WORKSHOP

InsideCissy Strut And Beyond

By Todd Bishop
ANTICIPATING THE BROKEN, linear playing of the 70s and 80s in an incredibly loose, earthy way, The Meters Cissy Strut, performed by the venerable funk master Zigaboo Modeliste, would make anyones short list of historys funkiest drumming pieces. Galactic drummer Stanton Moores new DVD and book, Groove Alchemy, offers a valuable new insight into the Cissy Strut groove. With information he gained through interactions with the master himself, Moore reveals the unusual, frequently misinterpreted stickings behind the its deep feel. e following lesson expands on where Moore leaves o. It is a method for beginning to explore and improvise based on Modelistes approach in this song, and using Ted Reeds denitive Progressive Steps To Syncopation book as a rhythm source.

In the original groove, Modeliste plays a linear pattern largely using natural sticking, in which the right hand lands on the eighthnotes (on the downbeat and on the &s), and the left hand on the following sixteenthnotes (the es and ahs). Heres an example of this from the A section of Cissy Strut, stickings courtesy of Stanton Moore. To begin, lets do a little warm-up from pages 1011 of Syncopation, played in cut time on the hi-hat. e right hand plays quarter-notes, and the left hand plays any written &s. Heres an example of using the rst four measures of the 20 Bar Exercise (Reed, p. 11). en make a basic half-time-feel funk groove out of this by moving the right hand to the snare drum on beat 3, and adding the bass drum on beat 1. Once this feels comfortable, apply the same concept to the one-measure syncopated patterns (Reed, pp. 3031, 3337), then to two- and four-measure excerpts from the eight long exercises (pp. 3845), and nally to the complete long exercises. To help illustrate the concepts involved, our rst source phrase will be a modied version of a well-known passage.

Zig strutting his stu

Ex. 1 Ex. 1 Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 2 Ex. 2 Ex. 1 Ex. 3 Ex. 3 L L L R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L R R R R L R L R R L R L R L R R L R L R L R R L R L R L R R L R L R R L R L

R L R R R R L R R R

R R L R R L R R L R R L

R R R L R L R R R L R L

R L L R R R R R L R R R Ex. 3 Ex. 2 Ex. 4 R L R R R Ex. 4 R L R R R R L R R R Ex. 4 Ex. 3 Ex. 5 R L R R R Ex. 4 R L L R R 5 Ex. Ex. 6 R L L R R Ex. 6 R L L R L R L R L R L R R R R R R Ex. 5

R R

R RR L R R L L R R R L R L R L R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R R L R R R L R L

RR RR LL R R L R R R L R L R R L R R R L R L

R L R L R R L R L R L R R L

R R L R R L R R R L L R R R R R R R R R R R R R L R L R L R L R L R L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R R

R L R L R L R L R R L R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R L R L R L R L L L L L L L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L L L L L L L
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Ex. 6 R L Ex. DRUM! November 2010 drummagazine.com 5 Ex. 7 R L Ex. 7 R L R L Ex. 7

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Ex. 2 Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 2 Ex. 2 Ex. 2 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 2

L L L L L L R R R R R R R L L L L L L L R L R R R R L R R

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R RR R R RR R R

R R R R R R R RR R R RR R R L L L L L L L R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

L L L L L L L R LLR L R L R LLR L R L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

L L L L L L R L R R R R L R R L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

First, play the pattern on the hi-hat with both hands, again using natural sticking: The right hand plays on the beat while the left plays the &s. Play the snare drum on beat 3 with the right hand. If the pattern contains a rest or tied note on beat 3, insert a snare hit as in the second measure of the example.

Then add the bass drum on beat 1.

When this feels comfortable and youve got it grooving nicely, introduce some basic bass drum variations. Start with the following patterns, or similar ideas of your choosing.

Ex. 3 Ex. 2 Ex. 1 Ex. 3 Ex. 3 Ex. 3 Ex. 3 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 3 R L R R R LRL L R Ex. 4 R L R R L R Ex. 4 R L R 3 Ex. 2 R R LR R Ex. 4 Ex. 4 R L R L Ex. 4 Ex. 4 3 Ex. 4 R R LR R L Ex. 5 Ex. 4 Ex. 3 R L R 5 Ex. 5 Ex. 5 Ex. 4 Ex. 5 5 Ex. 5 R L L R L RL Ex. 6 R L L R L L Ex. 4 R L L 5 Ex. 6 R L L Ex. 6 Ex. 6 R L L Ex. 6 5 Ex. 6 Ex. 6 R L L R L L R L L Ex. 7 R L L R L L Ex. 5 6 Ex. 7 R L L Ex. 7 R L L Ex. 7 R L L Ex. 7 6 Ex. 7 Ex. 7 R L L R L L Ex. 7 Ex. 6 R L L Ex. 7 R L Ex. 7

R R R RR RR R R R R RR RR R R R R RR RR R R

R L R R RR LL R R R L R R L R RR LL R R R L R R L R

R L R R R L R R L LR R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R

R L R L RL L R L R L R L R L R L R L

R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

RR RR LL R R L R R R L R L R R L R R R L R L R R L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L LR L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L R L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L R LL L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

R L R L R R L R L R L R R L R L R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L LR L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

R R R R L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

R L R L R L

R L R L R L

R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

L R

R L

R L

R L R L R L

Then combine bass drum patterns to make two-measure phrases. Here is this concept applied to one- and twomeasure hand parts.

