Drum Beat Project

Beat #330 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.24.26, warning: this one requires a deeper look. It’s not flashy but still unconventional and educational enough to include in this project, so dig in! Most drumbeats use the HiHat (left foot) in a purely conventional and supportive role - either holding it all down with a time-keeping ostinato while the other limbs elaborate or just by controlling the timbre and openings of the hats with pressure from the LF while the RH (or LH) ride on it. This one gives the HH a part outside of those roles. It’s not too dissimilar from my beat on the Wilco song “I Might” where the LF is playing a supportive percussion overdub part from the record with the aid of a tambo attachment. This one though has it briefly in unison with the BD - which is the trickiest part of it imo - when the BD continues without it after 3 hits. The hands are providing the ostinatos here - RH w/upbeats on the cym and LH w/the brush circles around the accented hit on count 2, and the BD has the “melody” (or defining rhythmic line). This all came out of me working on another similar beat for a Wilco song - more on that next week! Back to recording the Wilco dressing room for this week while on tour: the 2nd video has the RH on FT / 3rd vid with a rod in the RH and 4th vid is the mirror view (the BD beater is visible in this one). Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel. Lots of @wilco tour dates on sale now too and I play on a few tracks from @cutworms new record #Transmitter - check it out! @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat #329 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.12.26. This one started as a glock progression, then went to kalimba and finally landed on the @Morfbeats gamelan strips - love those things! Using 4 mallets to make it easier. RH on the 2 pang cyms. is using Stevens grip and LH melody is using Burton grip. I find it incredibly useful & satisfying to transfer techniques from other areas of percussion to drumkit - like these marimba & vibraphone grips (making the most of those 10K hours spent in the practice room!). The pang cym that`s pictured higher in the photo at the end, has been a go-to for most records that I play on. I’ve used that on virtually everything in the studio. It’s not a typical pang - but much darker and smooth and not too clangy or noisy. @cymbalcraftsman once said it was almost more of a suspended cym. Got lucky finding that one in college in KY, (found the other one Tokyo). Also using some key chimes from Brazil via a @dixondrums cable pedal w/the L foot. That foot pattern kind of defines this beat - moving the LF to the more obvious 2 & 4 wood completely change the vibe of it all. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel. Lots of @wilco tour dates on sale now too and I play on a few tracks from @cutworms new record #Transmitter - check it out! @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat #328 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.24.26 This one just kind of happened. It’s 4 singles followed by 2 broken triplets - all of which is just voiced 2 different ways. The trickiest part is probably just quickly switching hands between SD & HH for the last 2 broken trips of the pattern. The Foot/RH/LH permutation of the broken trip is one I don’t personally use often, so that took some getting used to & repetition in order to get it into my limbs enough for a (hopefully!) smooth execution.This one is bordering on being a lick, but I still consider it a drumbeat since it has a ?/answer element as well as a balance of highs & lows and a cadence of phrase. Tempi in order are: 110/101/?/118 bpm. 2nd vid keeps the HH closed. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel. Lots of @wilco tour dates on sale now too and I play on a few tracks from @cutworms new record #Transmitter - check it out! @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat #327 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.19.26 w/variation & alt temps. This one came at the same time as last week`s beat. I was wondering if I could get a Tony Allen inspired beat - that`s in an odd time - to groove. Thoughts? I just dropped a 16th to get 15/16. No counting necessary tho, your hands will feel the pattern in no time. There are 2 versions here, the 2nd & 4th vids w/the crash & stack accents actually came first, but I preferred the flow of the version in the 1st & 3rd vids a bit more. I let the 4th vid play out a bit for those who enjoy the drone… Both mea. have the same sticking sans the last group of 3. The most challenging part imo is executing the 2 different durations of HH openings. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel. Lots of @wilco tour dates on sale now too and I play on a few tracks from @cutworms new record #Transmitter - check it out! @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 326 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.19.26. A mirror beat this week: the SD & BD switch parts every measure. while HH (RH & LF) is constant. I was thinking of a rhythm and then split it between high and low noticing that it worked both ways, so put those on SD & BD and came up w/accompanying ostinatos that made it groove nicely. I then briefly messed around w/alt orchestrations and quickly landed on the RH on a MX hand drum w/ @create_percussion shaker mallet. I like how the mirror aspect was blurred a bit more w/this voicing and loved how the unusual cadence of the SD part stood out a little more - the whole beat became more mysterious and less obvious to me. I will never tire of discovering how voicing the same parts on different sound sources can completely change the vibe, groove, feel and familiarity with a beat - and ultimately in the context of a song, how the rest of music and lyrics are conveyed & perceived - we drummers are doing a lot more than just keeping time! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of @wilco tour dates on sale now - gonna be a busy summer! @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 325 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.10.26 (ALL LIVE! No tracks here btw) w/alt variations and notations - turn it up! (headphones recommended) The BD and HH are triggering 808 and kalimba samples respectively. The BD has a 5-note pitched sequence against the 4-note pitched HH sequence. The hands fill it out with the LH playing a 2:3 Bossa Nova clave pattern and the RH more free w/a Tony Williams inspired ride line. This one is from a new solo piece that I started developing for my @evansdrumheads @sunhouseinc #SensoryPercussion @Sweetwatersound shoot last week - loving those new HH & cymbal sensors! So many possibilities...1st vid = 112 bpm, 2nd vid has RH on temple block, 3rd vid using a laminated cooking chopstick, 4th vid is faster = 117bpm. Btw that`s probably my fav flat ride - 22" K Constantinople, no matter what stick I use, it just purrs... see pic at end. