Shuffle/swing

This is the third in a series of three quick lessons which will focus on three areas of drumkit playing:

1)Paradiddle beats
2)Compound time - 6/8
3)Swing/shuffle notation

In this third quick lesson, I am going to demonstrate two examples of playing something with a shuffle or swing feel to it - where the normal 'straight-eight' subdivision of two notes is replaced by three notes, or a triplet. In these examples, the first and third notes of a triplet are played in place of the typical 'half' notes played in a subdivision of 2, creating the swing.

1) This first example is a basic swing or shuffle beat:







and here is a video demonstration:




2) Here is a slightly more difficult example:








and here is a video demonstration:




These are only ideas, aimed at developing some sort of approach to the concept. Hopefully, you will be able to use these examples to sharpen your own skills and create your own ideas.