Technique includes:

1. Grips (French, German, American, Traditional: grips for all seasons)
2. Rudiments (getting your hands together)
3. Reading
4. Balance between instruments (sounding musical)
5. Control (avoiding the dreaded drummer in a blender syndrome)
6. Tone (making your instruments sing)
7. Time (the bedrock of drum set playing, without good time, little is possible)
8. Feel and groove (be fun to play with)

Repertoire includes:

1. Learning by ear (ear training)
2. Exploration of drumming history (learning from the Masters)
3. Reading charts and snare drum solos (being capable of handling different situations)
4. Transcribing tunes (deep listening)
5. Jamming (application in workshop settings)
6. Joining a band (drumming in isolation is limiting)
7. Retaining repertoire (being ready to play)
8. Endurance (being able to play at least 2 hours without exhaustion)

If I can help you, call me. 

​Have fun.
 
David

1. Don't play a backbeat as you would in a rock tune. Alternatively, you can play a shuffle or cross stick on 2 and 4 instead. 
2. Lower the amount of comping chatter and the snare and bass drum. Play half as much, sound twice as good.
3. Do I hear your bass drum keeping time? Boo! The bassist is going to glare at you. Feather it or leave it out.
4. Flexible wrist on the ride cymbal. Without flexibility you are ruining your swing feel and cymbal tone. And you are likely playing too loud as well.
5. Tame down the amount of tom comping. A little goes a long way.
6. Not too many theatrics on the throne. Moving too much is distracting to yourself and band mates. Good posture is important for endurance. 
7. Straighten out the 8th notes in your solos. Great ideas here. Accent studies in the book "Syncopation" will be helpful here. 
8. Leaving space in your jazz solos is imperative for your ideas to develop and make sense. And more importantly, be understood by the audience. 
9. Playing too damn loud. Join a heavy metal band. Quincy has insight on using accents. 
10. Intensity before passive creativity. The band needs clarity and intensity from the ride cymbal and firm backbeat from the high-hat. "Drive the bus!"

Now go watch the video and then head for the "shed".
​
Thank you, Quincy

David

Over the Christmas break I started digging into this wonderful instrument which was a popular ragtime and later jazz instrument more than a century ago. So with that in mind I'm confining my explorations to jazz prior to 1926.

I've learned a few things over the last month. 

1. Xylophone only plays happy music. So, I play happy.  
2. It can be loud when played with hard mallets. Ear plugs are a must.
3. Knowing how to play the drums has really helped. Fast hands have helped me get the single stroke rolls happening.
4. The xylophone has a narrow dynamic range, not unlike an electric guitar. 
5. I'm looking forward to jamming with others after the current lockdown passes.
6. I'm looking into the purchase of a vibraphone and learning four mallets.
7. I always practice with a video camera. I play for five minutes and then I watch and make notes, then I repeat the process. It takes me about twenty minutes to make each of these videos. 
8. That's me playing the piano.
9. The jazz bounce in the playing comes from playing New Orleans trad jazz. 

If you would like to have a go, call me in September. 

David
#Junction percussion Teacher Toronto

I started with Lesson 7 from Syncopation with half time foot patterns. Then lots of rudimental practice. Finally, I spent about an hour playing along with the following great tunes.  

​David
#Junction percussion Teacher Toronto

Downfall of Paris was originally a drum and fife tune. Alas, it is mostly played as a solo drum piece today.

For Scores click here: Finale 2002 - [Downfall Of Paris_MUS] (vvfdc.org)

For the fife music, click here: Downfall of Paris from Hart's - Fife.mus (wordpress.com)

Have fun. 

​David
#Junction percussion Teacher Toronto

Yesterday pianist Jacqueline Leung and I played live online using Sonobus and Zoom. It worked very well. Sonobus has exceptionally low latency, Zoom gave us a visual, we hit record and presto success. 

What you need:

1. Sonobus installed. You will listen through this software
2. Zoom installed. You must mute the microphone, or all hell will break loose.
3. A set of good headphones to listen to, speakers will not work as they will feedback. 
4. Your computer wired to internet.
5. A small table to set the computer on. Be sure the computer is plugged in. nothing like going offline in the middle of a performance. 

You must be able to connect your computer through "the wire" no WIFI, too slow. 

Have fun, 

David
SonoBus
​#Junction percussion Teacher Toronto

It is fun! Fun to fantasize, struggle, and dream some more. But be sure to do this in private. Public performance should be for showing off our accomplishments and progress. Not a public declaration of our intentions.  

If I can help you on your drumming journey, call me. 

​David
​#Junction percussion Teacher Toronto