SM A G A Z I N E S
DRUM CLINIC ||| HALF-TIME SHUFFLE
Lee and Travis Barker do it. A big name
helps you bypass a lot of steps in this
industry, but having a good formula is
also very important. I want to be a DJ
that understands drumming, music, and
how to mix. I’ve done it before and it’s
nothing short of amazing.
SD: How do you decide your next
career move?
TR: You do what you have to do in order
to pay the bills. Having a residency
doesn’t mean I will be working three-to-
five days a week. It could be one day
every two weeks. It’s how you make the
deal. If a day is open, I am going to do
it. It’s about the music and the drumming
but it has to make sense. I’m always
meeting new and different people and
5
26 EDGE 12
12.0
||||||
2015
FALL & WINTER 2012
making great relationships. That’s how
you grow, by building relationships.
SD: Tell us a bit about your relationship
with Drum Workshop.
TR: Oh, man! I’ve only been with three
drum companies over the years. I was
with Remo, then I went to Pearl, and in
1998 I came to DW. At first, I think I fell
in love with Drum Workshop because of
the finishes. Then, I grew an appreciation
for how the drums were made. In the
end, the sound is what I’m after. I learned
about the other artists that are associated
with the company and I wanted to be
with the DW family. I’ve been with
Drum Workshop ever since. The drums
are incredible and they speak for
themselves. Don Lombardi, John Good,
Scott Donnell, and all of the people that
have been there since the beginning have
made it a great experience for me. Also,
DW is all over the world so it’s easy to
get equipment anywhere I might need it.
SD: What sound are you going for these
days?
TR: Maple Mahogany. I have several
snares. I love the Edge snare and the
Super Solid is amazing, too! Even the
PDP kits sound really good. The new set
I just got for the Jay-Z tour is extremely
warm and has a nice attack. My kick
drums always have plenty of bottom end
and attack, and that’s very important to
me. Hopefully, John Good will let me
go to the factory and build my own drum
one day!
DRUM CLINIC
THE
Commandments
OF THE
Half-Time
Shuffle
A A by Zoro
The Commandments of The Half-Time Shuffle article is based on my new book by the same title. The half-time shuffle is among my all time favorite grooves
and remains one of the most mystifying and misunderstood pop grooves of all time. Because of the triplet intricacy involved in mastering this feel, playing
the half-time shuffle with fluidity to me will always be the benchmark of a truly great drummer. Mind you, this is no easy task.
In an effort to gain mastery of it myself I have developed a plethora of extremely useful independence exercises over the years that have enabled me to have
greater rhythmic freedom and dynamic control with regards to the triplet language of the shuffle itself.
The half-time shuffle came to life in the late 60s during the peak of the soul music era. Like all forms of rhythm and blues, soul music derived partly from jazz
and therefore the swung triplet is the common denominator in this music.
I have been a disciple of the half-time shuffle from the moment I first heard drummer Stormin’ Norman Roberts playing it back in 1968 on “Please Return
Your Love To Me,” from The Temptations Live At The Copa. Ever since then I’ve maintained a passion for the half-time shuffle and remained a student of this
magnificent groove. There are a great many half-time shuffle grooves that began to show up in popular music after The Temptations release in 1968. With
the strongest concentration of them being dolled out between the years of 1972 to 1983. After that period the half-time shuffle feel morphed its way into
hip hop and became the cornerstone of that sound.
Although my book has a plethora of pertinent history about this groove and multitude of really great exercises and transcriptions contained within it, I’d like
to share just one of my favorite exercises and seven transcriptions of some of the coolest half-time shuffles ever.
AA
EDGE 12 ||| DWDRUMS.COM 27
 Led Zeppelin
Classic Ghost Note Snare Pattern Exercise From: In Through The Out Door (1979)
o 3 > 3 John Bonham: Drums
BPM: 65
‰ y y y y ‰ y y y
DRUM CLINIC Zoro 3 3

ã 44 œ ‰ œ y ( œ) œ œ
y ( œ)

DRUM CLINIC ||| HALF-TIME SHUFFLE

‰ Œ ‰ ‰ Jœ
3 >3
3 3
Fool in the Rain
4 . y( œ)yy( œ)y œy( œ)yy( œ)y . Classic Ghost Note Led Zeppelin
ã4 . . Snare Pattern Exercise 3 3 From: In Through The Out Door (1979)
3
Zoro John Bonham: Drums
BPM: 65
j
t ‰ ‰ ‰
3 3 3 3

( œ) ( œ)
4. Fool In The Rain by Led Zeppelin
t t t t t
Classic Ghost Note Pattern
>3 3 >3 3 >3 3 >3 3
ã œy ( œ‰ ) œ y ( œ) ( œœ)
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

