One of Nickel's signature teaching tools involves shifting accents or moving the snare backbeat to unexpected counts. This builds immense mental flexibility and prevents your playing from sounding predictable. How to Practice the Concepts Effectively
I can provide a tailored practice schedule based on your goals.
A shaky bass drum destroys a groove. The book offers rigorous independence exercises that decouple your right foot from your hands, allowing you to drop bass drum notes exactly where they belong without dragging or rushing. The "Switch" Concept
Sites like or Issuu sometimes host high-resolution scans. However, the "extra quality" variant on these platforms requires a subscription. Be wary of "print to PDF" errors that sometimes reverse the staff lines. jost nickel groove book pdf extra quality
: A systematic and fun approach to creating and playing drum fills. It explores rhythmic concepts, orchestration, dynamics, and accents, with topics including switch and path orchestration, hand and foot rolls, and cymbal chokes.
Groove Book is best suited for intermediate to advanced drummers who already have basic coordination and can read drum notation. For beginners, Nickel's Beginner Book is the recommended starting point.
: The safest and most reliable place to purchase a legal digital copy. As the publisher, Alfred provides the definitive, professionally formatted PDF, guaranteed to be complete and of the highest quality. You can often purchase a digital edition directly from their site or authorized resellers. One of Nickel's signature teaching tools involves shifting
: After working through a section, try inserting the concepts into songs you already know. Experiment with replacing a standard rock groove with a linear concept or adding ghost notes to a simple beat.
: Even 15 minutes a day with the book will yield better results than occasional marathon sessions. Consistency is key.
Absolutely. The concepts and patterns translate perfectly to electronic kits. In fact, the ability to adjust volumes and use headphones can make practicing certain exercises even more convenient. A shaky bass drum destroys a groove
Jost Nickel’s Groove Book is a comprehensive educational resource focused on the mechanics of feel, time, and creativity for intermediate to advanced drummers. The "extra quality" or complete digital editions typically include the full instructional text, high-resolution musical notation, and a large collection of audio tracks originally found on the mp3-CD accompanying the physical book.
Rules for constructing original patterns rather than just memorizing existing ones.
To fully absorb the material in the Groove Book, adjust your practice habits.
Carrying heavy music books to rehearsals or gigs is inconvenient. A high-fidelity PDF optimized for tablets allows you to keep your entire library on an iPad or Android device, ready to place on a music stand. Supporting Creators: The Best Way to Get High Quality