Hi everyone,

With the transition 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:

Will

Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice all the way up to Chorus 2 of “Good Times Bad Times”: https://drive.google.com/open?id=17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz

How to practice it most effectively: Practice each section individually and then work on putting them together. Focus on the transitions and playing through each on with a steady pulse. Take it slowly at first to make sure that you can get through the transitions without pausing or hesitating. Spend some time listening to the song so that you can hear it clearly in your head while you’re playing.

Elliot

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Review all of the 16th-note beats and also try playing beat #1 along with “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple: https://drive.google.com/open?id=10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc

How to practice it most effectively: Try to go through each beat between 4-8 times in a row without stopping. With the easier beats, see how much you can push the speed while still maintaining a steady pulse. With beat #1, you can try playing it along with the song “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. It is easy to hear the 16th notes on the hi-hat in this song, so try to match what you hear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M

Aidan

Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the first three lines of “Drum Corps on Parade” as well as your rudiments: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi

How to practice it most effectively: With the snare solo, work on playing through the first three lines without stopping or hesitating. Do this many times at a slow speed before you try to go faster. Also, pay close attention to the placement of the accents within the rhythm. For the rudiments, focus on the double stroke rolls, paradiddles, flams, and flamacues.

Noah

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Review all of the 16th-note beats and also try playing beat #1 along with “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Try to go through each beat between 4-8 times in a row without stopping. With the easier beats, see how much you can push the speed while still maintaining a steady pulse. With beat #1, you can try playing it along with the song “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. It is easy to hear the 16th notes on the hi-hat in this song, so try to match what you hear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M

Nate M.

Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the three main beats from “Gotta Jibboo” by Phish as well as the one from “First Tube”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UJYz7hx_AeAM7Std0aj1Y1IyVd-8f86S?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Try to play each of the beats from “Gotta Jibboo” together with the song. Pay close attention to the rhythm of the bass drum. Make sure that it matches the rhythm of the bass guitar. Also, listen for where fills and crashes are added. In “First Tube,” practice the beat slowly before trying to put it together with the recording. Focus on playing the ghost notes very softly by keeping your stick low to the drum.

Nate O.

Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day

What to practice: Review all the beats and fills from “Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s

How to practice it most effectively: You have done a great job with this song! Keep working on the fills, particularly the long one on the second page. Remember that the crashes on the top line match the rhythm of the melody in this section of the song. Listen to the song to remind yourself how it goes. Practice playing all the fills together with the beat and try playing it together with the recording. In the new year, we will start something new.