Count each eighth note as one: three eighth notes make three counts.
What we learn
- 6/8 time
- Count in groups, practise three kick placements and eighth- and sixteenth-note subdivisions. Use hi-hat, ride, fills and changing foot patterns.
- Playing songs
- Identify the intro, verse and other sections. Practise kick variations, soft snare strokes, fills and connecting phrases.
In class
- Listen, count and mark the sections and phrase changes.
- Choose a short section. Practise its basic groove before adding variations.
- Connect short phrases into sections, then gradually work through the whole song.
What to aim for
Count steadily in the chosen meter, play a section with the backing track and connect the grooves at section changes.
At homePractise one song section and one tricky transition. Record and listen, then work on one issue at a time.