A Percussionist's Guide to Check Patterns: Building a Fundamental Rhythmic Vocabulary

This book fills rehearsal time with purpose. Rather than working through generic rudiments, your students tackle the specific rhythmic patterns they'll actually encounter in jazz, pop, classical, and contemporary music. The systematic progression from simple to complex means every player, regardless of ability, finds exactly where they need to work.

Working through this book is deliberate and rewarding. Each exercise builds on what came before, so progress feels tangible rather than abstract. The patterns demand focus and precision, but Hannum's layout makes every page feel manageable rather than overwhelming.

Beginning through advanced percussionists benefit from this systematic approach. Drumset players preparing for jazz, fusion, or contemporary contexts find targeted sticking solutions. Percussion ensemble members and keyboard players also gain solid rhythmic control through the non-pitched percussion examples included throughout.

• Start with the stickings written on the page. Memorizing patterns comes later; first priority is accuracy with the notation in front of you.
• Isolate the coordination challenges. If your hands and feet aren't syncing cleanly on a particular pattern, slow it down and repeat that single measure until it's solid.
• Record yourself playing through a section. Hearing the patterns back reveals rhythmic inconsistencies that feel fine in the moment but sound sloppy to an ear trained to listen critically.
• Transfer the patterns to different instruments once the sticking is secure. A pattern mastered on snare drum should transfer cleanly to vibraphone, timpani, or mallets on the kit.

Use this as the spine of your private percussion lessons. Work through sections systematically over weeks or months, allowing students to internalize one rhythmic family before moving to the next. In ensemble settings, pull specific patterns that relate to repertoire your ensemble is learning, turning rehearsal problems into focused technical work with a written resource students can reference.

• Reading and executing duple-meter check patterns (eighth notes, sixteenths, syncopation)
• Reading and executing triplet-based check patterns with consistent sticking control
• Hand-foot coordination in rhythmic contexts ranging from simple to complex
• Syncopation control across both pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments
• Translating sticking patterns from one instrument to another
• Tempo stability and rhythmic precision with repeated pattern work