For over 100 years, this cross-genre rhythm has been one of the most universal beats, second only to the downbeat!

🎶 Jazz first introduced it on the hi-hat, Blues moved it to the snare, and soon, Rock ‘n Roll took it even further, influencing classic rock, disco, pop, EDM, and hip-hop.

🌑🌕🌑🌕 Today’s rhythm highlights the backbeat on beats 2 and 4.

Many people instinctively clap on 1 and 3, but it’s the backbeat (2 and 4) that brings the laid back groove.

Check out this clever move by Harry Connick Jr., who gets the crowd to clap on 2 and 4 without them changing anything! Feel how the energy shifts.

Example Songs with a Backbeat:

• September – Earth, Wind & Fire: The kick drum starts on the front beat (1 and 3) at 8 seconds, then moves to the backbeat (2 and 4) on the snare at 12 seconds. Listen here
• Queen Bee – Taj Mahal: Notice the backbeat on the kick drum in this reggae tune. Listen here

Try It Yourself: Pick a song you’re working on in 4/4 time.

1. Record yourself playing and clap along on 1 & 3 (the front beat) for 4 measures.
2. Then clap on 2 & 4 (the backbeat) for 4 measures. Feel the difference in groove.

No song? Just pull up one of your favorites and give it a try!

Oh, and today just happens to be Day 11 of the moon cycle (🌔 waxing gibbous), 11/11 (November 11), and I started writing this at 11:11. 🤷‍♂️ Coincidence or something meaningful?

Wishing you a special day.

If you’d like instant access to all the moon rhythms click here

“Unexpected Instruments”

Kemit Price and his group, TRANSFORM, at Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, Maryland worked hard to learn both the intermediate and advanced parts to The Little Drummer Boy and performed the piece at their Christmas celebration on December 23. Check out the video at the bottom of the post! He was assisted by adult leaders Leette Greene, Richard Norvell, Jessie Norvell and Jenni Kee.

“The kids were really excited about that, just being able to complete the piece and combine those two parts together,” Mr. Kemit said. “It was pretty complicated but they eventually got it.”

Mr. Kemit said the bucket drums were a perfect fit for his group because they were inexpensive, allowed the students to practice anywhere and also matched the unique style of Bridgeway Church with its graffiti walls, unconventional approach to outreach and focus on inclusivity.

“Our motto is to glorify God with unexpected instruments,” Mr. Kemit said. “[Our church] is very accepting of different types of people and it’s very unorthodox so the bucket drumming fit right into that.”

Mr. Kemit has played drums and keyboard for nearly 30 years and also has a background as a choir director. He said bucketdrumming.net videos helped teach his students music and percussion skills as well as leadership skills.

“[Students learned to] lead, calling out the different cues,” he said. “I found it very rewarding helping kids become leaders and teaching them skills they can use both in the church and outside as well.”

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT FAST FACTS

Teacher: Kemit Price
Students: TRANSFORM group at Bridgeway Community Church, Columbia MD
Teacher loved: Tips on cues and methods for calling students back to attention
Student’s loved: Copycat (exercise) and Sammy’s sense of humor

TRANSFORM PERFORMANCE OF LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

Thanks for having me present a bucket drumming session KMEA!

I’m feeling so grateful for the experience and happy I finally got to meet many of you!
Your enthusiasm and warm welcome helped me feel right at home.

I hope to see you all again!

Other schools/organizations –
If you’re interested in having me present for your group please send me a message.

Thanks,
Sammy

As we wrap up 2018, I wanted to THANK YOU for a wonderful year.

I have enjoyed it thoroughly and I hope you have too.
If it wasn’t a great year, may 2019 be your best year yet!

Much love,
Sammy Foster

P.S. Here are some of my top bucket drumming videos watched from 2018.

>> Watch #1 of 2018
>> Watch #2 of 2018
>> Watch #3 of 2018

This lesson describes the 10 names for our bucket drumming equipment and parts.

Do you know all of them?

Here’s the quiz printout.

For this full lesson and more lessons and quizzes like this one,
join the Bucket Drumming Online School

—–

This lesson is meant for the beginning of our bucket drumming journey.

If we don’t know the names of the equipment we use or the parts of the bucket we play, it will make learning and teaching more difficult.

Imagine if I said, “play that thing on that thing.”

It will be hard to understand what I’m talking about unless you see me pointing.

Learning these words is the foundation for communication and thinking for bucket drumming here on.

Happy Drumming & Learning to you!
Sammy

Start with this song when teaching bucket drumming.

The sheet music and song form is in the Bucket Drumming Online School.
(PLUS, 150 step by step video lessons for learning to bucket drum.)-

This song by Queen is fun, easy and you can build your coordination starting with one rhythm.

The rhythm is the same through the whole song but the sticking changes.

First, we play with the RIGHT HAND.

Next, we play the same thing with the LEFT HAND.

Finally, we use BOTH HANDS for the same rhythm as above.

Hope you enjoy! Let me know how it goes in the comments.

Best,
Sammy

 Learn this FUN song -> “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens!

Sheet Music and Song form in the Member’s Area.
Bucket Drumming Online School

So fun!

This might be considered an intermediate level.

Not because of the notes but because of the speed.

At a slowed down level this could be more beginner.

Hope you enjoy! Let me know in the comments.

Sammy

P.S. “Back to School” Sale for Annual Pass ends August 14th.

 

I love getting emails like this one about the Bucket Drumming Online School.

“I teach music to grade 1-7 students in Port McNeill, BC Canada.

This year I started a bucket drumming program,
mainly due to the affordability of the “instruments”. 

The students instantly loved playing along with the videos and 
had fairly quick success playing well known songs.

This site has an incredible amount of videos and 
downloads and is very well laid out.

I appreciate that Sammy uses traditional music staff and notation. 
I can have the students start to learn the rhythm patterns and counting
and then when we progress to other instruments they already
understand the rhythm concepts.

The program is also easy for me to leave notes for my substitute teachers 
when I’m away and even without musical knowledge the teacher can 
have the students carry on with playing along with Sammy.

My grade 6/7’s just performed a year-end concert, 
playing three of the cover songs from [Sammy’s Bucket Drumming Online School]
and the whole school and parents loved it! Pompeii was an amazing finale!!!

Love this site!!! Highly recommend to any teacher trying to put some music 
and rhythm into their program.

Thanks again for creating this resource!

Kevin Ogren”

If you’re interested to see what’s inside the membership area…
>> Click this <<

Thanks,
Sammy

P.S. Save 20% on Annual Pass before August 14th 2018.

>>Join the Bucket Drumming Online School

One of the biggest challenges when playing bucket drums is their volume level.

Even though they don’t make any noise by themselves it’s easy to play them too loudly.

The video above has a few tips to keep bucket drumming more quiet.

Also, if you have any other tips for quiet bucket drumming that you’d like share leave a comment.

Happy drumming,
Sammy