You've got to Funk a Drei!

Welcome to "You've got to Funk a Drei" - (A bit of humor never hurts:-)

I will reference for you...The title is from a Tower of Power tune and Drei = three in German. (Well...At least I think its funny haha!)
Leaving my career as a comedian behind...lets check out the stuff!

Introduction
Tired of sounding flat? Tired of your ideas and licks?
There is a way to expand your vocabulary right away! Through the study of Rhythm!
Rhythm is like a kaleidoscope. When you turn the Kaleidoscope it makes different shapes.
Think of rhythm as the shapes you see in the kaleidoscope. As you turn your perspective
rhythmically, different cyclic melodies will appear. Rhythmic perspective will determine
what melody you are hearing in any cycle. In this case I chose this "rhythmic melody" if
you will. Since it is pervasive in western drumming culture. Rhythm is basically infinite.
And as you will see, the creative possibilities using "just" this perspective, soon become
a deep ocean of drumming vocabulary. In this lesson we are learning to open up your
phrasing and achieve what some of my Students refer to as a "rolling time feel"- The tool
we are using is what I call the...
"3 bar cycle" Why? The phrase (the cycle) cycles out after 3 bars. In other words...it lands on "1
again after 3 bars.

I want to clarify one thing for those not familiar with what "Cycles" are.
Cycle
1) An interval of time during which a characteristic, often regulary repeated event
or sequence of events occurs. Night -day / the seasons / The orbit of a celestial
body. etc....
2) A single complete execution of a periodically repeated phenomenon.
Rhythmic cycle
The same meaning as " cycle ' (above) but, specifically, as applied to rhythm in music.

Exercises 1 on mp3: Play a consistent pulse with your hi hat foot.

Then on the snare (sidestick on recording), play the phrase. This gives you a chance
to hear the "melody" of the phrase over a simple pulse. Its good to play a bass drum
on the beginning of each phrase.

EX 1

Here is the complete counting as you hear it on the recording. I am counting the cycles
melody and the amount of times you are repeating the phrase so that the counting ends
on "1". Make sure you listen to it repeatedly if this seems difficult.
1rst time
1

2nd time
2 3

3rd time
3

Putting the cycle in 4 bar phrases is next. Check out the recording for details.

Here are the cycles permutations (Variations). We are simply moving them over
one 16th note at a time.

Ex 2

Ex 3

1 2 3

3 1

3 1 2

2 3

3 1

etc...

etc...

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Here we have the cycle in a groove. As you can hear the bass drum plays the melody
of the cycle. Play each one as many times as you want. On the recording I play the
whole thing 3 times so that the counting always ends up on 1.
3 times each

Ex 4

Ex 5

Ex 6

Now we develop the ear to put your phrasing into a 4 bar structures.
You can do 8, 12 etc.
Here is the cycle

Fill

Ex 7

Ex 8

Fill

Ex 9

Fill

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Now we are doing the phrase with the bass drum and cymbal. The left hand will fill
out the phrase with 2 notes on the snare. Try to follow through the cycle like on the
recording. So that the cycles will be apparent (Ex 11 and 12) 3 times each

Ex 10

Ex 11

Ex 12

Adding voices
Adding the toms into the mix means that the voices will expand the cycles.
Different voices can create new dimensions and textures. How? As you will
see here I extended the exercise to 6 bars. Why? Because adding the hi tom
to the phrase will cause you to have to play the cycle twice before the snare
ends up leading the phrase again. Notice the fourth bar? The hoi tom is leading
the phrase. When you think this way, your awareness of rhythm itself begins to
expand. Leading to more insight on creativity and a higher ability to develop
interesting vocabulary. This should also bring about the realization that this type
of work is basically infinite.

Ex 13

Ex 14

Ex 15

Hi Tom - Mid tom and snare

Here we add the mid tom. This exercise is now a bit different in that I am alternating
the voices after every note of the cycle. In other words, the bass drum is playing the
cycle, I am moving to another instrument after every bass drum. You will notice that
this creates a melody of "3 inside the cycle. While it may seem obvious to some, I
like to point it out to make sure the whole point of these exercises is understood to
the fullest.
Brackets indicate tom Melody of "3" inside cycle
Ex 16

sn

hi

mid

etc...

Ex 17

Ex 18

Hi Tom - Mid tom - Lo tom and snare

Ex 19

Ex 20

Ex 21

Expansion of the cycle.

The next step is to create variations of the cycle. So that you can play off of it.
In the example below you will see the original cycle, and in the middle of the staff
you will see the variation. You will notice it is in a 4 bar phrase. By now hopefully
you can put your phrases into 4 bars. If not play the exercise (A) and (B) to get
a hold of it.

(Cycle on top is just for reference. Dont play it. Play only the snare line.)

Ex (A) This is the phrase in its 3 bar form.

Ex (B) This is the variation. I like to begin it with a pick up note before
the cycle begins

This is the exercise on the recording. Put everything into 4 bars.

Ex 22

Ex 23

**I changed the numbers of bars on the staff so it wouldnt be such crowded reading.
Ex 24

Ex 25

Its always great to try to feel

a 4 or bar structure. This will
put you on your way

Bass drum and ride play the cycle, snare fills in between.

Ex 26

Right hand lead: This is Steve Houghtons concept to promote phrasing. Although he
wrote it for his book "Studio and Big Band Drumming" it is very usefull in many styles!
Check out his book if you dont have it! You will love it! Basically the right hand is leading
the phrasing. Playing the Cycles melody.
The thing to notice is that you are now in triplets.The phrase is very clear inside there
and if you have done the work before this, it will be easy to hear! Check out the sticking
i have marked out. Everytime you see 4 notes in a row like that, play that sticking. Every
thing else is LL with the cymbal and snare. Cymbal being R and snare L
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Ex 27

L LR L L L




LL

RR

33

Ex 28

L L R L L L

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Thanks for checking out this online lesson. If you have any further questions
or comments dont hesitate to write - phil@philmaturano.com

Keep an eye on my sites from more updates

www.philmaturano.com
www.myspace.com/philmaturanodrums
www.youtube.com/philmaturanodrums
The tracks you are hearing in the recording are from my cd
"NY - Koeln Project" Available on my website or
itunes. The final track is from my Video " Latin Soloing for the Drumset"

All the best

Phil M.