Hi everyone. Please print this new practice log for the coming weeks. Bring it to every lesson and don’t forget to have a parent/guardian sign off on each day, even if you didn’t practice. Thanks!   -Rob

Ezra

Basic Beats + fills

  • Before you start playing, listen to the song for a bit and try to identify when the snare drum is playing. This will tell you where beats “2” and “4” are.
  • Count 8th notes out loud
  • Using the “Basic Beats” patterns, play 2 bars of the pattern followed by 2 bars of filling. I want you to improvise the fills (make them up on the spot)
  • Play along to What I Like by Bruno Mars
  • Remember to focus more on listening to the recording than your own playing. This will keep you in time.

Counting Craziness

  • Exercises 1-4
  • Repeat and add bass drum
  • Play along to a metronome at quarter notes = 60 bpm. Increase the tempo by 5 bpm increments until you can play it at 80 bpm

Elora

“Counting Craziness” worksheet

  • Play along to a metronome where 8th notes = 120 bpm. Increase the tempo by 5 bpm increments until you can play it at 140 bpm

Basic Beats

  • Count one bar of 8th notes before you start playing and continue as you play.
  • Play along to a metronome where 8th notes = 150 bpm. You can try going even faster but it’s up to you.

Isobel

Remember to plug your headphones into the drum mat. Have a speaker/computer/tablet/etc. next to you to play the song out of.

Dynamite

  • Play along to Dynamite by Taio Cruz.
  • Here are the patterns written out. Pattern 1 is played during the verses and choruses, and pattern 2 is played during the “bridge” (2 minutes into the linked video). The bridge finishes at the 3-minute mark, which is when you should go back to playing pattern 1.

Ewan

To properly use your drum mat, you need to sit on a chair where your feet touch the floor. Put your drum mat on a second chair in front of you. Because it’s difficult to hear the bass drum when it’s coming out of the drum mat’s built-in speaker, you should use headphones. They make the bass drum sound louder. Plug your headphones into the back of the speaker where it says “headphones”. Have a speaker/computer/tablet/etc. next to you to play the song out of.

Dynamite

  • Play along to Dynamite by Taio Cruz.
  • Here are the patterns written out. Pattern 1 is played during the verses and choruses, and pattern 2 is played during the “bridge” (2 minutes into the linked video). The bridge finishes at the 3-minute mark, which is when you should go back to playing pattern 1.