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: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice all of the accent patterns we worked on in your lesson and also write down the names of any songs you’re interested in learning this year: https://drive.google.com/open?id=17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz
How to practice it most effectively: Practice each of the accent patterns individually with the accents on the toms and the non-accented notes on the snare drum. Focus on keeping the soft notes soft and soft and the loud notes loud. Make sure you know which accents should be played with the right hand and which should be played with the left. Also, try practicing the accent patterns in the following combinations: #1 & #2, #3 & #4, #3 & #5, #2 & #6, #4 & #7, #3 & #8.
Elliot
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Keep working on the 16th-note beats, especially #s 7-10: https://drive.google.com/open?id=10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc
How to practice it most effectively: Practice these beats slow enough that you can count the rhythm in your head as you play. This will ensure that you play with accuracy and consistency. Once the beat starts to feel comfortable, then you can try speeding it up. Never go faster than you are able to play accurately. Try to play each beat at least four times in a row without stopping.
Aidan
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the the flam rudiments and double stroke rolls that we worked on in your lesson: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi
How to practice it most effectively: Focus this week on the flam, flam accent, flam tap, flamacue, flam paradiddle, 5-stroke roll, 7-stroke roll, and 9-stroke roll. Practice with a metronome in order to keep time and gradually increase the speed until you hit your limit for each rudiment. Each day try to push yourself a little bit further. Be sure to maintain consistency with your stickings and the motion of your arms.
Noah
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice playing all three pages of “Misunderstanding” by Genesis: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Spend some more time practicing through the last page slowly. Be careful to identify which drum each note should be played on. The high and middle tom are notated above the snare drum line and the low tom is notated below the snare. Also, practice playing from the beginning of the song to the end. If you feel ready for it, try playing with the recording.
Nate M.
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: Keep working on you rudiments and rolls and also work on finding another song you’d like to learn: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UJYz7hx_AeAM7Std0aj1Y1IyVd-8f86S?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Focus on the multiple bounce stroke roll, double stroke roll, flam, flam accent, flam tap, flamacue, drag, and drag tap. For the multiple bounce roll, work on smoothing out the bounces and keeping the volume even between your hands. For the double stroke roll, work on using your fingers to control each stroke. With the flam and drag rudiments, pay close attention to the stickings and keep the sticks close to the drum. Only lift the sticks higher when you need to accent a particular note.
Nate O.
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the main beat and the first fill from Chameleon by Herbie Hancock: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s
How to practice it most effectively: Remember that the snare drum and bass drum rhythms in this beat are syncopated. Look closely at how these rhythms line up with the pulse on the hi-hat. Practice the beat slowly so that you can play it accurately and consistently. Count the rhythm in your head as you play. Once you feel comfortable with the beat, then move on to the fill and try to put the fill together with the beat.