of complexity in drumming?

Larnell Lewis considers the bass drum as the first level of complexity in drumming, emphasizing its placement on beats one and three in a 4/4 time signature.

What is the role of the snare drum in the second level of drumming complexity?

In the second level of complexity, the snare drum is used to provide the backbeat, typically placed on beats two and four, which is a common phrase in drumming.

How does Larnell Lewis describe the hi-hat's role in drumming?

Larnell Lewis describes the hi-hat as an interesting part of the drum kit that can be played consistently, with the hi-hat being played on all four quarter notes in the third level of complexity.

What is a groove in drumming and how is it related to drum patterns?

A groove in drumming is a term used to describe a drum pattern that is played consistently and forms the rhythmic foundation of a song. It is created by combining different elements like the bass drum, snare drum, and hi-hat.

What is the difference between a funk groove and a rock groove according to Larnell Lewis?

According to Larnell Lewis, a funk groove tends to have a tighter hi-hat sound and emphasizes the downbeat with the bass drum. A rock groove also emphasizes the downbeat but has a more open hi-hat sound throughout the groove, creating a more evenly spaced energy.

What are drum rudiments and how do they contribute to the complexity of drumming?

Drum rudiments are a grouping of notes or rhythms defined by stickings, which dictate when to play with the right hand versus the left hand. They contribute to the complexity of drumming by providing a foundation for more advanced techniques and expressions.

What is a paradiddle and how is it used in drumming?

A paradiddle is a drum rudiment that consists of a specific sticking pattern: right-left-right-right or left-right-left-left. It is used to create a more expressive and complex rhythm within a drum pattern.

What is the concept of 'open hi-hat' and 'closed hi-hat' as explained by Larnell Lewis?

The 'open hi-hat' refers to a sound produced when the drummer raises their foot slightly, allowing the cymbals to spread apart and create a shimmering, sizzling sound. The 'closed hi-hat' is the sound produced when the foot is pressed down, creating a more tight and direct sound.

How does Larnell Lewis define a drum fill and what is its purpose in a song?

A drum fill, as defined by Larnell Lewis, is a rhythmic phrase played on the drum kit that leads into another section of a song or helps to elevate the energy of the music. It can also be used to bring the energy down or transition between different parts of a composition.

What is orchestration in drumming and how does it add to the complexity?

Orchestration in drumming involves taking a rhythm and assigning it to different parts of the drum set with each hand and foot playing different rhythms simultaneously. This adds complexity by requiring multi-limb coordination and creativity in rhythm arrangement.

Outlines

00:00

🥁 Introduction to Drum Complexity

Larnell Lewis, a drummer, composer, and educator, introduces a journey through different levels of drumming complexity. He explains the basics of the bass drum in a 4/4 time signature and then adds the snare drum to create a backbeat. The hi-hat is introduced as a constant element played on all quarter notes, creating a groove or drum pattern. Lewis demonstrates the transition from a funk to a rock groove, highlighting the use of the hi-hat for different sounds and the emphasis on downbeats in both styles.

05:03

🎶 Advanced Groove Techniques

The script delves into advanced groove techniques, starting with the coordination required for hi-hat usage and moving on to syncopation, which involves accenting off-beats. Lewis then constructs more complex grooves by incorporating additional rhythms and elements like paradiddles on the hi-hat and snare. The concept of polyrhythms is introduced, with examples of 3-over-2 and 4-over-3 patterns, showcasing the layering of two rhythms to create a richer sound. The inclusion of music alongside these patterns helps to contextualize their application in a musical setting.

10:04

🔄 Drum Kit Orchestration and Fills

Larnell Lewis discusses the art of drum kit orchestration, which involves playing the same rhythm on different parts of the drum set to create variety. He demonstrates moving a paradiddle pattern across various drums and cymbals, emphasizing the creative potential of this technique. Drum fills are explored as transitions or energy shifts within a song, with examples ranging from complex rhythms to sparse patterns. Lewis also performs a 30-second note drum fill, showcasing the drummer's ability to create dynamic and expressive fills.

