Poly-Rhythmic Warm-Up

This melodic poly-rhythmic warm-up is a classic Billy Cobham pattern. It is based on just playing alternating single strokes, starting in the right hand, but then moving each hand in different directions around the drum kit, whilst playing. The pattern is poly-rhythmic, because each hand plays a different pattern. The pattern played by the right hand is four consecutive notes long, and the pattern played by the left hand is three consecutive notes long.

So, in the right hand, you play one note on the snare drum, then one note on Tom 1, then one note on Tom 2, and then one note on Tom 3 and repeat round that pattern, each note being played consecutively with the same note value.

In the left hand, you play one note on the snare drum, then one note on Tom 1, and then one note on the hihat, and repeat round that pattern, each note being played consecutively with the same note value.

Put the two patterns together in the form of alternating single strokes, and the exercise goes like this:


Snare drum - R L

Tom 1 - R L

Tom 2 - R

Hihat - L

Tom 3 - R

Snare drum - L R

Tom 1 - L R

Hihat - L

Tom 2 - R

Snare drum - L

Tom 3 - R

Tom 1 - L

Snare drum - R

Hihat - L

Tom 1 - R

Snare drum - L

Tom 2 - R

Tom 1 - L

Tom 3 - R

Hihat - L


And back to the beginning.


Here is a video, showing the warm-up exercise played at various tempos, as well as showing each hand's individual pattern being played by itself.