Thursday 29/93/18 6pm

This Easter start work on London Town: we finished looking at the groove fur the first three bars. Take your time over this. Name sure you are getting the feel secure and a good sound while you build the coordination to bring this groove up to tempo as it will serve you well in the long term. 

Thursday 29/03/18 4pm

This week's focus was on starting to incorporate 1/4 note accents on the hi hat while playing ghost notes on the snare. Use the ex's below to focus on the hi hat pattern with various bass drum patterns before moving on to the two groove examples from the break beat bible last week. 

Next lesson we start looking at accents to help with "pull outs" 

Thursday 22/03/18 8pm

This week focus on the solo for mohair mountain. Play through the solo section counting the bar of 7 aloud and just playing the snare as a fill. When this is secure try voicing around the kit. Start to explore using different subdivisions to fill out the phrase. 

Thursday 22/03/18 7pm

Really good lesson this week! Use page 33 of syncopation as the basis of your practice this week. 

Step 1: play each phrase as 8th notes and also 16ths. Really internalise the rhythm. 

Step 2: play the phrase on the bass drum and fill in the gaps with the left hand, play time on the hi-hat. Again do this as 8ths and 16ths. 

Step 3: do the same playing the phrase on the snare and the gaps on the bass. 

Step 4: play as a linear phrase (voice as a groove and around the kit as a melodic idea) 

Step 5: try displacing the phrase by starting it on a different beat of the bar. 

Focus on one phrase per practice session. Try applying to some songs or backing tracks! 

Thursday 22/03/18 6.30pm

Below is the groove for hurricane by trombone shorty. 

This you played well to the track. Keep the feel consistent throughout. 

Practice the transom from the 5:4 comp into the 6:4 solo for Kitas 5 

Thursday 22/03/18 6pm

Warning: overall played well this week. Try not tense up and anticipate the fills. This leads to over hitting and poor phrasing/ feel. Keep a consistent swung feel to the groove throughout the piece! 

Use the groove below to warm up your right foot using sextuplet doubles before you try it to the track! 

Thursday 5.30pm

Warm up this week with the triplet fill sticking in your book. Really make sure your playing the rhythm correctly. Count the triplet aloud if you need to. Stick to an alternate RLRL sticking to start with. 

New rules: the transition fill into the pre chorus can be played but again take care with the triplet phrase . The Gaps between the crash on beat 1 and the floor Tom notes should be consistent! 

Thursday 23/03/18 5pm

Paradiddle ex: practice your 16th note paradiddle but now take your right hand for a walk around the kit. Just make sure you keep strictly to a RLRRLRLL sticking. 

You give love a bad name: below us the first groove. You played this well just make sure you are counting and focusing on the coordination keeping the 1:4 in the right hand even and secure! 

Thursday 23/03/18 4.30pm

Reggae muffin: great work on this this week. The feel and accuracy are really taking shape. Just be mindful of the left hand variation at the end if each line. Start working out the first part of the solo for next week. 

Thursday 23/03/18 4pm

Warm up: paradiddle warm up this week same as last but phrase the accents around the kit. Try using as a 1 bar fill. 

Discoveries: well done for managing all four bars this week! 

Ale below is the break beat grooves. Apply the ghost note technique we looked at and also the moeller tech in the hi-hat accenting the 1/4 notes. Relax the grip with the thumb and index finger and use the back fingers to control the stroke a little more 

Monday 19/03/18 5pm

Warm up with this two bar fill ex using the linear exercise from last week. Be aware this fill starts and finishes on beat 4 so count it carefully. Your aim is for relaxed even 16th notes. If it feels jerky or disjointed you are probably going too fast. 

Fall out: good work on the intro riff for this. Make sure you have a listen to it and re cap at a slower tempo BEFORE you try and play it to the track. We will start next week with section A so practice hard! 

Monday 19/03/18 4pm

Warm up: have a go at your 16th note double strokes for next week. Drop the stick and Aim for a relaxed rebound. Let the back fingers open if they need to. Technique is more important than speed! 

Dora and Bootsy: everyone played really well to the track this week. Keep working on it up to section B  (or beyond if you feel you want to). A tight solid feel is important with special attention to the hi-hat open and closes! 

for you: well played to the track this week. We will start with this next lesson so see how much you ca really master by then! 

Thursday 15/03/18 9pm

Ben: ex no 1 recap watch the doubles in the last line stay nice and confident. Start putting together the first two lines of ex2 

Reggae muffin: make sure you play the rim click variations in bar 6, 10 etc with some snap, keeping the swung feel consistent.

Neil: eye if the tiger was really good this week. All the films and transitions were correct and present. Now you need to believe you can do it as this will help it sound relaxed and confident! 

Start working on the intro to are you gonna go my way 

Thursday 15/03/18 8.30pm

Seven nation army: grooves to this were sounding good this week! Stay relaxed and try to keep the bass drums nice and solid. 

 Below is the new groove we looked at for uptown funk. Give this a practice for next lesson. 

Thursday 15/03/18 8pm

Warm up this week: bar 26 of mohair mountain but now with the left fit added in. This coordination will be very important moving forward so spend some time developing this. 

Use this ex to help with this: 

Pop it in the top: work on the 16th note double bass drum fir next week. 

Thursday 15/03/18 7pm

Played it right: some nice work going on this lesson. The overall feel and sound are much improved and you are able to pick out musical elements and phrases to start playing around with. 

Experiment with the 2 beat fill we looked at in the bar of 6:4. Start with the simple 16th nite fill and then start exploring some different voicing ideas. 

Bring in some drumming on a track or by a player that you really like. 