15:06

🎵 Embellishments and the Art of Drumming

The final paragraph focuses on embellishments, which are additional expressions added to drum fills to enhance the musical moment. Lewis illustrates how to transform a basic drum pattern into a complex fill with embellishments, incorporating various drum kit pieces and rhythms. He emphasizes the importance of grounding the pattern with lower tones and changing the bass drum pattern to maintain the spirit of the original while adding new dimensions. The paragraph concludes with a drum solo from Lewis's song 'Change Your Mind,' highlighting the culmination of grooves, polyrhythms, and coordination in a performance. The pro tip on breathing and the reflection on the purpose of complexity in drumming rounds out the video script.

Keywords

💡Drum Kit

A drum kit, also known as a drum set, is a collection of drums and other percussion instruments, typically including a snare drum, bass drum, one or more tom-toms, and cymbals. In the video, Larnell Lewis uses the drum kit to demonstrate various levels of complexity in drumming, starting with the bass drum and building up to include snare, hi-hat, and other elements to create different grooves and rhythms.

💡Bass Drum

The bass drum is the largest drum in a drum kit and produces a low-frequency sound. In the script, Lewis mentions starting with the bass drum on beats one and three, setting the foundation for the rhythm. This is a fundamental concept in drumming, as it establishes the pulse of the music.

💡Snare Drum

The snare drum is a small drum with a sharp, staccato sound and is often used for backbeats in music. Lewis refers to the snare drum as the 'backbeat' and places it on beats two and four, which is a common pattern in many styles of music. This helps to create a sense of rhythmic drive.

💡Hi-Hat

The hi-hat is a pair of cymbals mounted on a stand that can be played with a foot pedal. In the video, Lewis plays the hi-hat on all four quarter notes to create a consistent rhythm. The hi-hat is crucial for maintaining the groove and can be opened or closed to create different sounds, as demonstrated by Lewis.

💡Groove

A groove in music refers to a rhythmic pattern that is repeated and provides a sense of continuity and rhythmic 'feel' to a piece of music. Lewis talks about combining the bass drum, snare, and hi-hat to create a groove, which is a central concept in drumming and music production.

💡Rudiments

Drum rudiments are basic patterns used by drummers to practice and perform. They are essential building blocks for more complex drumming. Lewis discusses rudiments such as single strokes and double strokes, and paradiddles, which are used to create more intricate rhythms and fills.

💡Polyrhythms

Polyrhythms occur when two or more rhythms are layered on top of each other, creating a complex interplay of rhythms. Lewis explains polyrhythms as a higher level of complexity, such as playing a three-over-two rhythm, which adds depth and interest to the drumming.

💡Orchestration

In drumming, orchestration refers to the arrangement of rhythms across different parts of the drum kit. Lewis talks about reorchestrating patterns and rudiments across various drums and cymbals, which allows for a wide range of expression and sound variation without changing the underlying rhythm.

💡Drum Fills

Drum fills are rhythmic passages played on the drum kit that serve as transitions between different sections of a song or to build up energy. Lewis demonstrates different types of drum fills, from complex to sparse, showing how they can be used to enhance the dynamics of a musical piece.

💡Embellishments

Embellishments in drumming are additional rhythmic or dynamic elements added to a pattern to create interest and expression. Lewis discusses adding embellishments to drum fills to push the envelope and create a more dynamic and expressive performance.

💡Four-Way Coordination

Four-way coordination, also known as four-way independence, is the ability to play different rhythms independently with each limb. Lewis touches on this concept as part of orchestration, where all limbs are playing different rhythms on different parts of the drum kit simultaneously.

Highlights

Introduction of Larnell Lewis as a drummer, composer, and educator.

Exploration of drum kit complexity through Lewis's personal interpretation.

Basic drumming lesson starting with the bass drum in 4/4 time.

Adding the snare drum to create a backbeat on beats two and four.

Incorporation of the hi-hat playing on all quarter notes for a consistent rhythm.

Combining drum elements to form a groove or drum pattern.

Demonstration of two grooves: a funk groove and a rock groove.

Technique of achieving an open hi-hat sound by raising the left foot.

Discussion on the differences between funk and rock hi-hat usage.

Introduction of 'on the one' concept in funk and its emphasis on the downbeat.

