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 practicing the song along with the recording.

Elliot

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the intro and the beginning of verse 1 of “Smoke On The Water”: https://drive.google.com/open?id=10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc

How to practice it most effectively: The intro of this song uses a simple 16th-note beat, but builds it in layers. First you play only the hi-hat, then you add in the snare drum part on 2 and 4, and then you add the bass drum notes on 1 and 3. Practice doing this build up first by yourself, then try playing it with the recording of the song. The verse beat uses 8th-notes on the hi-hat, and the bass drum rhythm is slightly different. Practice playing this beat along with the two fills that I have written down.

Aidan

Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice at least 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: Practice the intro and the beginning of verse 1 of “Smoke On The Water”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: The intro of this song uses a simple 16th-note beat, but builds it in layers. First you play only the hi-hat, then you add in the snare drum part on 2 and 4, and then you add the bass drum notes on 1 and 3. Practice doing this build up first by yourself, then try playing it with the recording of the song. The verse beat uses 8th-notes on the hi-hat, and the bass drum rhythm is slightly different. Practice playing this beat along with the two fills that I have written down.

Nate M.

Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the opening of “Red Barchetta” by Rush: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UJYz7hx_AeAM7Std0aj1Y1IyVd-8f86S?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: The beginning of this song has a triplet rhythm on the hi-hat where you close it with your foot on the beginning of the triplet, then strike it while it’s closed on the second note of the triplet, and then strike it while it’s open on the third note of the triplet. While doing this, you also have to play the bass drum and crash cymbal on the down beat of each bar. After this, there is a regular eighth-note beat played with the ride cymbal followed by a syncopated drum fill that moves around the toms. Listen to the recording to jog your memory about how this part goes.