Supplement 31B & 31C: Poly-Pulse Ostinatos Applied to Hand-to-Hand and Category 3 Sticking | Part 2 of 3

Poly-pulse simply means two or more pulses happening at the same time — all the common ones reduce to a ratio of 2:3, 3:2, 4:3, or 3:4. Any ostinato takes time to build, so practice each one on its own first. There’s always a note value shared by both sides of the ostinato — play that value on the snare with no accents while you’re getting the independence under control; muscle memory is what eventually gets you there. These ostinatos apply to exercises in 3/4 and 12/8.

Once an ostinato feels manageable, bring in the hand-to-hand and Category 3 sticking exercises from Lesson 28 and layer it underneath. The challenge is holding the ostinato steady while your hands execute the sticking — practice slowly until top and bottom lock in, then start voicing the accents melodically around the kit.