Adding music to the groove to help lock in the rhythm.

Explaining drum rudiments and their importance in drumming.

Teaching of single stroke and double stroke rudiments and their stickings.

Demonstration of paradiddles and their variations for expression.

Explanation of hi-hat bark technique and its coordination requirements.

Incorporate syncopation to create complex or simple rhythms.

Building complex grooves by adding elements and breaking them down.

Introduction to polyrhythms and their layering of two rhythms.

Examples of standard polyrhythms like three over two and four over three.

Exploration of orchestration in drumming and its role in adding expression.

Discussion on four-way independence and coordination in drumming.

Reorchestration of drum patterns and rudiments across different kit pieces.

Power of drum fills to transition into another song section or elevate energy.

Examples of different drum fills and their impact on song energy.

Advanced drumming with a 30-second note drum fill demonstration.

Introduction to embellishments in drumming for added expression.

Building a drum pattern into a fill with increasing embellishments.

Importance of grounding a pattern with lower tones for a unique embellishment.

Final drum solo combining grooves, polyrhythms, and embellishments.

Pro tip on the importance of breathing while playing drums.

Reflection on finding one's voice in drumming and the art of navigating complexity.

Transcripts

- My name is Larnell Lewis, drummer, composer, educator.

And today I've been challenged

to go through the levels of complexity at the drum kit.

[drum music]

This instrument has existed for over 100 years.

There have been tons of interpretations on it.

Just for today though, we're gonna hang out in my world.

And we're gonna go through

my interpretation of complexity on the drums.

So level one is the bass drum.

As a little bit of a precursor,

we're dealing in four, four time.

What that really explains is the value of the note,

and how many of those quarter notes exist in the bar.

I like to put the bass drum on one and three.

That's how we're gonna start.

[bass drum music]

Level two, we're gonna add the snare drum.

I like to consider the snare drum, the back beat.

That's a very common phrase that you'll hear in drumming.

It's similar to clapping.

We're gonna put the snare drum, or you're clapping,

on beat two and beats four, and that sounds like this.

[drum music]

Let's take it up a notch.

Level three, the hi-hat.

This is a really interesting kit piece,

meaning one of the parts of the drum kit.

And for the hi-hat,

it's something that you can do consistently.

We're gonna actually play the hi-hat

on all four quarter notes.

Now, let's put it all together.

[drum music]

Altogether, you call it a groove.

Another term for that is a drum pattern.

I'm gonna play two grooves.

One is a funk groove. I will evolve into that.

And the next one's a rock groove,

which I will also evolve into.

[drum music]

You may have noticed, with the hi-hat,

you were hearing a really sloshy, extended sound.

That was actually being achieved

by me raising my left foot just a little bit,

which allows the cymbals to spread apart,

[cymbal music]

and gives them that shimmering, sizzling sound.

So when I say open hi-hat. [cymbal music]

When I say closed hi-hat, [cymbal music] all right.

Beats that we've been hearing are these quarter notes.

And I'm playing what are called additional eighth notes,

but I'm accenting those as well.

In funk, you'll probably hear more of

a tighter hi-hat sound.

With rock, however, you will hear more open hi-hat

throughout the groove as your constant pattern.

When you're dealing with funk,

there's a term called "on the one",

which means you're putting the emphasis on that downbeat,

which is with the bass drum.

Rock also shares that,

but it's a little more evenly spaced in terms of the energy

that you're putting on all of those beats.

So one emphasizes the downbeat, one smooths it out,

and you have clear sailing from top to bottom.

It might feel like it's a completely different style,

but they're neighboring styles.

And the complexity might just be

in the way that you play them.

But the patterns themselves aren't always

more complex in one way than another.

To help us lock in this groove a little bit more,

we should add some music.

This is a song of mine called "Change Your Mind".

It's a little bit faster.

Get Ready. Let's Go for a Ride.

[funk music]

Let's move on. Level five, rudiments.

Rudiments are a grouping of notes or rhythms

that are also defined by what we like to call stickings.

Mentions of when you play your right hand,

versus your left hand.

The single stroke is a consistent set of notes

alternating between your right hand and your left hand.

