5/4 Odd Time Beats - Drum Lessons

I’m really exited for this video lesson, we’re going to be playing through some 5/4 beats. Now, I don’t know what you’ve ever heard of that before but all we’re doing is adding on an extra quarter note. So, 4/4 beats are counted one, two, three, four and 5/4 beats are counted one, two , three, four, five. So as you can see all we’re doing is adding an extra quarter note on to the end of the measure. This is considered an odd time signature because we have five beats instead of four. You can also count it one and two and three and four and five count. So don’t’ think you just have to count using a quarter note fill. Take a look at the provided sheet music. You can see I have a simple quarter note crew, the bass drum is on the one and then the snare drum is on beat four. All that’s on beat five is one high hot stroke. Let me play it for you now. [Demo] Again in beat number two, we’re going to be playing using a quarter note fill, take a look at the provided sheet music. I have a bass drum on the one, a snare drum on the two, a bass drum on the three and snare drum on the four and then again I have just a lone hi-hat stroke on beat five. I’ll demonstrate it now. [Demo] Beat three is where things start to get a little more tricky. I’ve inserted a couple of eighth notes on the end of one and the end of three. Now, we have a snare shot with the hi-hat on beat five. Let me play it for you. Make sure when you take it to your kit you started out real slow. [Demo] Now, beat four is where you can really psyche out your band members. Take a look at the sheet music. I start out by heading the floor tom and the bass drum together. Then I have the floor tom and the bass drum together again and quickly had a snare shot on the end of two. Then I have the floor tom bass drum again, a quarter note. Now it’s where it gets a little tricky on the four and the five, I had the high tom, four and then the mid tom five end. Play this one really slow at first. If you try and do it too fast you might lose the count and forget where you are in the beat. I’ll play it for you now and then later you can take it to a kick. [Demo] Now, beat five appears to be just a normal 4/4 rocker. You can even see if I just put my hand or you could put your hand over the provided sheet music and black out beat number five. It just looks like your standard beat but because I’ve added the five end on the high hot it really makes it sound interesting. I’m going to play it for you now. [Demo] So beat number six is where it gets really complicated. It’s the first time I’ve inserted sixteenth notes within a 5/4 group. Take a look at the sheet music you can see on the “A” of two I’ve inserted an extra snare shot. So remember just take this one really slow when you’re first starting and eventually it will all come together. [Demo] Now, although you rarely used 5/4 in your everyday drum I still think it’s a really important time signature to learn and I encourage you to practice it and have some fun with it.