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel - subscribe! Lots of @wilco tour dates on sale now - gonna be a busy summer! @clark.hubbard @drumzncatz #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 324 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.16.26 w/alt tempos and notations. Recorded @Sweetwatersound while doing a session for @evansdrumheads @sunhouseinc #SensoryPercussion w/the wonderful @coop3rdrumm3r - this is the FINAL beat in a series w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a specific progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. Since each chord has similar tonalities, I combined 4 chords into this end-of-progression beat. The drum part stays constant under each chord, so the trickiest part is just the interval jumps on crotales, (this would have been much easier on glockenspiel or kalimba!) but the crotales sound so good (and I was already using them for this shoot). Tempo range of these clips are 89 - 113 bpm fyi. Give it a try w/the LH playing just the rhythm on 1 surface to begin with. Thx to @caseflanders Will Hutchison & @drumzncatz for the audio & video! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 323 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.12.26 w/notations. This is the 8th & penultimate beat in a series w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a specific progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. I’m navigating this progression ’till completion - one more week! The melody is split between crotales & kalimba (slightly out of tune - sorry!) - switching between the 2 is definitely the most challenging aspect of this one imo. The drum part has a samba BD pattern w/the HH on the downbeats to get the open sound on the upbeats. Using @creative_percussion shaker mallet for a little added color. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 322 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.12.26 w/alt tempos & notations. This is the 7th in a series of beats w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a specific progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. Use headphones (if you want the @sunhouse Sensory Percussion on the drums). I’m navigating this progression ’till completion - just a couple left! The melody is split between the gorgeous @zildjiancompany crotale octaves and the SD part is split between 2 drums as well. Tried a range of tempi, overview in order here: 110 / 95 / 120 / 83 bpm. I suggest starting w/only the drum part & then add the LH on a non-pitched instrument, then add the pitches last. 2day also happens to be the 20th anniv. of my record "Mobile" @nonesuchrecords - crazy! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 321 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.12.26 w/alt tempos & notations. This is the 6th in a series of beats w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a specific progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. Use headphones (if you want the @sunhouse Sensory Percussion on the drums). I’m navigating this progression ’till completion - almost there! This is the 2nd one of the batch in 12/8. I’m using 2 mallets in the LH on the beautiful @majesticpercussion bells for the faster tempos to assist on the large interval jump at the end of the phrase, but you can use 1 mallet in the LH part as I did on the slower 4th video (or even play that rhythm on a non-pitched instrument). Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 320 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.19.26 w/alt tempos, combined beats & notations. This is the 5th in a series of beats w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a specific progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. This is actually a variation on the 5th chord/beat: the 1st mea. is the same but the 2nd is on crotales and moves up a step, starting on the low A - I just liked that alternating tonality when it’s extracted from the full progression & a bit out of context. This is a great example of four-way independence - each limb is independent but fitting into the whole - basically like a piece in a puzzle. The 2nd vid is last week’s beat and the 1st mea.of this week’s beat (I’m trying to work the transitions incrementally for when I eventually try to put them all together). 3rd vid is that idea but a bit slower / 4th vid is this week’s beat slower for those playing along at home and 5th vid is it faster. As always, the LH rhythm can be played on non-pitched instrument to get the coordination and independence down - the melodies are just the icing on the cake! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 319 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.12.26 w/alt tempos & notations. I`m combining 2 beats this week, these are the 3rd & 4th chords in a series of beats w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. The LH part on my new extended range @majestic glock is doing its own thing, sometimes lining up w/the other limbs and sometimes filling in. I’m showing 3 different tempos here: q = 110 / 97 / 86 - I almost always try each beat at various speeds to see not only which grooves the most but also what mental and physical nuances occur with tempo changes. Using @creative_percussion Can Shaker on HH so it blends better w/the rest of the kit volume & @Sunhouse #sensorypercussion on BD along w/the brilliant @drumgees rattles for some sizzle-crunch on my vintage gold Black Beauty SD. FYI - I`m on the latest episode of @drumhistory_podcast talking about the great Ed B. Straight & Chicago percussion history. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 318 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.12.26 w/alt tempos & notations. This is the 2nd in a series of beats w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. I came up with the progression and then was really inspired by my new @majesticpercussion 2.6 octave orchestra bells, so put it on the expanded drumkit. It`s challenging at first, but it feels so good once it locks in. The trick w/this one is the LH going from dotted quarters to quarters implying a time shift, but the kit part stays steady. the 2nd vid shows last week`s beat cycling w/this one - it`s easier than it looks fyi - give it a try! (Even just try the LH part on a cym or drum - the independence & switching between 4/4 & 12/8 feels so gr8). The 3rd vid is fast & 4th in between. