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All of my students know how big I am into "foundation" exercises when teaching drums. These 3 drum lesson topics of understanding and owning...
Rhythm, Accents and Sticking
...I feel, are the most overlooked by young drummers. I can testify to this personally. When I was a beginner drummer I learned this stuff grossly out of order. I did what most young drummers do... I jumped into "Sticking" (or "LICKS") because they sounded the coolest and they were the easiest to play fast on the drums. Plus my drum teachers at the time loved to show them to me because it instantly made me sound impressive. Meanwhile in a band situation my drumming, specifically my sense of time, was a nightmare!
So do yourself a favor and learn drums the right way and in the right order... which is Rhythm, Accents and then Sticking!
_____When drummers talk about coordination you usually hear words like "independence" on the drums. I don't believe that is the best choice of words since independence implies that the hands and feet are playing different patterns that are unrelated to one another. A better term to describe drumming coordination is "interdependence."
In this online drum lesson we are taking a look at 4-limb interdependence on the drum set based on a straight back-beat Rock groove with the hands, setting a time pattern with the left foot Hi-Hat, then changing the bass drum pattern through all of the one-beat 16th note rhythm possibilities.
I know... it all sounds very complicated. Coordination on the drums always is!
But, That's "The Juice!"
The path that all us drummer embark on to sound and feel great when we are playing with a band.
This is an extensive drum lesson topic that way will cover in more detail should you decide to move forward with drum lessons.
You can, of course, take your coordination on the drums to the moon if you put in the time and practice. Check out some famous drummers like:
Terry Bozio, Marco Minnemann, Thomas Lang, Virgil Donati, or Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez...
... all of which are like drumming octopuses. These guys really take it to the extreme when you are talking about drum set coordination! Now to take drum coordination to the next level, let's take a look at a more advanced lesson.
_____In this next video we are studying some more advanced interdependence exercises on the drums. I decided to demonstrate some of the Basic Latin Rhythms because they are very common ostinados found in music. Latin drumming is generally divided into two categories;
Afro-Cuban Latin Drumming and Brazilian Latin Drumming.
Both styles are fantastic and challenging, if you want to learn Latin drumming. They are both built around the concept of Rhythmic Ostinados or “repeated rhythms.” Basically what this means is each rhythm represents a rhythmic pattern that is otherwise performed by a percussionist on a single drum or percussion instrument. So essentially your body needs to do the job of four or even five drummers.
It’s a great style of drumming to listen to and to absorb into your playing. Committing yourself to learning Latin drumming will transcend every other style that you like to play. Your Rock drumming, Jazz drumming, Funk drumming, Metal drumming, or whatever… will become infinitely stronger by getting some of these basic Latin interdependence chops together.
For more personal drum lessons that focus on “Drumming Coordination” and “Interdependence" on the drums, make sure you scroll down on this site and check out how to schedule a Drum Evaluation and introduction to drum lessons with me at my studio.
With very few exceptions, the abilities to read music, count, and interpret rhythm on the drums, are probably the best weapons in your drumming arsenal! Resistance always seems to surround these topics! Especially from older drum students who have been playing for a while and insist that reading is not completely necessary,
And You Know What…. They’re Right!
Ok, I know I probably just lost you there… I know what you’re thinking, but it is true that you can become a fantastic drummer with out ever reading a single note of music. However, it may also not be necessary to use power tools to build a tree house… you can do the whole job with nothing but the raw materials, a saw, a hammer, and some nails, but why would you? That’ll take FOREVER!
Reading music is like having the most advanced power tools at your disposal! You can get any job done almost instantly. It
allows you to stretch drumming exercises way beyond what you can do in your head… If I ask you to multiply a couple of numbers in your head… say 5 times 7… You can probably do it instantly! But if I asked you to do 57,841 times 359 in your head, you’d probably just look at me funny.
Then If I Gave You A Calculator… Ahhh Magic!