With 9 Essential Bass Drum Patterns y( œ)y y( œ)y œy( œ)y y( œ)y y( œ)y y( œ)y œy( œ)y y( œ)y y ( œ)y y ( œ)y œy( œ)y y ( œ)y y ( œ)y y( œ)y œy( œ)y y( œ)y featuring drummer John Bonham
‰ œ y y ‰
ã œ œ œ œ ‰œ œ œ œ ‰‰œ œ œ œ œœ‰œœ‰œœ‰œœ‰ (From the album, In Through The Out
Babylon Sisters
Begin this exercise by a playing a shuffle pattern on the hi-hat and J‰‰J‰‰J‰‰J‰ J‰ ‰ J‰ ‰ J‰ ‰ J
then add the appropriate backbeat and begin to trickle in the ghost Door, 1979)
Steely Dan
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3
note snare pattern as written out. Now slowly work out each of the From: Gaucho (1980)
3 3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3 3 3 >3 3
Main Groove Bernard Purdie: Drums
nine essential bass drum patterns against that hand pattern. This y( œ)y y( œ)y œy( œ)y y( œ)y y ( œ)y y ( œ)y œy( œ)y y ( œ)y y( œ)y y( œ)y œy( œ)y y( œ)y y( œ)y y( œ)y œy( œ)y y( œ)y Main Groove BPM: 60
independence will allow you to develop the necessary independence ã ‰œœ‰œœ‰œœ‰œœ œ‰œœ‰œœ‰œœ‰œ œ‰œ‰œ‰œ‰œ‰œ‰ ‰ Jœ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ Jœ ‰ œ ‰ œ 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Babylon Sisters
Steely Dan
4y yy yy yy yy yy yy yy y
that will enable you to play a variety of triplet based melodies with J J
ã 4 œ ( œ) ≈ ( ≈œ) œ ‰œ ( œ) ≈ ( œ≈) œ œ ( œ) ≈ ( œ≈) œ ‰œ ( œ) ≈ ( œ≈) œ
From: Gaucho (1980)
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
your bass drum without losing the hi-hat and snare pattern.
R R
Bernard Purdie: Drums
3 3 >3 3 BPM: 60
By extending the phrase beyond merely one bar patterns you will y ( œ)y y ( œ)y œy( œ)y y ( œ)y 3 3 3 3
have an infinite amount of rhythmic possibilities that I am confident ã œœœœœœœœœœœœ Intro
Intro
5. Babylon Sisters by Steely Dan
y ≈ y xy y ≈y y y ≈ y xy y ≈y
will help to expand your shuffle vocabulary. 3 3 3 3
featuring drummer Bernard “Pretty”
y
3 3 3 3

㜠Purdie (From the album, Gaucho,

‰ ≈ ≈ œR œ ‰ ≈ ≈ Rœ 1980)
3 3

Rosanna
7 Classic Half-Time Shuffle Transcriptions to Rock Your World
Loose Booty Toto
Here are seven great half-time shuffle transcriptions that will be sure to inspire
Funkadelic Main Groove From: Toto IV (1982)
Jeff Porcaro: Drums
Loose Booty
you to pursue this groove with an unquenchable passion in your soul. Main Groove Rosanna
From: America Eats Its Young (1972) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 BPM: 85

4 y yy yy yy yy yy yy yy y
Funkadelic Toto
ã 4 .. œ ( œ) ≈ ( ≈œ) œ ‰œ ( œ) œ ( œ) ≈ ( œ≈) œ ‰ ( œ) ‰œ ( œ) ≈ ( ≈œ) œ ..
(In Chronological Order) From: America Eats Its Young (1972) Tyrone Lampkin: Drums From: Toto IV (1982)
Tyrone Lampkin: Drums
J R R
BPM: 83 Jeff Porcaro: Drums
BPM: 83
o o
4 y ≈ y y ≈≈ y œy ≈ y y≈ ≈≈ y y ≈ y y≈ ≈≈ y œy ≈ y y y ≈ y y ≈ y œy ≈ y y≈ ≈≈ y y ≈ y y≈ ≈≈ y œy ≈ y y
BPM: 85
Chorus
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

ã 4 œ œ œ≈≈œ œœ
Chorus
œ≈≈œœ y œ≈œ≈≈œ œœ œ≈≈œœ Copyright © 2009 Zoro The Drummer 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 6. Rosanna by Toto featuring

ã .. œ( œ) ( œ) œ( œ) ( œ)œ œ( œ≈)œ ( œ) œ( œ) œ( œ≈)œ ( œ) œ( œ≈)œ œ( œ) œ( œ≈)œ ( œ) ( œ)œ œ( œ) œ( œ) ..

