Drum Drills PDF Companion

Transcription

1 1 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Drum Drills PDF Companion Table Of Contents: 1. How To Read Drum Notation 2. Stick Control 3. Drum Elements 4. Traditional Vs. Matched Stick 5. Basic Hi-Hat Techniques 6. The Bass Drum: That Heavy Bottom 7. Sticks and More 8. The Single Stroke Roll 9. Reading Time Signatures 10. Paradiddles 11. The Beat Expander Method 12. The Drummer Workout 13. Staying With The Beat 14. Tuning Your Drums 15. The History of Jazz 16. Practicing Drums 17. Staying In Time 18. Final Message How To Read Drum Notation In my personal studies, I have found a few different ways to read drum notation, but all of the new and improved methods still revert back to the original concept, using notes, staffs, and time signatures. Why Drum Notation? Standard drum notation is the most powerful way of communicating a drum set beat to members of your band, and learning drums will be much easier if you know how to read it. Just knowing the basic rules will give you access to a vast amount of learning material otherwise impossible to use. The figure below shows a simple bar of drum notes. If you are a guitar player, this will look rather normal to you. Moreso, if you know how to read music, this will be a piece of cake. Most guitar players are used to seeing numbers that represent the correct finger position using fret notes. However, drum notation isn't QUITE the same. You have to "plug-and-play" some elements. Here's an example of a standard drum measure: Part 1: Part 2:

2 2 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM If you already know how to read music for other instruments, then there's not much more to reading drum notation. Otherwise, I'll explain all the important basics. Each dot-and-stick or x-and-stick represents a note (sound). Music notation for other instruments, such as the piano, indicates the pitch of the note by the position of the dot on the five horizontal lines, called a staff. The higher the dot, the higher the pitch. In drum notation, the note's position on the staff indicates a particular drum or a cymbal. Cymbal notes are often written with X's instead of dots, but not always so. There is no universally accepted way of positioning specific drums or cymbals, but it is generally accepted that the bass drum is written at the bottom, the snare somewhere in the middle, and the hi-hat and cymbals up top. Sometimes, a piece of drum notation will be accompanied by a reading key that precisely indicates the positioning of the various percussion sounds (or elements) on the staff. In common drum music, as in the figure above, it is generally understood that the notes from top to bottom are hi-hat, snare, bass. The timing of each sound depends on the progression of the notes from left to right. It's almost as if there is an imaginary cursor going steadily from left to right on the staff and hitting each sound in turn. There is a little bit more to that, but in order to understand how to tell the timing of each note, I'll introduce the concept of time signatures first. Time Signatures Let's look at this part of the staff again: The 4/4 symbol on the left is called a time signature. It will also look like this: The time signature indicates how much time and how many beats are in that given measure. A measure is a slice of time in which the fundamental rhythm of the music repeats, although the notes are not generally the same. In music and drum notation each measure is separated by a vertical line. You can see that the first figure has two measures. 4/4 indicates that there are four quarter notes in a measure. The quarter is relative to a time unit called a whole note. This unit is not an absolute length of time (such as 10 seconds) but rather relative to how fast the song is played. Mathematically saying that there are four quarters in a measure is the same as saying there is one whole note in a measure, but musically it's different. For example, in the first figure above you can see that the bass and snare form a four note beat in a measure, and therefore it is more convenient to think of each measure as having four quarter notes and not one whole note. The time signature indicates a conceptual, fundamental beat in the music and the actual notes won't usually repeat. The 4/4 time signature is the most common in popular music, but other time signatures are certainly used, such as 3/4 and 5/4.

3 3 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM The time signature indicates how much "time" fills a measure, and that time is filled by notes. The shape of a note indicates how long it lasts. We'll get into that more in the future. In percussion there's typically no ability to sustain a sound, therefore, drum notes of a specific length actually mean hitting the drum (or cymbal, etc.) at the beginning, and doing nothing for the rest of the notes' duration. This is how notes of different lengths look: Note Name Quarter Note Half Note Eighth Note Whole Note Eighth Note Connected Sixteenth Note Sixteenth Note Connected Eighth Triplet Notes Visual Definition This value lasts half as long as a half note, and looks like an oval that is filled in, connected by a stick. 4 quarter notes equal one whole note. This value lasts half as long as a whole note, and looks just like the quarter note, without the filled in oval. 2 half notes equal one whole note. This value lasts half as long as the quarter note, and looks the same as a quarter note, except with a flag attached to the end of the stick. One-eighth of the duration equals a whole note. This value lasts four beats, and looks like an open oval on a staff. In 4/4 timing, this note is to be played and counted 'to four,' or to signify its duration. This is another way to write adjacent eighth notes by connecting the flags, or 'tails.' 16th notes will have two horizontal, 32nd notes will have three lines, etc. This value lasts half as long as an eighth note, and has two flags or 'tails.' Further halving of note lengths, to indicate 32nd and 64th notes etc., is written by adding more flags or 'tails.' These are simply connected 16th notes. They will have two bars at the top of their sticks. These notes occupy the same time frame as two eighth notes, and are written similarly, but there are three of them with the numeral 3 written above. Similarly, there are quarter triplets, 16th triplets, 32nd triplets, etc. The sticks and flags, or 'tails,' can point upward or downward, as there is no difference in the meaning of the note. It's just a matter of notational convenience. A dot to the right of a note indicates that the note lasts 1 1/2 times the length of the non-dotted note. In addition to notes, music and drum notation also include rests that are silent space fillers between notes. Here's how the rests look: Rest Name Visual Definition Quarter Rest This rest is just a very squiggly line, easily seen in notation. It just stands out from the rest. (Ha..no pun intended.) The value is the same as what was explained in their note value.

4 4 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Half Rest Eighth Rest Whole Rest Sixteenth Rest Eighth Note Triplet Rest This rest looks like a shoe box that is filled in ABOVE the staff line. The value is the same as what was explained in their note value. I call this rest "the seven." There is no real visual explanation that can be given, other than I think it looks like the number seven to me with a dot on the end. The value is the same as what was explained in their note value. This rest looks like a shoe box that is filled in BELOW the staff line. The value is the same as what was explained in their note value. All you have done here is add more dots to the rest to "halve" the rest time. Rests can be interjected within triplet notes. The bracket with the number 3 also indicates a triplet is in the making. Here are some other symbols important to reading drum notation: Symbol Name Accent Grace Note Ghost Note Roll Tie Visual Definition The accent appears above a note and indicates an accented, i.e. stronger sounding, note. It looks like a "greater-than" sign. A grace note is a quick note that immediately precedes or follows another main note. The gap between the two notes is in-determinately short, and the time to play the grace is taken away from the main note. In drum notation, the grace appears as a small note tied to the main note. A ghost note is a lightly audible, weak note. The parentheses indicate a ghost. This type of sound is particularly common in Jazz. The slashes across the note indicate a very fast roll that lasts the duration of the note. This is the closest a drum player can come to playing a sustained note. The tie is a line that connects two notes and fuses them into a single note that spans the length of the two combined. One important thing to keep in mind while trying to understand drum notation is that the times of successive notes and rests within a measure must add up to the duration of a measure as indicated by the time signature. Huh? For a 4/4 time signature, a measure has one whole note in it, and therefore if you have 3 successive quarter notes, they must be followed by a quarter rest. Also, simultaneous notes are of course possible and are usually written on top of one another. Here is a drum notation example:

5 5 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Introduction Line 1: Line 2: Here is the bass drum: Here is the snare drum: Here is the hi-hat: The examples above were taken from the first drum line, labeled "Line 1." They will be the same for the second line as well. Don't worry about whether or not the notes line up on the staff. There are different methods of drum notation, and each has a different way of conveying the note. Guitar Pro software puts it ON the line, whereas other tablature may list it between the line. The point of the matter here is how you identify the note. You can have a note on a piece of paper without even using the staff line, so just make sure you can identify the note. When you read drum notes while trying to follow with the drum set, it is useful to count the beats and match the sounds to the count. For example, for a 4/4 time signatures, you'd count out "one two three four one two three four one two three four..." In cases where there are "in between" notes, such as eighths in a 4/4 beat, it is also useful to add the word "and" between the numbers to mark the position between the beats, like so, "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and..." For 16th notes you can count "1 eh and eh 2 eh and eh 3 eh and eh 4 eh and eh 1 en and eh...etc."

