Basic funk with mixed stickings

Bad title, because I prefer to think of these as based on a cymbal rhythm, not a sticking, but whatever. Next title will be so apt it will blow the doors off this place. These are some very standard Mike Clark-like funk patterns (looking for a link— did I not post my transcription of Butterfly?), written for maximum playability. Column A has a simple bass drum pattern, column B has the bass drum on all cymbal notes, column C has a different, perhaps hipper bass drum pattern.

Play each pattern individually, then combine patterns to make four beat phrases. To make a long-but-reasonable-length practice session out of it, restrict yourself to playing combinations within each column. You can leave out the bass drum on 1 off the second measure of your combined phrases for something a little more syncopated— do not value super-hip, super-syncopated stuff over a strong quarter note pulse, however.

With the left hand part you have the option of exaggerating the dynamics, David Garibaldi-style, with super tiny ghost notes and a strong rim shot on the 2. Me, I've been evening out the volume of the accented/un-accented notes to emphasize the interlocking rhythms of the different parts— especially at slow-to-medium tempos.

When playing the right hand on the ride cymbal, it's not a bad idea to go ahead and do our standard left hand moves to the tom toms.

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