Blue Monk Stickings

Perhaps not a very original idea, but a very useful way to learn tunes and build rhythmic vocabulary. The exercise consists of using three different stickings to phrase the rhythm of Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk".

Try to hum or sing the melody as you play it, and watch the displacement in the last two bars; it can really throw people off.

There are lots of ways to extend this idea:

1. Start everything with the Left Hand.

2. Play with buzz strokes.

3. Play the long notes as rolls.

4. Place the right and left hand on different sound sources. Ride Cymbal and Snare would be good place to start.

5. Moving the stickings around the kit.

6. Build a solo based on the phrases and stickings.

Next time I'll give you some more ideas on voicing the phrases with jazz time.

This was originally posted on "Jazz Drumming Blog" and in the "Ideas for Jazz Drumming" e-book (no longer available). This post has been revised from the original.