THE KIT · TIME FEEL 5 · 4/4

Syncopated Reading

Syncopation means playing off the beat: on the & instead of the number. It is what makes a rhythm feel pushed, surprising or funky.

In this lesson your feet keep steady time (bass drum on every beat, hi-hat foot on 2 and 4) while your hands read a syncopated line on the snare.

Open this feel on the kit →

Reading it

Only the snare line changes. Read it one beat at a time. A note right on a beat gets played on the number; a note after an eighth rest gets played on the &.

A quarter rest means a whole beat of silence. An eighth rest means half a beat.

Counting

Count every eighth note out loud, 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &, the whole way through. Play only where a note is written. The rests are counted too.

The four steps

Each step changes one thing. Get each one comfortable before moving on.

1. Snare on 1, 2, the & of 2, and 4. Mostly on the beat, one off-beat.Play variation 1 →
2. Snare on 1, the & of 2, 3, and the & of 4.Play variation 2 →
3. Snare on the & of 1, 2, the & of 3, and 4. Half off-beats now.Play variation 3 →
4. Snare on the & of 1, the & of 2, 3, and 4 &. Nearly all off-beats. Go slowly.Play variation 4 →

Common mistakes

• Stopping the feet when the hands get tricky. The feet are the clock.
• Placing the & notes early. They are exactly halfway between the numbers.
• Not counting out loud. Syncopation is almost impossible to read silently at first.

Practice plan

5 min	Feet alone: bass drum on every beat, hi-hat foot on 2 and 4.
10 min	Steps 1 to 4, clapping the snare line first, then playing it.
5 min	Play each step with the snare line on the bass drum instead.
5 min	Play each step around the toms.

Always start slower than you think you need to. Speed comes from playing it right many times, not from playing it fast once.