Lesson - In Between Straight and Swing

for Ed's lesson in odd meters, click here

IN BETWEEN STRAIGHT AND SWING
A LESSON IN HIP-HOP
by Ed Roscetti

With all the drum programming and sequencing over the last 20 years, we have begun to feel different time feels. In order to relate to the programmed beats and grooves that we hear, we must make adjustments in our time feel. Sometimes the groove is swinging in the middle of straight eighths and swing time. This is called, different increments of swing. There is no right or wrong in this process. You just have to find that spot that feels good and make the song feel right. If you are programming grooves using a sequencer you will be able to select your quantization and your different increments of swing as opposed to straight eighths and sixteenth notes. You can experiment with the groove or loop until it feels right in the track. We must do this when we play as well--find that spot in the time feel that makes the track feel good.

In this lesson we will begin to swing the time feel to create that hip hop feel. Listen to Track 1 for the time feel. Set your drum machine to quarter note = 86 bpm. That is the tempo of the chart. In this groove you are bouncing the eighth notes on the hi-hat. Do not accent downbeats or upbeats. Just let the stick bounce and create a nice forward looping sound on the hi-hat. The accents written in Examples A-D are for the snare drum back beat only. Do not accent the hi-hat on two and four. These grooves will work in the Intro and A Sections of the chart. Time to groove.

The following two-bar grooves work well with Section B of Chart 1. These grooves are more open than the Section A grooves. Section B has a more quarter note feel in the hi-hat. Listen to the Section B, Track #1 and then play along with Track #2 minus the drums following chart #1 below. Have fun!

Excerpts from his soon to be released ( Jan. 2003) "Funk & Hip Hop Grooves for Drums"
Book/CD package (Hal Leonard Publications)

Ed Roscetti, originally from Niagara Falls, New York, is a drummer, composer, educator, author and clinician, now living and working in Los Angeles since 1979. His critically praised Hal Leonard book/ CD, “Drummers Guide to Odd Meters,” was chosen as the number two method book in Drum Magazine’s 2001 readers poll. His “Blues Drumming” book/CD package (2002) Hal Leonard, earned the review, “If you can’t play the Blues after using this book, you should be blue.” – Terri O’Mahoney, Percussive Notes. Ed’s soon to be released publication is “Funk & Hip Hop Grooves for Drums” book/CD package (2003) Hal Leonard. He’s a contributing author for Modern Drummer magazine and curriculum author at Musicians Institute (PIT). Ed is also co-founder and author of the “World Beat Rhythms (WBR) Beyond the Drum Circle” Workshop Series and the WBR Beyond the Drum Circle book / CD series, “WBR Goes to Brazil,” “WBR Goes to Africa” and “WBR Goes to Cuba” (2003) Hal Leonard.

Playing, Composing and or Arranging credits include: Saturday Night Live, General Hospital, Santa Barbara, Sunset Beach, Night Rider, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and numerous film and movies of the week.

Record producer, arranger and/or songwriter credits include: Bryan Savage “Catfood,” (Top 2 NAC) Pocket Change “Mediterranean Affair,” (Top 20 NAC) Clair Marlo “Let It Go,” (Top 20 NAC) and selected by Germany's Audio Live Magazine as one of 50 top albums of all time. Ed Roscetti “Landscapes of Christmas” and “Utah Christmas.”

Roscetti has worked or collaborated with: Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample, the Crusaders, Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, Benny Golson, Robben Ford, Jeff Baxter, Tommy Tedesco, Joe Porcaro and Jeff Porcaro, among others.

Ed endorses the following companies: Drum Workshop/Pacific, Paiste, Remo, Regal Tip, Shure Inc., Event Electronics, Emagic, Digidesign & Presonus.


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