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                         Title: 8th Note Hi Hat Accent Grooves #1

                     Recommended For: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

                                 Time Signature: 4/4 

                                   By: Kevin Picone

                                Date: 22nd, Aug, 2000

                              Email: picone@giant.net.au

                          URL: www.thedrummachine.50megs.com

                 Copyright: (c) Kevin Picone 2000, All Rights Reserved.

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 Intro To Accents:



   Accents are the most commonly used form of dynamic (volume) control on the Drum Kit. 
 They can be used to colour the music (to give it life so to speak) or too add feel and
 definition to busy rhythms. Accents are found in all forms of music.


   To accent a note, is to make it louder than the surrounding notes. Here we are going 
 focus on applying some 8th note Hihat accents to a common time rhythm. Once were
 comfortable we'll try changing the pattern a little, just to see what we can create.


   While playing each exercise, it should noted that we're trying to achieve two
 distinctively different volumes here. We want all the unaccented notes to be fairly
 quiet, while making the accented ones really stand out.
 
   There's an easy trick to playing accents on the Hihat.  For an unaccented note, we'll 
 strike the Hihat with the tip only, directly on the top hihat, about an inch or two from
 the edge.  For a FAT accent sound, we'll use the sticks shoulder hitting flat on the
 edge. Avoid using the upper shoulder of the stick (just behind the tip), as it will
 quickly wear your sticks out.


   Well, that's about it... To make better use of this material, be sure you work with
 your metronome !!

   

 Aim #1: Get comfortable playing each rhythm through once, with & without the counting, if
         you can do this, try playing it 2,3,4 times through or more without stopping. 


 Aim #2: Try for a range of tempos, Start out slowly (around 60 / 70 bpm's) then medium
         (100bpm) and fast up to (130 / 140 bpm's or higher if you can). The objective is
         make each note clean and evenly spaced. 


 Aim #3: Try playing each line of exercises without stopping, keeping it evenly spaced
         the entire time. Next, Try 2 lines, then 3 lines and ultimately the entire
         lesson from top to bottom. To take this another step further, you can try
         playing the examples randomly, this will help your reading and visualization
         skills greatly.






 PLEASE NOTE:  The ACCENTS written here are only in regard to the HIHAT part, so you
               should play the SNARE and BASS DRUM parts with a constant dynamic.





 Exercise
 
            #1                                   #2                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:       >           >                              >           >         
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |
  


            #3                                   #4                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:          >           >                              >           >         
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |



            #5                                   #6                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:       >     >     >     >                     >     >     >     >     
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |



            #7                                   #8                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:       >     >        >     >                  >     >  >     >     
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |



            #9                                   #10                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:       >        >        >                  >  >     >  >     >   
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |




            #11                                  #12                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:          >        >        >                  >  >     >  >     >   
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |




            #13                                  #14                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:       >     >        >                     >     >  >     >  >        
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |




            #15                                  #16                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:          >     >        >                     >     >  >     >  >       
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |



            #17                                  #18                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:             >     >        >               >     >     >  >     >          
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |




            #17                                  #18                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:       >        >     >                     >  >     >     >  > 
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |




            #19                                  #20                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:          >        >     >                     >  >     >     >  >
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |



            #21                                  #22                 

   Count:       1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +               1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +      
 Accents:             >        >     >               >     >  >     >     >           
   HiHat: |4    x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x       |4      x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x     |
   Snare: |/          o           o          |/            o           o        |
BassDrum: |4    o           o                |4      o           o              |





 Well, You should be able to make some pretty cool rhythms, with these ideas.


 So, Good Luck !



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                (c) copyright 2000, By Kevin Picone, All Rights reserved.

                    For more Lessons, be sure to visit my web site, at

                          Http://www.thedrummachine.50megs.com

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