3 Linear groove ideas to steal from BONHAM triplets

02:19 - What does LINEAR actually mean?
03:59 - 3 tips for nailing any linear pattern
08:04 - The 3 “Bonham triplet” variations
16:20 - Real world groove & fill examples
22:27 - 3 linear fill patterns to push coordination
28:17 - Additional demonstration footage

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If you’ve felt like your ability to play freely and expressively on the kit is at a roadblock, these Bonham triplet exercises just might be what sets you free.

We’re covering 3 essential tips for nailing any linear pattern, the 3 “Bonham triplet variations” that will boost your coordination, and we’ll talk about how to use these skills in real-life musical grooves and fills.

If you’re ready to expand your limb independence and ability to play freely on the kit, this lesson is for you. YOU CAN DO THIS.

Check out this recent lesson on developing comfortable grip, which is essential for mastering sparse, linear playing:

Deal with Stick SLIPPAGE the smart way!

I believe that ANYONE can learn the drums, and I believe you’re far more capable of becoming a great drummer than you think you are. Don’t sell yourself short! SUBSCRIBE for more Non Glamorous videos that get straight to the point of solving drumming frustration. Stay Non Glamorous, Everyone!

[jemmace]

I could post this comment to any and all of your video's.
I'm an experienced drummer, one who's stopped playing but I'm looking at getting back into it again.

I'm 50 year's old, I took up drumming at 26 years old, finally, after loving the art but working in other industries.
I first took up percussion in bongo's and conga playing, so developed a feel with my hands from there I went to playing in rock band's and every other variation and musical style of drumming.

I rehearsed and gigged from about after 2-3 year's of starting, then taking up the Guildhall and trinity college grades, UK.
It really is a trade standard that knowing all about your actual set up, how to tune, how to approach practice sessions, how to anticipate just about everything as a drummer is in itself a challenge with tips and tricks being paramount to cut out time wasting.
This is the best YouTube channel there is.
Bar none.

Thank you for your tips and own way too of presenting refresher lessons and furthermore, helpful differing advice.

[SaintNine]

Those Bonham bass drum triplets were one of the things I practised incessantly when I first started playing. First, they are just super cool, but second, I found them really difficult. Getting coördination so that they were smooth and keeping that up, so could play them continuously without stumbling, that took me a couple of years! That sounds like a long time, so much so that maybe I was doing something wrong? I don't know about that, like I said, I found them really difficult. One mistake I definitely did make was to try and play them fast from the get go, rather than build up speed gradually, but I was young and keen and eager to get them into my repertoire. What really took all that time was the consistency, getting them perfectly even. and the ability to play them for more than a bar or two before getting all mixed up again. Nothing else has ever taken me so long, but I got there in the end and they're still a favourite for high impact, let's face it, showing off, kind of fills.
I did have a breakthrough moment with them. It was while I was on holiday (vacation in the USA) for three weeks, away from the kit. I had a kind of epiphany one night, a completely different approach, a new way of thinking about them. It was the first thing I tried when I got home and it worked! They still weren't perfect, but I found them much easier and made rapid progress after that. So the moral, and a bit of advice if you find yourself stuck on a particular technique or some other stumbling block: take some time out and see if you can't find a different approach, a different way of thinking about your problem. That new mindset might just be what gets you out of a rut. BTW, that wasn't addressed to you, Stephen, it's meant as general advice for drummers who follow your channel, and most particularly for beginners. It's a lesson I learned the hard way, in my first year or two of playing (I've been playing for over 40 years now, on & off, in case you're wondering, especially regarding what authority I have to be handing out any advice 🙂, so I hope it's off some use to someone). There's always something to learn. For me, one thing I haven't mastered with these is placing the bass drum beat second (to be perfectly honest, I've only just thought of trying that. I'm not sure whether it won't just sounds odd and confusing but it's probably a good exercise even if it doesn't work musically. Putting the bass drum first is something I started doing after my breakthrough – I started by putting it last as I think most people do. It's certainly the most common way of playing them). Take care and thanks.
PS regarding having ‘a good ear’? I definitely think there is such a thing, because I believe I've been blessed in that respect. I've never had a problem picking out beats or hearing the individual parts as well as the whole of a piece of music and have always picked things up pretty quickly. I've been told so by quite a few of the musicians I've played with too, eg “D'you always pick things up this quick?”. That doesn't mean that you can't learn it though, just that I've been lucky. I'm sure my classical training played a part (I learned a number of instruments before I chose drums, the others chosen for me: cool (a medieval fretted instrument a bit like a viola, but held like a cello), piano, flute & later guitar & bass (self-taught & bass more recently) as did sound engineering – in my experience drummers and bassists make the best sound engineers. Drummers because they're interested in sound in and of itself; many of us get a bit obsessive about, eg our snare drum sound and kit tone and tuning, so we develop an interest. That and the fact that we tend to be the first to put our tracks down, so we get to watch the recording process. I'm don't know why bassists make good engineers though. Maybe partly because they also put their parts down early in the recording process? Both drummers and bassists are the first people in for a recording session and usually there to the end, whereas soloists and singers might just come in at the end. Vocals are usually the last thing to get recorded and solos second to last. These are generalisations, of course not always the case, but often enough.

