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 playing the comping rhythms we have worked on with the backing track on Youtube (link provided below): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VmZwkqi0HU Listen to this backing track for drums and practice playing the jazz ride pattern along with the music. After you feel comfortable doing that, then try playing the comping rhythms from the page that we’ve worked on together with the recording. I have provided a new page of comping rhythms in your folder if you want to explore that too.

Elliot

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Review the guitar solo section and verse 3 of Smoke on the Water and then practice playing all the way through the song with the recording: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Take a look at the tricky drum fills in the guitar solo section and verse 3. Read the rhythms carefully and then work them out on the drums. After you have practiced these sections, go back to the beginning of the tune and try to play all the way through. Then, work on addressing any other spots that might give you trouble. Next week we will start with playing through the whole song.

Aidan

Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the three main beats from “Fool in the Rain” by Led Zeppelin: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Work on the ghost notes in the first beat and then try to get the whole thing up to speed. After that, work on the second main beat and try to connect it with the first one. This is a tricky transition, but if you listen to the song a bunch of times, you’ll be able to hear how the beats connect. Finally, work on the accent pattern in the third main beat.

Noah

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice accent patterns #53-56: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Work through these accent patterns slowly. Don’t try to go fast right from the beginning. Focus on accuracy and consistency before increasing the speed. Once you get to #56, practice moving the right hand accents around the drums in different way. You can even try moving the accents onto the cymbals in combination with the drums. Be creative!

Nate M.

Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: *Please* print the sheet music for “Red Barchetta” by Rush and focus on the section starting at letter “E” to the end of the tune: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UJYz7hx_AeAM7Std0aj1Y1IyVd-8f86S?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Practice the 7/4 section slowly until it feels comfortable enough to play faster. Once you get it up to the speed of the song, then practice it together with the recording. After that, continue working through the rest of the song. Pay close attention to the fourth-last line on page 4 which we worked on in your lesson.

Nate O.

Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the main beat and the other sections from “Ride” by 21 Pilots: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Practice the main beat with both hands playing the 16th notes on the hi-hat. This means that the bass drum notes will connect with the notes played by both your left and right hands. With the section that begins with “I’ve been thinkin’ too much,” remember that the “drag” on the snare drum should be played as close as possible to the following bass drum note.