This third lesson will much more interesting then the first and second lessons. Don?t you just love these free lessons?This time, you will learn fills, which usually signal the starting or ending of a verse or chorus. You will also learn to open the hi-hat while playing. This should be fun!H = hihatS = snaret = small tom (the tom tom on the left of your bass drum)T = middle tom (the tom tom on the right of the bass drum)F = Floor tom (the big tom tom of to the side)B = bassCount eighth notes for these. Do them very slowly until you can do them perfectly.
H| x x x x x x x x                  |
S|     o       o    o o             |
t|                      o o         |
T|                          o o     |
F|                              o o |
B| o       o                        |
This probably wont come right away. Take nice and easy. Remember to alternate hands while going around the drums. That way, you can get the fastest possible speed when you get really advanced.
H| x x x x x x x x                  |
S|     o       o                o o |
t|                          o o     |
T|                      o o         |
F|                  o o             |
B| o       o                        |
Build up your speed for a really good effect. You should also make changes to the fills I have given you there. You could make a fill like this:
S|   o o   o o   o |
t|             o   |
T|       o         |
F| o               |
Or:
S| o o o o         |
t|         o o o o |
make up your own and test them out!Okay, now lets get into opening the hihat. This skill requires good coordination. Normally, when I put an ?x? , I want you to hit the hi-hat normally. Now, if I put an ?o? , I want you to open the hi-hat for that one hit only. This may be a little confusing, but practice makes perfect.
H| x x x x x x x o |
S|     o       o   |
B| o       o       |
Once you get good at that, try this:
H| x x x o x x x o |
S|     o       o   |
B| o       o       |
That?s a little trickier. Now open the hi-hat before the snare.
H| x x x x x o x x |
S|     o       o   |
B| o       o       |
Keep changing the place of the hi-hat opening, and keep practicing it. Then, try this one:
H| x o x o x o x o |
S|     o       o   |
B| o       o       |
Whoo! That was pretty fun! So keep practicing everything in this lesson, and once you are good play this song. It should sound pretty good.
H| x x x x x x x x  x x x x x x x o |
S|     o       o        o       o   |
B| o       o     o    o     o o     |
H| x x x x x x x x                  |
S|     o       o    o o o o         |
t|                          o o o o |
B| o       o                        |
C| x                                |
H|   x x x x o x o  x x x x x o x o |
S|     o       o        o       o   |
B| o     o o        o     o o       |
H| x x x x x o x o                  |
S|     o       o    o o o o         |
t|                          o       |
T|                            o     |
F|                              o   |
B| o     o o                      o |
Great work! Now look for lesson 4. if you have any questions, email me at [email protected] fun, and keep drumming!!! :D