6 6 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM For More On This, Click Here. ( Stick Control Before we move on to how you can control your created drum line by keeping yourself in control of the stick and your drum set, we need to understand proper posture for each. Let's use the matched grip method. If you haven't read about the different methods, read my article on "Stick Handling." ( Stick "Ready" Position: (Matched Grip Method) 1.) Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and the backs of your legs touching the drum throne. Take one small step forward, and sit on the throne with your hands relaxed at your sides. 2.) Straighten all five fingers of your right hand, using your elbow as a pivotal joint to raise your forearm until it is parallel to the floor. Turn your palm, so that it is facing upwards. 3.) Using your left hand, place the drumstick diagonally across the right palm, with the butt end of the stick resting on the transverse carpal ligament, and the upper butt area of the stick resting on the proximal interphalangeal joint of the index finger. 4.) Curve the tip of your index finger until it is pointing horizontally. Press the thumb against the stick, holding the stick in place between the thumb and the index finger. The point at which you hold the stick is called the fulcrum point. Gently place the tips of your third and fourth fingers on the butt area of the stick. Keep your fifth finger relaxed. 5.) Maintaining a grip on the stick, relax the biceps and the triceps muscles, letting the right arm and stick hang down by your side. Gradually lift your forearm and wrist up, until they are parallel to the floor. 6.) Repeat steps 1-5 with your left hand. 7.) Bring the tips of the sticks one inch apart from each other in front of you. 8.) Put the playing surface (snare) one inch under the tips of the sticks. What you have is a proper positioning for using Matched Grip.

7 7 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Controlling Your Drum Set Learning to control your drum set will eventually allow you to play anything you want on the drum set. Sometimes we can feel as if the drums are fighting us, not just sound-wise, but physically as well. Sure, it might just be an off night, and you might attribute it to lack of sleep, or your mind just being off in another planet, but it could also be a question of balance. Since playing the drum set requires us to use four limbs, the way in which we balance ourselves at the drums is extremely important. Feeling balanced at the kit lets you relax, and thus makes your playing more flowing. This allows your body the freedom of movement to more easily execute your ideas. Finding the point where you feel centered at the drum set can take some time, and staying centered when playing four different rhythms together can take even longer. It's usually easier to feel balanced when playing simpler exercises. Grooves that require complex lines can sometimes make you feel as if you're going to fall over. One important step in becoming consistent in your playing is finding your center of gravity, and focusing on keeping that stable, no matter what you're trying to play. Practitioners of the martial arts know how critical focusing on your center point can be, since it not only allows you to keep your balance, but can also give you more power. Drummers who play using a heel-down technique usually don't have as many problems balancing, since their heels are resting on the pedals. (Remember what I mentioned about the bass drum and positioning those feet!) Their feet act as a stabilizer. This also seems to give them a lower center of gravity. Heel-up players can run into balance problems because of this lack of a stabilizer. If you play this way it's important to really feel your center point as low as possible, usually a few inches below your naval. Doing this, as well as finding a comfortable position and height on your seat, can give you the stability you need to execute difficult rhythms. There are a couple of other things that can mess up your balance When the individual limbs are playing counterlines, and one or more of the limbs gets out of sync with the others, either because a limb can't keep up, or maybe haven't trained the limbs to quite land together when they're supposed to. Playing silent notes (we'll get into that in the future): For example, I've seen instances that people had inconsistent hi-hat closings on the 2 and 4. I noticed that whether they rocked their hi-hat foot back and forth, or bounced their heel, their heel came down out of time on the 1 and 3. Usually it was early. If they were to play the silent 1 and 3, the hi-hat technique improves, as well as the bass drum technique and sound. Injuries can also interfere with your balance. Just like a guitar player, a broken finger or severely cut hand can affect the way you articulate notes. It's the same with drumming. What can happen is you force other parts of your body to pick up the work load, in turn causing an unbalanced drummer. When we play drums, one thing we're doing is transferring energy from one limb to another. Good time and flow come from the uninterrupted passage of this energy,

8 8 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM allowing your limbs to respond instantly to your ideas. Being balanced, breathing normally, and having a comfortable posture are all critical to a good performance. Being aware of these things when you practice should help you in having a lot more of those great nights. The following exercises are easy, and I haven't set them to any metronome. The reason for this is that you are working on keeping your hands in control of a given drum line. Here are quite a few examples that you need to practice on to make sure you can "tell" your hands what to do in your mind. These are actually rudiments, which we will spend the last six weeks on. However, let's go ahead and take a look at them so that you can be ready. For now, don't worry about the length of the notes or anything like that. The examples may look goofy, but practicing them is a must. You will see exactly how easy it is to lose control of your next 'bounce' on the drum. These exercises can be performed on anything, as once again you don't need a drum set. You just need a drumstick -OR- a pencil. (or something that resembles a stick): L = Left Hand ooooor = Right Hand Here's an example of how to use these exercises: Though you aren't actually playing the rudiments listed on the left, I want you to know that the exercises you are using will come in handy later. Without the notes listed, you aren't actually playing the rudiment. You are just playing the pattern. Let's look at the first one. It WILL be called a nine-stroke roll, which is made up of four double strokes followed by an accented single stroke and the sticking alternates like that of the five-stroke roll. In this case, you are to simply play the beginning of the nine-stroke roll. Get started by hitting the "drum" with your (L)eft hand twice. Then, use your (R)ight hand, and play that twice. It will get much harder as you move along. Nine Stroke Roll Fifteen Stroke Roll Single Paradiddle Single Stroke Roll Triple Stroke Roll L L R R R L R L L R L R R L R R L R L L R L R L R L R L R R R L L L R R R L L L

9 9 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Ten Stroke Roll Eleven Stroke Roll Double Paradiddle Single Stroke Four Single Stroke Seven Triple Paradiddle R R L R R L L L R L L R R R L R R L L L R L L R R L R L R R L R L R L L R L R L R L R L L R L R L R L R R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R R L R L R L R L L R L R R L L Paradiddle-Diddle R L R R L L L R L L R R Drag Paradiddle 2 Single Ratamacue Drum Elements L R L L R R R L L R L L R L R R L R R L R R L R L L L L R L R L R R L R L R

