Mel Bay's Percussion Sessions | John Toomey - Left Foot Independence: Lesson 2

Beginner Systems in 5/4: Part 1

by John Toomey

It dawned on me recently that I spend most (if not all on some days) of my practice time working through exercises and concepts in 4/4, 2/4 and 6/8 time signatures. Although I listen to a wide array of music that showcases the drummer masterfully navigating through the somewhat dangerous but no less exciting and mysterious waters of odd time signatures, I tend to neglect a more acute study of this area of my playing.

As I’m sure we all do, I have found time to work on and understand grooving in odd times. So, I assume few of us are completely uneducated on the subject of odd times. Likewise, I believe few of us allot a vast chunk of time exploring the world outside of common times.

I want to use this series to help you and I revisit and push forward our proficiency in odd meters starting with basic 5/4 patterns.

The various ride cymbal, bass drum and snare patterns are meant to be mixed and matched at various tempos. Start slow and gradually work your way up. Also, try using different drums and cymbals in place of the snare patterns to create interesting voicings and phrases. Most importantly, try to make each exercise “feel” good. Get comfortable with the patterns and play with confidence.

Here are the solo voice patterns:

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

6.)

7.)

8.)

9.)

Here are the bass drum
and hi-hat ostinato systems:

A.)

B.)

C.)

D.)

Here are some ride cymbal systems that you may have heard before:

AA.)

BB.)

CC.)

DD.)

Be sure to play the following reading exercise using mixtures of the ride cymbal systems and the bass drum and hi-hat systems.

Reading Exercise:

About the Author

John Toomey recently received his Bachelor's degree in Music and Music Business from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and is currently on tour with the country rock duo, Bomshel, signed with Curb Records. He also performs and records for various heavy metal, progressive, fusion, and country artists around the Nashville area.