Week 3 : 21st - 24th September 2009

This week's lessons were split between two ends of the same subject, bass drum placement within a groove.

Some classes were doing ALL of the 8th Note and Quarter Note grooves, working between the 8th Note and Quarter Note versions of the same grooves, paying attention to where the bass drum beats fall once the 'ands' have been removed in the Quarter Note version.

Below are a few exercises to work through in your own time. I've written then over 2 and 4 bar sections to get you used to reading multiple bars.

Other classes were introduced to my technique of using the 'up' part of your hi hat stroke to identify where the 16th notes fall in between the 8th notes on the hi hat. This then lead into playing the same patterns but in a more relaxed, laid-back 'swing' style. Below is an exercise demonstrating what we worked on and how the same groove can be written and played three separate ways.

Tuesday and Wednesday Classes

Monday and Thursday Classes

Back Beat Displacement - Video

Week 2 : 14th - 17th Sept 2009

Our second week this term and we're looking at the application of rudiments around the drum kit. This serves several purposes. It makes practicing rudiments a bit more fun (rather than just playing rudiments on one practice pad or snare drum over and over again!) but it also gets you thinking of the whole drum kit as your instrument.

We started looking at Paradiddles ( singles, doubles, and triples ) around the kit. Work through the exercises below in your own time. Remember to make all of the beats even, in terms of strength and speed and to 'keep your eye on the ball' watch where you're hitting - your hands will follow your eyes.

In the last exercise we'll look, we're going to play a Bounce Triplet exercise around the kit. Again, make sure that all of the beats are even.

Video at last!

Week 1 : 7th - 11th Sept 2009

Ok, here we go!

So, in our first lesson together this term we looked at playing a basic warm-up exercise, which is detailed here and a basic 8th note groove with your lead hand on the hi hat playing (1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and). Remember to emphasis the hi hats on the beat and to hold back a little on the 'ands' just to give it some movement. We're going to do this for 3 bars and then fill on the 4th bar.

To play the fills, you're going to continue playing all of the 8th notes with your lead hand but add other (16th) notes with your following hand.

REMEMBER : YOUR LEAD HAND WILL BE 'KEEPING TIME' by continually playing 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and during the groove and the fill.

Intermediate Warm-Up

Single, Double and Triple Paradiddles Around the Drum Kit


RL on the Snare, RL on Tom 1, RL on Tom 2, RR on Tom 3


then


LR on Tom 3, LR on Tom 2, LR on Tom 1, LL on the Snare.


These form Triple Paradiddles.

Then as above but missing out Tom 2.

These are Double Paradiddles around the kit.

Finally ....

RL on the Snare, RR on Tom 1, LR on Tom 2, LL on Tom 3

then

RL on Tom 3, RR on Tom 2, LR on Tom 1, LL on the Snare.

These are Single Paradiddles around the Kit.

9 Stroke Roll

7 Stroke Roll

5 Stroke Roll

Single Stroke Roll

Double Stroke Roll

Bounce Triplets

Intro into - Linear Grooves

Linear Grooves are grooves where no two limbs are playing at the same time. 

The examples below are based on a full bar of 16th notes (1-E-and-a, 2-E-and-a, 3-E-and-a, 4-E-and-a). Each 16th note is played on a different drum or hi hat.

HINT : It is easier to keep your lead hand on the hi hat and play the snare drum beats with your following hand.

Click on the sheet below to work through the grooves one by one and in your own time. Remember that accuracy is far more important than speed with these grooves. It is important to make each one smooth with good 'back beats' either one 2 and 4 or 3 depending on the groove.

9 Stroke Roll - Bounce

7 Stroke Roll - Bounce

5 Stroke Roll - Bounce