10 10 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM This is of course a question of personal reflection, as everyone has a different concept in mind for your drum studies. However, creating large-and-in-charge drum sets are not easy and can actually cause you to get very frustrated and lost. I will show you how to maximize your drum set to guarantee that you don't get stuck playing in a certain area and lose what you're trying to play. First Things First... You need to find a room that is both big enough to accomodate your drum set, but also to allow you room to move around it for checking hardware and mics. In my case, and as you will see on the video, we set mine up first in the middle of the room, and then moved it into the corner of our studio. This is possible if you have two people. If you plan on putting your drum set in the corner of a room and are by yourself, don't build out from the drum throne, build out FROM the corner (starting with your bass drum, which should face the wall.) What will happen is that you will have to move your drum set around too much to angle it how you want it. Just place elements one piece at a time. Setting Up The Bass Drum... If you have a large area rug, preferably square or rectangular shape, then I would recommend using it, even if you have carpet on your floor. Drum hardware can have 'God-knows-what' (oil, dirt, cigarette ashes) on it that will stain or destroy your carpet. Even if you have a wood or concrete floor, I would recommend some sort of padding to place your drums on. The bass drum has two pegs, or stands, that you need to engage to hold the bass drum in place. These pegs have pointed screws on the end and are used to stabilize the bass drum so that it won't scoot across the floor. This particular peg has a padded end to it, so there would be no need to worry about it damaging your rug or carpet. - However - This one has a spur at the end of it, which is really just a screw with a point. Point = puncture in carpet or rug. The bass drum should be at a comfortable position in relation to your drum throne. Remember, EVERYTHING should be relative to your drum throne, not other elements of your drum set. We want to maintain proper balance, as well as ease of reach. A good rule of thumb in setting up your bass drum height is by sitting at the throne and looking forward. If your right knee is just a little over the height of the top of the bass drum, then you are set. You want to keep your right leg at a complete 90 degree angle, bent at the knee. So, your shin should run straight down with the inner bass drum head.

11 11 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Bass Pedals Ok. I will show you two basic bass drum pedals, but pedals are ABSOLUTELY based on the drummer at hand. I can't tell you which pedal to buy, as everyone must check this for themselves. To me, a good bass pedal is worthless if it isn't comfortable. That being said, here are two types of pedals: This is a standard bass pedal, which I use. I have the double-bass pedal as well, but I just don't like using them. For my particular style, I find that I never really need the double-bass pedal. Sometimes, it causes you to over-play with too much bottom, and the song starts sounding like a giant heart beat. However, some drummers prefer this sound. Here is the double-bass pedal. You'll notice that it has two 'beaters' on the right side. Those are what hit the bass drum. So, you can have only one bass drum, but get two rapid beats out of them. As said before, this will create the 'heart beat' or 'helicopter' sound. These are rather expensive, and for me a waste of money. For the bass drum, I briefly covered the pegs, positioning, and the bass pedals that you can use. There's not much more to the bass drum. The only other thing you may need to know is that your bass drum should have one or two slots on the very top of them. Those are where you mount your toms. When you purchase a drum set, it's rather easy to put it together, as the pieces usually only fit the desired spot to place them. But, if you are on a budget, you may purchase toms seperately that have their own mounting hardware. If so, I would recommend measuring your hole in the bass drum top to guarantee that you will find a perfect fit. I will tell you more about how to 'redneck' your drum set if you are on a budget later in the course. You're going to laugh about it, but it will work! I don't want to go into too much detail about mounting hardware or drum racks as of yet. Right now we are still using the concept of the standard drum set, so adding THOSE elements would cause you to lose track of the topic at hand right now. All other drum elements are very 'user-friendly' on your carpet, as the bass drum is pretty much the only thing that actually sits on the floor, besides various cymbal and mic stands. The stands for cymbals and mics almost always have a large padded bottom to them, so they should sit nicely on the floor.

12 12 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM The Snare Drum The snare drum is almost completely perfect in itself. It simply sits on a stand of it's own, and can be moved or positioned very easily. It's hard to convey to someone how their snare needs to be placed, as I always feel this is a matter of comfort. In theory, the snare should always be placed between your legs in front of you, with your right leg on the bass pedal and your left leg on the hi-hat pedal. However, some drummers have more than one snare, and are either tuned differently, or used as a tom. I'll show you more below: This snare has a clamp on the side of it that will allow you to push it down or up to get a 'high' tom sound or 'back to the snare' sound. It almost sounds like a bongo when released. As seen above, you'll notice that there are a few elements just to this piece. The snare tension rod adjuster will allow you to adjust the tension on the snare gate. This creates a different percussive sound, that being tight or loose. You can hear it and know what a snare SHOULD sound like, but I will get into this in much more detail when we get to recording your drums. You already know WHERE to place this piece, so let's move on. The Hi-Hat The hi-hat and ride (I'll get into that later) are my best friends. However, it's a little tricky to understand at times. I'll do my best to make this as easy as possible. Here's a standard hi-hat: The hi-hat cymbals are connected to the actual stand, and the foot pedal is what will bring the two cymbals together and apart. The hardware on the hi-hat is very self-explanatory, so there's no

13 13 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM need to explain HOW to put your hi-hat together. The pieces just match. Now, the distance that you place your hi-hat cymbals apart from each other is relative to your playing ability. Ideally, you want to allow about an inch space in between them when the hi-hat is open, but this really depends on the kind of ability you have. It can be frustrating working the hi-hat pedal while trying to play a drum line, so some drummers have made an alteration. It goes like this: Start with your hi-hat clasp unscrewed, which will allow you to move the top part of the hi-hat cymbal up and down from the bottom hi-hat, which rests on a pad on the actual hi-hat stand. Then, bring the top hi-hat cymbal down to the bottom hi-hat cymbal just until they meet. Tap the cymbal with your drum stick. If you hear a sustained 'sizzle effect' from the two hi-hats together, then you will be able to play a chorus using more emphasis with the hi-hat open. Most rock drummers will do this. This allows you to simply step on the hi-hat pedal when you want to provide the 'tick' in the drum beat, instead of the 'sizzle.' If you position your hi-hat as I just explained, you'll never have to worry if you are pushing the hi-hat pedal enough or too much. It's as easy as open-closed. I will get into this further when we discuss the hi-hat techniques. The Tom The tom has been used in many different ways. I prefer using a basic high tom for my standard playing, as you see in the video. I then add my mid tom over to my 'percussion' area, where it's just as close to the floor tom, but set aside from the natural drum beat. I only do this because I have a habit of playing the same line on a standard drum set after practicing over and over, so I moved my set around a few years ago to add some character to the drum lines. Later in the course I will show you how I transition to a 'drum-set-within-a-drum-set.' Here is what the basic tom will look like, both high and mid: Then you have the floor tom:

14 14 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM In any case, toms are very simple to set up, as they have a place on the bass drum. But, the floor tom stands alone. You will see in the picture above a set of stands that come from the floor tom. These will adjust the height of your tom. I would recommend the height being about the same or a little lower than your snare drum. That will allow you to hit the two in unison to create a build-up. Toms allow you a great addition to your drum set - the roll. Rather than just roll on the snare, you can experiment with the toms to create a different style in your playing. I will show you later how to perform rolls all the way around your drum set so that you can hear what a difference just ONE tom can make in a song. A good example of this would be John Bonham's solo in "Moby Dick," which he just goes flat out crazy on the toms. We have already covered: Bass Drum Snare Hi-Hat Toms in our elements of the drums. Traditional Vs. Matched Stick So far we have talked about two different methods of holding your drum sticks while playing. Here are the terms again just to make sure you haven't forgotten: Traditional:The stick rests in the space between the thumb and index finger, and the two fingers close around the stick with the thumb atop the index at the first knuckle. The middle finger then rests slightly on top side of the stick (typically the side fingertip is the only contact made). The stick then rests on the cuticle of the ring finger with the pinky support the ring finger from below.

