The Drummer's Bible: How to Play Every Drum Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco

By Mick Berry and Jason Gianni

Updated to include 50 additional grooves, this encyclopedic book and two-CD set contains more than 450 musical examples in standard notation, showing grooves and practical variations. Overviews of the history and development of almost all popular music styles are covered alongside innumerable helpful performance tips. The two accompanying CDs feature performances of nearly 200 of the grooves, including every primary style example, all performed both with and without a click track. Styles covered include blues, rock, jazz, reggae, country, klezmer, ska, samba, punk, surf, heavy metal, latin rock, and funk; virtually every style a performing drummer will ever need to play is in there. This revised second edition also includes an updated bibliography and discography, as well as more historical information about the individual styles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: See Sharp Press
• Release date: Sep 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781937276218

Book preview

Copyright © 2004, 2012 by Mick Berry and Jason Gianni. All rights reserved. For information contact See Sharp Press, P.O. Box 1731, Tucson, AZ 85702. Web site:

www.seesharppress.com.

Berry, Mick.

The drummer’s bible : how to play every drum style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco/by Mick Berry and Jason Gianni. - Tucson, Ariz. : See Sharp Press, 2004.

211 p. : ill., music; 28 cm. + 2 sound discs (digital : 4 3/4 in.)

Includes approximately 500 musical examples, organized by style, with historical information preceding the drumming groves. Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-937276-19-5

1. Drum - Methods - Self-instruction. 2. Drum set - Studies and exercises (Rock) 3. Musical meter and rhythm. 4. Zydeco music. 5. Latin jazz.

I. Title. II. Gianni, Jason.

786.9193      MT662.8

First Printing (original edition)—December 2003

First Printing (second edition—eighth total printing)—September 2012

The drum examples on the accompanying compact discs were played by both Mick Berry and Jason Gianni. Audio voiceovers were spoken by Mick Berry. The tracks were recorded, mixed, and mastered at Trakworx Studios in South San Francisco, California in June 2003 by Justin Weis.

Cover design by Kay Sather. Interior design by Chaz Bufe.

To contact the authors, go to their web site: http://www.drummersbible.com

Jason Gianni dedicates this book to Gladys Shoenfeld

The world was lucky enough to experience her kind soul for 92 incredible years. Now, heaven can benefit from it for eternity. I miss her every day.

Mick Berry dedicates this book to Charlotte Behre, Patricia Behre, Debbie Behre, and Leah Behre-Miskimen

CONTENTS

Quick Reference

CD Track Listings

Glossary

Introduction (by Simon Phillips)

Preface to First Edition

Preface to Second Edition

Acknowledgments

1. Acid Jazz

2. African Contemporary

World Beat

Soukous

Bikutsi

3. Afro-Cuban

Clave

6/8 Clave Pattern

6/8 Cowbell Patterns

More Frequently Played Styles:

6/8 Patterns for Drum Set

Cascara

Guaguanco

Mambo

Cha Cha

Mozambique

Songo

Bomba

Merengue

Less Frequently Played Styles:

Beguine

Bolero

Conga

Cumbia

Danzon

Palito

Pilon

Plena

4. Blues

Standard Blues Shuffle

Chicago (Jazz) Shuffle

Backdoor Shuffle

Backbeat Shuffle

Texas Shuffle

Purdie Shuffle (Ghost Note Shuffle)

12/8 Slow Blues Patterns

Straight Blues/Rock Grooves

Blues Rumba

Blues Mambo

5. Brazilian

Samba

Batucada

Baiao

Bossa Nova

Partido Alto

Afoxe

6. Cajun/Zydeco

Cajun Styles:

Two-Step

Waltz

Zydeco Styles:

Two-Step

Shuffle

Waltz

Train Beat

Cajun/Zydeco:

Common Grooves

7. Caribbean

Calypso

Soca

Ska

Reggae (One Drop)

Rockers

Steppers

8. Country

Bluegrass

Western Swing

Two-Beat (Two-Step)

Shuffle

Western

Train Beat

Country Rock/Modern Country

Waltz

Ballad

9. Disco

10. Drum & Bass/Jungle

11. Flamenco

Traditional Flamenco

Pop Flamenco

12. Funk

New Orleans Funk

Displaced Funk

Linear Funk

Ghost Note Funk

Funk Rock

Cascara Funk

Funk Summary

13. Gospel

14. Hip Hop/Rap

Standard Hip Hop

Slower Feels

Half-Time Feels

15. Jazz

New Orleans Second Line

Dixieland

Big Band

Small Band (Be Bop, Cool Jazz, Avante Garde)

Jazz Waltz

Brushes/Ballads

16. Klezmer

Bulgar

Freylakhs

Hora

Khosidl

Terkisher

17. Latin Rock

Standard Rock

Baiao

Mambo

Rumba

Soca

18. March

Standard Marches

New Orleans Second Line

Cuban Comparsa

Brazilian Baiao

19. Metal

Grooves (Blast Beat, etc.)

