I want to talk a little bit about my old band, and a tune we had called “Wish I Saw You” that was built around a half time shuffle groove. Here’s a crappy cell phone recording:

Here’s a more proper work-in-progress recording for an album that never got finished:

For “Wish I Saw You,” this is the groove I played to drive the song:

As you can see/hear, it’s mainly built around that six-stroke roll sticking everyone loves, played as even triplets (I typically feel these more as a spin on the paradiddle-diddle than a six-stroke roll). I can’t quite remember how I cooked it up, but ever since I heard “Grapevine Fires” back in high school, creative approaches to the half-time shuffle have always been on my mind.  

I know it must seem like I’m treading on hallowed ground here since the Purdie Shuffle is such an iconic way to groove within a half-time swing feel. But it is kind of a punchline,* evinced by the many people who hear “Grapevine Fires” as a stock Purdie shuffle, which will always irritate me. I don’t think I want a world where drummers cannot consider more than one way to play a half-time shuffle. 

Anyway, I don’t currently need to play any half-time shuffles for my current band’s catalog, but I still like to mess around and cook up other interesting ways to keep time with a swing feel and a backbeat on 3 (in 4/4 at least).

Obviously, you can look to some rudimental stickings to subvert the stock shuffle cymbal rhythm. Here’s another approach with the six stroke triplets thing:

Here’s a dense take with the single paradiddle — note how a triple stroke on the cymbal connects the groove over the barline, so the tempo options are a bit limited:

As a six-note pattern, the double paradiddle flows a bit better:

Also consider some inversions, like the third paradiddle inversion (RLLR • LRRL):

If you’re not scared of density, you could throw in some flams (“flams,” of course, being double stops). This one uses single paradiddle sticking with a “flam” on the diddle, also known as a “Choo Choo” (RLlRR • LRrLL):

Here’s the same idea, but with the double paradiddle (RLRLlRR • LRLRrLL):

Getting more adventurous, you can relish in some rhythmic mischief. This has been on my mind lately after picking apart Matt Garstka’s 11/16 shuffle used for a Plini tune he recently recorded.

Here’s a shuffle that “restarts” on the swung note after beat 4, rather than the downbeat:

It has a very interesting lope to it — here’s a MIDI recording:

An alternative version of my “Wish I Saw You” Shuffle ended with a 3 over 4 polyrhythm: 

So just a few ideas. Classics are classics for a reason, but don’t lionize them so much that you lose sight of what could be. 

* ^ I will admit that the six-stroke triplet gag is just as much of a punchline.