15 15 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Matched: The matched grip is performed by gripping the drum sticks with one's index finger and middle finger curling around the bottom of the stick and the thumb on the top. This allows the stick to move freely and bounce after striking a percussion instrument. Basic Hi-Hat Techniques You can play the hi-hats either with your heel up or down, depending on what you want to do. Whenever you play the hi-hats with your sticks, you want your heel down. To open the hi-hat, raise your toes slightly and release some of the pressure on the cymbals. How much you lift your toes determines just how much your hi-hats will open and how long they will ring when you hit them. Most of the time you want a full swish sound. To create this sound, don t open the cymbals too much. You have to experiment to find the swish sound that you like best. At times, you may want to use your left foot to play the hi-hat while you re playing the ride cymbal or another drum with your right foot. In this case playing with you heel up is the way to go. This technique is pretty much the same as the heel-up bass drum stroke. You can even do double strokes on the hi-hat pedal the same way. Playing the hi-hats is easiest when you position them high enough so that you can hit the snare drum with some force and not have your right hand in the way. The Bass Drum: That Heavy Bottom The bass drum is a very important element when dealing with the drums. The kit drum is usually more heavily muffled than the classical drum, although it can be a bit "boomy". But this can be stopped by placing a pillow or a blanket against the back head to produce a shorter "thud". If the drum is not muffled, then the two skins must be correctly tuned. It is played using a pedal operated mallet, which a right-handed drummer will conventionally operate with the right foot. This pedal is a metal frame in which a pedal and beater are mounted. The pedal pulls a drive mechanism downward and this rotates the beater forward. The most common drive is a chain, but direct drive via a metal bar, and belt drive are also featured. The pedal beater is usually felt, but some are made from wood, plastic, metal, and even rubber.

16 16 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Usually, the front head of a bass drum has a hole in it to allow air to escape when the drum is struck for shorter sustain (this can also deepen the pitch of the drum, depending on tuning). Muffling, such as pillows and blankets, can be installed through the hole without taking off the front head. The hole also allows microphones to be placed into the bass drum for recording and amplification. In addition to microphones, sometimes trigger pads are used to amplify the sound and provide a uniform tone, especially when fast playing without decrease of sound volume is desired. One of the many ways to use the foot to hit the pedal is the heel-toe technique, or the "powerslide," where the drummer first puts down the heel and rolls onto the ball of the foot. This method uses a rocking motion and makes it easier for the drummer to hit the pedal quicker. Another variation is the toe-heel method, where the foot is played heel-up, so that the toes play the first stroke, then the foot shifts forward to a flat stance so as to drive the pedal into another stroke. You have actually done this concept with the heel-up and heel-down technique on the hi-hat pedal, so there is really no need to go into any more about it. It's just a plug-n-play situation where you can now say you understand the difference between the two. The Double Bass In some forms of jazz, hardcore punk, progressive rock and many forms of heavy metal, two bass drum pedals are used, one operated by each foot. The idea for the double bass drum setup came from legendary jazz drummer Louie Bellson when he was still in high school. Originally two tuned bass drums were used for this, but a double pedal on the same drum using an extension mechanism is now more common, particularly due to the significantly lower cost. Although a double pedal will help conserve space, drum resonance is affected by having two beaters playing one drum which is why drummers may opt for the classic two bass drum setup. Some drummers have also experimented with two different bass drum tunings, sometimes combining this with double beaters so as to have more than two pedals. With two feet playing the bass drum, many of the techniques of snare drum playing (such as rudiments and rolls) can be performed on the bass drums. (Though I don't feel that it is necessary to HAVE a double bass drum, it is becoming much more popular to have one.)

17 17 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM The Secret of Triggering The Ellis stomp box sounds like a kick-drum and can be used as a trigger.in heavy metal, some drummers use triggered bass drums. Triggered bass drums are drums furnished with sensors that are connected to a sound module. This way the drum produces a certain sound assigned from the sound module once the head has been struck by the drummer's foot (or stick). There are various reasons why triggers are advantageous. Firstly, it allows drummers to focus more on speed and less on volume: because at very high speeds it becomes impossible for the legs and feet to make as large motions as when playing slowly, so the volume of the bass drum hits necessarily diminish. Triggers will produce a sound whenever the bass drum head is struck, so a drummer can gently tap on the head at a very fast rate and still create the sound of a full-on fast drumbeat. Secondly, a drummer can assign any desired sound from the sound module to the bass drums, making triggers practical for somebody who plays two bass drums, for it is impossible to tune two drums to precisely the same note, since no drum is ever identical as the other (not even in case of same brand, model and dimensions). Even players using a double pedal experience this to some degree, as the two beaters hit different spots in the head. In addition, at extremely rapid speeds, the sounds produced by an untriggered bass drum, being at a very low frequency, may become indistinguishable and the effect will be a rumble rather than a series of notes. A triggered bass drum sound often has an audible treble portion, called the "click" due to its sound, guaranteeing that even at high tempos each note will be clearly audible (this can also be achieved by substituting the usual felt beater head with one made of wood or rubber). Triggers may also be useful for touring bands who play concerts night after night in venues with different acoustics and various levels of sound quality. The triggers make one less hassle in preparing the drum kit for concerts. However, using triggers has its drawbacks. Calibrating triggers can be time consuming. It can be difficult to calibrate in the beginning: often before calibration a trigger will either produce a flurry of notes from only one hit, or will produce only a few notes when many hits are made. Using quality triggers and spending a large amount of time fine-tuning the sensitivity of the triggering equipment is almost always necessary. Furthermore, triggered bass drums may diminish the potential for dynamic playing: whether the drum is struck softly or heavily, the signal produced by the transducer will be at a constant volume (though dynamics are possible, depending on the type of trigger used). Whilst in some cases this is desirable, such as in a death metal band, where the use of dynamics is less needed, it is not in a more sensitive setting such as jazz or fusion music. Finally, a triggered bass drum will almost never sound like a real bass drum, even if the sound produced by the trigger is a recording of a real bass drum, as subtleties of individual hits are lost due to the uniform sound produced. In order to alleviate this to some degree, often a recording drummer will choose to employ a mix of trigger and microphone when recording the bass drum. Sticks and More The Best Wood American Hickory is precisely the type of wood that combines strength and weight in the right proportions and it has good shock absorbing properties. Length and Weight Almost all sticks are longer than 385mm (15.1") and shorter than 415mm (16.3"), and

18 18 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM that's it! Using longer sticks when your arms are short or the other way round won't help much. Making longer sticks is of no use at all because you don't hold the stick at the very end (well, almost nobody does) but at a point where the weight of the part of the stick before that point, is more or less equal to weight of the part behind that point. This point is called the Fulcrum Point. This is very well demonstrated by a pair of 1150mm (43") long sticks that Pro-Mark once made as a gimmick. You have to hold them somewhere halfway, which leaves about 400mm (16") of wood pointing towards you! Almost no stick weighs less than 40 grams (1.4 ounce) and almost no stick weighs more than 70 grams (2.5 ounces). This is if course very much related to the length, thickness and type of wood. Latin Percussion once made a series of drumsticks called Dynafibe, that were made of hickory that had a greater density (by artificial compression techniques) than regular hickory, and hence the stick was heavier. The Parts of the Drumstick The Overall Shapes Round shape (Ball, Apple) Oval shape (Pear) Triangle shape (Pyramid) (Almost all tips fall into one of those three base-shapes.) The shape of the tip is of major importance on the sound of the stick, when played on cymbals. Round: Oval: Triangle: The Shape of the Stick The usual shape of the stick is with a taper from Butt-end to Shoulder but some

19 19 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM variations exist. Notably the stick with the shaft having greater diameter than the butt. A very special design can be found in Tom Gauger's stick collections: The abrupt change give the stick a special feel and balance because the fulcrum point is now closer to the butt end. The Influence of Weight on Sound The weight of a stick is of course dependent on its size and the density of the wood. Given that, acoustical laws dictate that the heavier the stick (up to some obvious limit which is controlled by the size of the instrument), the fuller the sound you get. By full I mean that the whole sound spectrum from low to high frequency comes out. This is something that best can be heard by heaving someone else play your drum, while you are some 20 feet away. No miking! Just the drum, the sticks and the player. Of course the drum itself is of (major) importance, but given a good drum, the sound when played fortissimo with light sticks, is terrible, no matter how hard you hit! Playing softly with heavier sticks also gives a much richer and defined sound. Give it a try. Of course when you are playing on a miked drum, then the most important factor is your sound-engineer!! The sound of a heavy stick on a cymbal has also much more lower frequencies than a lighter stick. This is something that is not always wanted, but can be controlled to a certain degree by the shape and position of the tip. The Shape of the Tip and Sound Acoustical laws tell us that the smaller the point of contact the more higher frequencies are produced. The same is true for the density of the stick. The harder the wood (more dense), the higher the frequencies in the sound heard.

