WELCOME TO RICK’S LICKS ‘The following material has been written to help fellow musicians explore the many possibilities used when mixing odd and even note groupings with different rhythms. By analyzing how these groupings are applied rhythmically, the player can then find his/her own groupings and apply them around the drumset in a more improvisa- tional manner. How do you eat an elephant?: One piece at a time! Ibis easier to understand and memorize longer phrases when the pieces of the puzzle (odd/evan note groupings) fit together. It has been the author's intention to purposely leave out written accents. The reason being is that most players (more than half) will tend to accent the rhythms according to their inclination, thereby making the patterns their own. A good rule of thumb would be to accent the beginning of each grouping and then once comfortable, ‘experiment with accent placements of your own! Unless indicated, the patterns are written in 4/4. The first half of the book contains the odd and even note groupings phrased in different rhythms and time signatures, while the second half, the “routine” section, explores the concepts in the first half in greater detail. The audio tape that acccompanies this book contains musical examples with and without drums. Throughout most of the tape, time will be played up front and then the written pattern will follow. Once mastered, the ideas and techniques laid out in this book will definitely improve your listening and playing skills to a higher level. Take your time, relax and let's get to it! Key to Musical Notation Tom) = TOM?EXAMPLES RLLRL RLLRL RLULRL 6 = — @ Fi 5 RLLRL RLRR RLLR L RLRR RLRLL RLRLL Lg H 5 It 7 It 5 j ® 6. 6 6 6 RLLRL RLLRLRLLRL RLRR Ly tg tg lg @ RLLRELRLLRLRLLRLE = sy ge ® 6 6. 6 6 RLRR LRLL RLL RL RLL RL Le 5 JL 5RLL RL LRR LR RLRL RLRL RLRLRE RLELRLRL L 7 JL 7 JL—s—t L—5— 7 im 7 RLL RL LRLL RLL RL LRLEL 7 ps fea ee eee @ ae ae ao = = = + = RLLRL RLRLL RL RLLRL RLRLL RL 7 tyJL_5__Jt_3_J ——~7 typst_¢—_3t_3_3RL RLL RL RLRLL ga) ee ei = RLRLL RLRLL RLRLL RLRLL RLRL RL L 6 mm 6 1 Gs L 6 i Gaaeoel RLRL RLRLL RL RLRL RL l 6 PLgdtt 5 ee 1L24 RLRR RL LRLL RL RLRR RL \ 5 JU 31 5 J zi 5 1i3 6 6 6 aaa ey =e os 2 RLL LRR RLL LRRE RLRL RLL RL RLL Le ” wo] | aL ET co Lol ” c ” e e tpt LRL RLL RL RLE LRL RLL RL RLL JLz 3 7 vu 6 Logit 7 1 — @) 6 6 RLRLRR LRLRLL RL RR LRLL RLRLRR LRLL ' 7 Ht 3 fp (ay is 7 eg RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL SS SF esRLLERL REL RLRLL RLL RL RLRRLR L : i 7 Joys — uy RLRLL RL RLRLL RL RLRLL L jot l 6 Pig ile 6 1 RLR RLLRR RLRR RLL RRL l 5 yu 7 wt 5 gu 7LR RRL LLR R LLR LR ge LR LR LR RRL LER RL —7F RRLLEL RLRURE 1 5 Ju 7 7— 5 u@ RLL RL RLL RL RLLRL RLLRL RLRLL RLRLL \ 7 \ 7 4 7 7-5 —'_ 6 RLRR LRLL RLRR L RLL RLRLL RLRLL l 5 im 5 yu 5 $1 5 yt 6 Je 6 J}LRELL i iL 2ttyiL_g,—___ RL Pes = QpS= = E anes peeeen fe eee fee ————— =H = = = =— RLERL RELRLL RL RLL RL LRLL RL - 7 cpus 7 7 uy s 3 RRLL RL RLRLRR LL LL L LL L LL L LL L l 5 Ju 5 im 6 you 6 a l 5 1 5 JL24wt gS Llp) Lg SE —_ = == = = = = JJ7J7J7 JF 77 JIFJIJIFIIVI VIII LY x= = xi x. xix x a - ee , Se eee | eee ee _— —s —_——# ——— L L L L L L L L L L L L i 5 1 5 Ls i 5 1 5 L2- = — RLRELLRRLRLLRRLRLLR ————E— = ae a ae FE = = = = =——— = RLLRLLRRELLRLLRLER LLRLRLLRRLRLLRRLRLLR Wy ___7___ t__5—_+i_ 5 = RLRLL t -6 :RLRLL RLRLEL RLLERL 5 <7 ys RLL RL RLRLL RL RLL 7 Jk pstpst -7 ee RLL RLL LRLL LRLL RL a gt @ 3 Z 3 3 3 3 Po ern rt RLL RL RL EL RL RL