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Drum Blog

Jojo Mayer’s Secret Weapons 2 Is All About Feet And Pedals

It promised to be ?The most comprehensive guide to foot technique for drummers ever available? and it is. Well, I imagine it is because I haven’t actually seen the other available guides to feet but this DVD is so amazingly comprehensive, I can’t see how there can be any competitors. Not to mention that people with Jojo Mayer’s insanely focussed intensity and commitment are very very rare so the probability of someone else producing anything remotely as comprehensive in this… Read More »Jojo Mayer’s Secret Weapons 2 Is All About Feet And Pedals

Tony Allen

I’m Looking Forward To Seeing Tony Allen Next Week

Next Thursday I’ll be going to see Tony Allen playing in London, at the Village Underground in Shoreditch. I guess he’ll be playing a bunch of stuff from his new album, Film Of Life, which sounds great. I’m really looking forward to seeing him play since I’ve spent a chunk of the last year or so trying to do what he does. I love his loose and energetic playing and his amazing touch. Something I am finding particularly challenging is… Read More »I’m Looking Forward To Seeing Tony Allen Next Week

I Saw The Kinks Musical, Sunny Afternoon

Last week I got to see the musical Sunny Afternoon which is based on the story of the Kinks and features their music. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve visited the theatre (and have a couple of fingers to spare) and I found it to be a very novel experience. The show is based on the fortunes of the Kinks from their early days as the Ravens to the summer of 1966… Read More »I Saw The Kinks Musical, Sunny Afternoon

Videos of Drummers In Action

I really enjoyed the recent post on Steve Goold’s blog with “drum cam” footage from a recent performance and thought I’d post a few videos showing drummers at work including one of myself, for good measure. There’s a huge amount of indulgent stuff being shown by drummers in their practice rooms, and it’s great fun to watch but to see our colleagues working up close during a live performance is something else. The following videos all show drummers of a… Read More »Videos of Drummers In Action

Jojo Mayer – Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer Pt. 2: A Guide to Foot Technique

I’m rather excited to discover that the long awaited sequel to Jojo Mayer’s insane video on hand technique is due out soon. Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer Pt. 2: A Guide to Foot Technique is released by Hudson Music “soon”. It promises to be “The most comprehensive guide to foot technique for drummers ever available”. The hands video is best viewed as a compendium of technical information rather than a step by step guide that needs to be mastered… Read More »Jojo Mayer – Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer Pt. 2: A Guide to Foot Technique

Stanton Moore Clinic at Bell Percussion

I had a great time last Sunday attending a clinic with top-notch New Orleans drummer, Stanton Moore, at Bell Percussion in Acton. The event was organised by fellow Edgwareian and hub of the drum community, Mike Dolbear of www.mikedolbear.com. I admit I was feeling a little apprehensive about seeing Stanton since I became a bit “Stantoned out” with his Street Beats DVD and Groove Alchemy Book and DVD. It started to feel like he was popping up everywhere I looked,… Read More »Stanton Moore Clinic at Bell Percussion

My New Custom Moulded Earplugs Are Here

I’m very excited this morning because the postman bought me my new pair of ACS ER-15 custom moulded earplugs. My old pair died and I’ve had to wait a few months before ordering a new pair. Without my proper earplugs I have been using Elacin ER20s and ProGuard PR20s, both of which seem pretty good although the ProGuards are more comfortable for longer periods of time. The-off-the-shelf musician’s earplugs are not bad, I think all musicians should have a pair… Read More »My New Custom Moulded Earplugs Are Here

Funky Left-Hand Open Hi Hat Splashes

Here’s a sheet of exercises I wrote to develop the facility to play open hi hat splashes on the ee’s and ah’s using the left hand. These exercises are based on the famous Bernard Purdie lick you can hear in Aretha Franklin’s Rocksteady and which is a staple of funk drumming. If you watch Purdie play the lick, you’ll notice he plays the open sounds with his right hand but I find that when you use the left hand it… Read More »Funky Left-Hand Open Hi Hat Splashes

Drum Lessons In North-West London

A quick note to let you know I still have a few free slots available for drumming students in the North-West London area. Please get in touch if you want drum lessons starting in September. I teach in Mill Hill and Colindale and can work with people of all abilities from beginners to advanced. I have students of all ages and am dedicated to helping everyone become as good as they want to be. I like to think of myself… Read More »Drum Lessons In North-West London

Lady Marmalade Drum Lesson

I am finding myself doing video lessons and bunging them up on Youtube for students in various contexts. Here is a lesson on the famous groove for Lady Marmalade by Labelle, played originally by drummer Herman “Roscoe” Ernest III. First, let’s watch him explain the groove’s provenance. The clip is off a DVD called New Orleans Drumming which has Herlin Riley, Johnny Vidacovich, Earl Palmer and Mr Ernest all holding forth on drumming. It’s one of the best drumming videos… Read More »Lady Marmalade Drum Lesson

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