20 20 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM The ideal stick (in my opinion) is heavy, made of wood with a high density and the tip shape should be triangular: The weight gives me body, and the density - together with the Triangular tip- give me a clear cymbal sound. Now we can see how the shape of the tip is of influence in our sound: The Triangular tip. Here we have the smallest point of contact, hence the more higher frequencies come out and give a distinct and clear sound. Because all the forces act on a very small point, stick wear is high! This can be avoided (somewhat) by selecting wood types with a high density. Now we have changed the position of the stick in such a way that the side of the triangle is in full contact with the cymbal. The sound changes from clear to dull! The stick with the ball-type of head has always the same area of contact. Changing its position doesn't have much effect. The Oval tip has a larger point of contact than the model above and hence a darker sound (when made of the same wood). Compared to the triangular tip its sound is darker than the triangular tip in the first position, but lighter than that stick in its second (flat) position. Pair Matching Good factories try to match their sticks into equal pairs. Equal of weight that is. But because factors like temperature and humidity have great influence on wood, it's always a good idea to try to match the pairs yourself before buying. Sticks are also suspect to warping and this can be checked by rolling them on a glass (or other flat) surface. The Numbers on the Sticks

21 21 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Most manufacturers put some kind of code on their sticks like: 5A, 7b, 6a or 3B, but because the manufacturers failed to come up with a system that would give us some real information about their sticks, the meaning of those numbers is without any use for comparing sticks of different manufacturers. However, within the numbering of a given company you'll might find some system and you can be assured that a given number won't change its meaning. Apart from numbers you'll see lots of other descriptions like "John Doe Jazz Model", "Dolly Parton Swing Model", "Band", "General", "Bolero", "Steve Gadd" and a thousand others. My advice: Go out to find the stick(s) you like best and buy them by the dozen, and if you're a real drum banger, buy them by the ton! The Single Stroke Roll (Est. exercise time = 1 hour of total study in single stroke rolls) In percussion, the single-stroke roll is a rudiment consisting of alternating sticking (i.e. R, L, R, L, etc) of in-determinate speed and length. There are official rudiments for single stroke rolls of length four and seven, but in general any standard double stroke roll variation can be performed as a single stroke as well. The single stroke roll is often demostrated in "breakdown" fashion by starting very slowly, accelerating to maximum speed, and then slowing down again. Single-stroke drags are sometimes called "cheeses" or a "hertas", but these are not official rudiments. As you will see, the exercise today consists simply of single strokes alternating with each hand. The pressure involved in playing a single stroke roll is almost non-existent, meaning you should be VERY loose with this one. You simply throw the stick down toward the drum and let the stick bounce back and return to the initial starting position. Practice playing the exercise slowly and gradually increase the speed, stopping the moment you begin to feel muscle tension. Then, slow down a bit and continue practicing at a slower, relaxed speed. This is your control speed. With regular practice, you'll be able to increase your control speed and play single strokes at a fast rate of speed without developing tension. Today's exercise using the single stroke is very simple. As a matter of fact, this should be the only exercise you play today. It's IMPERATIVE that you understand what a single stroke roll is and how you can apply it to drumming, so we must get this down. If you remember, we worked on this very briefly before, but now you are making it 'official.' Explanation: The top line where you see "R" and "L" stands for (R)ight and (L)eft hand. What you are doing here (for you guitar players) is basically playing a scale exercise where you move up and down the fretboard. However, in this case, it's just the snare drum, and you are practicing moving your right and left hands. Note - You SHOULD NOT play any of these lines together. One hand will always alternate in between the other. There are two lines of "R" and "L," but one is basically ascending and the other is descending. Read the lines from left to right

22 22 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM on the first row, and then move down to the next row and play it opposite of what you did before. This exercise is as followed: You can play this exercise as slow or as fast as you need. It's very basic, so take your time and make sure you get it down. 1. Start with your (R)ight hand. Hit the stick LOOSELY on the snare, allowing it to bounce back. For those of you without a drum set, a hard surface will still provide a 'bounce back,' so still do this. 2. Then, use your (L)eft hand to do the same thing. 3. Repeat this over and over and over and over and over. (LOL) 4. Gradually build up speed as you do this, but stop the minute you get out of a basic tempo frame. If you get stuck in a rut, just back off and start it slowly again. Reading Time Signatures Standard time, the most common time, means the music gets 4 beats per measure. A measure is a way to break the song down into small groups and are separated by bars. While it's not important for our purposes to learn how to read music, it will be helpfull to learn the duration of the different notes: Note Values To learn how time signatures work we first need to learn about note values. A Whole Note equals 4 beats: Half Notes equal 2 beats: Quarter Notes equal one beat: Eight Notes equal half a beat:

23 23 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Sixteenth Notes equal 1/4th a beat: The number of beats in each measure and the kind of note chosen to represent the beat are placed together as a fraction at the beginning of a composition. This is called the time signature. For example: 4/4 time A quarter note gets 1 beat. There are 4 quarter notes per measure. 3/4 Time A quarter note gets 1 beat. There are 3 quarter notes per measure. 2/4 Time A quarter note gets 1 beat. There are 2 quarter notes per measure. 3/2 Time A half note gets 1 beat. There are 3 half notes per measure. 6/8 Time An eight note gets 1 beat. There are 6 eight notes per measure. Paradiddles

24 24 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM In percussion, the paradiddle is a four-note pattern of the form RLRR or LRLL. When multiple paradiddles are played in succession, the first note always alternates between right and left. There are also several official variations of paradiddle rudiments (see below). There are three variations on the single paradiddle. They can be written as follows, where R represents the right hand and L represents the left hand; the bold letters indicate where the accent typically falls (after the diddle). Reverse Single Paradiddle - RRLR LLRL Inward Single Paradiddle - RLLR LRRL Outward Single Paradiddle - RLRL LRLR There are other variations of the paradiddle, but for now this will do. This is a simple exercise that doesn't require you to be on the drum set or even in front of the computer. What you are doing is playing hand patterns again. Practice each simple text exercise below until you have it down, and then move to the next exercise. Since this is a basic hand excercise, there is no need for a video. Just practice the following at a low tempo and then bring it up faster as you get better at it. Reverse Single: 1. RRLR 2. LLRL Inward Single: 1. RLLR 2. LRRL Outward Single:

25 25 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM 1. RLRL 2. LRLR The Beat Expander Method What the heck is it? You have seen this title for a while now, so it's time to let you in on a little bit of what 'The Beat Expander Method' can do for you. Simply put, I designed it because the drums seem complicated, but most of what you will learn to play is actually math-related, and thus will allow you to plug and play numbers to change up drum patterns. Today, all we are going to do is throw a few possible exercises at you that you have worked on before, but this time we are switching it up on you. You are going to basically play everything that you have learned so far in reverse. This allows you to hear a different beat than what you usually hear, and also enables you to learn the VERY difficult aspect of some Reggae songs and the 'up-stroke' for you guitar players out there. So, let's begin with a few table exercises today. Remember, you have already learned these, so there's no need for further explanation. All you are doing is reversing everything that you have learned to apply a different beat to it: Exercise 1: Beat Hi-Hat R R R R Snare L L Exercise 2: Beat Hi-Hat R R R R Snare L L Bass F F F Exercise 3: Beat Hi-Hat R R R R Snare L L Bass F F F F Tom L L Exercise 4: Beat Hi-Hat R R R R

