4 Essential Jazz Cymbal Patterns

Once you have a firm understanding of how to play jazz time and the jazz shuffle, you need to start applying them regularly to everything you practise. So, here are 4 essential basic time patterns to use when practising comping patterns and fills.

The main thing here is to count the triplets throughout regardless of which pattern you are playing: 1-trip-let, 2-trip-let, 3-trip-let, 4-trip-let.

Pattern 1: Quarter Notes.

Pattern 2: Jazz Time.

Pattern 3: Shuffle Time.

Pattern 4: Upbeats

Pattern 4 is the most challenging and takes a bit of getting used to.

When comfortable with the basic patterns, practise playing different comping patterns underneath, for example, from John Riley's Bop Drumming book. And then use them whenever you are working on a new phrase, comping, pattern or fill.

Additionally, you can play the hi-hat on all four beats.

Have fun, make music.