Education
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Technique And Equipment
One of my students complained to me that he had a weak foot. “I have no strength or control of my bass pedal,” he said. I gave him some exercises to practice on the bass drum. At the next lesson,…
Assertions And Evaluations
Time passes, and I become convinced more than ever that the diverse elements comprising the art of drumming all work together to give us drum fanatics as good a shot at happiness and fulfillment as anyone on the planet Earth.…
Drumset Ergonomics - Part 2: Seat Height
This month we’re going to explore the critically important relationship between the drum throne and the human body. Selecting an appropriate throne height is one of the most overlooked steps of setting up a drumset, yet it could have the…
Multilayered Polyrhythms - Rhythmic Puzzles for Your Mind and Body
Last month we concluded our two-part introduction to polyrhythms with an example that combined multiple polyrhythms within one phrase. In this lesson, we’ll continue layering multiple polyrhythms to take the previous ideas to an even deeper level. These exercises will…
Latin Jazz Drumming - The Mambo, Part 1
In this lesson series we’ll focus on Latin jazz rhythms and interpret them on the drumset. For the first installment, we’re digging into the Afro-Cuban mambo bell pattern. Mambo is an Afro-Cuban style that’s built upon a clave foundation. Traditionally…
Great Grooves, Part 1
From a general viewpoint, the word “groove” suggests a certain rhythmic precision in group playing, not unlike the word “tight” or the phrase “in the pocket.” From a drummer’s perspective, groove can also indicate a particular rhythmic motif, which, when…
How Many Drums Do I Really Need?
I have heard drummers say, “You don’t need a big kit. If you play on a smaller kit, you will be more creative and more musical.” Several famous drummers have been quoted as saying, “I can do everything I need…
Percussion Colors, Part 2
Last time we discussed how the use of hand-percussion instruments can add color and spice to the music you create. We outlined a few of the items that make up the percussionist’s “pallet,” including cowbell, tambourine, and the afuche. This…
Tuning And Muffling
In order to tune or tension your drums for the best possible sound, start out with no muffling. The exception to this rule would be the bass drum where virtually all drummers use some muffling to achieve either a low,…
Expanding the Paradiddle – Part 3
As was stated in Part 2, this article will examine ways to obtain polyrhythmic patterns by using paradiddles. These exercises should be practiced with a metronome until a natural feel for the rhythms is achieved. Again, keep the muscles relaxed…
Drumming And Information
I met a young man at a clinic recently who told me that he had just purchased a $3,000 drumset, and he had only taken two lessons. I commented, “You sound like you are proud of the fact that you…