26 26 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Snare L Bass F F Tom L L L Cont'd. Beat Hi-Hat R R R Snare L L L Bass F F F Cymbal R Exercise 5: Hi-Hat * * * * Snare * Bass * * As you can see, all I have done here is switch up the beats for you. This is by no means all of the aspects of 'The Beat Expander Method', but you can see where we are going from here. Simply put, using this system will allow you to create many different patterns of drumming without having to spend hours doing so. I do it all the time when playing with Kenny. I literally tab out a simple drum line, and then just go back and switch it all up. Then, I either print it out or write it down, and practice that before we move into recording. When you get the download for my 10 signature drum lines, I will show you how I have done this. You're going to love using this method once you get used to it! The Drummer Workout I have been asked quite a few times already... "What's the best way to prepare or workout for playing the drums..?" It's a great question. It's absolutely important to do so, and I will briefly tell you a few killer workouts that will help your drumming ability. Regardless of age, a drummer needs to be prepared for long sets, and even more so...long practice routines. The good news is...you don't have to be in tip-top shape to play drums, but you do have to have some rather good cardio. For those that don't know, cardio deals with your ability to hold up under pressure, with a constant heart rate that never exceeds a higher bpm (ha! We even use our heart rate as a guide for drumming!) than usual. Boxers, MMA fighters, runners, and more primarily deal with cardio; not weightlifting or anything else. Some pro athletes deal with this as well, mainly in football (receivers and such).

27 27 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM So, what's the best way to build great cardio? High reps, low-key exercises, without heavy weights...and lots of it! I would probably say the absolute best cardio for anyone is swimming and light running. It builds your heart rate and keeps it at a reasonable level (you're not pumping your muscles at an irregular rate, as both swimming and running deal with breathing and timing issues). I used to run track in high school, played as a wide receiver on my football team, and have recently gotten into cardio-based sparring. (not Billy Blanks 'kicking-in-the-air' and pretending to spar, but real sparring with gloves and head gear and tape and mouthpieces..etc.) (Actually, I started with Kenny! What a way to get some aggression out eh? Exchanging punches with your boss! You gotta watch him though..he's short, but he's sneaky!) Anyway, I have found that single-handedly the best workout ever is basic cardio boxing, and that DOES even mean Billy Blanks, as mentioned above. So... About Running: Running is one of best activities you can do. It doesn't require special equipment (except some quality shoes) and you can do it anywhere. Best of all, you burn serious calories, especially if you add hills and sprints. A 145-lb person can burn 300 (at 5.2 mph) in 30 minutes. The downside is, it takes lots of practice and you should watch your knees and ankles for any discomfort or pain., which a drummer definitely doesn't want if he or she has to run to the studio and do a few tracks an hour after running, so you need to schedule your workouts. To workout: Try JOGGING at a very slow pace three times a week in the morning. I recommend this brisk jog/run to be 1 mile, even if you have to stop and rest a minute. The Key: Regardless of how long it takes you to run/jog that mile, doing it three times a week will naturally build up your heart rate and you'll find after a few weeks of doing these running exercises that you can finish the entire mile, REGARDLESS of speed, in a constant jog/run. About Swimming: Though not all of us have this luxury, swimming is a full body exercise. The more body parts you involve in your workout, the more calories you'll burn. Spend 30 minutes doing the breastroke and you'll burn almost 400 calories. Best of all, your joints are fully supported so you don't have to worry about high-impact injuries. It's also great cross-training for other cardio activities. To workout: Try swimming for only 30 minutes on an OFF day from running. Just do this once a week at first, if you have access to a pool or water source. (Not a bathtub...lol!) The Key: Regardless of how fast you swim, your body still does mostly the same amount of work due to the weight differential in the water. It's MUCH easier on your body, and physical therapists recommend this exercise for those with bad joints. About Sparring: You don't have to hit anyone...you don't have to have a partner..i'm not teaching you how to fight. I had to say everything up front so that no one thought I was going to move into too much with the sparring. Sparring is a relative word. It may seem strange, but standing in front of a mirror and shadow boxing yourself will work WONDERS on your heart rate.

28 28 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Don't believe me? Try this: Go to a mirror. Don't worry about proper stance or anything. Just stand there like you see in the pic below (don't worry about the gloves, you aren't hitting anyone). Now, put your hands up in a basic guard, like below: All you have to do is look in the mirror. When you move your head to the right, punch with your left hand toward the mirror (not INTO the mirror..). Then, do the same for when you move your head to the left. Just punch with your right. The Key: Feel your body move. Feel your arms stretch. Doesn't that feel like you are hitting a drum? It should. If you are unaware of how to throw a simple jab (which is really what it's all about) then simply do this: Go face-to-face to a wall. Stand in a boxing stance, either foot forward, depending on if you are left or right handed. Stretch the arm closest to the wall until it touches it without you fully extending your hand. Allow just A LITTLE give in the elbow so that it isn't completely extended. Now, back off about an inch. That is your power zone in a jab. That will keep you from hyper-extending your arm when throwing a simple jab out. The key here is to make sure you don't throw out your elbow by just slinging it out there. You want to have about a 45 degree angle between the inner area of your elbow where it joins with your forearm and bicep. This may seem tricky, but it's really not, and will EXPLODE your cardio. Ok, so I did alot of talking, but you MUST be in reasonable shape to play the drums. How about a table that explains this? Running Swimming Sparring 3 times per week 30 mins. once per week 1 mile each time In between off-days of running Add 1/2 mile each week Add 30 minutes each week Note - I have to legally provide a disclaimer: 10 mins. every day After running/swimming Add 20 minutes each week 'I do not condone exercise for those of you who are in bad health. I only offer the above as a guide to what I have used in the past to build cardio. I am not a licensed therapist, physician, or any other sort. Please exercise with caution, and see your doctor or therapist if you have any physical problems when performing any of these exercises.