Thursday 15/03/18 6.30pm

Kita's 5: good improvement from last lesson. Keep working on the 6/4 solo. Have a look at some Afro Cuban style grooves in 6:8 and 12:8 to see if you can get some ideas. 

Thursday 15/03/18 6pm

Based on your lesson on Monday I would like you to focus on the sextuplet transition fill at the end of the guitar solo, making sure you acknowledge the accent/ ghost notes clearly to give the fill a strong shape. 

Start listening through London Town for next lesson! 

Thursday 15/03/18 5.30pm

Warm up this week is to focus on the sticking fir the precious if the Matt McGuire track. Start slow really focusing on the control and evenness of the control strokes in the left hand. 

Have a play through the shuffle grooves to help with your music at school. Watch you don't rush the swung 8th notes in the right hand. 

Thursday 15/03/18 4pm

Warm up this week is the accented paradiddle ex below. Stick to one repetition to start with! 

This is starting to look good with clear accents and stuck height control so try not rush it. 

Discoveries: focus on the last two bars of the first groove. Well played today 

Monday 12/03/18 7.30pm

Warm up: use the ex's below as phrase ideas to build some fills out of. You. Can fill the gaps with double strokes, shape the phrase with flams or use the bass drum to make it linear. 

Keep working on the groove to the Latin piece. Use the double paradiddle sticking to help get the coordination established! 

Monday 12/03/18 7pm

Warm up: keep working on the sextuplets sticking for next week. If it's easier combine 2 beat of 8th note triplets with 2 beats of sextuplets. 

Use the three ex's below to build some fill ideas. Try playing no more than two notes on the same sound  meaning you will have to split the 16th nite groupings over two sounds on the kit. 

Beat it: great work on this groove this week. Try counting aloud to help create a secure feel to a metronome. Start around the 95bom mark and see how far you can take it! Really good development accords the board in your sound and technique! 

Monday 12/03/18 6pm

Warm up: this week is the linear ex below. Use it to work on your fluency between the hand and feet. 

Tiberius: good work with this piece guys! Make sure to fill is secure into the second page. 

Listen really carefully to the guitar solo for the cue when to play the fill and try not to rush it! 

Warning: excellent playing this week! Just the second half of the second page to get secure in order to finish this piece now! 

Monday 12/03/18 5pm

Warm up : use the exercise below to practice your double bass drum technique. Remember the two stage technique we started looking at. Once this feels comfortable try voicing it around the kit or using it as a drum fill/ solo. 

Fall out: almost everyone is familiar with the first two bars of this piece now. Your task for next week is to look at the two fills for the end of the second and fourth line of section A.thus should mean you can start to piece together all of section a now. 

Monday 12/03/18 4pm

First two bars of Dora bootsy need practicing for next week. Make sure all the hi-hats are closing with the hi hat inside the groove! 

Also look at the groove at B for next week. Watch out for the first note of the bar being played on the snare and crash! Make sure you start slow and read carefully! 

For you: keep running through this for next week! 

8pm

7pm

Thursday 08/03/18 5pm

Warm up: this week focus on the exercise below. Play the excercise as singles to start with. Then introduce a double stroke on the first right hand, then the first left hand, then the second right hand etc. Keep an even flow of notes with no change in the hand motion. 

Chop Suey: all the parts if this don't are now taking shape. Work on each groove and fill focusing on accuracy. Watch out for your right hand coordination in the groove from last week as occasionally it drifts to follow your left hand. Next week we will focus on smooth transitions between the grooves and fills. 

Thursday 4pm 08/03/18

Great work on discoveries today! The first three bars are sounding good, take your time especially with the transition between bar 2 and 3. 

Below is the fill/ exercise t start buliding the linear double stroke bass drums into your playing. Short two beat fills starting on beat 2 and finishing on the 4. Experiment with voicing and sucking options 

Monday 05/03/18 7.30pm

Warm up: take the first five ex's from the page below. Okay each phrase but playing a flam for each note. When this is comfortable straight and swung try filling in the gaps with unaccented notes. Get each phrase to feel complete and realised. 

Also below us the transition into the first verse of played it right try and get this to the track by next week! 

Monday 05/03/18 7pm

Warm up: use the sextuplet exercise below as your warm this week. Try and count the triplet while you play. Stay relaxed and aim for the neutral wrist position we looked at. 

Also here is ex 5 from lesson 10 in syncopation. Start using this to build some fill ideas 

Beat it: the groove below is for the track beat it. Take your time Woking on this. Don't be tempted to rush or play it too fast to start. Feel the melody and internalise the groove keep checking your self to make sure you're not hitting too hard! 

Monday 5/03/18 5pm

Warm up: tech ex's from the the rock school grade 3. Especially the singles  and doubles 

Below are the two Michael Jackson grooves you learned. 

 Have a go each one. Take your time making sure the groove is tight and sits together before you try speeding it up or looping it. Remember the aim is the tight pop feel on the records. 

Keep working in the intro and first two lines of fallout for next week also. 

Monday 5/03/18 5pm

Warm up: tech ex's from the the rock school grade 3. Especially the singles  and doubles 

Below are the two Michael Jackson grooves you learned. 

 Have a go each one. Take your time making sure the groove is tight and sits together before you try speeding it up or looping it. Remember the aim is the tight pop feel on the records. 

Keep working in the intro and first two lines of fallout for next week also. 

Monday 05/03/18 4pm

Warm up: pick one bar from the first two lines of the 40 bar ex. Practice on the snare first. When it feels comfortable try playing it around the drum kit. 

Dora and bootsy: today we looked at the 1/4 note open hi-hats in Dora and Bootsy. It us important you can play these long sounds on the hi-hat with ease.

When you are comfortable with each bar separately try playing 1+2 together. 

Keep practicing "for you" as well!