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:
Aidan
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: Exercises 13-18 from Lesson 6. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi
How to practice it most effectively: Follow the same process that we have used in your lesson. First count the rhythm of the snare drum/bass drum line. Identify the rhythmic value of each note and make sure that you can fit each rhythm into a 16th-note grid. Then, once you can comfortably count the rhythm out loud, then try to play it on the bass drum and snare drum. Once you’re comfortable with that, then add in the eighth notes on the hi-hat. This part should be steady and even.
Will
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: Exercises 17-20 from Lesson 6 and the third and fourth lines of rhythm from “Syncopation page 29”. https://drive.google.com/open?id=17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz
How to practice it most effectively: Great work with the drum beats from Lesson 6! Keep working through them slowly and make sure that you can count out loud the rhythms before you try to play them on the drums. Also, practice playing the rhythms from the first four lines of page 29 from the Syncopation book. First, play them on the snare drum. Then try playing them on the snare drum with quarter notes on the bass drum. Next, experiment with different ways of moving the rhythms around the drums. Finally, combine these rhythms as drum fills with a drum beat of your choosing.
Elliot
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the first two lines of rhythm from page 29 of “Syncopation.” https://drive.google.com/open?id=10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc
How to practice it most effectively: Practice each bar of rhythm individually. Don’t try to play the whole page but rather focus on the first two lines. Identify which notes are quarter notes, which are eighth notes, and which are sixteenth notes. Count the rhythms out loud and write the counting on the page if necessary. Finally, practice moving these rhythms around the drums and playing them as drum beats in combination with a simple beat.
Alexy
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: Exercises 21-25 from “Lesson 5” as well as the rhythm exercises from the first four lines of “Syncopation” page 29. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MOQ0wuxOjWJ3H46kSSuJleBV6eZMuaZi
How to practice it most effectively: You’re doing really well with the beats from “Lesson 5.” Spend another week working on the last five exercises on the page just to really solidify the rhythms and try to push the tempo a bit as the beats begin to feel more comfortable. Also work on reading the rhythms from the first three or four lines of page 29. Experiment with moving the rhythms around the drums and practice playing them as drum fills. Finally, make some time to listen to some music this week and give me some suggestions next week of some music that you might like to learn.
Oscar
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: The “B” section of “Sonata” by J. S. Bach. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VYJX4ERbTiJ1d8ePZ2h7ldbheEz5yKpq
How to practice it most effectively: Read through this section of the piece carefully and identify which parts of the melody are transpositions of earlier material. Much of this section mirrors the opening of the piece but moves through different key areas. Identifying this connection will help you in learning the material more efficiently. Also, be careful of all the extra sharps that are added to the music as it moves through different key areas. Remember that these accidentals extend throughout the bar unless they are cancelled by a natural sign.
Nate O.
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: The verse and chorus beats from “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s
How to practice it most effectively: With the verse beat, focus on keeping a consistent rhythm between the snare drum and the bass drum. Remember that there are only three bass drum notes in this particular beat. Don’t make things more difficult for yourself by adding extras. For the chorus beat, focus on keeping the eighth notes steady as they move between the crash cymbal and the hi-hat. Also, make sure the bass drum and snare drum notes line up properly with these eighth notes.