#22.31

This is a companion post to go with #22.30. After developing spot-on treble/duple interpretation (especially rapidly changing between the two, beat by beat), the next step is to naturally combine the two and form a new rhythm.

A fivelet isn't duple or treble, but as you probably guessed, it's 5 evenly distributed notes (in the case of #22.31, distributed evenly across 2 beats). Slower than triplets (6 notes per 2 beats), faster than eighth notes (4 notes per 2 beats).

#22.31

In this four-bar exercise you're given 2 bars of triplet check in between 2 different fivelet patterns. The first fivelet pattern (measure 2) is grouped in 2+3, the second fivelet pattern (measure 4) is grouped in 3+2.

For measure 2, be sure to start off the rhythm with a little more juice than you would a beat of eighth notes. For measure 4, be sure to put on the brakes right away and play the first 3-note grouping slower than the triplets before it. With enough practice and experimentation, you'll get the hang of the fives and be able to navigate back and forth between triplets and fivelets fairly easily.

Notation note: there aren't "3"s or "5"s written above the rhythms in this example, so just pay attention to how many notes are beamed together.

#22.30

Here's some more rudimental drumming for you. These two short exercises go along with the next post, #22.31, and are meant to build up triplet<->fivelet interpretation/feel (though you won't find any fivelets in this one).

For these two exercises, #22.30a and b, the accents should really be written as tenuto ( - ) marks, or "half-accents"- don't think 2 rigid and super differentiated heights, think more egogic stress on the downbeats and think flow.

#22.30a and b

Notation note: I didn't write "3"s above the triplets, or "2"s above the eighth notes, to differentiate the triplets and eighths. It should be exceptionally clear what rhythms are what though if you pay attention to how many notes are beamed together.