Broken Eighth Note Feel

Most jazz drummers learn triplet-based feel. This book develops the rhythmic foundation contemporary jazz actually runs on.

Broken Eighth Note Feel breaks down how eighth and sixteenth notes — not triplets — drive modern jazz drumming, and builds the physical consistency and internal pulse that make that feel natural rather than studied.

The book works through rhythmic phrasing, sticking, tempo, and listening — not as isolated techniques, but as connected elements of a single musical voice. At 53 pages, every concept is developed through musical examples and exercises designed for practical application. And because the foundation is eighth and sixteenth note-based, the same principles extend beyond jazz into any style built on that rhythmic language.

For intermediate drummers ready to develop a more modern voice, this is the book that bridges the gap between where you are and where contemporary music lives. 

Browse sample pages and watch Skip demonstrate the core concept in the photos and media section.

Who This Is For

• Intermediate drummers whose jazz feel is rooted in triplets and want to develop a more contemporary sound.
• Players who understand modern jazz rhythmically but haven't yet internalized it physically.
• Musicians whose eighth and sixteenth note vocabulary extends across styles and want a deeper command of that foundation.

53 pages · Written in English · Self-published, 2007 · Available in print, PDF, or both · PDF delivered instantly by email · Physical books ship worldwide from Gloucester, MA

Already own the book or want to go deeper? Companion Lessons are available for one-on-one instruction directly with the author.