Grooving in 7/8 with OCEANS

I am thrilled to present the most recent DrumMantra Lesson of the Month exercise series & Community Challenge!

Each week, the Lesson Vault Community members have the opportunity to practice together online with me three times. Saturdays at 1pm (CST) we work on "The Lesson of the Month," Sundays at 1pm we work on Groove Studies with the 20th Note book, and Mondays at 1pm we work on The Foundational Series book the first half of the year, and The Primary Series book the second half.

In the Lesson of the Month for January, we worked on a 12-part exercise series I created called "Oceans: A Groove Study in 7." As you can see in the video, the groove is an ostinato between kick & snare, and every 6 bars, the ride pattern changes. It is a challenging exercise series, and it takes some work to get it happening. 

A handful of the Lesson Vault Community (LVC) stepped up to the challenge and were able to video themselves playing all 12 exercises in a row! This was not an easy feat, and I am super proud of them. I am equally proud of the community members who showed up each week to practice but just didn't quite get the material to a performance level in time for the video deadline. Everyone is working hard, and that is the most important thing. 

Watch the video now:

Practicing drum grooves in 7/8 time is a great way to improve your drumming skills. It is challenging and provides a unique opportunity to develop your coordination, balance, creativity, and groove. Here are some reasons why practicing drum grooves in 7/8 time can be beneficial for your drumming:

Firstly, playing in 7/8 time requires a high level of coordination. Unlike playing in 4/4 time, where you have a consistent pattern to follow, playing in 7/8 time requires you to divide the beat into odd subdivisions. This can be challenging at first, but practice can easily improve your ability to play complex rhythms.

Secondly, practicing drum grooves in 7/8 time is a great way to improve your balance. The odd time signature requires you to be more aware of your body movement and precise with your stick placement. This helps improve balance, an essential skill for drummers, especially when playing live.

Thirdly, playing in 7/8 time can also help to develop your creativity. The odd-time signature allows for more unconventional rhythms and grooves, giving you the freedom to explore new ideas and approaches. It forces you to think outside the box and can lead to new musical discoveries.

Fourthly, practicing drum grooves in 7/8 time can also help improve your overall sense of groove. It challenges you to play with more intention, accuracy, and feel. This is because playing in 7/8 time requires you to be focused on precision and consistency with odd groupings. By improving your sense of groove, you'll be able to play with more confidence and musicality.

Lastly, playing in 7/8 time can be a fun and transformative experience. The odd time signature can be exciting and challenging and help push your boundaries and expand your musical knowledge. It also provides a unique opportunity to play with other musicians willing to explore new rhythms and ideas.

In conclusion, practicing drum grooves in 7/8 time is an excellent way to improve your drumming skills. It challenges you to improve your coordination, balance, creativity, and groove. It's also a fun and transformative experience that can lead to new musical discoveries and push your boundaries as a drummer. So next time you're looking to take your drumming to the next level, try practicing in 7/8 time and see how it can transform your playing.

If you would like to join the Lesson Vault Community, we would love to have you!

You can sign up now and get a week free to try everything out to see if its a good fit!

CLICK HERE to learn more.