Spang a Lang - Ulysses Owens, Jr. | 2 Minute Jazz

Ulysses Owens, Jr. shows how to play a foundational drum pattern in jazz: the spang a lang.

#2minjazz #ulysses #owens #openstudio #jazz #drums #tutorial #spangalang

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(fast cymbals jazz beat) Hi, I'm Ulysses Owens, Jr. with Two-Minute Jazz. Spang-a-lang. That is the pattern that swing, jazz rhythm was born out of. Spang-a-lang, spang-a-lang, spang-a-lang.

(plays drums to the rhythm)

If you break down the quarter note, one, two, three, four.

(plays rim of snare)

Two, three, four.

(plays rim of snare)

High hat on two and four.

(plays rim of snare)

(adds high hat)

There's a rhythm called the triplet.

(plays a triplet on snare drum)

Out of the triplet comes the spang-a-lang pattern.

(plays spang-a-lang pattern)

You transfer that to the ride cymbal, and a great drummer by the name of Kenny Clarke is the one that invented that pattern, spang-a-lang pattern. Sounds like this.

(plays spang-a-lang pattern)

The cool thing about the spang-a-lang pattern, when it is played appropriately and in the right way, it can move the band and empower the band to swing harder than anything possible. When you're not playing it right, it may sound a little bit like this.

(plays quarter notes on cymbal)

Just playing quarter notes, or, (plays 8th notes on cymbal) just 8th notes.

(plays jazz rhythm with heavy, fast cymbal)

Playing too many notes. It's only when you get that pattern, spang-a-lang, over and over again, you create a groove and then have that repetition, that really makes it something that people can hold on to. 

Like this.

(plays spang-a-lang rhythm)

My favorite is playing some up-tempo spang-a-lang.

(plays fast spang-a-lang rhythm)

Spang-a-lang is where's it at, and that's how you can really maximize your sound as a drummer. Spang-a-lang.

(jazz piano and drum music)

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