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 ending of the “Beggin’”

How to practice it most effectively: You’ve got everything you need now to finish this song. Remember that the very last measure has sixteenth notes on the hi-hat, quarter notes on the bass drum, and it ends with a crash on the last note. Focus on the rhythm on the hi-hat in the measures right before the end. Once you are comfortable with this rhythm, the try to play it together with the bass drum on 2 and 4. Then practice playing from the top of page 4 to the end.

Elliot

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice each of the 12/8 beats together with the fills from the bottom of the page: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Review each of the fills individually. Remember that when you have groups of three eighth notes, the first group of three will be RLR and the second group will be LRL. When moving around the drums, be aware of which hand is moving first to each drum. Also, if you have time, try playing beat #2 along with “Oh Darlin’” by the Beatles and see if you can figure out some of the fills.

Damian

Recommended minutes to practice: 5-10 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the shuffle beat from the page I have provided: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jaROP8emrq7yGkV13Mt_Js4NVtEz-sCl?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: First, play the beat slowly to make sure you have the right rhythm. Remember that the cymbal rhythm is counted “1 2 3” but you only play on the “1” and the “3” (the “2” is a rest). Once you feel comfortable with the rhythm, then try practicing the beat at faster speeds. Keep your arms relaxed and don’t try to play too loud. This beat should be pretty laid back!

Nate O.

Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day

What to practice: Review the chorus from “Swing Lynn” by Twin Cabins and practice playing all the way through the song: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: The biggest issues with this song are speed and endurance. In order to play that fast for the whole duration of the song, you will need to focus on staying relaxed as much as possible as you play. Remember to use more wrist than elbow and try not to play too loud. This will help you to be able to play faster and longer.

Noah

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the Groove Essentials funk beat and the two variations: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Practice these beats slowly and focus on all the small details: the accents and ghost notes, the open and closed hi-hats, the bounce strokes, and all the rhythmic syncopation. It is important to grasp all of these details in order to get the right sound a feel for these beats. Once you feel comfortable playing them at a slow speed, then try playing them a little faster.

Koel

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice playing all the way through “Start Me Up”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SCS8WVjfR1OZVlYmt8a1r2LTxo2NJOpN?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Focus on keeping a consistent pulse and smoothing out the transitions between sections of the song. When you run through the song, try not to stop or pause. Even if you make mistakes, focus on keeping time and moving forward through the song like you would if you were playing with a full band. If you feel up for it, try playing along with a recording of the song.

Sylvie

Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day

What to practice: Review the first 8 exercises from “Lesson Four” and continue practicing the rest of the exercises on the page: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KGeo9VGh3JOWzwpGhEe1DbXMRuQiG7lL?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Just like we did with Lesson One, practice each of these rhythms first just on the snare drum, then together with the ride cymbal and foot patterns. It is important that you can maintain the jazz ride pattern with your right hand while playing the written rhythms with your left hand and not let one interfere with the other. Practice it slowly and listen carefully to what each hand is playing to ensure accuracy. Remember that all the rhythms need to be swung!