Now, double strokes are two hits per hand.

Paraddile is a grouping of notes

which is a right, left, right, right.

[drum music]

These four notes can also be played the opposite way,

left, right, left, left.

Now a little bit faster for the right-handed,

and left-handed paraddile, alternating back and forth.

[dramatic music]

You can actually create a little more of an expression

with what you're playing by adding accents.

Accents are when you are playing

one note louder than another.

I'm gonna put the two paradiddles together now.

I'm gonna be accenting the first note

of each group of four notes.

Then the second time around,

I'm going to accent the second note

of each grouping of four notes.

[drum music]

I just wanna talk a little bit about the hi-hat bark.

Where we are, lifting our foot up, hitting the hi-hat,

and then closing our foot right back down again.

This takes a level of coordination,

because you need to time when you're opening your hi-hat,

or when you're lifting your foot

up against when you hit the hi-hat.

I could do it the other way around where I hit the hi-hat,

and then lift my foot, but it won't be the same effect.

So you lift your foot, strike the hi-hat,

and then bring your foot back down.

You can also do that in a variety of times.

So you can make it longer or extremely short.

But you can make it a little more complex

by adding another counter rhythm or syncopation,

let's say on your hi-hat, or on your bass drum,

or even on your snare drum.

Now, a syncopation is when you accent

something that's other than the strong beats,

or the average beats that you'd play in a bar.

[cymbal music]

Now, let's put it all together.

Next level, more complex grooves.

[drum music]

Now, the groove that you just heard

was similar to the pattern that we've learned already.

But I've actually added a couple of elements.

And I'm gonna break it down. Let's see what we get.

[drum music]

So for the most part,

I was playing one and three on the bass drum.

I've played an open hi-hat on the downbeat.

There was another skip note, or added 16th note,

that I was playing just before I played the downbeat.

I've also played some other rhythms,

or syncopations, on the bass drum.

Using syncopation you can create elaborate rhythms,

or even very simple rhythms that compliment

any drum groove that you're playing.

[drum music]

I actually snuck a paradiddle in there.

Right hand on the hi-hat, left hand on the snare.

[drum music]

Next level, polyrhythms.

Now, polyrhythms is next in the level of complexity,

really because it takes just a little bit more

than a level of our understanding of coordination.

A polyrhythm is actually

two rhythms layered on top of each other.

It makes a really interesting pattern that you hear overall.

The most standard version of a polyrhythm you'll hear

is the three over two.

[drum music]

Another one is the four over three.

So I'm gonna go from two over three,

and then I'm going to go to four over three.

[drum music]

Little more complex.

This one is going to be five over four.

[drum music]

Now, for the purpose of making sure that we

understand what this sounds like in a musical context,

we're gonna add the music again.

[funk music]

Next level, orchestration.

Which by the way, is just me taking a rhythm,

and putting one of my hands on a different

part of the drum set, but playing the same rhythm.

Sidebar, four-way independence, four-way coordination.

All of your limbs are playing different rhythms.

It's multiple rhythms happening

on multiple kit pieces at the same time.

[drum music]

We've built up solid bass through the rhythm,

through rudiments,

polyrhythms.

You can take all of those levels,

and you could reorchestrate anything that we've done so far.

If you remember our paradiddle from earlier,

I'm going to play it on the snare drum.

I'm going to take my right hand,

and I'm going to continue with that concept,

moving my right hand around

to different parts of the drum kit.

First tom, second tom, this other drum that I have here,

which is a snare drum, my floor tom.

And of course we can't forget the rest of the kit.

Crash cymbals.

I have another one that's a similar crash cymbal,

has a bunch of holes in it.

So if I play it very lightly, I get a really nice sizzle.

This is called a splash.

This is a trashformer, on top.

And I have another splash underneath it as well.

Here's another stack over here, the cymbal sandwich.

Three cymbals here.

The one on top is a 16 inch cymbal.

The one all the way on the bottom is a 14 inch China.

And in the middle is a really interesting looking cymbal

that has a lot of little holes in it.

Has a really nice trashy, rattly sound, like this.

[cymbal music]

And you can't forget the ride cymbal.

