Lewis 22/10/18

Triplets much better this week! See if you can keep working on the accuracy at higher tempos. 

The first two grooves for "yeah" to practice for next lesson. Remember if you need to start with just one bar at a time then build up to looping it. 

You have the tracks if you need them! 

Annabelle 22/10/18

I would like you to practice the first groove for "yeah" by usher for next lesson. 

Take your time and build up repetitions slowly. 

Chislon 22/19/18

Half term: finish as much of come together as you can over the break. Practice each separate section. Listen to the track with drums on if you need a reminder of how it goes. 

Well done today. 

James G 22/10/18

Well done today James. Your task over half term is to get the groove for Le freak established and in time. Have a listen to the tracks I sent you. See if you can air out any if the fills and changes. 

Come together: this is sounding strong. I would like you to focus now on the dynamics and the improvised fills for after half term! 

Aaron L 22/10/18

Well played this week. Use the sticking ex's below to work in your coordination and rhythm reading skills! Aim to play each line through at least twice (8 bars in total). To make it more challenging try increasing the tempo. 

Uptown funk: listen to the track with drums on that you have been emailed. Have a go at playing along and listen for the different sections of each song. 

 Below is the fill that you played today. Practice this for next lesson. 

Chris 22/10/18

Warm up: develop the sticking patterns from last week by using as a half bar 16th note fill. You can try phrasing the RH over the different drums or playing over the snare and hi-hat. 

Below is the hand to hand 16th note groove you played this week. Evenness and accuracy are the key to getting this to work to the track (check your email) 

Oscar 22/10/18

Great progress this lesson. All resources have been emailed to you. 

Your task over half term is to finish up uptown funk to the track. 

You also made great progress with fallin. Great sight reading skills! Have a go at the chart Over half term. If you need to, refer to the track with drums on. 

Hattie 22/10/18

WArm up with ex 5-8 this week. 

Billie Jean: the groove for this is sounding really relaxed and strong this week. Practice the fill in bar 10. Work it out like you did in your lesson. Take your time and count out loud when you need to. Good work this week 

  

Nathaniel 22/10/18

Warm up p: 

Bouncing the stick to develop your fulcrum between finger and thumb. 

RBBRLBBRLBBRLBBL linear phrase to practice. 

Window seat: great progress. Now you can play through the piece work on pulling the musicality out if it. Record your practice and listen to how the groove sits. Work on the quality of your ghosts bites and the pressuring of your bass drum. 

James G 22/10/18

Over half term focus on working the two grade 4 pieces to the tracks. 

The instrumental section for come together sounded good this week. Practice to the track to develop your confidence improvising some fills. 

Le freak: the groove for this track was good this week. Now it needs to feel secure to the track. 

Aaron P 22/10/18

Warm up: practice flams both R and LH accents. Take your time and use the stick heights to create the sound.

Losing my religion: intro fill and transition needs working on and the fill in bar 9. Remember your crash on beat one and then to move to the ride. 

Good work this week. 

Tom 22/10/18

Hearing you warm up today I think it's time to start some more challenging pieces. Here are the grade 2 pieces you started today. 

Relegation riddim: 

Work on the intro and first groove separately to start with. Experiment with the stickings to find which one sounds best and feels mist comfortable to you. 

Take care with the changes and bass drum pattern and the fill at the end if the third line. 

Georgia: listen through the full mux if the track and read the chart. Listen out for the fill and the variation in the bass drum pattern. Start playing through fir next lesson. 

Price 22/10/18

Warm up: 

Have a go at the groups of notes you played today. 4 groups of 2 notes followed by  4 groups of 4 notes. 

Groove: this groove still needs practice for next week. Aim to play the whole bar through once. If you can't loop it to start that's ok. The most important thing is that you play it relaxed and correctly. 

Jack 15/10/18

Practice yeah to the track over half term! 

Hattie 15/10/18

Billie Jean: really great improvement in your playing this week. The groove is starting to sound really secure. 

Keep it confident but try not to hit too hard! 

Have a go at playing one bar of the Billie Jean groove the use ex 1-4 as a fill. Excellent reading and counting this week! 

Tiegan 15/10/18

Good to see you this week! 

Today you pretty much finished I want to break free from the grade 1 book. Use the pic below to practice the groove for next lesson. 

Also have a go at the open/ closed hi-hat exercise with the groove from Billie Jean. One bar with a closed hi-hat and one with a slightly open hi-hat 

Chris 15/10/18

Fallout: 

Intro groove sounding great to the track. Next week we will start on the fills! 

Improvisation ex's: use the RLLRLLRL sticking and the RRLRRLRL pattern to create some fills. 

Reading and sound were excellent this 

Max 15/19/18

Really good to meet you today Max and nicely played! 

Practice the sheet for my name is. Take your time counting the intro groove especially the transition into the verse. 

Also practice the warm up of 8th notes and 16th notes around the kit. 