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 318 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.12.26 w/alt tempos & notations. This is the 2nd in a series of beats w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. I came up with the progression and then was really inspired by my new @majesticpercussion 2.6 octave orchestra bells, so put it on the expanded drumkit. It`s challenging at first, but it feels so good once it locks in. The trick w/this one is the LH going from dotted quarters to quarters implying a time shift, but the kit part stays steady. the 2nd vid shows last week`s beat cycling w/this one - it`s easier than it looks fyi - give it a try! (Even just try the LH part on a cym or drum - the independence & switching between4/4 & 12/8 feels gr8). The 3rd vid is fast & 4th in between. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 317 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.12.26 w/alt tempos & notations. This is the 1st in a series of beats w/a pitched voice - each based on a different chord in a progression - rhythmically arpeggiated with an accompanying drum part. I came up with the progression and then was really inspired by my new @majesticpercussion 2.6 octave orchestra bells - they sound so good with the kit too. I tried it on those and then came up with the kit part. Challenging at first, but it feels so good once it locks in. The LH is doing it’s own thing, sometimes lining up w/the other limbs and sometimes filling in. I’m showing 3 different tempos here. I almost always try each beat at various speeds to see not only which grooves the most but also what mental and physical nuances occur with tempo changes. It’s crazy how much of a ripple effect speeding it up or slowing it down has. I love observing and then honing in on those minuscule details that become evident: subtle changes in motion, flow, balance, dynamics, timing, phrasing… each new tempo reveals new considerations - it’s so cool imo! Therapeutic as well…Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @drumzncats @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 316 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.16.25 w/alt mix & notations. A "broken beat" or a "wobbly cart w/one square wheel" type of groove. I love off-kilter ones like this w/slinky accordion-like feels. This one gets it from intervals of compressed note flurries allowing small spaces to reset & recalibrate the time. It can be a bit tricky especially the 3 consecutive BD notes and the bunched SD / BD doubles exchanges. Maybe not the most practical beat, but it`s interesting and a fun exercise in phrasing. The first video is using @sunhouseinc #SensoryPercussion to beef up the drums & the 2nd video for comparison, is all acoustic. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @drumzncatz @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 315 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.13.25 w/alt tempos & notations. A study in motion this week. I recently was fortunate enough to spend some time @viiluuxe (amazing!) in Las Terrenas & was gifted some super cool instruments for my bday that I`m using here (ty!). That`s a large & small guira that I`m scraping, using lateral motions for mea. 1 and then switching to rebolo & soprano SD w/ vertical strokes for the 2nd mea.. I love how the same beat sounds so radically different just by voicing it for other sounds (and motions). The feet are basically playing 3 against 2 w/the BD adding the punctuation on ct. 6 of both bars. This one feels so good to play - try it w/brushes to get those motions, just using SD & FT, if you don`t have 2 scrapers laying around! Also, note how the lateral strokes lengthen at slower tempos & how the different stroke types are altered depending on the speed. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 314 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.16.25 w/alt grip & notations. An homage to the endlessly inspirational @itspetergabriel - specifically the classic song "Games Without Frontiers". It’s got such a cool drum part - sounds like a hybrid of the gr8 @jerrymorottadrums & programming… I kept the x-stick SD part and then grabbed the pitches from the vocal line “Jeux sans frontières” (sung by @katebushmusic ) and put those in a repeating sequence on the BD thx to @sunhouseinc #SensoryPercussion. I also mimicked the cowbell/bongo/shaker that`s backbeat on the original with HH attachments including the Reco Electro & enhanced the FT’s and both SD’s with Sensory Percussion too. It’s voiced w/the RH alternating between the 2 FT’s every measure and the SD’s alternating every 2 measures. 1st vid. is trad grip / 2nd is matched. Using @creativepercussion shaker mallet in the LH for some xtra crunch. This one was so fun to orchestrate and work out - I absolutely love the creative and sometimes physical challenges of taking existing pieces of music and arranging them for expanded drumkit - can’t recommend doing that enough! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @drumzncztz @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 313 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.18.25 w/alt tempos & notations. This is a little drum-melody that popped into my head & got orchestrated & worked out on the kit. Even though it`s a pattern / linear beat, I love that the open HH hits on ct. 3 of every mea. give a 1/2 time feel underneath this active beat. The 3 over 2 figure in mea. 2&4 pits the highest (HH) against the lowest (BD), adding the 2nd FT the 2nd time and leading into the trickiest part imo: the + of ct. 3 RH/RF/RH fast sweep situation. Tempos are 132/137/123/120 each 3x`s. Happy New Year! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 312 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.16.25 w/alt angle & notations.
The 1st measure of this one popped into my head and after playing around w/it for a few minutes, the 4-bar phrase came out. The main idea is basically a 3 stroke ruff (RF/RH/LH) followed by a 4 stroke (RF,LF,LH,RH) leading into the backbeats. Also using the open HH, bell cym. & 2nd FT as the punctuation in each mea. Super fun to play. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject loveyourneighbor ...