Sean Reinert - Anatomy of a Drum Groove - 3 Against 4

Anatomy of a Drum Groove: 3 against 4

By: Sean Reinert for Sick Drummer Magazine Issue #1

A great way to create interesting rhythmic shifts and spice up common meters (4/4, 3/4, 12/8 etc) is to accent artificial groupings that cycle inside and over the bar line. Here we will look at 3 against 4.

In 4/4 we can take the quarter note and divide it into 8th notes, 8th note triplets and 16th notes. (to start). Since straight 8th notes only divide into a even groupings we will look at 8th note triplets. In 4/4 you have twelve 8th notes triplets, three per quarter note (see example 1 notation/audio).

Example 1 Audio: {play}reinert3over4_1.mp3{/play}

Instead of dividing the triplets into groups of 3 let's put them in groups of 4 (see example 2 notation/audio). Keep a quarter note pulse withe kick drum and play 8th note triples with the hands on the snare drum. First accent the quarter note pulse on snare drum in conjunction with the kick drum. Continue to keep the quarter note pulse on the kick but now accent the every fourth triplet.

Example 2 Audio: {play}reinert3over4_2.mp3{/play}

This creates the "three" feeling inside a bar of 4/4. We are creating the "four" feel with the kick drum, and the "three" feel with the hands (see example 3 notation/audio). Sometimes another instrument creates the "four" feel and the drummer free to play the "three" feel with out having to create both rhythms.

Example 3 Audio: {play}reinert3over4_3.mp3{/play}

We can expand on this by starting the accent in different places. Since we are working in groups of 4, there are only 4 possible accent shifts. Start with the accent on the first triplet, then move on to the second note, then the third and finaly the fourth (see example 4).

An example of this rhythmic shifting in my playing can be heard in the chours of the song "Secret Face" on Death's "Human" CD. Here I play the quarter note feel with the guitar line with the kick drum but my hands play groupings of four on top using paradiddles to form 2 bar phrases (see example 6). This gives the usual standard 4/4 a little more flavor! The examples in this article are quite basic but powerful when used tastefully. The trick is to now experiment and expand on the idea by making up your own exercises and incorporating it into your own playing.