Patterns: Sticking Patterns

Chaffee's sticking system cuts through the confusion many drummers face when transitioning from rudimental study to actual setwork. Rather than forcing traditional stickings onto the kit, he builds an entirely separate vocabulary designed for the drumset's architecture, making grooves and fills feel natural rather than forced.

Working through these pages feels like learning a new language specifically built for drums. Each pattern clicks into place as a practical tool rather than an academic exercise, and students begin to hear how sticking choices directly shape the feel of what they play.

Intermediate to advanced drumset students ready to move beyond basic grooves and fills into a more sophisticated sticking vocabulary. Directors who want drummers to understand the logic behind their setwork rather than just mimicking patterns will find this essential for students aiming toward jazz, fusion, or contemporary styles.

• Start with single stoke patterns before layering them across the kit. The goal is clean execution at moderate tempos before velocity or speed becomes the focus.
• Isolate each sticking pattern on a single surface first. Once the hand coordination locks in, then redistribute the sticking across kick, snare, and toms.
• Apply these stickings to actual groove contexts early. Patterns gain meaning when they serve a function in time feel or a fill, not when they exist as abstract exercises.
• Record yourself playing through the accented stoke sections and listen back. Accent placement often reveals itself more clearly on playback than in real time.

Assign this systematically to any drummer in your ensemble who has mastered fundamental technique and is ready to develop independence and sophistication. The 108 pages divide naturally into focused practice segments spanning a full school year, or tackle specific sections when a student needs to strengthen particular aspects of their setwork.

• Executing sticking patterns designed specifically for drumset rather than applying rudimental stickings directly to the kit
• Creating consistent time feels through targeted sticking choices
• Building fills and solos using systematic sticking vocabulary
• Maintaining control and clarity with accented single strokes on the set
• Integrating double stroke stickings into functional drumset patterns
• Coordinating hand independence across multiple surfaces