Since youll often play these grooves in 4/4, be aware of how the rhythms will convert into eighth- and sixteenth-notes.

Next, well develop the linear style used in the original groove, using this passage from Syncopation.

Play the hand part on the hi-hat as before, with a snare drum hit on 3. Add the bass drum to any gaps to make a continuous eighth-note rhythm.

Ex. 8 Ex. 8 Ex. 8 Ex. 8 Ex. 8 Ex. 8 Ex. 8 R R Ex. 9 R R Ex. 8 R Ex. 9 R Ex. 9 Ex. 9 R Ex. 9 Ex. 8 9 Ex. 9 R R R Ex. 10R R Ex. 8 9 Ex. 10R Ex. 10R Ex. 10R Ex. 10 9 Ex. 10 Ex. 10 R R Ex. 11 Ex. 10 9 Ex. 11R Ex. 11 Ex. 11 Ex. 10 Ex. 11 11 Ex. 11R R Ex. 12R R Ex. 12 11 Ex. 10R Ex. 12R Ex. 12R Ex. 12 Ex. 11 12 Ex. 12R R R R R Ex. 12R Ex. 11R R Ex. 12

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R

L L L L L L L

L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R

L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R

L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R

L L L L L L L

L L L L L L L

R L L R L R R L L L RL R L R R L L R L R L L R L R R L L L RL R L R L L R L R R L L R L

R L R L R L L RRL LR RL LR R L L L L R L R L R L L R L R L R L L RRL LR RL LR R L L L R L R L R L L L R L R L R L L

L R R R R L L L RL R L R L R R L R R R L L R LLRR L R L R L R L R L R L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L LR L L L L L L L L L L L L L R L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L R L R R L L R RR L R R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L

R R R R R R

R L R L R L

L RRL LR RL LR R L L L L L L R L R L R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L R L R L R R L R L R L RL R L R R L R L R R L R L R R L R L R R L R L R R L R L R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R

L R L R L RL R L R L R LR L RL L R L R L RL L R L R L RL L R L R L RL L R L R L RL L R L R L RL L L L L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L

R L R L
Add to that a bass drum hit on beat 1 of every other measure ...

L R L R L R

RL RL RL

R L R L R L

R L R L RL R L R L RL R L R L RL

L R L R L R L R L R L R

Ex. 12R L

R L

L R

RL

R L

R L R L RL

L R L R

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... then on every measure It should be noted that in this method, the bass drum is inferred from the hi-hat part. In actual playing it will often be the other way around, with the hi-hat lling in around a bass drum pattern predetermined to t the song. You can practice this by converting familiar grooves to this style (14a) ... becomes (14b).

Ex. 13 Ex. 13 Ex. 13 Ex. 13R Ex. 13 Ex. 13 Ex. 14 R R R Ex.14a R Ex. 14R Ex. 14 Ex. 14 Ex. 14 Ex. 14 Ex. 15 Ex. 15 Ex. 15 Ex. 15 Ex. 15 Ex. 15

L L L L L L

L R L L L L L R R R R R

RL R R R R R L L L L L

R R R R R R

R R R R R R

R L R R R R R

R L R L RL R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L

L L L L L L

R R R R R R

L R L R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R R L R R R R R L L L L L

L L R L L L R L L Ex.14bR L L L L R L L L R L L R L L L L L R R R R R

R L R R R R R L L L L L

L R L L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L

L R L L L L L R R R R R

Here are some options for displacement of the backbeat when there is a rest or tied note on beat 3. Experiment with these as you work through the exercises.

Ex. 16
You can also experiment with catching snare hits with the left hand. On Cissy Strut, these notes are generally not ghosted. Play them nearly as strong as the backbeat. Finally, you can make a ll at the end of a phrase by moving the hands to the snare or toms, as in measures two and four.

Ex. 16 Ex. 16 Ex. 16R L Ex. 16 Ex. 16 Ex. 17 R R R R R Ex. 17 Ex. 17 Ex. 17R Ex. 17 Ex. 17 Ex. 18R R R R R Ex. 18 Ex. 18 Ex. 18R Ex. 18 Ex. 18 R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

L R L L L L L R R R R R

RL R R R R R L L L L L

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

R L R R R R R L L L L L

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

R L R L RL R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

L R L R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R

L R L L L L L R R R R R

RL R R R R R L L L L L

R L R R R R R L L L L L

R L R L RL R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L

L R L R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R

From here you can start improvising by combining the previous concepts and adding accents, hi-hat splashes, drags, and other embellishments.

L R L L L L L R R R R R

RL R R R R R L L L L L

RL R R R R R L L L L L

R L R L RL R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L

L R L R L L L L L R R R R R L L L L L R R R R R

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