In this comprehensive blog post, the top drum teachers from Greater Toronto Music School will help readers to unlock the secrets of jazz drumming and to better understand the genre's defining rhythms. Those who are new to the instrument and more experienced players alike will find valuable information about swing feel, shuffles, comping, and other essential techniques and grooves for jazz drummers. Take your playing to the next level with valuable tips and practical exercises.
For drummers, playing jazz is a dynamic and expressive art form that demands a deep understanding of rhythm and feel and a strong groove. Jazz, unlike many other styles, focuses on improvisation and an active dialogue amongst musicians. The music is quite often "swinging" and full of nuances and subtle accents. For aspiring jazz drummers, understanding and mastering swing feel, shuffle patterns and the ability to respond to other musicians is critical. This guide will break down common jazz drumming techniques and provide some valuable exercises for people looking to get started playing jazz on the drums.
Learn To Play Jazz Drums: Quick Menu
The Foundation of Jazz Drumming
To understand jazz drumming, we must first understand what syncopated rhythms are. In music, syncopation refers to a rhythm that features displaced beats, creating an effect where strong beats feel weak and weak beats feel strong. Jazz drumming is filled with these syncopated rhythms, making it quite difficult to develop a great feel. Jazz drumming is fluid and interactive, unlike styles like rock, pop or country, where drummers maintain a solid backbeat throughout. Let's take a deeper look at some of the key elements of jazz drumming:
Ride Cymbal Pattern: The most importan element of jazz drumming is the ride cymbal pattern. It's rooted in triplets, giving us that triplet swing feel. It often sounds like "Ding- Dinga-Ding-Dinga". This is characterized by the drummer playing a quarter note on beat 1, followed by the first and last triplet on beat 2. Underneath the cymbal, drummers will play beats 2 + 4 with their hi hat foot. The same pattern repeats for beats 3 and 4 of the measure. While we can get into variations, such as the 3 beat figure or 5 beat figure, this classic jazz ride cymbal pattern is the first thing that an aspiring jazz drummer needs to master.
The Jazz ride cymbal pattern written with triplets
Often times, it's understood that in jazz, we are playing triplets. To simplify the sheet music, we will use two eighth notes, understanding that it is to be interpreted as "swung". Below is an example of the jazz ride pattern written with eighth notes.
Comping: Short for “accompanying,” comping refers to the subtle and spontaneous accents played on the snare drum and bass drum underneath the ride cymbal pattern. In the early years, jazz drummers only comped on the snare while "feathering" (lightly playing on all four beats) the bass drum. As the music evolved, drummers began "dropping bombs", which means involving the bass drum in the comping.
Brushwork: Essential for ballads and a great option for lower dynamic playing, many jazz drummers often play with brushes instead of sticks. Brushes are swept across and tapped on the snare drum to create a pattern similar to the ride cymbal pattern we discussed above, only at a softer dynamic level. If you're new to jazz playing and don't yet have brushes, click here to check out our favourite pair.
Swing Drumming: The Heart of Jazz
A lot of popular styles such as rock, pop, country and electronic music use mostly straight eighth notes. Jazz, on the other hand, is rooted in swing. When a rhythm is swinging, it transforms straight eighth notes into an uneven long-short feel, much like first and third notes of a triplet. Instead of dividing the beat into two equal parts (as in straight eighths), swing gives the first note about two-thirds of the beat and the second note about one-third, creating a lilting, forward-moving groove.
Swing is at the core of jazz music—it gave the genre its characteristic and feel. Unlike strict triplet notation, jazz musicians often interpret swing with a feel that can change depending on tempo, style, and phrasing. Faster tempos tend to have a subtler swing, closer to even eighths, while slower tempos emphasize the triplet feel more distinctly. This rhythmic elasticity is part of what makes jazz sound so dynamic and expressive.
Understanding the Swing Feel
Swing is all about feel. It requires exposure to really understand it and execute it. We suggest listening to some of the all time greats to hear and feel what swing is all about.
Listen to legendary jazz drummers like Elvin Jones, Max Roach, and Art Blakey.
Practice playing triplets with three variations:
Accenting on the first note
Accenting on the second note
Accenting on the third note
Use a metronome set on the 2nd and 4th beat of each bar instead of on all quarter notes
Swing Drumming Exercise
First start with playing quarter notes on the ride cymbal. Add the hi hat with your foot on beats 2 and 4. Find a nice slow or medium tempo track to play along with. A great example is Sandu (Clifford Brown & Max Roach), linked above.
Add the skip beat. Instead of "Ding Ding Ding Ding", change your ride cymbal pattern to "Ding-Dinga-Ding-Dinga".
Start to add simple comping patterns with the snare while feathering the kick.
