David Story Drum Teacher
  • Home
  • Free Tips, Ideas, and Stories
  • What do I need to play drums?
  • My Drumming Story
  • Get in Touch
  • Resources and Loops for Learning
  • The truth about hearing loss and drumming
  • Drummer Jokes
  • Events

Drum lesson tips, Ideas, Stories and Free lessons

It's not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts.
​It's what you put into the practice.
Eric Lindros
But time, focus, perseverance, and hard work do count. 

David

How not to get lost in a Jazz jam

6/18/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
  1. Count in 8 or 12 measure phrases. 1234, 2234, 3234, 4234, 5234, 6234, 7234, 8234, 1234, 2234, 3234, 4234, 5234, 6234, 7234, 8234. In a Blues tunes count to 12.
  2. Sing the song in your head to help stay in place. You need to know the music as well as you know "Happy Birthday".
  3. You are the drummer, mark the form every 4 to 8 measures with some small modest fill. Drummer Terry Clarke is a master of this. The rest of the band will appreciate this.
  4. Listen to the bass player, they often play the roots of the chords, thus marking the harmonic structure of the piece. 
  5. ​From Aaron Goldberg, I learned to do this. Sing solfege, using the roots of the chords in time and on pitch. Memorize this melody. Then you have a good chance of hearing it in the bass line constructed by the bassist in step 5 above.

Have fun. 

David

0 Comments

1st Drum Lesson on her new drum kit.

6/1/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
A new drum student got her first drum kit today. An Alesis Nitro Kit. She is eager and ready to rock. We started by getting the kit set up at the correct height for her. Previously we had started with some drum pad work, so she has a basic knowledge of how to hold the sticks. Her years of piano lessons had prepared her for this adventure.

​We worked on Believer by Imagine Dragons. 

Next week we start with the Hal Leonard drum book for kids. Plus, each week we will address her musical interests. This will be fun. After she is hooked and has acquired some basic skills, we'll start in on more sophisticated snare drum work. 

​David
Picture
0 Comments

Why do we practice slow to go fast?

5/26/2022

0 Comments

 
Good question.

We all play like we practice. So, if we practice carefully, thoughtfully, and methodically our odds of playing expressively, confidently, at a steady tempo go up significantly. Alas the opposite is true too. 

Let's consider one aspect of this: Slow practice.

1. Starting slowly allows us to consider our motions at the drumkit.
2. Slow allows us to play steadier while learning. Remember playing quickly and stumbling about may make our stumbling get imbedded in our playing. 
3. Speed up bit by bit as your skill with the rudiment, beat, or song increases.
4. To play fast, you will have to practice fast. It is good practice to have your moves together before sprinting through the music. 

David
0 Comments

How to memorize music: A quick overview

5/10/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
  1. Photographic memory: I see the music score in our mind. I rely on this quite a bit. With that in mind, I frequently write out the music from the original recording or purchase the music.
  2. Aural memory: I've studied the recordings, so my internal hearing of the piece has the same degree of confidence as I know Jingle bells and happy birthday. The second leg of my memorizing strategy.
  3. Brute force method: repeat it until you get it. I try to avoid this as much as possible. It wastes my valuable practice time.
  4. Analytic memory: applied theory, the third leg.
  5. Kinesthetic memory: how it feels physically. The dance steps of playing an instrument. The fourth leg. I pay close attention to the “feeling” of beat, fill, or rudiment. I'm always working on the refinement of my hands and feet. 
    ​


0 Comments

Student award

5/3/2022

0 Comments

 
My drum student William earned this today with the North Toronto C. I. Percussion Ensemble. . Way-da-go Will. Hard work wins every time. And, daily practice of our rudiments.
Picture
0 Comments

Practice one thing at a time

4/19/2022

0 Comments

 
Practice Tip: The power of exploration

Students who practice, diligently practice the “notes,” struggle with rhythm and continuity trying to get it “right.” This is all important. But I’d like to add a new idea.

Experimentation.

A short story in which I’m the hero. I’m learning to play the jazz xylophone. I started at Christmas; I practice every day. I’ve got a 100-year-old textbook, a stack of tunes I want to learn, video recorder and oodles of desire. Here is the process I usually follow.

