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Hands, Grooves, and Fill exercises

By: Pat Petrillo

Drummers Collective faculty member Pat Petrillo offers a quick lesson to help improve your overall drumming skills based on exercises excerpted from his Hudson Music DVD/Book "Hands, Grooves, and Fills".

1.  Hand Exercises

Here are 2 exercises that will really get you loose. The first is a one hand 8th note exercise, and the second is an alternating 16th exercises for coordinate and speed I call "5,5,3". To build endurance increase the tempo every 2 minutes, and hold the fastest tempo you can for at least 5 minutes. Feel the burn!

2.  2 Bar Syncopated Groove

Next, here are a couple grooves, based on the "Fatback" Beat.  You probably know it as the "Cold Sweat" groove, but it was used on tons of records.  These two grooves are my variations of the Fatback, with the accent on the and of 4 in bar one, and no bass on the downbeat of the second measure. Enjoy.

3.  Fill Idea

Here’s a way of orchestrating some sextuplets using the ratamacue sticking, first made famous by the great Steve Gadd. These three movements should put you well on the path of orchestrating them around the kit.

Thanks for checking this quick lesson out. If you dig these examples, please check out "Hands, Grooves, & Fills" DVD/Book at a store near you or online and I hope to see you soon at The Collective for a lesson or program!

-Pat Petrillo