Adding Traditional Snare Drum Comping Patterns to 12/8 Bell Patterns

The following comping Rhythms are from John Riley’s book, the Art of Bop Drumming on page 22. While these were originally to be played while playing a jazz ride cymbal rhythm, the same rhythms provide a very interesting melodic variety to the 12/8 bell pattern.

In examples A-1 through A-7 we play the 6/8 Bembe bell pattern with the right hand. The left hand plays the comping rhythms on the snare drum. The bass drum plays dotted quarter notes and the high hat plays on every other dotted quarter note giving us the slow 4/4 feeling underneath.

12-8 Bell Patterns – PDF

A-1

A-2

A-3

A-4

A-5

A-6

A-7

Here the comping patterns are played by the bass drum and the 6/8 Bembe pattern is played on the cymbal with the left hand filling in the empty spaces on the snare drum.

B-1