Private Drums Lessons.
TIM HORNER : Drums
Basic beginning concepts for the young modern drummer
What does it mean to be the drummer , to play a drum set and a groove .
In my opinion , great drumming starts and ends with two basic principles which are so important to being a great drummer and so closely related to each other :
1. Steady , Consistent Time
2. A Deep Groove
I've always felt that if a drummer starts with and can be satisfied with these two elements above anything else then the world of drumming becomes an open sky . First of all , it's your main job as an accompanying player to provide the ensemble with a steady and strong feel regardless of the tempo , style or metric time with which you are playing . This is your " JOB " as a drummer and the better you can provide that then the better you are now open to personal interpretations , dynamics , sensitivity , bravado and improvisational skills . When I say improvisational skills , I don't just mean taking a solo. Above and before taking a solo , improvisational skills mean and include the way you play your ideas while accompanying someone else's solo or even the way you approach playing a melody or written section . Let's face it , 95% of what you play as a drummer will be in the role of accompanying someone or the ensemble as a whole. Hence , if your time and groove are so strong then you will always know where one is and if you know where one is then you are now open to developing the music you are playing in any direction you want or need to go . Now you may play your solo .
This concept is quite apparent to many drummers as they begin to play but believe it or not , there are so many drummers out there that for whatever reason , and there are many reasons , have failed to get this part of their musical experience and drumming world together making them weak at the very thing they need to provide the most , a great groove with good steady time . Some people just don't internally possess this time and groove . Some people may have just been taught very poorly , I mean it's quite often that a young drummer sits twiddling their thumbs while everyone else in the band room learns theory, harmony , concepts and for whatever reason the drummers are not included in this process as a rule . I know this to be true , I was there when I was a kid . Fortunately for me I played violin and stepped out of this box at an early age .
Knowing your rudiments .
Knowing your rudiments for me is essential in that they help to develop the coordination of you hands , give you the thought processing tools to be able to move around your drum set with ease as well as playing very intricate written or improvised material.
Part 1. Rudiments - What rudiments do you need to know ?
I think to have under your fingers a strong sense of the 26 basic rudiments is a necessary thing . Just like a horn player , vocalist , guitar player , bass player or pianist are required to know all their scales ( major , minor , diminished , augmented ) and all modes as well as chord tones and chord symbols ( in all keys I might add ) , a drummer should be familiar with their 26 basic rudiments . Now those scales , chord tones and chord symbols will help instrumentalists navigate around their instruments as well as navigate their way through improvising a solo within the context of a song form . I might add that this basic theoretical musical knowledge also helps musicians in their quest for hearing and expressing new compositions , the life blood of continuing the musical expression forward .
These rudiments you could say are our scales and chord tones . These rudiments help us develop our drumming to a level where we can express ourselves in a fluid and effortless way . you will find at the end of the day that there are a few rudiments you will end up using way more than others but to learn the 26 basic will give you a strong and coordinated foundation .
Some of the basic rudiments are :
1. Single Stroke Roll
2. Double Stroke Roll
3. Flam
4. Ruff
5. Single Paradiddle / Double Parradiddle / Triple Paradiddle ( there are inversions of all of these )
6. Swiss Army Triplets
7. Flamadiddle
8. Ratimacue
Go to the internet and find the 26 basic rudiments . They can also be found in many beginning snare drum study books .
Part 2 - Basic Independence - What is basic independence ?
Basic independence on the drum set is really the concept of being able to perform different functions or ideas on any limb at any time , for example . This is something a young drummer starts to put together without knowing it when you sit down to your drums and begin to explore and figure out the different components of let's say the drum beat and pattern to your favorite song that you listen to on the radio or from a CD you have .
Now let's take a basic groove , a groove that we all need to know how to perform in order to play today's contemporary music . Let's take a swing groove and explore the four components of it's independence and see how they work together on their own and as a whole to make up the sound of the groove .
Part 3. A Basic Swing Groove , the Swing Feel .
Let's explore the components of a Swing Feel , the feel of Jazz . First of all , say these words to your self " Spang A Lang " . Those words are the sound of what a jazz drummer plays on their ride cymbal . This sound is the feel , the pulse and the time keeper for jazz drumming . This sound starts with the word " Lang " on beat 1 . The word " Spang " is beat 2 . The word " A " is the and of 2 . Back to " Lang " for beat 3 and again " Spang " on beat 4 with " A " on the and of beat 4 . This whole process when done correctly should be felt over 12/8 , in other words - LANG and a SPANG and A LANG and a SPANG and A ( or 123-456-789-10 11 12 )
Now there are three other components for the jazz drummer . The second is that your hi-hat will play on the beats 2 and 4 ( all of this is based in the 4/4 meter ) .
Third and Fourth , your snare drum and bass drum play what I like to call chatter . This is improvisation based upon and relating to all that is going on melodically and rhythmically with the song and what is being played by the band as a whole and individually .
All of these components as with all groove styles should be played with a strong sense of steady motion . You can think metronomically but you will find out through your studies that perfect you will not be as we are human and time bends even if it's the slightest bend , it's natural and that's beautiful . Even though there will be a bend , we must be steady . No one wants a drummer that speeds up , slows down , slows down a lot and speeds up again . This is the nature of a modern drummer playing modern music from jazz to funk to samba to hip-hop , we must be steady . This is what makes that strong sense of time and groove , that deep groove .
-Click here for more information on Tim Horner
TONY MORENO : Drums
Topics:
Intro to Polyrthyms: Rhythmic Scale: 1 (general 3/4-8/8)
Rhythmic Scale in 2/4;
Rhythmic Scale in ¾; and 4/4
Note Groupings and related polyrhythms over Blues and Standards.
Groupings of 3-5-7-9-11.
Meters: Organic fluidity in ¾; 5/4; 7/4. Subdivisions on the Micro (below the quarter note level) and Macro level (above the quarter note level).
Orchestration of melodies.
Mixed meter playing and the internal clave.
Beat displacement.
World Music approaches to rhythm: Balkans, South Indian, West African, Steve Reich
Free playing and pulse. Math and heart and mind.
Composition and creating your personal metronome(s).
-Click here for more information on Tony Moreno
JEFF BRILLINGER : Drums.
Topics:
-Addressing fundamentals - Reading, technique, and independence.
-How to practice
-Jazz basics – Styles, vocabulary, big band chart reading, form.
-Functioning in the Rhythm Section – Accompanying a soloist, time and feel.
-Latin basics
-Funk basics
Philosophy:
I have found that focusing on fundamental skills is key to the development of a student. Many musical issues a student may have can often be traced to a skill or knowledge gap in areas such as reading, technique, and independence. Clearing up misconceptions and teaching how, as well as what, to practice are vital to the efficient development of skills. Then, with a solid base to work from, the student can more effectively assimilate new information while exploring the varied aspects of Jazz and Latin playing – styles, form, accompaniment, soloing, vocabulary, repertoire, et. al.
-Click here for more information on Jeff Brillinger
Not sure if the class is right for you? Come and sit in on a class before you sign up. To make an appointment contact us by email or call 917-340-0270.
