This section will ultimately be the centerpiece of my web site. Here, students can come to listen and watch examples of things that we cover in the lessons. Some of the things I teach are my own creations, others I picked up from my teachers. All of them are valuable in helping you achieve the 4 things that drummers need;
Control Endurance Power Speed
Here is part of my practice/teaching room. It comes equipped with air conditioning and heat, 2 full drum sets, practice pads, a PA system, drum machine, video camera, metronomes, just about every drum method book and video ever made, and the ever-so-important old and beat up couch!
Teaching is a big responsibility. Remember that a great player doesn't necessarily make a great teacher. They require 2 different sets of skills, and unfortunately many drummers wind up paying for lessons and learn nothing; or worse yet, they learn wrong.
I've been fortunate to study with some of the best teachers on Earth, and I regularly refer to their material to help my students. My teaching room is set equipped with drums, drum pads, a metronome, video camera, 2 drum machines, a PA system, and about every book and video you can think of.
People have different levels of natural ability, learning styles and attention spans. I approach each lesson with a mix of what they want to learn, and what they need to learn. Tying the 2 together isn't always easy, (especially if it involves a topic that the student isn't interested in) but I try to give an example of what it leads to in the future.
When a new student comes in, I ask them to set up the drums just as they would in their home. Once they do that, I'll point out some obvious (and not so obvious) ways they can adjust their bodies and drums to play more efficiently.
Proper technique begins with how you sit. Before you play 1 note, if you are sitting too high, too low, crooked, or slouching, then you are working harder than you need to. First thing I do is offer suggestions on how to sit.
After that, we do the “Dom Famularo Arm Trick”, and the “Dave Capuzelo feet trick”. They are both very advanced, high tech (please note my sarcasm here) and complicated ways of knowing exactly where your arms and feet should be. It takes about 3 seconds per limb to do, works like a charm every time, and dictates how the drums should be set up around your body.
Basics |
Basic 8th notes |
Basic 8th note groove
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[watch video]
Basic 8th notes groove & fill
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[watch video] |
Patterns |
Improvise any drum beat against any cymbal pattern |
This is big! Imagine having the ability to play any bass drum pattern, against any cymbal pattern, whenever you wanted. Think of the possibilities! It sounds difficult, yet in reality, it's quite simple. Takes some work to get used to, but once you understand the process, its truly priceless.
This is a 2 part system;
1. Hi Hat & Cymbal Ostinatos.
2. Bass drum exercises.
Cymbal ostinatos
Here are 12 ostinatos, all played with a basic 1 & 3 bass drum beat underneath it. Notice how simply altering the pattern on the Hi Hat (or ride cymbal) changes the feel of the beat dramatically. I've given 12 examples, but these are just the most common ones; there are many others to try.
[watch video]
Bass drum
The example I recorded is played to a simple 8 th note Hi Hat pattern. I play each phrase 4 times, and move on to the next one without stopping. This is important to do, because in real world playing you need to be able to jump from pattern to pattern without pausing or losing the tempo. Learn the 22 patterns, understand how to compound them, and then repeat the process for different ostinatos.
[download mp3]
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Linear |
Linear drumming examples |
Linear 3 - 8
These are the basic building blocks of Gary Chaffee's Linear drumming system. I play each example 4 times and move on to the next. They are played with no accents for this example. Metronome is set to 110, and these should be comfortable up to the 160 range.
[watch video]
Linear 6 - 6 - 6
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[watch video]
Extended linear 5 fill
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[watch video]
Extended oblique linear 5 & 7
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[watch video]
Linear 3 half time shuffle
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[watch video]
Linear hi hat fill
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[watch video]
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Jazz |
Jazz videos |
Bop
This is page 18 from John Rileys Bop drumming book. Notice the feathering of the bass drum. It should be felt, not heard. I'm actually playing it a bit louder than I should, but that's because I'm using lousy recording equipment, and its not picking up the bass unless I hit it harder! The snare is played with no dynamics in this example, and the HiHat is nice and crisp on 2 & 4.
[watch video] |
Mozambique |
Mozambique videos |
Mozambique part 1
Here is the Mozambique bell pattern. I'll start it off at a moderate speed, then slow it down, and finally add the Hi Hat. Once the Hi Hat is added, it becomes really easy to pick up the syncopation of the cow bell.
[watch video]
Mozambique part 2
Here is the same pattern, but now with the snare and toms played over it. I have not yet added the bass drum part. Again, I start off at a moderate speed, and then slow down. The pattern Im playing is a standard, basic Mozambique; this would be a good one to learn first, and of course you are free to explore the many variations. The cowbell pattern won't change, only what you play over it. Notice the Hi Hat is playing continuous quarter notes.
[watch video]
Mozambique with bass drum
Finally, Ive added the bass drum on beats 2 and 4. This brings it all together.
[watch video]
fast mozambique
Same thing, but faster. Once you get the hang of it, its really not difficult to play. Keep in mind that Im playing the same thing over and over, not making any variations in this example. There's plenty of room for some cymbal crashes and different play on the toms.
[watch video] |
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