How To Play 3/4 Jazz Drum Beats and Odd Meters

Learn how to play 3/4 Jazz drum beats and odd meter beats in 5/4.

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Learn how to play 3/4 Jazz drum beats and drum beats in 5/4 like Dave Brubeck's Take Five!

Odd Meter Jazz Drumming Course

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Most of us are comfortable playing Swing drums in 4/4 or common time. This course teaches you how to play 3/4 Jazz drum beats and 5/4 drum beats too. 

You’ll learn:
  • How to read and understand these time signatures
  • Solid grooves
  • Flowing drum fills
  • How to improve your timing
  • Advanced coordination
  • Musical feel
  • How to lock into odd meters without overthinking


By the end, you’ll have the tools to groove, fill, and solo in 3/4 and 5/4 with ease, making your drumming more versatile and expressive.
Course Overview
Jazz drumming uses odd-meter drum beats more than any other style. So, it's really important that you learn how to play 3/4 Jazz drum beats and 5/4 drum beats. These are the 2 most-used odd meter drum beats in Jazz.

This course teaches you to play Jazz Swing grooves and drum fills in both 3/4 and 5/4 time signatures. Adding these to your groove pallet will greatly expand the possibilities for your Jazz drumming. 

  • Drum Lessons Video: 1.5 hours
  • Drum Lessons: 8
  • Instructor Playing Examples: 2
  • 3-Page PDF Download
  • Drum Practice Tracks: 2
  • Drum Lab Monthly Drum Class
  • Lessons In 9 Languages:
    English, Deutsch, Français, Español, Italiano, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 한국어, 日本語

Diving Into How to Play Odd Meter Jazz Drums

So, you think Jazz is all about sticking to 4/4 time? Think again! Odd meter Jazz swing is where a lot of magic happens.  My Odd Meter Jazz Drumming course will have you swinging in 3/4 and 5/4 time signatures in no time.  

Don't know what 3/4 or 5/4 are? Don't worry, you'll learn about them both in this course. 

By the end of my course, you'll know how to play odd meter Jazz drums with 12 incredibly useful Swing grooves in 3/4 and 5/4. You'll also know how to play 2 insanely versatile drum fill patterns each in 3/4 and 5/4.  

Finally, you'll practice playing everything you learn with music. Included in the course are 8 instruction videos, a 3-page PDF and 2 drum practice tracks. 

Jazz With A Waltz Twist

After 4/4, the second most popular meter we play in Jazz music is 3/4.  This is a feel and groove you'll want to get into your bones.  Because Jazz Swing is also in triplets, 3/4 fits this feel like a glove. 

I actually enjoy playing 3/4 Swing more than 4/4 Swing because of its seamless flow. Your hands and feet will almost feel like they're floating!

Ever Heard of "Take 5"?

Did you know that Jazz is often played in 5/4? Yep, it's a thing, and it's as smooth as silk. In 5/4 time, Jazz takes on a whole new vibe.  Dave Brubeck nailed it with his song "Take Five," proving that Jazz in 5 can be just as catchy and cool as the Jazz classics in 4/4.

No course on how to play odd meter Jazz drums would be complete without delving into 5/4 and making it a natural part of your drumming vocabulary. In this course, we'll get that done too!

PREVIEW THE COURSE

Here's the lesson on how to play odd meter Jazz drums with 3/4 grooves and music.  Enroll in the course to master playing in 3/4 and 5/4 meters. 

There is a PDF download for this and other lessons in the course when you enroll. 

Click on the "CC" in the video screen to select your language.
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Jazz Drums Total Lessons Pack

From clueless to gig-ready! Start from scratch and groove your way up to advanced Jazz drumming. Grab all my courses to go from your first beat to stealing the show!

Includes the Odd Meter Drumming course!
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Lessons on how to play 3/4 Jazz Drum Beats and 5/4 Drum Beats

Play in both 3/4 and 5/4 with more confidence!
  1. INTRO & HOW TO READ 3/4 & 5/4 - 05:11
  2. PLAYING IN 3/4 PART 1 - 19:15
  3. PLAYING IN 3/4 PART 2 - 08:17
  4. PLAYING IN 5/4 - 10:59
  5. 3/4 DRUM FILL PART 1 - 14:15
  6. 3/4 DRUM FILL PART 2 - 12:04
  7. 5/4 DRUM FILL - 12:34
  8. CONCLUSION - 00:29
  9. 3/4 PERFORMANCE EXAMPLE - 01:43
  10. 5/4 PERFORMANCE EXAMPLE - 01:50

The Odd Meter Jazz Drumming Course

FOCUSED

This course saves you time and money by breaking down how to play odd meter Jazz drums in 3/4 and 5/4 meters. 

By the end of these online drum lessons, you'll be able to play Jazz Swing grooves and drum fills in 3/4 and 5/4.
  
  • 1.5 hours of online drum lessons
  • 8 drum lesson videos
  • 3-page PDF
  • 2 drum practice tracks
  • 2 video examples from real gigs
  • Drum Lab Monthly Drum Class

AFFORDABLE

One-Time Payment. Lifetime Access to your course. Pay once, drum forever!

Pocket-friendly subscription plans also available through Groove Pass. 

PAINLESS

Learn with a relaxed, step-by-step method at your own pace.

You can also track your progress and see how much you have accomplished. Example below is from the Brushes Mastery Course.

Need a little more help with how to play odd meter Jazz drums?

Send me a direct message in the School and ask your questions in my monthly Drum Lab class. Just some of the perks for joining Jazz Drum School! 

Von Baron

Jazz drummer, educator, composer

About YOUR TEACHER

Performing regularly on stage and in the recording studio for 35+ years, Von Baron is one of the busiest drummers in Japan. 

Playing with Stanley Jordan, Benny Golson, Eddie Henderson, Geoff Keezer and many others gave Von the opportunity to hone his Jazz drumming skills. 

It's with this real world experience, Von created this course to give you a solid foundation for your Jazz drumming.
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