List of basic orchestrations of a syncopated rhythm

This is just a one-page summary of elementary drum set orchestrations of a syncopated rhythm, written Ted Reed-style. I'm teaching my simple solo method to a couple of students, so a printed list of the basics is handy.

It's all pretty self-explanatory; with the common long note/short note interpretation, untied 8th notes are considered short notes, and everything else are long notes— quarter notes, dotted quarter notes, 8th notes with a tie.

There is one thing here that I haven't covered elsewhere: turning the short notes into 16th notes. The easiest way to teach this to students who aren't real rhythmically sophisticated is to do it together with the previous thing on the list, with the hands in unison on snare and tom. After learning the hands in unison orchestration, they can just play the left hand a little late to make the 16th notes.

Get the pdf