29 29 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Staying With The Beat These tips apply to any drum playing, so keep them in mind no matter what you are studying. 1. Take Your Time Added When you start to learn something new, always start slow. Even if you think that you know the beat already, play it slow just to make sure that you are doing it right. Once you know that you are doing it right, then you can start to speed it up. Trying to play too fast at first will ultimately slow down your progress. It is important to learn to play things at a range of tempos anyway, so you might as well progress from slower to faster tempos than that other way around. 2. Count Out Loud I remember when I first started playing drums, I had always heard to count out loud - even when I didn't feel it was necessary. Only later in my drumming career did I realize its importance when I was trying to learn more difficult beats and rhythms. Counting out loud is a great way to check and see if you are playing things right. If you are counting and your playing doesn't line up - you will know immediately that something is wrong. 3. Don t Play when You Practice, Don't Practice When you Play Dedicated "practice" time should be focused. You should never jam or play things you have already mastered during this time. Likewise, you should never be practicing things when you are playing with a live band or in another setting that is focused around "playing" music. This is a mistake that we all have made. I am just as guilty of this as anyone else. It is extremely important to stay on task during any formal practice time. I have some students who don t follow this simple principle and as a result have been working on certain beats for months. They come into lessons week after week without making any real progress. I take a full lesson to have them work through a few beats properly, and they immediately start making progress. It isn't because I am there guiding them, but rather because they are actually focusing on getting better. Had they done this themselves, they would ve saved a lot of time and money. Ninety-nine percent of the time their slowed progress is entirely due to unfocused practice. 4. Sit up Straight - Be Ready to Play I don t want to sound like your school teacher, but it is extremely important that you sit up straight during a practice or performance. Not only is this better for your body, but it also helps you stay more focused on what you are doing. You'd be surprised how much easier everything seems when you are in the "ready position" with your back straight and your arms loose and ready. 5. Don t Give Up - Always End with an Accomplishment If you are having a hard time on a beat or a section of beats, don t give up! Take it as a challenge. All too often I see people get to the hard section of the beats and then give up. The whole reason you are practicing in the first place is to learn material that you don t know. The hardest beats, when worked out and practiced hard, will probably become your favorite. Often in practices I will set mini-goals to be sure I am accomplishing objectives. If I am having real trouble with a particular beat, I would make it my primary objective to master it. Often I will tell myself something like: "I will not stop till I can play this absolutely perfect 5 times in a row". It's always important to end practices on a good note. Overcoming small obstacles is a great way to wrap things up and give you that added confidence to take your playing to the next level. Always remember to push yourself to catch that one beat, fill, or pattern that is giving you trouble. In drumming and in life, confidence based on accomplishment is everything. 6. Practice Does NOT Make Perfect Practicing RIGHT makes perfect. I always stress the importance of this. If you are working on a

30 30 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM beat and are not quite sure whether or not you are playing it right, then you need to find out. When you practice it wrong then you are only getting better at doing something the WRONG way. When you finally do realize what you are doing it is going to be that much more difficult to change back to the right way. Don t get better at doing it wrong! 7. Use a Metronome (aka - click track) It's important to incorporate a metronome into your regular practice. Don't become reliant on it, but use it as a training tool instead. It will help you stay on beat when you are practicing at a wide range of tempos. Sometimes playing a beat extremely slow can be just as difficult as trying to play it really fast. It's important that you learn to be flexible enough to play virtually any beat in any setting. You've already learned to play through things slowly at first, but I'd recommend going back to push things even slower after you've mastered them. This will actually help you when begin to practice it faster, as your muscles will begin to memorize the pattern. When you are ready and feel confident that you can play a beat at a range of slower tempos - use the click track to practice at faster tempos. Make sure you start at a range you can easily play, and then increase the metronome speed by 5 BPM (beats per minute) as you feel comfortable. If you reach a speed you can't play - slow it back down until you are ready to proceed. 8. Set a Practice Routine Ideally you want to practice everyday of the week, but at very least you want to get in to any form of routine. This will help you learn at a steady pace - spending more time advancing your skills instead of re-practicing things that you've already mastered. A professional body builder doesn t go into the gym and lift one weight and then walk out. In the same way, you can t practice drums hard for one day and then go back two weeks later and expect to remember everything you went over. You might still know a few of the things, but ultimately you will have lost much of what you worked on. As drummers, we are trying to build muscle memory. Practice and repetition is key to achieving this. 9. Stay relaxed and loose This was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn as a younger drummer. It is amazing how much faster and cleaner you can play just by relaxing and staying loose. A good way to make sure you are staying relaxed is by taking deep breaths while you are practicing. This is a great way to slow down your heart rate and calm your muscles. 10. Have Fun I have to throw in the old Have Fun tip. I know it might sound lame or cliché, but it s true. Always take time to enjoy playing your kit. It's important to practice hard, but it's just as important to have fun with the skills you are working so hard to develop. Tuning Your Drums

31 31 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM Note: You cannot see the muffler above, so here is another image of it: If you do not yet own a drum set, just keep practicing the way you have been. You will appreciate this lesson a little more when you finally get your drums. This lesson is for those students who wish to improve their drumset tones. Even the cheapest drums may be tuned to your personal satisfaction. The secret is in knowing how to pull the sounds that you've imagined, from each of your drums. When tuning a drumset, you must initially imagine the tones you are wanting to hear, then you must discover how to tweak those exact tones from each drum. I have assembled the following pointers to help you do just that. TENSION SCREWS AND LUGS: Look closely at your snare drum and try to decide exactly what factors most effect the tonal quality. Notice the 'square headed screws' around the top and bottom rims of the Drum. We call these tension rods' or 'tension screws'. They screw into the lugs, that are usually mounted permanently on the sides of the 'shell' of the drum. We may tighten or loosen these screws with a tool called a 'drum key. A drum key can be purchased at any music store for a dollar or two. Adjustments to the tension screws with a drum key will effect the tension on the Drumhead, which will raise or lower the pitch (tone) of the drum. A tight Drumhead will produce more bounce for the Drumsticks and a higher pitch, whereas less tension on the head will produce the opposite. A little experimentation will help you decide which you personally prefer. Your PERSONAL PREFERENCES are paramount, here, since you'll be the person actually playing the drum(s). No one should ever try to dictate to you, the tones YOU are preferring to hear. It's a discovery you'll need to make for yourself. The CORRECT tuning of your drums will only be correct, if YOU agree, and it is never correct until YOU approve of the tones coming from the drum(s).

32 32 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM It's virtually impossible to PURCHASE the tones you are wanting to hear. You'll need to learn to 'tweak' your preferred tones from even the most expensive drums. Price has very little to do with that. Be cautious when adjusting the lug screws around any drumhead so as not to warp either the drumhead or the rim. Do not over-tighten one screw while leaving another very loose. It is best to tighten the lug screws in a diagonal crisscross pattern around the head. Cautiously turn each tension screw an equal number of turns until you have achieved the desired tension. THE SNARES:Now turn your snare drum over and look at the strands of wire underneath. We call these wires, snares'. The snares' produce the snap' sound and give the snare' drum its name. Without these snares' your drum will sound like a tom tom. THE STRAINER:The snare wires are usually connected on one side of the drum with a screw apparatus and a flip lever. The flip lever on most drums is usually designed to release the snares quickly, so that a 'tom effect' can be a tonal option. The screw apparatus, called the STRAINER', may be tightened or loosened to place the desired amount of tension on the snares. The degree of tension on the snares will increase and decrease the amount of 'snap' or 'rattle' coming from the snare drum. Again,... You must decide just the right amount of 'snap' or 'rattle' you want to hear. This will require some experimentation before you will discover the exact tone you personally prefer. MUFFLING AND MUFFLERS:After tuning both heads and adjusting the Strainer you may find that your Snare Drum (or any drum) may still emit an undesirable 'ring' or 'overtone' when struck a glancing blow. Too much vibration in the heads can often cause this overtone. Some type of muffling device may be necessary, and this is often where most students experience problems with their tone. If your drum(s) seem to 'RING' too much, you'll probably need to muffle the drum heads... which can be done a number of ways. There are MANY ways to muffle the heads of a drum. Some drummers use a strip of duct tape, and others may place a thin strip of felt or linen under the head(s), between the shell edge, and the head itself. Those tips, (above) are the economical ways. The tips below may cost a few pennies. In recent years a number of spinoff-companies have emerged to address this 'ringing' and 'muffling' dilemma. One of the best solutions to drum-muffling is a 'thin mylar oval', that lays flat and directly over the head of any drum. They are known by names such as, O-Rings or Sound Ovals. If your drum(s) seem to emit too much 'ringing' and too many overtones, it might be wise to visit your local music store and ask a knowledgeable salesman to demonstrate the effectiveness of such a muffling device. To 'hear' the dramatic differences in tone... may be enough to make you want to try them on your own drums. O-Rings are offered in a number of sizes, and varieties. Some are adhesive backed and will stick to your drumhead, while others simply lay on the drum. Still others, may be made of a felt-like material as well. Experiment with the many varieties until you find the type that works best for you, personally. You'll probably want to use them all the way around your drumset. Muffling perfection is the KEY ingredient to achieving the exactness of tone your ear is wanting to hear. Big bucks aren't the answer to tuning problems. Perfect tone is a matter of simple common-sense. The most expensive drum set in the World will sound terrible, as they come out of the box. They too will need to be 'tweaked' to your satisfaction, or you'll hate them! OTHER MUFFLER TYPES: AN INTERNAL DRUM MUFFLER, is simply a screw device that places a felt pad against the batter head inside the drum. The muffler is usually equipped with a flip lever or turn screw that allows for easy external adjustment. In previous years, most snare drums came from the factory with a muffler installed, but that practice has recently stopped for some unknown reason. Almost any music store will install one for twenty or thirty dollars (per

