Soul with a Capital "S" - part 1
In this article written in 1997 for Batteur Magazine, and adapted for this blog, I used a Tower of Power song as a pretext to present a popular and interesting groove pattern.
Soul with a Capital "S" - Part 1
Example 1
This pattern can be heard in the studio version of Soul with a Capital "S", a song by Tower of Power, and it can also be heard in many other songs.
NB: This lesson applies to the original studio version of the song played by Russ McKinnon. In the more recent live versions, David Garibaldi who took over his seat, has slightly changed the pattern.
Example 2
Here's a variation of the same pattern:
Example 3
Another variation of the same pattern
Example 4
This is to show the analogy with a 3-2 son-clave pattern
Example 5
This is to show the analogy with a traditional Bossa-Nova pattern.
16-bar Groove Exercise
This is a 16-bar groove workout to help integrate the pattern seen in Example 3. Each measure is played twice.
This exercise can be worked on with my innovative Pattern Morphing concept.
16 patterns can become 256 patterns of 2 measures.
Musical examples are granted for your personal use only.
© 1997 Alain Rieder - all rights reserved
NB - The previous exercise isn't part of my Time Manipulation Drum Book
Tower of Power - T.O.P.
Drummer: Russ McKinnon
Track 01: Soul With A Capital "S"
Here are two short excerpts from the song:
Drum Books by Alain Rieder
Alain Rieder is a professional drummer, educator, and the author of two acclaimed drum books.
Time Initiation
"Time Initiation" offers a structured and creative approach to drumming instruction, suitable for all levels, featuring innovative concepts such as "Pattern Morphing" and "Universal Fills." Its bilingual format (English and French) and its section on rhythm-centered music theory make it an essential tool for both students and teachers. It is designed to be studied before or in parallel with Time Manipulation.
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Time Manipulation
"Time Manipulation" is a critically acclaimed drum method, ideal for exploring groove and advanced concepts such as polyrhythms and rhythmic displacements, while delving deeper into the ideas of "Pattern Morphing" introduced in "Time Initiation." Available in both English and French, it was described as being "fun, inspiring and educational" by Modern Drummer Magazine in 2019.
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