Here’s an introduction to how we can use paradiddles in a groove context and make patterns with which we can practice and improve our ghost note playing. I demonstrate how to make grooves with the single Paradiddle and its three permutations and use those patterns between the hihat or ride and the snare to create busy grooves with soft and loud notes played on the snare.
Just a quickie to let you know that the Samba and Bossa book (wot I reviewed in my last post) by the Cruise Ship Drummer is now available in dead tree format. Also the Book of The Blog 2014 is out. It’s a compendium of last year’s posts including stuff on jazz and Afro-Cuban drumming, snare drum exercises and transcriptions of drum parts in a variety of styles. I highly recommend checking out the blog for tons of free drumming… Read More »Shameless Plug for A Couple of Cruise Ship Drummer Books
Here’s an idea I know about already but I didn’t know I know about it. I play from the foot but I can’t say that I’ve ever articulated this to myself, it’s just something I do that probably relates to playing a lot of funk, or something. Anyway, a great video from Rob Brown explaining how focussing on the placement of our bass drum strokes will tighten up our grooves.
So, where was I? Oh yes, John Riley. John Riley’s clinic was, for me, the highlight of the RCM’s Festivl of Percussion. It was a treat to see a talk by the guy who’s book is such an essential part of drumming education. The presentation was at core a walk through the history of the drumkit which was told very engagingly with the accompaniment of samples of the drumming of each era. We were introduced to the topic with the… Read More »The Royal College of Music Festival of Percussion Part 2
Check out the London Drum Show on September 4th and 5th at London’s Olympia: www.londondrumshow.com
Here is an interesting article about not avoiding those challenging things we should be doing (like, er, posting on one’s blog…). “Do you ever dodge your creative work? Say, your practice time arrives, and you race off to do some chore. It might be a chore that you detest, but now it calls to you. Then, instead of refining your music, you start cleaning the house or doing whatever” http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/avoiding-avoidance.html