Dynamic Independence
As mentioned earlier, it is important to be able to play an accent with any one limb without affecting the volume of the other parts. This is called dynamic independence. One of the best ways to develop this is to play a basic beat and accent all of the notes played by one of the limbs while keeping the other parts at an even volume. Here are some examples to practice:
Ghost Notes
Another important aspect of dynamics is the use of ghost notes. Whereas an accent is a note played louder than the other notes being played, a ghost note is played softer than most other notes and is the reverse of an accent. Ghost notes are common in more advanced drumming, particularly in Funk and Jazz. Ghost notes are often indicated by a bracket around the note, as shown in the following example.
Ghost notes are most commonly played on the snare drum. Play the following example and listen carefully to the volume of your notes.
Once you have control of ghost notes on the snare, try the following Funk beats which contain ghost notes. If you have trouble playing them, practice each one two limbs at a time and count as you play.
The following example is a shuffle groove which is commonly used in Blues. It is often called a Chicago shuffle or double shuffle.
This one has a fill in the fourth bar which makes use of the paradiddle. These last two beats may take some time to play well, but stick with it and your practice will definitely pay off.
Know Your Drums…
Splash Cymbal
Splash cymbals are small cymbals that produce a sound that decays very quickly. Splash cymbals are occasionally mounted inverted, on top of a larger cymbal (i.e., a crash) which can give a different tone and makes for ease of playing. Splash cymbals are normally used to play accents and fills, sometimes with a "choke" technique to play fast rhythmic figures.
