Marking Time Through Odd Times (drumline exercise)

The drumline really likes things in 4/4. As a second choice, the drumline likes things that are even. We have two hands, and two feet and things work out nicely when the number of beats in a measure can be divided evenly. This is an essential countdown exercise – a legato or eight-on-a-hand drumline exercise that takes away one eighth note in each section. If you aren’t familiar with this kind of exercise it doesn’t mean the amount of rest increases in each measure. Shortening the number of eighth notes, requiring us to change the time signature, brings the next measure to us that much quicker. More information is available in the video’s description. A PDF is available if you want your sheet music on paper. This exercise uses the quads and bass drums to accent the accents but this is a unison exercise that everyone in the drumline should play the same way. The video has one tempo but like any other exercise you should start slowly and then work it over a range of tempo markings.

Drumline Sheet Music – Marking Time Through Odd Times