Fraser 15/10/18

Warm up: 8th and 16th notes are sounding really even and confident. Now start to push the tempo a little. Make sure control is your primary focus! 

I want to break free: played well this week. Some good practice done. Now work on your stamina and fluency. 

Yeah: 

Focus on the 1/4 nite groove for next week. Remember to start slow and count if you need to! 

Aaron 15/10/18

For you: Played well to the end today. Just work in your transitions from each section. 

Losing my religion: have  a go at the first fill and transition into the first groove. Listen to the original track by REM see what you work out from the chart. 

Tom 15/10/18

Warm up: keep working on ex 11-15 but now push the tempos as much as you can and still feel in control. 

Soul man: practice the groove for the chorus for next week and the transition from the end of page 1 into the chorus on page 2. 

Nathaniel 15/10/18

Bounce ex us coming along. Make sure you focus is on control and not speed at the moment. Pay attention you your thumb, make sure it is creating a fulcrum with your first finger and nit slipping underneath the stick. 

Window seat: excellent this lesson. Great progress. Now you need to develo your sound and awareness of where you are in the piece. The bass is a great indicator for this as the bass line develops at regular points when the drum groove stays the same. 

Jack 15/10/18

Late today! Check your time in advance! 

Yeah: the first groove us sounding pretty solid. I want you to focus on the groove at b this week. Take your time. Read through and play it slowly at first so you can get a strong feel for it.

Sight reading was excellent today well done! 

Lewis 15/10/18

Warm up: triplet 8th notes start to push the tempo. Remember to check your grip and let the stick rebound a little on each stroke. Also your left gabd and right foot need to be coordinated on beat 2 and 4. 

Kaiser roll: work in the first page aiming for a confident balanced sound. Also try playing along to a favourite track if yours. Just improvise the groove but try and really get the timing secure.

Annabelle 15/10/18

Warm up: 8th bites and 16th notes around the kit (groups of 2 and groups of 4) 

Yeah: the first groove is coming together but still needs some more practice. Use the counting you earned to pad to help piece it together for next lesson. 

Hattie 08/10/18

Warm up with ex 1-4 below. Start out counting each one if these and clap out the rhythm. If you feel confident try adding the bass drums and pkaying around the kit. 

Billie Jean: practice the outro groove for next week. Take care to count out loud while you play to start. Don't worry about looping the bar too soon! 

Also keep playing the first groove from last lesson 

Oscar 08/10/18

Warm up: 

RRRR LLLL ex getting the stick to bounce off the drum. 

Free bound ex: let the stick hit the drum and bounce as many times as possible. 

Ex 11-15 play each one of these. Count the rhythm first then play. Start to express them around the kit when you feel confident. 

Uptown Funk: 

Have a go at the instrumental section if this piece for next week. Re-cap the fill at the end if each 4 bar phrase and make sure it feels secure before you add it all together! 

Tom 08/10/18

Warm up 

Ex 12-15 around the kit. Trust your reading and counting! Start to increase the tempo as you get more comfortable with each exercise. 

Soul man: 

Chorus groove can be played ok. Your sound us much better and now practice looping this groove! 

Lewis 08/19/18

Warm up: practice the 8th nite triplets fill around the kit. Remember to keep checking your technique (especially your grip). See if you combine it with the 1/4 nite hi-hat groove. 

Kaiser Roll: run through this up to the beginning of section B. By the end if this lesson you were playing with great feel and sound paying particular attention to your snare drum. You started to make great progress with doing this to the track which we will build on next lesson so really focus on your transitions! 

Annabelle 08/10/18

I want to break free: keep working on this groove for next week. At this point do t worry about looping it. Just play it once until it feels confident and relaxed. 

Yeah by usher: 

Have a practice for next week see how you get on with it. 

Chislon 08/10/18

Warm up: triplets to 16th nite triplets to practice for next week. Focus on keeping the RLRL sticking for the 8th nite triplets especially! 

Rollin: the groove for the first bar is your focus for this week. Like in your lesson, if it feels challenging then be ok with slowing it right down, break it into smaller parts and practice it smoothly with 100% control. It will soon come together! 

Good work this week! 

Aaron P 08/10/18

Warm up: start pkaying ex 5-7 from last week around the kit as a fill. Practice three bars of grove and then use one of the examples as a fill. 

For you: section B groove sounding really strong. Keep working on the confident defined sound you applied this week. Start working on section D for next lesson. 

If you get stuck listen to the track with drums on! 

Nathaniel 08/10/18

Warm up: bounce catch exercise needs work. Check your grip on the stick to make sure the stick us rebounding correctly between your thumb and index finger. 

Fill ex: use the RLBB fill from last week finishing with both bands on beat four to create a bit of space and avoid playing three bass drums at the end of the fill. 

Window seat: watch out for the transition into the groove for the first verse. Practice landing the first bass drum securley on beat 1. Over all the feel and groove for this song was really nice this week. Keep playing to the original track and see if you can master the slightly swung hi-hat feel! 

