Hi everyone,
Now that we have transitioned to ZOOM video lessons, I am no longer able to write down notes and musical material in the students’ books/binders. Instead, I have created PDF documents for each of you and dropped them into a Google Drive folder. The link to your documents is listed in the What to practice heading under your name below. You should be able to access the documents simply by clicking on the link. Here are your practice assignments for this week:
Aidan
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: Exercises 5-12 from Lesson 6. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi
How to practice it most effectively: For each beat, isolate the bass drum and snare drum rhythm and practice that first. Then add in the hi-hat part and focus on keeping a steady tempo. Don’t go too fast! Make sure you can play the beat accurately and consistently. Also, try to accent the quarter note pulse on the hi-hat.
Will
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: The second Pre-chorus and the bridge in “Arabella” by the Arctic Monkeys. https://drive.google.com/open?id=17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz
How to practice it most effectively: Practice playing the second pre-chorus from start to finish without stopping. Count carefully throughout so that you don’t miss the entrance of the third fill. It will come sooner than you expect it to, so it’s very important to count! Also, work on the new beat from the bridge and the fill that comes at the end.
Elliot
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: The bridge beat and the new fills from “Come Together” by the Beatles that we worked on in your lesson. https://drive.google.com/open?id=10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc
How to practice it most effectively: Take a close look at the notes I wrote for you. Count the rhythms in the fills and practice playing them slowly. Also, listen to the recording of the song to ensure that what you’re playing matches what’s in the song. Once the bridge starts to feel comfortable, then try to play the whole song from the beginning.
Alexy
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: The first 6 exercises from “Lesson 5.” https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MOQ0wuxOjWJ3H46kSSuJleBV6eZMuaZi
How to practice it most effectively: First read just the snare drum and bass drum rhythms and play those without the hi-hat. Make sure that you read and count the rhythms carefully so that you know you’re playing them correctly. Then add in the hi-hat and try to play the whole beat slowly. It is important to keep a steady pulse so, whatever speed you play, ensure that you are not speeding up or slowing down.
Oscar
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: The first eight measures of “Sonata” by J. S. Bach. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VYJX4ERbTiJ1d8ePZ2h7ldbheEz5yKpq
How to practice it most effectively: Practice reading the notes on the page while you play. It may be easy enough now to just play from memory, but as we move further into the piece, the phrases get longer and more difficult to commit to memory right away. It is important that you get in the habit of looking up to read the notes and rhythms.
Nate O.
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: The beats and fills from “The Seed 2.0” by The Roots. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s
How to practice it most effectively: Open the PDF titled “For Nate” and take a look at the notes that I wrote for you. The most important thing to work on is the transitions between the fills and the beats. It’s one thing to be able to play each element by itself, but another thing to be able to play them all in succession without pausing or hesitating. This is what you need to work on when you practice. Start with just the first fill and the main beat. Then add the next fill, and practice just playing those parts together. Add a little bit more and practice those parts together. Little by little, work on playing the whole song without stopping or losing time.