Drumming News :
The Ultimate Guide to Syncopation: Concepts for the Development of Motion, Melody and Independence (with Online Video)
By Bruce Becker
Bruce Becker is a well-respected jazz drummer, drum teacher, clinician, and hand technique guru, having studied with Freddie Gruber and Jim Chapin for many years. His latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Syncopation (TUGTS), offers a fresh perspective on Ted Reed’s classic drum method, Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer—more commonly known simply as Syncopation.
I received both the eBook version and the print version to check out. One advantage of the eBook is that you can access video demonstrations and mini-lessons by clicking on camera icons, allowing you to see key exercises performed by the author. The print version is thoughtfully wire-bound so it lays flat on your music stand and also offers access to the video demonstrations from a device.
The initial lessons can be played without referring to the videos, but doing so would mean missing out on one of the package’s best features: Becker’s extensive technique and movement advice, which is far easier to convey through video than text. It’s a bit like getting a series of private lessons on the material. Becker has impressive technique with an amazingly fluid and relaxed playing style. He often uses Moeller motions, which allow him to harness the stick’s natural rebound to play with speed, ease, and no visible tension. These motion indications (Down, Up, Tap, etc.) are included above much of the music notation. The videos provide extra clarity with suggestions and demonstrations to help you develop a more fluid and relaxed technique.
Becker’s book is designed to be used alongside Reed’s original Syncopation. TUGTS takes rhythms from the original and reinterprets them in many creative ways. Page numbers from Syncopation are included, so you can refer to it as the source while exploring Becker’s reinterpretations. The initial exercises focus on roll development using triplet and sixteenth-note rhythms, and the video links help clarify the motions Becker suggests.
These reinterpretations range from fairly simple to quite advanced and encompass many essential skills. For example, TUGTS presents several approaches to developing jazz coordination, from introductory comping ideas to more complex concepts inspired by and expanded upon from Elvin Jones. Becker also touches on rock fundamentals, bossa novas, Brazilian rhythms, and broken cymbal patterns. But it’s not only about grooves—he also explores solo and fill ideas using quarter- and eighth-note triplets, eventually expanding these to include sixteenth-note inverted “diddle in the middle” paradiddle patterns (RLLR LRRL). He demonstrates how to adapt hand patterns across all three rhythmic groupings—which is no small challenge! Later, he extends these concepts to include even more rhythms including quintuplets, etc. There is a lot of inventive material here.
A couple of small notes: In some spots, the notation might be a bit tricky for less experienced readers. For instance, in the Jazz section (pages 16-17), the spacing and beaming of the snare notes looks unconventional—likely to preserve the original note values from Reed’s Syncopation. Similarly, on pages 27-28, a jazz ride pattern is layered over dotted quarter-note bass drum rhythms, creating three distinct and visually colliding layers. Of course, ideas like these are naturally tough to notate perfectly, but the creative intent still comes through. Also, while it’s titled as the TUGTS, some commonly used Syncopation interpretations aren’t included, so guidance from a teacher may be helpful for beginner and intermediate students.
This is clearly an ambitious work. For over sixty years, Ted Reed’s Syncopation has been a keystone of drum education. With The Ultimate Guide to Syncopation, Becker expands on the classic in thoughtful and inventive ways, offering practical tools for creatively reinterpreting the material. It’s a valuable resource for teachers, students, and seasoned players alike.
– Brad Schlueter
Brad Schlueter is a Chicago-based drummer, teacher and author. He has performed with a wide range of groups and recorded drum tracks from his home studio for clients worldwide. Brad has taught at The Drum Pad, The Music Room in Palatine, and his Batavia studio and also offers online lessons. As a writer, he has contributed to Drum! Magazine, Modern Drummer and Reverb.com, and he co-authored the award-nominated book by Todd Sucherman, “Methods and Mechanics”.