[petsocietyist]

Nice lesson, found myself in a rut not knowing what to practice. Hyped to try this out. And those hi hat barks in the intro are 🔥🔥🔥

[bellaramshaw]

you are so helpful, and my favourite drummer to learn from on Youtube!! Thank you so much for your teaching, and your approach

[Stijn]

Thanks for this lesson. I played drums for 2 years which was about 10 years ago. Wanted to pick it up again but my biggest issue is not knowing what to play/practice, and not being able to move freely around the kit anymore. This lesson should definitely help.

[isaacmoosa]

Thank you Stephen for this lesson! Appreciate the time and effort you put in making these videos. This lesson is just what I need. Being a self-teach drummer these lessons really help alot. This linear patterns is exactly what I need to bring variety in my drumming. Thank you

[natelear]

Jam packed lesson. Love you teaching style.

[elesdee]

I like how you explain the versatility of the pattern. Thank you.

[natalyrodrigues]

Great lesson. I specially enjoy the color coding! Makes practice so much easy. Keep up the superb work. Thanks

[nolanrector-brooks]

This is the last little bit I needed right now to bring my fills up to par with the rest of my playing. We teach in such similar ways, I love giving your videos to my students as supplemental education for that reason - and also that you’re doing incredible work with your channel. Thank you friend, keep it going!!!

[thomasnappo]

Linear drumming is the biggest thing now...good video to break into it..

[dylanphillips]

Such a good one. You're the man for such an in depth lesson.

[drummermomcjs]

Than you Stephen, this goes well with an exercise that I am already doing ( RLKLRK around the kit). I will be applying these tips to that.

[seanbaker]

Good video.👍..i just happened to be doing these type patterns, ..for several hrs last night..then bam 2day u drop a video on exactly what i was working on..once you get yourself used to the way it feels..its becomes quite fun mixing it around the kit..had some good sounds going on..thanks again for another informative vid..your great at relaying & breaking things down ..in a way for people to easily absorb it..keep up the excellant work man✔✔👍👍🎶🎵

[KeenTruce]

Excellent video! always great content and attention

[teewhyTHA]

I think you need this quote: “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.”

[Simon-iymt]

Great lesson Stephen! When will you collaborate when the other Stephen?

[jemmace]

That hand to foot, or linear pattern you played, sounded cooool.
One of the exercises is shown in a straight sixteenth note pattern while you played triplets, in eighths and then sixteenths.

[captiandarwin]

I find a lot of times when I'm playing to a video
I go to settings and set speed to 0.75
Slow things down for muscle memory.

[TheIronSavior]

Why is it important to distinguish linear from non-linear?