Education
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Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Coordinating Accents Independently
by Ed Soph Independence may mean playing two or more rhythmic patterns simultaneously. It may also mean playing two or more rhythmic patterns simultaneously and coordinating different accent patterns within those rhythmic patterns.Here are some basic exercises in accent coordination…
Driver's Seat - Avoiding Common Pitfalls
CONTROLLING THE BASS DRUM One very common pitfall of many young big band drummers is the manner in which they play their bass drum. Too many novice drummers seem to feel a need to pound the bass drum when this…
Concepts: Drumming and Breathing
The concepts and methods presented in this column represent my own personal experiences. They are not intended to be the last word on the subject, nor should they be construed as the only way. All I can say for certain…
Driver's Seat: Listening and Learning
If you're interested in becoming a competent big band drummer, it's very important you do some research. When I say research, I don't mean back ten years or so. You've got to dig back further than that, preferably before the…
Rudimental Symposium: Alex Duthart: Close Up
Alex Duthart, renowned drum major from the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band of Shotts, Scotland, is a leader in the field of pipe band drumming. Since 1953, he has led his drum carp to victory in the World Pipe Band…
Concepts - Showing Up: The Key to Success
A young drummer asked me the following question while I was conducting a clinic. "What is the most important thing I have to do to become a successful musician?" I answered, "Show Up!" He smiled and said, "There must be…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Unison Exercises
Unison practice is an excellent way to determine the rhythmic precision of the four appendages. The weaker the particular hand or foot, the less precision. Right-handed drummers will find that unison practice will help overcome the dependency of right hand…
Rock Perspectives: A Practical Application of Flams
The exercises that follow will utilize two snare drum rudiments. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Basics: Master Time
When I was a college student in Madison, Wisconsin, in the ’80s, I encountered the funk drumming legend Clyde Stubblefield. At that time, Stubblefield himself was not as well known as the classic grooves he played with James Brown, and…
Strictly Technique: Top 10 Rudiments
The drag is the tenth and final rudiment in our series. If you’ve been practicing these rudiments and exercises correctly, at a wide variety of tempos, then your hands are now trained with all of the necessary motions required to…
Rock Perspectives: Polyrhythms
In the third part of this series (November ’09), we applied a four-against-three polyrhythm to either the ride cymbal or the bass drum, while the snare drum played the backbeats on 2 and 4. Now let’s take things a step…
Off The Record: LIFEHOUSE’S Rick Woolstenhulme Jr.
Rick Woolstenhulme Jr. has been the drummer for Lifehouse since 2000. In the ’90s, after high school, he moved to California from his home state of Arizona and attended the Los Angeles Music Academy, where he spent most of his…
Concepts: When To Lead And When To Follow
There are three ways to keep time when you play with an ensemble. One is to lead, another to follow, and the third is something often referred to as “band time.??? Let’s take a look at each of these and…
Focus on Elimination - The Key to Success
Concepts Focus on Elimination The Key to Success by Russ Miller Here’s one of the topics I get asked about frequently by other players. It probably stems from my work in pressure situations. From sight-reading live on TV on American…
