Check out part 1, part 2 and part 3 of this series of exercises based on Tony Allen’s first groove of Afrobeat. Now let’s get stuck in to some bass drum variations. As with the previous exercises, work on each example individually until you feel very comfortable. Then try playing through the sheet in sequence. Finally, you should play along to some recordings. Play each groove for a time in the order they appear on the page. Then pick grooves in a random sequence. Once you can comfortably play any of the variations, forget the sheet music and try improvising.
Download the Variations On The First Afrobeat Groove – Bass Patterns.
