Hi students and parents!

Everyone did really well this week. I always love to hear you play, and you’re always impressing me.

Jacinto: This week, I need you to practice playing an 8th note groove with your hands, and placing the bass drum in the 8 different spots on the 8th note grid (1, 2, 3, 4, + of 1, + of 2, + of 3, + of 4). I also need you to listen to some rock songs (AC/DC works) and tell me if you can recognize where the bass drum is being played.

Asher: Next week, I want you to bring in a song that you’d like to learn on the drums. I would also like you to play your basic rock groove while holding the hihat tighter with your left foot, and striking the snare drum right in the centre with your left hand.

Ezra: Please play When the Levee Breaks along with the track. Wear headphones, so that you can hear what John Bonham is playing and try to mimic it to the best of your ability. Remember not to mash the beater into the bass drum head, and to play those two left hand strokes on the snare drum with the first being louder than the second. Think of it like an echo. I would also like you to take a listen to Amen Brother by The Winstons (https://youtu.be/GxZuq57_bYM) and The Funky Drummer by James Brown (https://youtu.be/dNP8tbDMZNE). These three grooves (including the Led Zeppelin song) are among the most sampled grooves of all time, and are important to all modern drummers! Keep an eye on your hands to make sure your fulcrum is working (index finger and thumb), and your other fingers are not flying off the stick. Don’t squeeze too hard – stay relaxed!

Chloe: Listen to Thumbs by Sabrina Carpenter and snap along! Keep playing that 8th note rock groove, and move your right hand around to different areas of the kit for different textures. Remember the different parts of the stick and cymbal, and how you can use them to create different sounds – bell, face, and edge of cymbal; tip, shoulder, and butt of stick. EXPERIMENT!

ALL STUDENTS: Please acquire a copy of Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer by Ted Reed. No big rush, but we will be working with this book!