James G 08/10/18

Ex's from last week are sounding really strong. This week develop these by pkaying around the kit and also over the hi-hat and snare to create a groove. Even sound and convincing feel are key. 

Come together: fills for the instrumental section are good. Now practice the transitions between the sections and from the fills into the groove. Take your time! 

Le freak: keep working on the main groove for this track. You have made excellent progress getting a clean and confident hi-hat sound and a tight feel for this track. Keep working on this for next lesson when we will look at some if the groove variations and fills! 

Chris 08/10/18

First line of fallout is taking good shape! Watch out for the syncopated bass drums in the last bar. 

Over the next week practice this figure as we did in the lesson by trying to create your own grooves with the same pattern. 

Also have a go at making up and improvising grooves and fills over a few tracks you know and like. You did a great job improvising today it's a case of building your confidence in the skills you have! 

Aaron L 01/10/18

Warm: use ex 1-4 below as your warm up. Use a pad or if you can have a go at playing on the kit at school. Aim for a solid time flow and if you need to count the rhythms out first! 

Uptown funk: main groove is sounding ok. Have a listen to the track to get a good idea of the feel. Have a look at the build before the instrumental section (2nd page 2nd line) and also the fill in bar 32 

Hattie 01/10/18

Warm up this week with the bass drum and snare drum exercise below. Make sure your hands and feet are playing at exactly the same time! 

Below is the first groove you learned. This groove works for many songs and in this instance we will play it to Billie Jean 

Lewis 01/10/18

Warm up: 1/4 notes 8ths and 16ths are looking good this week. 

Have a go at triplets (count 1-trip-let, 2-trip-let) 

Kaiser Roll: first three played well to the track! Just watch out for coming in fir the first note in time. 

Have a look at the forth line for next lesson. Play slowly at first and keep your bass drum and snare drum nice and strong! 

Annabelle 01/10/18

Warm with 8th notes around the kit (two notes on each drum) 

Have a go at the groove below. Don't rush, you can learn things at a nice slow tempo and you do t have to loop it straight away! Just okay it once until it feels comfortable. 

Chislon 01/10/18

Warm up: 2 bars of 8ths then 2bars of 16th notes looped. 

Then try 8th note triplets (groups of three) into sextuplets (groups of 6) 

 

Linear pattern RLBB. Focus on relaxed even flow of notes and the bass drum should be being played HEEL UP. 

Come together: have a go at the first bar/ intro riff for this track ready for next week! 

Tom 01/10/18

Warm up with ex 11-13. Count aloud as you play each exercise. Clean and punchy is the at of the game. You can also play each one as fill around the kit. 

Soul man: the intro was spot in this week well done. As you practice the transition into the first groove see if you can count it at first to keep the transition smooth. 

Work on the chorus groove for next week. Make sure you don't rush the bass drum pattern! 

Aaron P 01/10/18

Warm up: this week with ex 5-7 below. 

For you: main groove and part a was excellent to the track. Groove B taking excellent shape. You can play the groove well but now you need to increase the tempo. 

Nathaniel 01/10/18

Great work from last week. Keep it up. 

Warm up this week: 

1) hit the drum or pad with the stick, let it bounce twice then "catch"  the back if stick with your fingers to stop it bouncing any more. Practice this with the right and left hand. 

2) RLBB linear phrase aim for elated even flow between hands and feet. 

Window seat: have cargo at the groove in section D bar 22. Focus on the buzzed ghost note. 

Price 01/10/18

You missed your lesson this week. 

Keep working on the groove from last lesson. 

Have a listen to "slow dancing in a burning room" by John Mayer and see if you can play along with the track. 

I look forward to seeing you next week! 

Jack 01/10/18

Warm up this week wth a bar if 8th notes and then a bar of 16th notes. Focus on your grip and getting the stick to rebound toward you. 

Yeah: I would like to practice the intro groove for thus track ready for next week. If you can have a go at the groove for section B. 

Frazer 01/10/18

Warm this week: 

8th notes around the kit (two notes per drum counted 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+) 

16th notes around the drum kit ( four notes on each drum counted 1e+a 2e+a 3e+a 4e+a) 

I want to break free: below is the groove to practice. Keep your bass drum pattern consistent and focus on playing with a solid feel. 

James G 01/10/18

Warm this week is ex 12 and 13. Practice the transition between each ex. (2 bars of one then into the next) keep your sticking consistent and aim for an even sound. 

Come together: great work in this James. The first page is excellent to the track. Have a look at the second page for next lesson working on the instrumental section and fills. 

Le freak: have a look at the first two grooves remember to keep your hi hat pattern clean and play the bass drum in the heel up position. 

Chris 01/10/18

Warm up this week is ex 13 from page 5 of sick control (pic below). Focus on gripping the stick loosely between your thumb and first finger and getting the stick to rebound straight off the drum. 

Fall out: work on combining the first two bars. Start slow and try to focus on the crashes as they help to shape the phrase.