NOTE VALUES
The basic Rock beat has four counts (or
beats) and 1 drum attack per beat. Those are called 1/4 notes
(there are 4 beats per measure or bar line). A common version of this
beat has 8 notes on the hihat or ride cymbal (twice as fast as 1/4
notes). They are called 1/8 NOTES – “why are they called eighth
notes?” Because there are 8 eighth notes in a measure of 4/4 time (or
common time)
*All
note names are equal to their value in 4/4 time:
-Whole note takes up the whole
measure (4 beats in length – attack on 1)
-Half note takes up half of a measure
(2 beats in length – attack on 1 and 3)
-Quarter note takes up one quarter of
a measure (1 beat in length – attack on 1 2 3 4)
-Eighth note takes up one eighth of a
measure (1/2 beat – attack on 1+2+3+4+)
-Sixteenth note takes up one
sixteenth of a measure (1/4 beat – attack 1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a, 4 notes per
beat)
The
same names were given to rests:
-Whole rest
-Half rest
-Quarter rest
-Eighth rest
-Sixteenth rest
ROCK 2
The
hi-hat part is the same as ROCK 2 (1/8 notes). This section introduces 16th notes
to the snare part. Remember: sixteenth notes have two beams across and
eighth notes have one beam [flags if they are singular notes]. 16th
notes are played twice as fast as 8th notes. Say, “1e+a 2e+a
3e+a 4e+a”
ROCK 3
Again, the hi-hat part
is the same as ROCK 1 and ROCK 2. We introduce 16th notes to the bass drum part. Be careful of the bass drum parts and hi-hat. Keep them
separate when required.
Instead
of working hard make it so you’re hardly working.
Translation: Always look for patterns within the notation. For the
first line of ROCK 3 you only need to focus on reading the bass drum
part. You have already learned the snare and hi-hat parts from ROCK 2
and ROCK 3. Now we just introduce 16th notes to the bass drum
part.
ROCK 16th
Play
16th notes on the hi-hat with your lead hand. (hint: the hi-hat and
snare are the same throughout the page). If you can say the syllables
while playing then you should do it: 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a. If
you can’t, you’d better get to work on it. You should be able to say and
play these syllables and drum parts.
Don’t
be a slacker. If you lay back and lay back and lay back…pretty soon
you’ll be laying down. Get up…and get, get…down.
Translation: There’s no shortcut. These are getting more difficult and
you have to practice frequently and seriously. Learn them correctly,
slowly and make sure you groove it with the click or you’ll have trouble
with the next series of lessons….speaking of which…look ahead and keep
moving >>>
LINEAR FUNK
No two surfaces are
played at the same time. There are a couple of ways to approach this
style.
1. One way
is to read each note consecutively the same way a computer would read a
scan card. Play and take a “Pitch inventory”, as a professor of mine
called it, in slow motion. Say and play each note as you read it (bass,
hi-hat, hi-hat, bass, snare etc.)
2. Another
approach is to learn the bass and snare parts and omit the hi-hat part
(play bass and snare only). The hi-hat simply fills in the gaps between
the bass and snare. This is a convenient way to get funky and play in
and out of the downbeats without getting lost. It also strengthens your
independence and limb control.
*When you have figured
out the linear approach you’ll soon see how to apply it to some
Latin-American four-way independence.
Famous Quote: “If it
sounds good it is good”- some rockstar. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for this
method of drumming: “Keep It Simple Stupid”. Easy grooves and beats make
the world dance. Don’t worry about complexity…….yet.
CHALLENGE:
Relearn this page with
the ride cymbal instead of the hi-hat then try the following:
1) hi-hat w/foot on the
downbeats (1,2,3,4)
2) hi-hat w/foot on all
the “&s” (1e&a 2e&a 3e&a 4e&a)
3)Then watch my 2nd video
lesson Hihat and
Ride Variations and apply all 22 rhythms to the beats
Here's a great link to some of the great
drummers of the world:
http://www.leisureclass.net/drums/a_to_z/
Did you know?…
‘By
the 1930's, the drumset generally included a bass drum, snare drum, one
or more tom-toms, Zildjian "Turkish" cymbals (larger and more resonant
than Chinese cymbals), cowbell and woodblock. Of course each drummer
would personalize the set with his own combination of "traps". Sonny Greer,
for example, played a set with such additions as timpani, vibraphone,
chimes, Chinese temple blocks and gongs. Throughout the 1930's and
1940's, drum manufacturers further refined and developed components of
the set to meet the requirements of popular drummers such as Jo Jones
and Gene Krupa,
making larger tom-toms, "floor" toms, sturdier drum-mounted cymbal
stands, and faster bass drum pedals. The drum set began growing again in the early 1950's with the
addition of a second bass drum by Louie Bellson
and others.’
Courtesy of
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Bayou/1707/drums.html
Drum tips:
Practice the drums both quietly and loudly. Both techniques will
improve your control and accuracy. ALWAYS use a metronome.
If you have a computer, you probably have a mouse pad. Mouse pads make
good practice pads (they tend to move around a bit though). The
material is a similar material to “Sound Off” drum mufflers. Every
drummer who has neighbors (or parents) who complain about the noise
should own these.
Did you know?…
The Drum set, as we know it, is a fairly new idea (instrumentally
speaking). Before the early 1900’s drummers typically would share
drumming duties. One person would play bass drum, one would play snare
drum, and another would play cymbals and/or percussion. Then in the
vaudeville and silent movie era (1910–1929) it was cheaper and easier
to hire one person to play everything. Because of this, the first bass
pedal was invented so the snare drummer could play it with his foot
while he played other percussion (sound effects) for the actors in
silent movies or in the vaudeville entertainment shows (which included
jugglers, tap dancers, comedians and singers).
Drum tips:
It’s much better to practice for 15 minutes every day of the week
than to cram it all into 2 hours on 1 or 2 days. Why - you ask? It
is easier to retain information when it is reviewed frequently.
Repetition is the only guaranteed learning tool. You’ve heard the
term “practice makes perfect” right? Well only if you practice
“perfectly”. Slow it down and play it correctly every time. Then you
will continue to perform accurately.
Did you know?…
…that the lead singer / guitarist from The Foo Fighters (Dave Grohl)
was the drummer for Nirvana?
…that the drummer for the Conan O’Brian Show (Max Weinberg) was the
drummer for Bruce Springsteen?
…that until the invention of the mylar drumhead in the late 1950’s,
animal hide was used for drumheads?
… The Dave Matthews Band drummer (Carter Beauford) “started on his
music career at an early age — three years old” – the official Dave
Matthews Band website (http://www.dmband.com/)
