Hi everyone,

Here are your practice assignments for this week:

Paula

Great work this week at your first lesson. Review the things that we worked on including rhythms (quarter notes and eighth notes), drum beats (using the hi-hat, snare drum, and bass drum) and the transition between the beat and the rhythm (moving around the drums). Next week we will briefly go over these things again and continue to build on these concepts.

Will

Practice beat #9 and #10 from the sheet this week. Be careful especially careful with #10 because it is tricky. Count the beats out loud to make sure that you are playing accurately and try to listen for where the snare drum is supposed to play. Also, continue to review the rhythms we have been working on.

Oscar

Look at the new jazz rhythms I gave you this week. Try to figure them out at home by counting the rhythms out loud. Notice where the snare drum plays on the beat and where it plays off the beat. Whenever you see an eighth note rest followed by an eighth note, the eighth note will be played off the beat.

Isaac

Practice the song “10,000 Reasons” this week and focus on listening to how the beat fits in with the rest of the song. The first step is to identify where the pulse is (“1 2 3 4”). Listen carefully to the voice and the other instruments to be able to find the pulse. Then, make sure that you play the bass drum on beats 1 and 3, and the snare drum on beats 2 and 4. Once you can do this, then you should practice switching from the hi-hat to the ride cymbal between the verse and chorus.

Leonie

Take a look at the beat I wrote down for you from “La Villa Strangiato” by Rush. Focus on playing the 16th notes on the hi-hat and getting the hi-hat open on the right parts of the beat. Then try adding the snare on beat 4. Finally, if you’re up for it, try adding in the bass drum notes. Practice it slow!

Nate

Practice the two main beats from “Fool in the Rain” by Led Zeppelin. Work on keeping your right hand loose when you play the shuffle pattern on the hi-hat. If you’re too tight then you won’t be able to get the speed that you need. Also, listen carefully for how the different parts of the beat line up with one another. This beat is particularly tricky to play “in the pocket” – it requires a lot of listening and slow practice to make sure everything sounds right.

Alexy

Great work with the beats from the sheet I gave you. This week, practice the two-bar phrases that I wrote down for you on the back of the sheet. Focus on keeping the speed consistent and rhythms accurate. And remember to stay loose when you play! Also, practice the chorus from “Back in Black” by ACDC. Listen to the song a few times to help you learn the rhythm of the three crashes and the flam at the end of the chorus.