Unified Fields combines hand-to-hand independence patterns with unison doublestop patterns in a manner that pointedly tests your accent-tap and legato fundamentals.
∆Effort
∆Effort consists of a doublebeat/triplebeat pattern that can be treated as a multistroke, stick control, or timing exercise. Different variations check your timing, hand-to-hand consistency of motion, and sound quality.
Loosey Juicy
Loosey Juicy uses swiss triplets and different doublestroke rolls to contrast different applications where the second note of a double beat is achieved largely through fulcrum/finger pressure acting against the rebound of the first note of the doublestroke.
Odd Singles
Odd Singles consists of variations to the classic 7/8 Singles exercise. The variations change the beat-long into into something subtly slower or faster than the sixteenth-note triplets that set it up.
Smoooves
Smoooves is a simple pattern for fitting five-note rudiments into a juxtaposition between sixteenth notes and fivelets. Included are some example rudiments that are well-suited t this pattern, as well as some accent variations to play around with. Despite all the effort changes involved, keep it smooth!
Swiss Pugida
Swiss Pugida is an exercise I used with the 2014 WSIP snare line to work on diddle interpretation: if the slurred and "straight" interpretations can be understood as separate rudiments, then the correct interpretation can be called upon in the right context.
Two on a Hand
Two on a Hand is a double-beat exercise that will really stretch your understanding of time, as well as your stick control on doublestrokes. I always meant to write this into an ensemble warm-up, but I don't think that's going to happen, nor do I think it would pay off much to try and get a whole line to play it. This is a very challenging exercise to get right, but I think it is worthwhile for individual practice.
Shifting Gears
Shifting Gears works the metric transition between 16th-note and triplet diddle figures. The tendency will be to either be fast or tight going into the triplet figures, and to be slow or wide going into the 16th-note figures. Such metric transitions are worth practising, not because they appear often, but because they demand a mastery of fulcrum pressure, wrist control, and diddle placement that will make more common diddle contexts (e.g. cold attacks, tap-rolls) more easy to reliably execute.
