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 beats and fills from Watermelon Man and play them together with the recording: https://drive.google.com/open?id=17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz

How to practice it most effectively: In addition to finishing up Watermelon Man, you should also spend some time working on the Rhumba beat that I showed you at the end of your last lesson. The rhythm on the snare is 1 (2) + (3) 4, 1 (2) + (3) 4, etc. So you don’t play on 2 or 3, but you do play on the “+” of 2. Then, put this together with the bass drum part which is just 1 (2) 3 (4), etc. (only play on 1 and 3). If you can get these two parts working together, then we can build on it next week.

Elliot

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice playing the intro, verse, and chorus from “Highway to Hell”: https://drive.google.com/open?id=10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc

How to practice it most effectively: The most important thing is to remember to count. You know the beats and the fills, you just need to work out the timing or how everything fits together. In order to do this accurately and consistently, you need to count every bar (1 2 3 4) and play close attention to when each transition takes place.

Aidan

Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the first 9 lines of the new snare drum solo: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi

How to practice it most effectively: You can now play the first 7 lines pretty well. Focus this week on really nailing the dynamics and keeping your rhythms even when playing at a low volume. Also, work on gradually increasing the tempo as you practice. With the other lines (8 & 9) that are new this week, just work on figuring out the rhythms and practice making your flams sound consistently the same.

Noah

Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice playing all of the 12/8 beats and fills that we have worked on so far: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: With the new fills that we worked on this week, it is important to notice which notes are eighth notes and which are sixteenths. Remember that the eighth notes are longer so don’t rush through them. Also, be sure to maintain the feeling of groups of three (or six) whenever playing in 12/8. Check out the stickings (rights and lefts) that I wrote underneath the new fills.

Nate M.

Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice the ghost note beats (#s 19-22) as well as Beat #1 and #2 from Watermelon Man: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UJYz7hx_AeAM7Std0aj1Y1IyVd-8f86S?usp=sharing

How to practice it most effectively: Practice each of the beats from the first page of Watermelon Man. Then, see if you can work out the transition between beat #1 and beat #2. Listening to the song will help. Remember that the last bass drum note of beat 1 acts like the first bass drum note of beat 2; that’s why there is no bass drum note at the beginning of beat 2. Read the notation carefully and practice slowly.

Nate O.

Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day

What to practice: Practice both beats from “Come and Go” by Juice WRLD: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s

How to practice it most effectively: Take these beats really slowly and focus on figuring out the rhythm of the bass drum. Remember that each bass drum note will line up with one of the hi-hat notes; you just have to figure out which one and what that means for the rhythm. Once you have the rhythm in your head, then try playing it without looking at the music. Listening to the song will help with this.