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Mick Fleetwood Variations
By Ted Warren
Long before they were the accompaniment to a cranberry-juice-guzzling skateboarder , or even a platinum-selling group , Fleetwood Mac were a band riding the wave of the late- ‘ 60s British blues scene . Their drummer , Mick Fleetwood , is a self-taught player , and as such , often comes up with unorthodox be ats and fills .
A notable case in point is their 1968 recording of “ Need Your Love So Bad ,” where Fleetwood breaks up a fairly standard 12 / 8 beat by occasionally adding a shuffle rhythm with his left foot on the hi-hat ( see Ex . 1 ). I then added some more exercises ( Ex . 2-6 ) utilizing this concept and changing up the bass drum rhythms , concluding with the beat Fleetwood played on the 1973 Mac tune “ Hypnotized .” The coordination between the feet can be a little tricky , so take your time while putting these beats together .
EX . 1
EX . 6
EX . 2
EX . 7
EX . 3
EX . 4
EX . 5
Ted Warren teaches at the University of Guelph and is a wellregarded clinician and adjudicator . Ted has worked with many acclaimed performers , including Mel Torme , Rob McConnell , Slide Hampton , Bob Newhart , Maynard Ferguson , Lew Soloff , Chuck Mangione , Jeff Healey , Norma Winstone , Sheila Jordan , Howard Johnson , Nick Brignola , Kenny Wheeler , and Jerry Bergonzi .
62 CANADIAN MUSICIAN