Rafa Cajón

Level 3 · Your First Groove

3-2 - Boom-boom crack

The double bass - the variation you hear everywhere.

How to practice it

Same groove, but beat 3 becomes a double: bass on 3 AND on the 'and' of 3. Pattern: B t S t B B S t. That extra bass is what makes the groove roll forward.

Suggested take: ~90s · start 65 BPM → pass around 90 BPM

1
B
&
g
2
S
&
g
3
B
&
B
4
S
&
g
65 BPM

Start at 65, exercise passes around 90. Legend: B bass · S snare · g ghost · - rest

Tips

  • The two bass notes are even eighths - 'boom-boom', not 'boo-boom'.
  • Use two hands for the double (R then L) if one hand tenses up.
  • Keep the snare on 4 confident - it closes the sentence.

Watch out for

  • The double bass flamming (two hits smearing together)
  • Losing the ghost on the 'and' of 4 after the effort of the double
  • Tempo surging through the double

Record your take

Aim for ~90s. Put the phone ~1m away, facing the front plate. You'll get Rafa's feedback within a minute of submitting.

Up next after this: 3-3 - Two-minute groove