Jt 7 fgRLL RL R LL RL RL eee a er RL RL sk Cee, RLRR LRLL RLRLL RLRLL RLRR LRLL L 5 mn 5 yu 6 1 —6 im * Jt 5 ! = ——= RLERLL RL RERLL RL RLL R : 6 E31 6 Jt 3) 5 hug 6 Se -Se ro pa = L RLLE RL RLL RL RLRLL yer ree tae en ee em mT 6 \RLLRRERRLLRULURRLL gs RLRLL RL RLL RL RLRR LRLL RLRLL tL gp st Fg ss ys ss Ep Ej RLRELL RL RLRELL i» _ 34 | —_6 es GS Fe ee a ae = Film RLL RL RLL RL RLRLL ——S eee ee ee gyRLRLLRRLRLRRLRLEL Sit 5 may RLL RE RRLL RE R REL RL RREEL RE R \ 7 iw 7— pt 7 up 7 “ne RLRLL RL RLRLL R L RLLE RE RLL RL rs Gl (eg ah 6 jit ie 7 yt Ee RLRLRRLRLRLLRLRLRRLRLRLL RLLRRL RLRL RLRL RLRLRL t -7 st 5 st 5 yu 7RLL LRR RLL RLL RL LRLL {7 JL — gd eS ae? RLRLL RLL RLRLL RLL RL RLL L_5—_Jt_ 3-44 RLRR LRLL RLLRRLR lie) eel. RERLREL RLRELRLRL RL U—__g—_ji2it___z i793 a RLLRR LRRLL RLLRRoop P FP = RLRL RL RLLRRLR RL U—__¢—_JiL3ji __9 a © eee elas —= = RLRLRR LRLRLL RLR LR RL o———JL.9=3SOLO RLL RL RLL RL RL RLL RL R RLRLL RLL RL RELL RL REL RLRLL RERLL RLR 6 3 6 z RLL RL RLL R R L R RLLRLL L z Z pe de o— ro = RLL LRR RLL RLL RL RLL RL R RL RSOLO METRIC meee = — — — = : x i 7sPOLYSOLO — =ROUTINES 1) Experiment by breaking up these patterns to create SPACE. RLRR LRLEL RLRLL gd 5 appears between the two measures, then the SPEED of the triplets in the first bar becomes the SPEED of the sixteenth notes in the second bar. This process can also be REVERSED. ia ‘Experiment with METRIC MODULATION ideas of your own.3) DISPLACEMENT - The theory of DISPLACEMENT is to take any pattem in any time signature and start the same pattern from a different point in the bar. > @® jw a RLL RL RLL RL R UN 7 ——_ L__ 7 J 624 eee dE IE As you can see, the phrase is now shifted to create an entirely new pattern simply by beginning the phrase in letter A at a different point in iener B. Experiment with your own DISPLACEMENT ideas. 4) PHRASING WITHIN A GROUPING - Subdivide any single ARTIFICIAL GROUPING into rhythmical phrases. 54+5434+3=16 Us ——_J3 tL—__ 5) L- 3-4 1-3 I TRIPLETS »» 745212 ——— J} Experiment with other rhythmical combinations and in 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. bar phrases.5) HAND PATTERNS - There are various ways in which these groupings may be played only with the hands while improvising with different bass drum patterns. Example: Let's take a 7 note grouping: nL RLULRL EEE Voice the pattem on the drum set RLLRL SS, Say we are working with 16th notes and want to create a one bar phrase in 4/4 time. Let's choose two 5's and a 6.545+6 = 16. To create a 5 note hand pattern from this 7 note grouping, all we have to do is use simple math. Subtract the last two bass drum notes from the 7 note grouping and we get (te a H = Next, we need a 6 note pattern. Subtract one bass note from the 7 note grouping and we get [ RLLURL gs But we want this 6 note figure played only with the hands, so replace the last bass drum note with the left hand on the snare drum.Play an improvised bass drum pattern underneath the hand pattern and you will have something that looks like this RLLRLRLLRLRLLRLL Sm ee Example: S$ +5 + 6 = 16. RLERLERLLRELRLERLLE C9) ee Experiment with different phrasing possibilities. Example: 6 + 6 + 4 = 16 RELRLELRLELRELEERLELELR — Add a bass drum pattern with various hand accent combinations of your own. 6—— ——_ 4 These hand patterns may also be worked on by using different rhythms and time signatures.An excellent exercise to help you feel comfortable with the previous hand patterns would be to explore the BASIC combinations of the PARADIDDLE on the set, per ee RLRRULRLL6) THE “TWO-THREE” CONCEPT - The following eight patterns should be thought of as a grouping of notes and not rhythms. The idea is to mix and combine these groupings of notes into rhythmical PHRASES like the pafiems written im the first half of the book. ‘The following are two examples to get you started. 