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: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the new page of “Beggin’” and the funk beat variations from “Groove Essentials”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Work through the new section of Beggin’ just like we have with the other sections: slowly and taking care to account for every note on the page. Once you feel comfortable with this new material, then try to link it together with everything else. For the funk beat variations, just work through them slowly and count the rhythms as you play.

Elliot

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Review the two-measure beats from “Lesson 5”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: With the two-measure beats, work through them the same way as we have with the one-measure beats: count the bass and snare rhythm, then play this rhythm without the hi-hat, then add in the hi-hat pulse. You can also practice these beats one measure at a time at first. The most important thing is to understand how each note of the bass/snare rhythm relates to the hi-hat pulse.

Damian

Recommended minutes to practice: 5-10 minutes per day

What to practice: Review the “12/8 beats” and each of the fills: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jaROP8emrq7yGkV13Mt_Js4NVtEz-sCl?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Focus on fills #1 #2 #4 and #5 (don’t worry about 3). Practice playing each one in combination with the beats at the top of the page. Remember to always count either out loud or in your head as you play. This is really important so that you know you’re not adding any extra notes or leaving any out. With fill #2 and #5, remember to switch the rhythm from one drum to the next.

Nate O.

Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day

What to practice: Review each of the variations of the two drum beats we have been working on: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Remember to count either in your head or out loud as you play so that you know you are not adding in any extra notes or leaving anything out. The rhythms in these variations are sometimes quite different from the original beats, so follow the notation carefully. Take it slowly at first and play through each beat a few times in a row without stopping before moving on.

Noah

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the new rhythm together with the main beat from “Centuries”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Work on counting the snare rhythm out loud before you try to play it. This will help with accuracy and consistency. Then, when you do play it, focus on feeling the pulse (1 2 3 4 …) as you play. The rhythm is quite syncopated, so it’s important to be able to feel where the pulse is and how the rhythm relates to that pulse in order for the whole thing to stay in time.

Koel

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Review the intro, verse 1, and chorus of “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SCS8WVjfR1OZVlYmt8a1r2LTxo2NJOpN?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Focus this week on smoothing out the transitions from the end of each line to the beginning of the next. Be sure the rhythm of each fill is correct and that it leads into the down beat of the next measure. Then, once you feel comfortable playing both pages, work on playing the whole thing close to the speed of the recording. Sing the melody in your head as you play to check how close you are.

Sylvie

Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice each of the left hand rhythms from “Lesson One” together with the jazz ride pattern and foot patterns: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KGeo9VGh3JOWzwpGhEe1DbXMRuQiG7lL?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Focus on the rhythms that we worked on in your lesson: #3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Once you feel comfortable playing these ones, then try some of the others. Regardless of what your left hand is doing, ensure that the rhythm played by your right hand on the ride cymbal doesn’t change. It is critical to have that jazz ride pattern stay the same. Also, try playing each exercise with both of the different foot patterns.