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Left Foot Son Clave Grooves

Short Fills for Beginners

Part 2

by Dawn Richardson

Well, you've hopefully already made it through the short fills in part one and are ready to continue on and challenge yourself with some more difficult fills. So we're going to continue forward with moving around the kit, first by moving the downbeats of the groups of sixteenth notes. This continuation of exercises should help you to become more comfortable moving around the kit. Remember to play them as slowly as you need to - there's no big hurry! It's always better to play something slowly and correctly than fast and wrong. Gradually build up your tempos. Count and stay even and you're on your way! Be patient and try and do these in order to increase your dexterity around the kit.

Sticking for Fills: I suggest that right handed players start the sixteenth note fills with the right and alternate. Left handed players will most likely want to reverse the sticking and start the fills with the left hand. Keep the alternating concept throughout these exercises.

You will also need to know the basic note values of quarter notes eighth notes and sixteenth notes to play these exercises. Make sure you are counting and subdividing the beats in time.