This is my original course on ghost notes. In this course I want to share an approach that feels not only interesting to me, but also logical.
Common misunderstanding
Ghost notes are often treated as a side effect, almost like random extra sounds inside a groove. But what if we decide in advance exactly when to add ghost notes to a pattern? What if we follow a clear principle and do not let anything happen by accident? Then we have to treat ghost notes as an independent voice inside the arrangement.
The path toward intuitive playing
At first, ghost notes have to be learned as part of the written material. Many variations are played. After that, we begin to feel the logic and direction behind adding them. At some point, the conscious process starts happening in the moment. We still do it correctly, but much more intuitively, with less time spent analyzing everything. It is similar to choosing different words in conversation depending on the situation and the person we are speaking to, while still discussing the same subject.
Why “Prompted Ghosts”
This course covers only some of the possible approaches to using ghost notes. I brought them together under the title Prompted Ghosts because the process reminded me of writing prompts for neural networks: we want a result to be generated, but within specific limits.
A simple principle does not mean easy playing
One of my main limits was not trying to make everything as complicated as possible. There are still plenty of tricky patterns, but the ghost notes are added around the main strokes of the basic pattern using more or less simple beat positions.
One pattern, many possibilities
This course works through only one basic pattern. You can create countless other patterns on your own and go through the same process again with each of them.
The goal is awareness
The main goal of the course is awareness, and in a sense programmability, in the ghost notes we add. The idea can be made more complex or simpler. It depends on your taste, imagination, and musical purpose.
Ghost notes are not magic
Another goal is to present ghost notes as something understandable. They can be learned if you are interested enough. There is nothing magical about them. They are simply another side of drumming worth studying, especially if you want to sound authentic in funk, fusion, and related styles.
Coordination work
Besides working directly on ghost notes, some fragments of this course include different right-hand orchestrations. This helps you control not only the ghost notes, but also other moving processes that demand attention while playing. After enough practice, many tasks begin to run almost automatically, without constant close control.
Where to find the full course
I sell all parts of the course in one video plus a PDF file with 21 pages of notation and explanations through Patreon.
The performance fragments are published for free, but the most important part is in the explanations and notation.
I hope you enjoy studying this material and that it answers some of your questions about drumming.
You can also look at my other training courses: 12 Steps of Coordination and Gladstone Samba.