June 11, 2006
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Drummergranny Gets Her Groove
"He who rules the snare rules the drums." That's where technique starts, that's what one practices forever, as long as one puts stick to drum.
MY DRUM
You'll hear rudiments in their pure form in a marching band with the snares playing their rolls and ruffs. Should you be so inclined, you can also check them out here and here, where there is notation, an audio clip and video clip for each rudiment.
Having examined what I suspect are all the free drum lessons on the entire English-language wobbly, I decided that those of Mark Wessel were far and away the best - the most thorough, the most easily understood and laid out in such a way that the acquisition of technique is layered and sequential, not scattershot as is the case with so many others I've checked out.
The only bone I would pick with him is his recommendation that one repeat an exercise for 30 seconds and then move on. This strikes me as pandering to the American wish to "learn piano fast." I've seen too many Chinese violin students practice the same eight bars for more than an hour and have done the same myself to think that 30 seconds really does the job. I don't stop at 30 seconds (did I need to say that?)
I've made it to lesson 8, although next week when the DVD and book arrive I'll go back and start over, going through all the lessons with more care and using his accompaniment tracks and repetitions.
When I've finished my slog through rudiments, I turn this on. Scroll down to Joe Bergamini and click on "slow funk" and "Motown" links. I like these the best out of what he has here and have worked my way through the simple groove on to the advanced one, using the playalong without the drums track that's at the top of each section and pretending my glass table is my hi-hat. Did I tell you this is the most fun I've had in my entire life?
Last weekend I played my first "gig" and smiled for a long time afterwards, maybe days. My 21 year old housemate poked her head around the kitchen door and grinned. "You're really groovin' now," she said, and danced her way through the door into my room and stayed with me, dancing, while I played away on Bergamini's Motown groove.
Did I tell you I LOVE this?
pearlbamboo
copyright e.p. hodges
Comments (3)
Drummergranny - too funny! I'm glad you enjoy this new pleasure.
yeah, a really happenin' super sexy drummergranny!!!
you rock.
cool! I hope someday to be able to pick up my bass or my guitar and play something...just seems I don't have the time to work on it...but someday! Daughter was a drummer for a while but quit doing much of it...her hubby is a drummer and bassist but doesn't do that much now because he is the lead singer and they have all the parts covered! Have a great day!
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