I had a few people ask questions about the pattern I was playing in a recent video where I was exploring around the kit with six stroke rolls and groups of three’s. This pattern is one I learned from Pat Petrillo out of his book “Hands, Grooves, and Fills”. This pattern teaches you how to flow utilizing appropriate stick heights and executing accents. I’ve said it a million times… the 4 basic stroke types, stick heights, and accent control are some of the most important basics that you can have in your arsenal. To add color we need to show variances between accents and ghost notes. Let’s check out the components that make up the pattern.

1. Right Hand Lead Six Stroke Roll

2. Left Hand Lead Six Stroke Roll

3. Right Hand Lead 3’s

4. Left Hand Lead 3’s

After practicing the above patterns let’s put everything together and play the exercise!

Download the free PDF Six Stroke Rolls & 3’s

Remember to keep your stick heights in check. Ghost notes (0) stay super low while only lifting to execute accents. Start at a slow tempo and get in front of a mirror to monitor those heights. Once you have the hand pattern down then add the hi hat foot “chick” sound and remember… have fun!