Now let's put this drum kit to good use.

Paradiddle reorchestrating,

right hand moving around to the different kit pieces.

[drum music]

And now, gotta have some music.

Moving the paradiddle around, adding a little more spice.

[funk music]

The beauty of orchestration,

is that it gives you a ton of options without needing

to change too much, rhythmically,

or with the rudiments that you're actually playing.

It actually moves you right into

the next level, which is drum fills.

[drum music]

A drum fill happens somewhere on the drum kit,

that takes you into another section of a song,

or helps to elevate the energy.

Sometimes it helps to bring the energy a little bit lower.

Any of the things that we've discussed before,

you can actually make those happen as drum fills.

I'm gonna play a drum groove,

and near the end of the drum groove, before I stop,

I'm going to play a drum fill.

[drum music]

Here's another example of that.

[drum music]

And a third option because, why not?

[drum music]

That's the power of drum fills.

The first one was probably a little more complex,

in terms of it had more rhythms going on.

The second one didn't have as many rhythms,

and it stayed on a couple of kit pieces.

[drum music]

And of course the last fill that I did was really sparse.

[drum music]

Meaning there wasn't a lot of information,

a lot of drumming happening.

And it gave that sense of going down a gear,

or we are about to get a little bit slower.

Now for something a little more advanced

a 30 second note drum fill.

[drum music]

Here's another option, a little more wild,

some crashes, sprinkle some stuff around.

[drum music]

Moving on from drum fills, we have embellishments.

[drum music]

Some people might think embellishments belong

just a little bit earlier.

But I actually like to add embellishments,

or ornamentation, after understanding drum fills.

When you know how to play a drum fill,

you can always push the envelope,

and embellish a certain part of the drum fill.

It's really just that added expression to the moment,

to take it up under the notch.

I'm actually going to level up a drum pattern

into a drum fill, with more embellishments as I go along.

[drum music]

There was a lot of improvised information,

and playing happening.

I started out with a main pattern,

and the type of things that I did were to

break up the monotonous flow.

[drum music]

So now I'm adding a really interesting element,

maybe on the hi-hat.

There was some activity that happened on the bass drum.

[drum music]

From there, I started adding some toms.

At this point, you're getting more energy, more excitement.

And I'm adding bits and pieces, adding cymbals, adding toms.

It's getting even bigger, to the point where

you may not even recognize the original pattern.

But now we are adding to the story.

We're adding to the excitement,

and take you even higher, and higher and higher,

until you get lost inside of all of it.

[drum music]

I'm gonna try it again.

But this time I'm gonna put a little more emphasis

on some of the lower drums.

I'm going to do what's called grounding the pattern

in a different way, by accenting rhythms

that feel like they're connected to the

stronger beats that we've been hearing,

whether it's beat one, two, three, or four.

Here we go.

[drum music]

I was grounding the overall pattern

by playing eighth notes on the floor toms,

so that you felt this really big [mimics drum beats].

[drum music]

Having lower tones at that part of the beat

was a really cool embellishment,

and helped to ground what you were hearing.

Then anything I added, whether it was toms or hi-hat,

these were all rhythms that took me

towards these bigger embellishments.

Eventually I changed the bass drum pattern,

so now the core drum pattern felt a little bit different.

But it had the same spirit.

Let's pull it all together.

You got grooves, polyrhythms,

four-way coordination,

embellishments,

orchestration.

So many of these things

are going to come together in a drum solo.

What you're about to hear is the last and final vamp section

of "Change Your Mind" going into the drum solo.

[funk music]

That's definitely one way to level up your heart rate.

My goodness.

Pro tip.

Make sure you're breathing when you're playing the drums.

One thing I've come to appreciate about

the levels of complexity of the drums, is that

once I understood from drumming how to find my voice,

I realized that I didn't have to always be complex.

I didn't have to always play really fast.

Because the purpose, for me,

is to drive home a story or drive home a feeling.

The art is in the way that you can hang left, right,

or go straight through all of these levels of complexity.

I hope you learned something.

And if you didn't, you better hit rewind.

And make sure you go out and learn how to express yourself.

It's levels to this thing.

[drum music]