  1. I have all my materials ready at hand. No searching for my “stuff”.
  2. I decide on the goal of today’s practice. The goal is rarely more than a single minute of music. In other words, I don’t try to practice everything. I focus on one small thing a session.
  3. I start the video recorder.
  4. I start slow and work out the stickings.
  5. I experiment with the stickings, dynamics, phrasing, licks, rolls etc.
  6. I slowly speed up the repetitions.
  7. I try out another set of approaches.
  8. I occassionally bang the sticks in frustration.
  9. I keep at it until I’ve got something I’m proud to post online.
  10. I’m done for the day.
The video below is an unedited version. Notice it took just a brief period of time to accomplish something because I didn’t try to do everything at once.
 
David
 
0 Comments

Drumming at Level 1, 2 or 3 The 3 types of Fun

4/7/2022

0 Comments

 
Level 1: Fun is guaranteed. Just show up and play your part. Playing in a community concert band or playing at the family Christmas party would be in this camp. On the lesson front, level 1, is leisurely and steady. Ten thousand hours spread over decades. 

Level 2: You are going to perspire. Lessons are intense. You audition to play in community groups. Your rock band plays in pubs at open mic sessions. Your concert band has professional guests performing. Standards are enforced. Lessons require an hour a day or more of preparation. Think of it as a marathon level of commitment. 

Level 3 is going to hurt, tears will be shed. But, you are all in. Your daily focus is drumming. You have multiple lines of attack. You put yourself out there. You are preparing to be an Olympian. Many dream, few make it. But this doesn't deter you. Large amount of time and money is spent. 

Weekend athletic parallels
1. Weekend running group
2. Marathon preparation
3. You might die.

Let me know where you stand. 

David


0 Comments

How to succeed with online drum lessons: 6 tips.

3/22/2022

0 Comments

 
Preparing to succeed is the first step. Here are some things you can do to prepare for starting online drum lessons.

​1. Understanding how to use Zoom. Setting up the camera so that I can see your hands and you can see me as well. Most students set up the laptop on a table to the high-hat side of the drum set.
2. You need to create a realistic schedule for practicing. This may take longer than you realise. But with realistic thinking it is possible.
3. Organize your drum space for productive work.
4. Fully understand the costs involved.
5. Tell all your significant others of your plans so that they can support you.
6. You will need to lean on your strengths when the going gets tough and life gets in the way. I'm a learner too, you can ask me how I organize my learning.
 
Here's to learning.
 
David
0 Comments

Kristofer Maddigan: Ballet Percussionist at work

3/13/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Kristofer Maddigan, "Elite Syncopations" National Ballet of Canada 2022
What an inspiring night of dance and music. From mallets to drum kit, contemporary music to ragtime. Mallets and tom in the World Premiere of "Skyward" by Alysa Pires. We heard the music of Nico Muhly, Honstein, Dessner, and Lang.

In "Elite Syncopations" 40 minutes of Ragtime music, played at danceable tiempi instead of the usual frantic pace. 

I'm inspired. Off to hit the drum pads and my trusty xylophone. 

Concert attendance is one of the main ways I stay inspired as a musician and teacher. If your inspiration is lagging a little bit, buy a concert ticket and sit up close. It might be just the ticket. 

David
0 Comments

How long do I need to practice?

2/28/2022

0 Comments

 
How long does it usually take to prepare for a class when we focus on the task at hand? A student with a history of unpreparedness showed up today all prepared. I asked her, "how long did it take to prepare to this level?"

“Not very long” We both started laughing. Procrastination often takes up more time than the time needed for the task.

If I can help you learn to practice effectively, call me. 

​David
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    David Story, drummer, pianist, qualified online music teacher

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All
    Beginning Drumming
    Drum Lessons
    Duets
    Finding Gigs
    Fun With Drum Rudiments
    Gear
    Goal Setting
    How To Be A Better Drummer
    Music Transcription
    Playing The Song
    Practicing
    Resources
    Setting Up A Drumset
    Stories
    Technique
    The American Drumbeat
    What Students Are Learning This Week

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Free Tips, Ideas, and Stories
  • What do I need to play drums?
  • My Drumming Story
  • Get in Touch
  • Resources and Loops for Learning
  • The truth about hearing loss and drumming
  • Drummer Jokes
  • Events