This group of exercises is called “Habit Breakers” for a good reason, which you will realize as you play through them. They are simple but it is important that you play the hi-hat on 2 & 4 in each exercise. That will make the difference for some of you. It is also important that you play even notes throughout all the exercises. Even though you are breaking everything up between the kick and toms, try to make it all feel like an open or ” mama-daddy ” roll.
In this case you should also play everything slowly at first and once you can play it all smoothly, increase the tempo until you can fly through the whole thing. Please be especially carefully to avoid flams with the hi-hat and kick or toms.
The third line might be the most difficult simply because so many contemporary patterns involve accents on the second of a double beat with the kick. In this case you need to consistently play two even strokes on the kick.
2001 © Chester C. Thompson