Hemiolas (speed changes)

Great exercise for drumline drummers and also drum kit use. Teaches how to change the speed of singles but not the tempo.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• snare
• drum
• drumline
• exercises

[BarrenB]

Hemiolas are not speed changes, they are putting a different time signature into another one. For example putting 4/4 into 3/4 it would look like this:

^ ^  ^

1 2 3 1 2 3

^= accents 1 2 or 3= the count.

so as you can see it switches every time first its on 1 and 3 then on 2

[dtdrummerlady]

@BarrenB I repeat.......the term hemiolas (speed changes) comes directly from the John Wooten Roll Off Productions instruction book!!!!! speed changes refers to the speed in which the singles increase as they fill in the 4/4 time. You cannot play the singles at the same speed if you are playing groups of 7 compared to groups of 3, 4 or 5. This excercise in 4/4, the tempo stays the same throughout. Tempo, and speed are two different words.

[xdoseonex]

Love this video. But maybe instead of speed changes they should be labeled as subdivision changes. the most important part is that there are no speed changes, only subdivision changes. Keep doin what your doin, you sound great.

[dtdrummerlady]

@xdoseonex Yeah, I see where you're coming from, but they are explained as speed changes as far as the singles are concerned but I stress that the TEMPO in 4/4 doesn't change. This is from a drum corps style instruction book by John Wooten Roll Off Productions.

[dtdrummerlady]

I agree

[dtdrummerlady]

I got the exercise from the "Drummers Rudimental Reference Guide" by John Wooten, Roll Off Productions. That's what it was called in there.

[nepalnt21]

hemiolas are not speed changes

[Xynok111]

A hemiola is two bars in triple time articulated as three bars in duple time, not this. So your John Wooten clearly doesn't have a clue and you may want to change your material BUT It is indeed a good exercise when you're starting out or for warm ups.

[gingerleyham]

they aren't speed changes, because the tempo stays the same, the beats are just displaced.

[TheSoulOfGenius]

@dtdrummerlady Ha, you told him.

[BarrenB]

@BarrenB Sorry for some reason it didnt space out the accents... they should be on 1 and 3 the first time then on 2 the second time.

[enickma9]

i have the drummers rudimental reference guide which says that hemiolas are speed changes, but my drum teacher told me that hemiolas are when you play an odd accent pattern that gives off an odd time feeling but the time signature stays in 4/4

[remedyz0802]

Awesome! I usually don't see people doing these with any other subdivision besides quarters, eighths, sixteenths, etc. and their respective triplets. The 5s, 7s, 9s, etc. are tough for sure!