Lesson 1
October 11, 2006

Nice lesson today, Matthew. It was great to finally meet you and get started. You have a lot of natural talent and ability and I'm excited to see your musical growth.

Lesson Notes:

Technique notes:

1. Shake hands with the stick to check you grip. Keep the gap between your thumb and index finger CLOSED!
2. Leave about an inch of the butt end sticking out of the back of your hand.
3. Make sure the stick stays between your knuckles and the first knuckle on your fingers. Try not to change your grip when playing.
4. Loosen your wrist joint and allow the stokes to initiate there rather than with the arm. The less arm motion the better, usually.
5. Use your fingers to help you with the stroke remembering to keep a firm grip at your fulcrum - where the thumb and index finger grip the stick.
6. Try not to bury the beater into the bass drum.
7. Hit the hi-hat on the edge of the cymbals with the shoulder of the stick for a more meaty sound.

Assignment:

- Ted Reed's Syncopation - pgs 1 & 2:

1. Play eighth notes on hi-hat while playing the bottom line in the bass drum and the top line in the snare
2. Move right hand to ride cymbal. Continue playing eighth notes with snare drum and bass drum lines. Add hi hat in the following combinations:

a. Hi hat on all 4 beats (same as bass drum)
b. Hi hat with the snare line
c. Hi hat on 2 & 4 only.

- David Bowie, "Ziggy Stardust" from Changes

1. Keep practicing the intro groove we learned.
2. Bring this cd next week so we can continue.

- Right hand variations page - Click here

PLEASE PRINT THIS OUT AND BRING IT NEXT WEEK.

- Bring a notebook next week.

- VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: Musika (the company you signed up for lessons with) should have sent your mom an email. Please have her follow the instructions in the email so that you get officially registered as my student. I am not allowed to teach you another lesson until this gets done.

See you next Wednesday, October 18 @ 5:30

Another great lesson Matt. Keep up the practicing and the good work.

Lesson Notes:

Technique notes: Review notes from last week!

Music notes:

1. Great job with the "Syncopation" stuff.

2. Good job on "Ziggy Stardust." Use your ears to figure out what the drummer is playing. You really nailed the intro!

Assignment:

- Ted Reed's Syncopation

1. Keep working on assignment from last week. Add 16 bar exercise.
2. Move on to the next pages, playing snare on 2 and 4, eighth notes in the hi hat, while reading the bass drum line.

- "Ziggy Stardust"

1. Great job with the groove on this one. Don't be afraid to HIT the drums, especially the cymbals. Don't be shy.
2. Move on past the introduction.
3. Learn the fills I wrote down for you.

- Right Hand Variations Page

1. Begin working on this. We will jump into this next week.

Thanks for all the practice you've put in. Another excellent lesson!

Lesson Notes:

Technique notes:
1. You're really doing well in this department. Just remember to stay relaxed.
2. Make sure you are playing on the edge of the hi-hat with the shoulder of the stick.
3. HIT THAT CRASH CYMBAL!!!!!!

Music notes:

1. "Ziggy" - Learn the whole song and polish it for next week. This will probably be our last time with this tune.

Assignment:

- Ted Reed's Syncopation

1. Keep working on assignment from last week. Add 16 bar exercise.
2. Move on to the next pages, playing snare on 2 and 4, eighth notes in the hi hat, while reading the bass drum line.

- "Ziggy Stardust"

1. HIT THAT CYMBAL!!!
2. Polish it for our last run through next week.

- Right Hand Variations Page

1. Go through all combinations with the grooves I wrote down for you.

GREAT LESSON!

Lesson Notes:

Technique notes:
1. You're really doing well in this department. Just remember to stay relaxed.
2. Make sure you are playing on the edge of the hi-hat with the shoulder of the stick.
3. HIT THAT CRASH CYMBAL!!!!!!

Music notes:

1. "Ziggy" - Great Job. You really nailed this tune!

Assignment:

- Right Hand Variations Page

1. Keep chugging along with these.
2. Try and get the left side of the page down with all the grooves I've written down below.
3. Linkin Park - "In The End:" Perfect the opening groove, we will move on next week.

IMPORTANT: I would like you to get a drum book that we can start working out of. I think Carmine Appice's Ultimate Realistic Rock Drum Book would provide you with a great foundation for us to work on in lessons. Click here for a link to it on Amazon.com where you can buy it at a great price.

Very nice job today. "In The End" is starting to sound good.

Lesson Notes:

Technique notes:

1. When it comes to playing "hard rock" or "nu metal," you can be more aggresive. Part of the sound of this music comes from it being loud. Drummers tend to play rimshots 99% of the time on the snare and they really HIT their cymbals.
2. When you practice loud music, WEAR EARPLUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Music Notes:

1. "In The End:" Solidify the verse, chorus, and bridge grooves. We'll add all the notes eventually to make them completely authentic.
2. Make sure you're tempo is right with the recording. You have a slight tendency to drag on some of this stuff because there is a lot happening. Push through. Let the constant eighth note pulse in your right hand be your guide!
3. WHACK THAT SNARE DRUM!

Assignment:

1. "In The End:" Per above.
2. Right-Hand Variations assignment from last week. We'll lead with this next week.
3. Get the book that I've posted you a link for under last week's lesson.

Yeah Matt! Nice job today.

Not much to say, other than I think you're doing fantastically. Keep up the hard practice. We're really blazing through some of these tunes, which is excellent.

Lesson Notes:

Technique Notes:

1. Don't be timid, especially with stuff like "In The End."
2. You're still a little shy with that crash cymbal.

Music Notes:

1. Make sure you are right with the recording. You have a slight tendency to drag on some of this stuff because there is a lot happening. Push through. Let the constant eighth note pulse in your right hand be your guide!

Assignment:

1. "In The End:" Per above.
2. Right-Hand Variations assignment from last week.
3. Get the book that I've posted you a link for under the November 8 lesson.

EXCELLENT! I'm constantly impressed by your practice and your ability to read music. Don't take it for granted, most peope can't read music as quickly and effectively as you can!

Lesson Notes:

Technique Notes:

1. More backbeat. Make sure to lift both hands up and accent the backbeat.
2. Excellent adjustments. You've made good technique a habit, which is wonderful.

Music Notes:

1. Right Hand Variations: Great job on the ones you chose.
2. Work on the right side of the page, numbers 9-15 with the simple grooves 1-6.
3. Challenge yourself with some new ideas:
A. Ride
B. Toms
C. Travelling Right Hand
D. Auxillary Instruments
E. Combinations

Assignment:

1. 10 or 20 Grooves utilizing our new set of right hand variations and our new ideas (above), such as travelling the right hand.
2. "In The End"