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: Review all the comping rhythms we worked on in “Blue Train” and practice playing the new beat from “Take Five”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Have a listen to “Take Five” to remind yourself how the song goes. Then have a look at the notation I have provided and practice both of the first two lines. The first line is just the ride cymbal with the feet. The second line adds in the main snare notes. We will look at the third line next week, but for now, just focus on getting really good at playing the first two lines.
Elliot
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Review the first four syncopated bass drum beats and add beat #5 this week: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Always start by identifying which bass drum notes are syncopated, in other words, which bass drum notes do not play together with the hi-hat. It is important that you play these bass drum notes halfway in between the hi-hat notes without slowing down the speed of the hi-hat. The hi-hat should always keep a steady, eighth-note pulse.
Aidan
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the first 7 rhythms from the “Lesson Four” page that I have provided: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: For each rhythm, identify which of the snare notes play together with the ride cymbal and which ones (if any) play without the ride. Similarly, identify where the ride cymbal plays without the snare. Once you have all of this figured out, practice the rhythms together slowly. If you’re having trouble, then try practicing one hand at a time. Then put the hands back together.
Noah
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Review beats 1-3 on the ghost note page and also practice beats 4-6: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Take it slowly at first with all of these beats. If necessary, practice just the bass drum and snare drum rhythms without the hi-hat. Once you have a good handle on the rhythm, then put the whole thing together. Remember that the ghost notes should be played softer than the other snare notes.
Nate O.
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the intro, verse, and chorus of “Welcome To The Jungle”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Work through each section of “Welcome To The Jungle” with the sheets I have provided. Be careful in the chorus where the right hand switches from eighth notes on the hi-hat to quarter notes on the ride cymbal: the snare drum and bass drum rhythms stay the same, but the cymbal pattern changes to half speed.