Reading is like me giving you a calculator to figure the most complex drum exercises simply and easily. It is also the quickest path to developing your “internal clock.” That is, the ability to count in your head and not get lost as you perform, interpret and improvise on the drums, over music. If you are not a good reader… you are truly missing out!
If you've been playing drums for any length of time you know as well as I do that at some point, no matter how hard you work or how much time you practice, you sometimes hit the dreaded
"Drummer Ceiling!!!"
You just can't seem to get that exercise a little faster... You can't seem to nail that thundering fill just the way you want to... You find yourself struggling at times to hold a fast groove, blast beat, or blazing ‘Bop’ pattern. Or you have trouble keeping your fills clean, precise, and FAST!!!!
Before we get into it, let me ask you a couple of questions.
• Do you ever watch famous Metal Drummers like Chris Adler, Mike Portnoy, Gene Hoglan, Derek Roddey or any other metal players and wonder how the h*** they play so FAST on the drums?
• Perhaps you look at Jazz drummers like Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, or Vinnie Colaiuta (and if you don’t know these guys… you should!) and wonder how he makes it look so effortless and relaxed, while no matter what you do, you look stiff and awkward.
• Do you feel confident that you can back up any band in any style (Jazz, Rock, Latin, Funk, Metal, Progressive, etc...) and not be afraid you’ll train-wreck the entire song?
• Do you notice that while you’re playing drum beats, drum fills, or drum solos, your hands or feet get tired, tense or cramp easily?
• Do you wanna look, sound and feel as good as possible on the drums in the least amount of time possible?
... Well if your answer is yes to some or all of these questions and if you are serious about studying the drums but are upset by what you just read, it’s OK because...
I've Been There And I'm ON YOUR SIDE!
One way you can take action to drastically improve your drumming is to figure out exactly what your weakness are and what bad habits may be holding you back. Luckily there is a way for you to do just that!
You can sign up for a 6-Point Drumming Evaluation with me at my studio which is located right on the Nassau/Suffolk Border at South Farmingdale... Just south of Republic Airport. So...
In my drum lesson system, the learning process is somewhat different.
Every new student begins with my time tested, thoroughly results measurable, and unique...
6-Point Drumming Evaluation!
This is not a drum lesson. This 6-Point Drumming Evaluation helps me, and you, find out exactly what you want and need out of your drumming. I also do this to make sure you are actually ready for lessons.
What Does That Mean?
Well, in my experience there are three kinds of students:
1. The unsure drum student who's looking for a hobby to knock around.
2. The beginner drum student who knows he/she wants to be a great drummer.
3. or... The intermediate / advanced drum students who has been playing for a while and has a melting passion to for learning drums and really wants to hone his/her drumming technique.
Whichever category you fall into is fine. I'm not judging... My drum students and their success is a reflection on me and my teaching, so I try to only take on drum students who are truly committed to improving and learning.
That Greatly Affects Their Results!
Even if you don't know which category you fit into yet, we'll both know by the end of your 6-Point Drumming Evaluation. If I feel like you don't have the right mind set or are unable to make a commitment to learning the drums, I'm not going to take you on as a student.
It doesn't matter how good you are... It matters how much you want it!
Next we'll continue the evaluation with a 6-point review of your level and knowledge of drumming, which is video taped and kept on file. (And once again, yes… It’s OK to start out knowing nothing or having never picked up a pair of drum sticks.)
After the evaluation, when all of your questions are answered and we have a clear idea of where you’re at drumming wise... and assuming I can accept you into my program, we'll work out a curriculum that best compliments your needs and ability. We'll also schedule your first drum lesson and find a place for you in the current student roster.
Finally, we will periodically re-evaluate your drumming level using video to keep track of your on-going improvement. I run my studio like a music school. We have different tuition packages that I will be happy to discuss with you in more detail at your evaluation.
If you would like some more information about your 6-Point Drumming Evaluation and intro to drum lessons with Jason Fenichel, feel free to utilizing the contact methods on the top and bottom of this web site!
Appointments Only Please: Please Call And Make An Appointment Before Visiting The Drum Studio.
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