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 lines 6 and 7 from Syncopation page 29 as well as the intro and verse 1 of “Beggin’”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Keep working on the rhythms from Syncopation page 29 the same way we have been in your lessons. For the song “Beggin’,” practice as much of the first page as you can. Look closely at the notation and be sure to take note of when the hi-hat is playing eighth notes instead of quarter notes.
Elliot
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice beats 1-4 from the page “Syncopated Bass Drum Beats”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Take these beats slowly at first. Pay close attention to which bass drum beats are played in between the hi-hat notes. Count the rhythms either out loud or in your head. Once you feel comfortable playing the beat slowly, then gradually try to play it faster.
Noah
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the seventh and eighth line of rhythm from Syncopation page 29 as well as the verse beat from “Can’t Stop”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Dga1ZBRWaN_Ka4O1G009w-74c4VaZCj7?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Keep working on the rhythms from Syncopation page 29 the same way we have been in your lessons. Remember to try to think of different ways of moving the rhythms around the drums. For the verse beat from the song “Can’t Stop,” take it slow and make sure that all the bass drum and snare drum notes are in the right spots.
Koel
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: Review beats 5-9 of the syncopated bass drum beats: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SCS8WVjfR1OZVlYmt8a1r2LTxo2NJOpN?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Practice each of these beats at least four times in a row without stopping (even more if possible). Start at a slow speed. Once you can comfortably play each beat four times in a row at the slow speed, then try it again at a slightly faster speed. Repeat this process until you can’t go any faster. Also, have a listen to some Led Zeppelin songs this week. Next week we will pick one to start learning.
Damian
Recommended minutes to practice: 5-10 minutes per day
What to practice: Practice the rhythm exercises from the page titled “Sixteenth Notes” and also the beats from “Immigrant Song”: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jaROP8emrq7yGkV13Mt_Js4NVtEz-sCl?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Practice counting out loud the rhythm exercises on the “Sixteenth notes” page. Once you have counted each rhythm out loud, the play it while counting. This is the best way to learn rhythms accurately. Take the same approach to playing the beats from “Immigrant Song”: count the rhythm out loud and then play it while continuing to count.
Nate O.
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: Keep working on the first page of “Never Lost” by Cece Winans: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s?usp=sharing
How to practice it most effectively: Focus on the beats and fills in verse 2 and the chorus. The triplets on the toms in verse 2 should be played after the bass drum and before the snare drum (not the other way around) in the second bar. Make sure that you can hear how this beat fits into the song. Same thing with the chorus: read the notation carefully, practice the beat, and then make sure that you can hear it in the song.