On quarter notes
On the "up beat" (last triplet)
Try the same comping patterns on the kick
Shuffle Drum Patterns and Their Variations
Just like the classic ride cymbal pattern, the shuffle is bouncy groove that uses a triplet feel. It's commonly heard in blues, jazz, rock and country music. The shuffle is commonly played on both the ride and the hi hat and instead of only having the skip note on beats 2 & 4, it is found on all four counts. The cymbal pattern for a shuffle would sound a little like "Dinga-Dinga-Dinga-Dinga." There are many variations of the shuffle that we will discuss below:
Classic Shuffle
Play the shuffle cymbal pattern, either on the hi hat or ride. Remember it should sound like "Dinga-Dinga-Dinga-Dinga" on the ride. On the hi hat the tone will not produce a ding sound, but the rhythm will be the same.
Add a backbeat by playing beats 2 + 4 on the snare
Start with playing kick on beats 1 + 3. As you get comfortable, experiment with different bass drum patterns for variation. You can make it syncopated if you'd like.
Variations of the Shuffle
Texas Shuffle: The snare drum plays the same shuffle pattern as the cymbal, ghosting all notes except for a heavy backbeat on beats 2+4. Heard often in blues music from artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Swing Shuffle: A hybrid of straight swing and a blues shuffle, used in jazz-infused blues styles.
Half Time Shuffle: Many ghost notes, snare drum only on beat 3 as opposed to 2 & 4 to create a half time feel. Made famous by legendary session drummer Bernard Purdie and later, Jeff Procaro of the band Toto and John Bonham of the band Led Zeppelin.
Essential Jazz Drum Techniques
Syncopation and Comping
For jazz drummers, it's extremely important to develop four-way coordination. Drummers with independence amongst the limbs will be able to play intricate comping patterns and interact with fellow musicians, elevating the overall performance.
Practice playing various rhythms on the snare and bass drum while maintaining a strong, swinging ride cymbal pattern.
Check out books like Syncopation by Ted Reed or The Art Of Bop Drumming by John Riley for some additional ideas. You can always look for private drum lessons with an experienced teacher to help you take your playing to the next level.
Brushwork for Smooth Jazz
Develop your brush work. This will give you the ability to switch when required, for example while playing a ballad. The two main brush techniques are listed below:
Circular Sweeps: both hands sweep in circles on the snare in opposing directions, creating a "woosh" sound. Hi hat plays on beats 2 + 4 with the foot.
Tap & Sweep: One hand sweeps in circles while the other hand taps the "Ding-Dinga-Ding-Dinga" pattern lightly on the snare. Again, hi hat plays on beats 2 & 4 with the foot.
Trading & Soloing
While open solos are common in jazz, so is trading. Trading is when soloists will take turns playing, often in either four or 8 bar phrases. This creates excitement and musical conversations, where soloists will often take inspiration from what was played in the previous solo.
Tips for Improving Your Jazz Drumming
1. Listen to Jazz Masters
Actively listen to famous recordings of the all-time greats. Some fantastic drummers to check out include Buddy Rich, Tony Williams and Papa Jo Joes. Listening to the legends will help to understand different styles of jazz drumming and to build vocabulary on the kit.
2. Practice with a Metronome
Instead of placing your metronome on quarter notes, cut it in half and each click should correspond with beats 2 + 4. This will help to develop a deeper sense of swing.
3. Play Along with Jazz Tracks
Practicing drums alone is great and important, but nothing will help you more than playing along with tracks or other musicians. Put on your favourite album and play along. You can also check out apps like iReal pro or search for backing tracks on YouTube.
4. Take Jazz Drum Lessons
Consider professional drum lessons to receive personalized instruction from an expert jazz drummer.
FAQs About Jazz Drumming
What is the hardest part of learning jazz drumming?
For aspiring jazz drummers, the hardest part is often the intense coordination that is required amongst limbs and developing a great feeling ride cymbal groove.
How long does it take to get good at jazz drumming?
With regular practice and dedication, most drummers should be able to get a solid grasp of the fundamentals in about 6 months - 1 year. Those looking to master the art form and become expert improvisers will require years and years of dedicated study.
Do I need a special drum kit for jazz?
Drummers can play jazz on any drum kit, however stylistically, smaller bass drums (18" diameter) are better. Jazz drummers often use more ride cymbals than crash cymbals and prefer darker tones.
Can I learn jazz drumming on my own?
While self-study is possible, taking lessons with a qualified drum teacher can accelerate your progress significantly.
Conclusion
Jazz drumming is an exciting and rewarding skill that enhances creativity and musical expression. By mastering swing, shuffle, and essential jazz drum techniques, you can develop a solid foundation in jazz. Whether you’re playing for fun or pursuing jazz drumming seriously, consistent practice and listening to jazz legends will help you refine your skills. If you're looking to accelerate your progress, consider drum lessons in Toronto or online drum lessons to receive expert guidance tailored to your level. Start your jazz drumming journey today!
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