33 33 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM drum). Again it is up to you to decide whether you like your drum(s) with, or without a muffler. The INTERNAL MUFFLER was the STANDARD muffling device for many years, and as far as I'm concerned... it was, and still is, the best method of muffling. I don't know why the major drum manufacturers have stopped installing these devices at the factory, but I assume it has a LOT to do with profit-margins... and greed. DRUM HEADS: If you are still dissatisfied with your tone at this point, you should look at the batter head (or top head.) Batter heads are manufactured at varied thicknesses or weights ranging from thin to thick.thin heads are designed for very light, snappy, crisp tonal qualities, but they have a tendency to break under heavy use. Thick drumheads will withstand a great deal of punishment, but some tonal quality will be sacrificed. Thicker heads tend to 'contain' much of the tone 'inside the drum' in a way that keeps those tones from being released and perceived by our ears. Extremely thick heads have a tendency to sound flat and dead, in my opinion. Again, a trip to your local music store may be wise, here. Familiarize yourself with all the various types, styles and brands of drumheads and experiment with many of them. Determine your own preferences. That's really the only way to be sure of what you personally prefer. The many choices are yours to make. We are all different. That's WHY there are so many varied choices. Personally, I prefer Remo heads. I prefer a Coated-Ambassador on the snare, and Pinstripes around the toms. I like Hydraulic heads around the toms, if I'm doing work in the studios. Hydraulic heads produce a great tone when micked, but they don't seem to project as well as pinstripes, when played acoustically in large night clubs. (That's just my opinion.) Tuning the Toms: Now that you have your snare drum tuned to perfection, it's time to focus on the remainder of the set. Begin with the smallest tom... it will often be situated directly next to, and a little above, (or even flush with) the Snare. This should be your highest pitched tom since it is the smallest. The larger toms should be graduated in both tone and size in clockwise fashion, around you. When tuning your toms, try first to imagine ALL the tones you'll want to hear from the entire set, then seek to achieve or pull those tones from each drum. Remember that tight heads produce higher tones and loose heads produce lower tones. You may wish to experiment with varied combinations of tight top heads, loose bottoms for one effect, or vice versa for the opposite. Some drummers choose to eliminate the bottom tom heads completely. Search for the sound that you like, personally. Drum mufflers, (O-Rings, etc.) will help eliminate any undesirable ring' or 'overtones' in your toms. Many high tech solutions to tom tone have appeared on the market in recent years. Experiment with some of the following options: TOM TOM HEADS: 1. Black Dot: This is a tom head designed with a double thickness of head material in the center of the drum. The double thickness tends to eliminate some 'overtones' and enhance the life of the head. 2. Pinstripe: Pinstripe heads have a double thickness of head material around the outer perimeter of the drum where most overtones occur. I prefer this type of head. 3. Hydraulic: Hydraulic heads involve the sandwiching of an oily substance between two

34 34 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM thicknesses of head material. Many drummers swear by them. The overtones are greatly reduced and the heads are very durable. My opinion is that they do not project very well in a large room. The tone tends to fall flat a short distance from the drum. Microphones can help solve that problem though. BASS DRUM: If you like your bass drum loud and ringing, that is easy! Simply tighten both heads to maximum, and do not try to muffle them. YUK!!!!! We may get a solid "thud" effect in the following ways: 1. Place a 6" x 26" piece of cloth (felt is suggested) between the drumhead and shell of your bass all the way across the drum. You may even choose to cover the entire circular area with thin cloth. Remove the drum rim and head, place the cloth over the hole, then replace the head and rim and pull them to the desired tension. Finally, trim away the ragged edges of cloth. 2. Many drummers prefer to eliminate the front head and rim entirely and place different articles of padding inside the Drum (pillows, foam rubber, roadkill, etc.) until the desired muffle has been achieved. (I'm just kidding about the roadkill.) TIP : 3. Pro-drummers may often cut a small (10" to 12") hole in the center of the outside bass drum head, (facing the crowd.) This is good, because it allows the drummer to adjust the padding inside the drums as needed, during the gig. Not all rooms are created 'acoustically' equal. 4. It's common to see ALL of the above muffling techniques used in various combinations, along with O-rings and other muffling devices. Muffling is a major factor towards achieving, personally preferred tone. So, don't be afraid to experiment! ADDITIONAL MONEY SAVING TIP: Place a small patch of DUCT TAPE at the point where the BASS DRUM BEATER BALL contacts the head. This will have little effect on the tone, but it will inhibit wear and tear on the head, prolonging it's life, and saving you money. If you are still dissatisfied with your tone at this point, check around and listen to other drummers until you find a pro-drummer who has a sound that you like. Then ask him how he gets it. TUNING 'ETIQUETTE' TIP: This tip may save you from getting an unexpected fat-lip, some day! It often occurs that other drummers may sometimes invite us to sit-in and play on their drum set. This is considered a gracious compliment to us, when it happens. We must realize that as we sit-in on another person's drum set, it is still their drum set! It is considered EXTREMELY POOR MANNERS, to alter or change anything in the other drummers set-up... and, ESPECIALLY the tunings. It often takes many weeks of persistent 'tweaking' to achieve the exact tunings we each personally prefer. If we allow someone to change those adjustments for their own personal 'momentary' comfort, it may often mean that another several weeks of tweaking will be necessary to completely regain those exact preferred tones and adjustments. NEVER CHANGE OR RE-TUNE ANOTHER DRUMMERS SETUP OR TUNINGS! It can cause serious trouble! Working With Music is Important! The thrill of playing along with music (CDs, records, tapes, radio, etc.) has become your favorite pastime. If it is not, then something needs to be corrected before you go any further. There will be little need to study and perfect any of the beats, rolls and fills in the coming lessons if you are not

35 35 of 41 10/30/2007 9:08 AM going to adapt them to music. If you are having problems adapting the dance beats to music, consider these two factors: a. You may need more practice with all the dance beats. You must gain the ability to play them steadily and rapidly for durations of three to four minutes. Most popular songs are at least that long. b. You may not be listening close enough to the music you are trying to play. It is important that you listen DEEP into the BACKGROUND of the music and feel the beat the recorded drummer is playing. If you truly feel the beat of the music and if you have thoroughly studied the The Basic Dance Beats:, then playing with music should come natural and it should become one of your most enjoyable past-times. If this doesn't occur, it means you won't ever go far as a drummer. Much of your success will depend largely on your love of playing along with the music and your ability to listen deeply into the music as you play. TRY WORKING WITH HEADPHONES! Working with headphones will channel the music more directly to your ears and muffle your own drum sounds too. This will allow deeper concentration on the music being played. Beware of excessive volume! You can ruin your hearing for life. Tomorrow I will show you a cool device that I use to tune MY drums, and would never use another tuning option again after finding it. It's called the "Drum-Dial." Here's a pic: The History of Jazz