Greetings Tom Tom readers! My name is Jyn Yates and I’ve dedicated my entire life to playing drums and percussion. This three part exercise is designed to help you understand and play one of the most famous Brazilian musical forms called the Samba. Many people confuse the Brazilian music styles of Samba and the Bossa Nova. Both are in 4/4 time and have the same foot pattern. However, Samba tempos are generally much quicker with quarter notes starting around 170 beats per minute, while the Bossa Nova tends to be start around 100 beats per minute.
The first part of the exercise should be fairly simple as it starts with straight 16th notes on the right hand and the right foot plays the standard Samba kick drum rhythm underneath. Be sure to practice the rhythm very slow in order to gain the muscle memory needed.
In the second part of the exercise, add in the left foot and the hi-hat accents on the &s of each count until you can continue the pattern over and over again.
The third part, we finally add in the very interesting snare pattern that gives the Samba its flavor.
I hope you enjoy playing the Samba! If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me at visablyshaken@yahoo.com. Until next time, Get Your Groove On!