Double Bass Playing

20. Middle Eastern

Traditional Middle Eastern Grooves

Middle Eastern Pop

Rai

21. Odd Time

Prominent Odd Meters:

5/4

7/4

5/8

7/8

Breaking Up Standard Meters:

3/4

4/4

9/8

Creating Additional Odd Time Meters:

11/8

13/8

15/8

19/16

22. Polka

23. Punk

24. Rock

Early Rock

Rockabilly

Standard Rock

Half-Time Standard Rock

Fusion

25. Surf

Standard Surf Grooves

Surf Ballad

Surf Tom Pattern

26. Techno

27. Wedding Dances

Tarantella

Hava Nagila

Rumba

Tango

Viennese Waltz

American Waltz

Fox Trot

28. Miscellaneous Grooves

Arara

Boogaloo

Guajira

Habanera

Israeli

Jig

Joropo

Nanigo

Norteña

Pachanga

Paso Doble

La Raspa

Tex Mex

Zouk

29. Fills

30. Polyrhythms

Appendixes

A. Tuning

B. Drum Rudiments

C. The Most Common Grooves

D. Recommended Listening

E. Bibliography

QUICK REFERENCE

When you need to find a groove in a hurry!

Abakwa (6/8)

Afoxe

Afro-Cuban 6/8 (for Drumset)

Arara

Avante Garde (Jazz)

Backbeat Shuffle (Blues)

Backdoor Shuffle (Blues)

Baiao

Batucada (Samba Batucada)

Be Bop (Jazz)

Beguine

Bembe (6/8)

Big Band Jazz

Bikutsi

Blast Beat

Bluegrass

Blues (12/8, Slow)

Blues Mambo

Blues Rumba

Blues Shuffles

Blues Rock

Bolero

Bomba

Boogaloo

Bomb Blast Beat

Bossa Nova

Cajun Two-Step

Cajun Waltz

Cajun/Zydeco

Calypso

Cascara

Cha Cha

Chicago Shuffle (Blues)

Comparsa

Conga

Cool Jazz

Country Ballad (12/8)

Country Rock

Country Shuffle

Country Train Beat

Country Two Step

Country Waltz

Cumbia

Danzon

Disco

Dixieland

Double Bass (Metal)

Drum and Bass/Jungle

Flamenco

Fox Trot

Funk (Cascara)

Funk (Displaced)

Funk (Ghost Note)

Funk (Linear)

Funk (New Orleans)

Funk Rock

Fusion

Gospel

Guaguanco

Guajira

Habanera

Hammer Blast Beat

Hava Nagila

Hip Hop

Jazz Ballad (brushes)

Jazz Shuffle (Chicago Shuffle)

Jazz Waltz

Jig

Joropo

Klezmer (Bulgar)

Klezmer (Freylakhs)

Klezmer (Hora)

Klezmer (Khosidl)

Klezmer (Terkisher)

Latin Rock (Baiao)

Latin Rock (Mambo)

Latin Rock (Rumba)

Mambo

Mambo (Blues)

Mambo (Latin Rock)

March (Baiao)

March (Comparsa)

March (Second Line)

March (Standard)

Mambo

Merengue

Mersey Beat

Middle Eastern (Traditional)

Middle Eastern (Pop)

Mozambique

Nanigo

Norteña

Odd Time Beats

One Drop (Reggae)

Pachanga

Pambiche

Palito

Partido Alto

Paso Doble

Phil Spector Beat

Pilon

Plena

Polka

Polka Mazurka

Punk

Purdie Shuffle (Blues)

Rai

La Raspa

Reggae (One Drop)

Rock (Standard Rock Beat)

Rock Stomp

Rockabilly

Rockers (Reggae)

Rumba (Blues)

Rumba (Wedding)

Samba

Second Line (New Orleans Jazz)

Shuffle (Backbeat)

Shuffle (Backdoor)

Shuffle (Blues)

Shuffle (Chicago)

Shuffle (Country)

Shuffle (Jazz)

Shuffle (Texas)

Shuffle (Zydeco)

Ska

Soca

Songo

Soukous

Surf

Surf Ballad

Surf Tom Pattern

Tango

Tarantella

Techno

Tex-Mex

Train Beat (Bluegrass)