1. Loose Booty by Funkadelic featuring drummer Ramon “Tiki” y yy yy yy yy yy yy yy y y yy yy yy yy yy yy yy y drummer Jeff Porcaro (From the
‰ ≈≈R ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ≈≈R‰ J
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 album, Toto IV, 1982)
Fulwood (From the album, America Eats Its Young, 1972)
Sweet Sticky Thing The Ohio Players 3 3 3 3 3 3

From: Honey (1975)

Jimmy "Diamond" Williams: Drums
Outro
Outro

y ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ œy y ≈ y œy ≈ y y ( œ) y .
BPM: 89 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

ã .. œ Copyright © 2009 œTranscribed by Dustin .

4 y ≈ y y ≈ y œy ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y œy ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y œy ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y œy ≈ y y ≈ y
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

‰ œ RansomŒ ‰ ≈ ≈ Rœ
Sweet Sticky Thing
ã4 œ The Ohio Players J
‰ ≈ ≈ Rœ œ ‰ ≈ ≈ Rœ œ œ ‰ ≈ ≈ œR œ œ ‰ ≈ ≈ Rœ From: Honey (1975) 3

Grapevine Fires
3 3 3 3 Jimmy “Diamond” Williams: Drums
BPM: 89
Death Cab For Cutie
From: Narrow Stairs (2008) Grapevine Fires
Jason McGerr: Drums
Death Cab For Cutie
> 3 > 3
BPM: 62
From: Narrow Stairs (2008)
≈ ≈ ≈ ≈
3 3 3 3

4 y y y y y y y y y y
2. Sweet Sticky Thing by The Ohio Players featuring drummer
ã 4 œ ≈ y ≈ ( ≈œ) œ ‰œ ( œ) ≈ ( œ≈) œ œ ≈ y ≈ ( ≈œ) œ ‰œ ( œ) ≈ ( ≈œ) œ
Jason McGerr: Drums
James “Diamond” Williams (From the album, Honey, 1975) BPM: 62
Home At Last Steely Dan
R
Copyright © 2009 Zoro The Drummer
R 7. Grapevine Fires by Death Cab For
3 3
From: Aja (1977) 3 3 3 3 Cutie featuring drummer Jason McGerr
Bernard Purdie: Drums
BPM: 64 (From the album, Narrow Stairs, 2008)

4 y ≈ y y≈ ≈≈ y œy ≈ y y ≈ y y ≈ y y≈ ≈≈ y œy ≈ y y ≈ y ..
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

ã 4 .. œ œ ‰
3
≈ ≈ Rœ œ œ ‰ ≈ ≈ œR
3 3 3
Home at Last
Steely Dan
From: Aja (1977)
A A
Bernard Purdie: Drums

y y y y y ≈ y y ( œ) y y ( œ) y y ( œ) y œy ≈ y y ( œ) y .
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 BPM: 64
ã .. œ ( œ) ≈ ( ≈œ) œ ‰œ
The good news is that the half-time shuffle is still very much alive today with a variety of current artists exposing it to a whole new generation. This
≈ ≈ œ ‰ .
≈ ≈ Rœ œ ≈ ≈ Rœ infectious groove will never cease to inspire all who hear it. I hope you take the time to explore it and delve into my book which took me eight years to
complete. It will be challenging for sure. But if you rise up to it, it will be a challenge that will bear much fruit in your groove life and who couldn’t use a
3 3 3 3 Copyright © 2009 Zoro The Drummer
little more of that?
o o o o o o o o 3. Home At Last by Steely Dan featuring drummer Bernard
≈ y y y y y y y y ≈ y y y
3 3 Copyright
3 © 2013 Zoro
3 The Drummer
3 3 3 3 “Pretty” Purdie (From the album, Aja, 1977) Peace, Love and Groove,
ã .. yœ ( œ) y ( œ≈) œ yœ ( œ) .
y y y y y ( œ) ( œ) ( œ) œ
y ≈ œ .
Zoro
y ≈ œ œy y ≈ œ y
Zoro Bio
3 3 3 3
Zoro is an award winning drummer, author, educator and motivational speaker. He has toured and recorded with Lenny Kravitz, Frankie Valli and the Four

> 3 > 3
Seasons, Bobby Brown, The New Edition and many others. He is the author of The Big Gig: Big-Picture Thinking For Success, and The Commandments of

t y t y t ≈ y t y t y t y t ≈ y t y
3 3 3 3 3 3
R&B Drumming series by Alfred Publishing. He teaches at Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee.
.
ã . œy ( ≈) œ y ( ≈) œ y
œ œ œ ()œ œ()œ ()œ
œ œ œ œ œ( ) œ ..
y ≈ The
Copyright © 2013 Zoro
y ≈ y ≈
Drummer
y y ≈ For more information on Zoro contact him at www.facebook.com/zorothedrummer and www.Zorothedrummer.com
3 3 3 3 3 3
Permission Excerpt The contents of this article were excerpted from, The Commandments of The Half-Time Shuffle by the permission of Alfred Publishing, ©2013. All rights reserved.

28 EDGE 12 ||| 2015 EDGE 12 ||| DWDRUMS.COM 29