Rock ’N’Jazz Clinic Online

The Half-Time Rolling-Triplet Shuffle

by Ed Breckenfeld
n my last article (December 2000 MD) shuffle. This takes us in a funk, hip-hop, and pop direction. We’ll

H.H.
I
we looked at the 4/4 backbeat shuffle,
which is used extensively in blues, rock,
also be adding the same triplet effect to these grooves. The follow-
ing sticking pattern forms the basis for the rolling-triplet shuffle:
> >
S.D. ( )

B.D.
jazz, and country drumming. We added 3 3
“ghosted” snare notes to the shuffle to
÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
H.H. Ghost
w/foot Note
achieve a continuous rolling-triplet effect.
This month we’re going to examine the half-time version of the
R L R R L R

Try the above pattern with the right stick on the closed hi-hat snare notes added. As the number of notes increases with each pat-
and the left stick on the snare drum. (Left-handers invert the stick- tern, you’ll see the rolling triplet begin to develop. Keep the ghost
ings.) Adding an accent to the beginning of each triplet will deep- notes very quiet so that they blend with the cymbal part.
en the groove. This brings out the triplet effect. At the same time, the backbeats
Below are some standard half-time shuffle patterns. On the left should be slammin’. The greater the dynamics, the deeper the
is the basic version and on the right is the same beat with ghosted groove. For now, play these beats on the hi-hat.

3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

1 ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ‹ ‹≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈ ‹ ‹ ‹

÷ c .. œ œ œœ œ œ .. .. œ œ } œœœ œ }œ œ ..

3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹
÷ .. œ ≈ ≈ œ œ ≈ ≈ œ œ ≈ ≈ œ œ ≈ ≈ œ .. .. œ ≈ }œ œ œ ≈ }œ œ œ ≈ }œ œ œ ≈ }œ œ ..
2

3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹} ‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹} ‹
÷ .. œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ .. .. œ }
œ œ }œ œ œ }œ œ œ}
œœ œœœ œ œ ..
3

3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹}œ ‹ œ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹ œ ‹ ‹}œ ‹ œ‹ }
œ ‹ ‹}œ ‹ ..
÷ .. œ ≈ œ ≈ œ œ ≈ œ ≈ œ œ ≈ œ ≈ œ œ ≈ œ ≈ œ .. .. œ }
4
} } }
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ

The rolling-triplet effect has become completely continuous by the last pattern. However, this many ghost notes may scare your bandmates!
Here are some half-time shuffles that are a little more practical. Once again, the ghost-note version of each is on the right.

>3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹
÷ c .. œ ≈ ≈ œ œ ≈ ≈ œ ≈ œ ≈ œ œ ≈ ≈ œ .. .. œ ≈ }œ œ œ ≈ }œ œ }œ œ }œ œ œ ≈ }œ œ ..
5

3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

‹≈ ‹‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈ ‹‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈‹

÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ .. .. œ }
œ œ }œ œ œ œ }œ œ }œ œ œ ..
6

3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹
÷ .. œ ≈ ≈ œ œ ≈ ≈ œ ≈ œ œ ≈ œ ≈ œ ≈ .. .. œ ≈ }œ œ œ ≈ }œ œ }œ œ œ ≈ œ ≈ œ ≈ ..
7

3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

8 ‹≈‹ ‹≈‹ ‹≈ ‹‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹≈‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈ ‹

÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ }œ œ }œ œ œ }
œ œ œ œ ..

3> 3 3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3> 3 3 3 3 > 3 3

‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹œ ‹‹ œ ‹.
÷ .. œ ≈ ≈ œ ≈ œ ≈ ≈ œ œ ≈ œ ≈ œ ≈ œ .. .. œ ≈ ≈ œ ≈ œ ≈ }œ œ œ ≈ œ }
9

œ }œ .
3 >3 >3 3 3 >3 3
3 3 3 > 3 > 3 3 3 > 3 3

10 ‹≈ ‹‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹≈ ‹ ‹≈ ‹‹ ≈ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ‹ ‹ ‹‹ ‹ ‹≈‹ ‹ ≈‹

÷ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ }
œœ }
œ œ œ œ} œ œ }œ œ œ
œ œ œ} ..

See the March 2001 Modern Drummer for the complete lesson.

Copyright 2001 by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.