Train Beat (Country)

Train Beat (Rockabilly)

Train Beat (Zydeco)

Two Step (Cajun)

Two Step (Country)

Two Step (Zydeco)

Waltz (American)

Waltz (Cajun)

Waltz (Country)

Waltz (Jazz)

Waltz (Viennese)

Waltz (Zydeco)

Western

Western Swing

World Beat

Zouk

Zydeco Shuffle

Zydeco Train Beat

Zydeco Two-Step

Zydeco Waltz

CD TRACKS

CD 1 TRACK ORDER

AFRICAN

AFRO-CUBAN

BLUES

BRAZILIAN

CAJUN/ZYDECO

CARIBBEAN

CD 2 TRACK ORDER

COUNTRY

DISCO

DRUM AND BASS/JUNGLE

FLAMENCO

FUNK

(HEAVY) METAL

HIP HOP/RAP

JAZZ

KLEZMER

LATIN ROCK

MARCH

MIDDLE EASTERN

ODD TIME

POLKA

PUNK

ROCK N’ ROLL

SURF

TECHNO

WEDDING DANCES

POLYRHYTHMS

GLOSSARY

Abakwa (Abaqua/Abakua): One of several 6/8 Afro-Cuban rhythmic patterns for drum set.

Abanico: A timbale figure with a rim shot on beat 3 and roll on beat 4 (to beat 1 of the following measure). It is used as a transitional figure in Afro-Cuban styles, most often in Cha Cha.

Afro-Cuban 6/8: A triple-based rhythm sometimes written and felt in 4/4 which contains its own clave rhythm and bell pattern.

Avante Garde: A Jazz style from the late 1950s characterized by technically advanced musicianship, an obscured form and pulse, and complex chordal structures and melodies.

Back Beat: An informal term to describe a strong snare drum stroke/note, usually falling on beats 2 & 4 of a 4/4 measure.

Baqueteo: The musical figure played by the timbale player, primarily in the Afro-Cuban Danzon style.

Bateria: A percussion section/ensemble.

Bembe: 1. A 6/8 style of Afro-Cuban music for which the 6/8 back beat drum set pattern is particularly appropriate.

Blast Beat: A loud, rapid-fire, incessant Heavy Metal groove consisting of alternating 16th notes played between the snare drum and bass drum (with the ride hand usually doubling the bass drum notes).

Bombo: 1. The accent which falls on the + of beat 2 on the 3 side of an Afro-Cuban clave rhythm (son or rumba); 2. The large drum (bass drum) used in folkloric Afro-Cuban styles.

Bonguero: A bongo drum player.

Cascara: A rhythmic pattern used in Afro-Cuban music, copying a pattern called Palito.

Charleston: 1. A Ragtime-Jazz dance popularized in the United States during the 1920s. 2. A one-measure syncopated swung rhythm emphasizing beat 1 and the + of beat 2.

Clave: 1. A two-measure rhythmic pattern (son or rumba) serving as the foundation of most Afro-Cuban rhythms. The patterns are broken up to a 3 side (3 notes in one measure) and a 2 side (two notes in one measure) which can be started from either side (e.g. 3-2 or 2-3). 2. The percussion instrument which originally played the clave rhythm(s) in Afro-Cuban music. (For specific rhythms and description of the instrument and playing method, see Clave in the Afro-Cuban chapter.)

Columbia (Rumba): One of three styles of Afro-Cuban rumba often distinguished by its 6/8 feel. The others are Rumba Guaguanco and Rumba Yambu.

Comparsa: 1. The musical group which plays the Conga rhythm during Carnaval in Cuba; the instrumentation, mostly percussion, often includes horns, primarily trumpet. 2. A shortened term for Conga de Comparsa.

Conguero: A conga drum player.

Contredanse/Contradanza: A European folk dance that evolved into the Cuban Danzon.

Displaced: Normally used in the terms displaced note or displaced rhythm, this refers to stressing notes in places other than the standard 2 & 4 back beat, downbeats, or other common beats.

Four on the Floor: An informal term that describes the playing of all four quarter notes by the bass drum in a 4/4 meter.

Ghost Note: Any note that is played very lightly, usually on the snare drum. When written in musical notation, it is usually indicated by a parenthesis surrounding the note.

Guaguanco (Rumba): In addition to a style of drumming, one of the three types of Cuban rumba. The others are Rumba Columbia and Rumba Yambu.

Head: An informal term for the defining melody of a song played in a small band Jazz format.

