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:
Will
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: The fill from Pre-Chorus 2 in “Arabella” by the Arctic Monkeys. https://drive.google.com/open?id=17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz
How to practice it most effectively: Open the PDF document titled “For Will” and check out the notes that I wrote down for you. Practice the fill by counting the first three beats on the hi-hat (1 + 2 + 3) and then play the rhythms around the drums. Be very careful to use the stickings that I wrote down for you especially on the triplet sixteenth notes. These stickings will be crucial later on when we try to play the fill faster.
Elliot
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: The three parts of “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: Open the pdf document titled “For Elliot” and review the three parts of the song that I wrote down for you. Practice playing them in a cycle just like at the beginning of the song: 4 times through the first part, 6 times through the second part, 2 times through the third part, and then back to the beginning. Be sure to keep a steady tempo as you transition between sections.
Alexy
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: The transition from the bridge back to the main beat and the variations of the main beat that come in at the end. Also, the new exercises from “Lesson 5.” https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MOQ0wuxOjWJ3H46kSSuJleBV6eZMuaZi
How to practice it most effectively: Open the two PDF documents titled “For Alexy” and “Lesson 5.” The first one contains the rest of the notes on playing Smoke on the Water. Once you have reviewed the notes, practice playing the song from start to finish. Try it once without the recording, and then try playing it with the recording. On the sheet titled “Lesson 5,” try playing just the first 6 exercises. Focus on keeping a steady beat and identifying the rhythms correctly.
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: Open the PDF document titled “Bach Sonata.” Just like we did in your lesson, practice identifying the motion (steps, skips, or leaps) within each group of four notes. This is a good method for sight-reading music. Once you get a good sense of how the melody goes, plan out your stickings so that your mallets don’t get tangled up on the keyboard. Write in the stickings on your sheet music.
Aidan
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: The 4 beat variations from “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock and the first 6 exercises from Lesson 6. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi
How to practice it most effectively: You already have the 4 beat variations from “Watermelon Man” written down at home. Practice playing them in combination with one another: move from one beat to the next and back again without stopping or losing time. This is essentially how the song goes. Also, open the PDF document titled “Lesson 6” and practice the first 6 exercises. Just like we did in your lesson, play the snare drum/bass drum rhythm first, then add in the hi-hat. If this proves too difficult, then slow it down and go back to playing just the snare/bass rhythm first.