1 74#7+2=16 ———__— + RLRLRLLRL Lgtlgtu zo zt 24 RLLRL Lgtt24 RLRLRLLRLLRRLLRL eh he 2, 5+747+ 5 = 24 (Two bars of triplets) JH = - RLRLLRLRLRLLR LgJUzgitgitzit zi zits yt 334 3 3 _ =» 3 3 3 3 3 3 | | | RLRLERLRLREL RL RL RL R l 5 gt 7 J 7 Jt__.s J7) CYMBAL OSTINATOS - Take a 7 note grouping and play it on the set between the bass drum and the left hand feed ded) See ed RLREURLL L L LL (5: Phrase the 7 note grouping in sixteenth notes in 4/4 time ~ 74742216. ‘You may also replace some of the bass drum patterns with the Hi-Hat in the left foot. 3.3 3 3 ++ — —— = —— Lt £b & LL 7——' -—-5 L——=F. s—‘The following are various cymbal and/or Hi- Hat patterns to experiment with. Note: Play some of these cymbal patterns on the cowbell,CYMBAL OSTINATO - SOLO Apply various cymbal patterns to this solo. Note: all snare drum notes are to be played with the left hand which may also be moved around to different sound sources. - EXPERIMENT. Note: Another way to play the solo would be to play all the bass drum notes together with the right hand on the Hi-Hat, cymbal, and/or the cowbell, while the snare part remains the same. Apply your own accents and tempos to all the solos.Another way to play the same solo, that will create a totally different effect, would be to do the following: All the bass drum notes will be replaced with the right hand on the Hi-Hat and all the left handed snare drum notes will be replaced with the bass drum. ‘The left hand will play a 2 and 4 accent on the snare drum. Also, the Hi-Hat notes may be replaced with the right hand on the cymbal and the bass drum notcs may be replaced with the left foot stepping on the Hi-HatPOLYRHYTHMIC APPLICATIONS A QUARTER NOTE may be divided into four sixteenth notes A QUARTER NOTE may also be divided into five sixteenth notes or quintuplets We call these ARTIFICIAL GROUPINGS These ARTIFICIAL GROUPINGS are in the time of one quarter note EVENLY, but may also be divided over LARGER SPANS of time. payed . When we divide triplets in twos, accenting every other triplet, we get - six over four. >ajJ> 2 -3. 3 3. 3 3. 3 - ¥ = oo = —— 2 3 4 5 s (2 — oo ia — oIWhen you play quintuplets, or 5°s in the time of onebeat and accent every 4th note in the 5’s you get - five over four.Once this is understood, you may apply the various groupings in the book to these polyrhythms. a 5 To create your own polyrhythms, here are some simple rules: 1) Decide which meter you want to play in - 3/4, 5/4, etc. Let's choose 3/4. 2) Decide how many beats over 3/4 you want to play. Let's say 5. 3) Multiply 5 times 3, which equals 15, therefore, you need fifteen notes, or three groups of five notes. 4) Write out the three groups of five notes. f 1284612846123 46 Because we are playing in 3/4 time, accent every third note. ~ on 1 2 3 > > = @2s@23@23@23@238 ® ® ® 5) You will notice that you now have five accents. These five accents will now become your quarter note pulse on top and the first beat of each five note grouping will become your quarter note pulse on the bottom, In other words, five over three. ————s