Syncopation was first introduced in Lesson 6 and expanded upon in Lessons 37 to 39 with Latin American beats.
The following exercises feature syncopated rock beats. Play each one four times.
We have discussed syncopation earlier in its basic form and in a beat form (i.e., the bossa nova). Now we will try a few exercises in rock beat format, over 2 bars.
REGGAE BEATS are syncopated beats that generally involve the left hand playing with the stick across the rim of the snare drum. The bass drum plays on the second and fourth beats.
To give the reggae rhythm a different effect you may wish to play certain snare drum notes on the skin and note the rim.