Generally speaking, the term “Linear Drumming” refers to playing drum patterns where there are few or no overlapping notes. This is in contrast to the traditional style of drumming where there are many rhythms & parts of the drum set being played simultaneously.

🥁 The Key Benefits of Linear Drum patterns include:

☑️ 💪 more power in your drumming - playing with single or double hits allows you to concentrate on playing with more punch & power if desired.

☑️ 🎵 creating more “space” in the music - for example, a “linear” version of a 16th or 8th groove will not include a steady pulse on the hi-hat. This gives the groove more of a “broken” feel, which can have a profound effect on the music.

☑️ 🎯 increased clarity & precision - similar to playing with more power, focusing your efforts on one limb at a time frees up more headspace for articulation and precision in the drumming.

☑️ 🤘 flexibility to play on any drum set - ever sat down to double strokes on a new drum kit only to discover the drum heads are old, out-of-tune, and flappy? Linear drumming can be an excellent choice for de-tuned drum heads because the focus is on single-note strokes with the hands. These can be executed at a high level regardless of tuning.

☑️ 🚀 playing with speed - once a linear pattern has been memorized, and since it normally only requires 1 or 2 strokes to be played at a time, there is GREAT potential for playing them FAST. :) This is just plain fun and can add a lot of excitement to a live performance or drum cover.