In The Crack: Playing a rhythmic feel in between swung and straight time. Due to its unorthodox execution, it is virtually impossible to notate and consequently is best learned through listening and practicing rather than reading.

Independence: Playing contrasting and/or complimentary rhythms with different limbs simultaneously.

Jazz Form: The melody, chord progression, and structure of an entire song in a small band format.

Jure: A style of music invented by African-American laborers in the early 1900s which mixed singing, praying, hand clapping and dancing. Jure, along with La La, stands as the predecessor of modern day Cajun/Zydeco music.

La La: An early 20th century style of music combining Jure songs with Cajun music and culture, eventually resulting in Cajun/Zydeco.

Linear: A term which describes notes that occur one after another in a line of music with no notes being played simultaneously (that is, no limbs striking at the same time).

Loop: A repeating musical pattern (usually drum or rhythmic) originally programmed electronically that may be replicated by a live drummer.

Marakatu: 1. Coronation ceremonies and celebrations of the Brazilian-based slave kings and queens under Portuguese rule. 2. The tradition from which most modern-day Brazilian music, festivals, dance and culture developed.

Mersey Beat: A drum beat originally developed in Liverpool, England and made popular by Cliff Richards and the Shadows, played extensively by American Surf and Early Rock n’ Roll drummers. (See the Surf chapter for its pattern.)

Montuno: 1. The repetitive, syncopated musical figure ordinarily played on a piano in an Afro-Cuban musical setting. 2. The section of an Afro-Cuban arrangement that supports improvisation.

Orchestration: 1. The distribution of individual notes on selected surfaces of the drum set (or other musical instruments). 2. The specific arrangement of notes on a musical score for an orchestra or ensemble.

Palito: 1. The Afro-Cuban rhythm played on the gua gua (hollowed out bamboo) which later became recognized as the Cascara pattern. 2. The sticks used to play the rhythm.

Partido Alto: 1. One of the most popular Samba styles in Brazil. 2. A rhythmic pattern played in the Samba and Bossa Nova. Traditionally, the pattern is played on agogo bells, cuica, pandeiro and/or tamborim. On drum set, it’s often played on the snare drum.

Paseo: The first section (or introduction) to the traditional form of Afro-Cuban Danzon.

Polyrhythm: The combination of two contrasting rhythmic pulses simultaneously. There are two main types of polyrhythms: rhythms which carry over the bar and rhythms that exist within the bar.

Ponche: An accent in Afro-Cuban music which emphasizes beat 4 of a 4/4 measure, usually used as a transitional figure.

Remix: A re-recording of a previously arranged song usually involving the substitution or addition of electronic instrumentation.

Rumba: 1. A traditional form of Afro-Cuban music which developed into three primary forms: Columbia, Guaguanco and Yambu. 2. A standard form of North American dance music loosely based on the original Cuban style of the same name.

Rumba Clave: One of two Afro-Cuban clave patterns (along with the son clave). The distinguishing characteristic is the placement of the third note on the 3 side being played on the + of beat 4. The pattern appears most often in the more modern Afro-Cuban genres (e.g. Songo, Mozambique).

Salsa: 1. A broad term which refers to the large spectrum of most Afro-Cuban musical styles, especially those primarily played for dance.

Saudi: An up-tempo, syncopated rhythm established in the Persian Gulf/Arabian peninsula area associated with a Middle Eastern style and dance known as Khaleegi.

Sayyidii: A medium tempo, syncopated rhythm from Egypt and the Persian Gulf/Arabian peninsula, also a member of a larger family of Middle Eastern rhythms known as Maqsuum.

Second Line: 1. Parade-style ensembles and music from the late 19th/early 20th centuries in New Orleans inspired by exslaves and their descendants. Second Line was the predecessor of Dixieland and led to all modern-day Jazz styles. 2. Second Line was a description for the various musicians and dancers who followed the First Line of the hearse and mourners in a funeral procession.

Shuffle: A swung pattern characterized by playing the first and third notes of every triplet grouping on every beat in a measure.

Son Clave: One of two Afro-Cuban clave patterns (along with the rumba clave). The distinguishing characteristic is the placement of the third note on the 3 side being played directly on beat

Reviews for The Drummer's Bible

[ARI ANA BRUNO · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Um pouco direto para quem está a começar, mas tem bastante informação.

[Hélori FRANÇOIS · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Très complet !!!
Super!!!
Je conseille très fortement pour les batteurs

[Marwen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Can you please make it downloadable. It's a great book and i want to have it on my hard disk, thanks

[Julieta Perez Gomez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nice book ... great sounds