I have a few new students who want or need to play with the Traditional Grip. Two of them will need to do this in order to be able to play with the drum line in school. So, I’ve gone back to really shedding this. My first drum teacher...
Read moreDrum Teachers
Today, one of my drum students asked me about the number of different drum teachers I’ve had. So, I decided to make a list: Thomas Search Ted Fulte Joe Hunt Jun Saito Skip Hadden Ed Kaspik Alan Dawson Kenwood Dennard Buster Bailey Frankie...
Read moreTeaching Drums
I have been teaching drums for quite a while at this point, yet in never ceases to amaze me when a student starts to get it. This may be something as basic as their first drum beat, fill, or even their first snare drum etude. It just always gets...
Read moreA Beginner’s Mind
Over the years and up to this day, I have been interested in learning the drums. What can the drum set do? What are the various styles that I may not be good at — yet? I purposefully buy drum books that cover techniques and ways of playing with...
Read morePlay For Your Drum Teacher
A student of mine was recently reflecting on some lessons with a prior drum teacher and told me that this drum instructor never had the student play for him. I was quite surprised. I’m not sure how prevalent the practice is of teachers not...
Read moreThe Rock Shuffle
Over the years, I’ve played my fair share of shuffle grooves on the drums. Lately, that has included mainly the blues shuffle in its various incarnations. I have also gotten back in touch with the rock shuffle, mainly due to a student...
Read moreArm Motion & Drumming
One thing I take notice of when watching any great drummer is their arm motion. Many drum set players take this for granted, but I think that it’s the basis of almost everything. Even some great teachers will talk about how it’s...
Read moreDrum Rudiments
I’m not the first drum instructor to recognize just how important the basics are when learning the drums. When I was first taking lessons, my drum teacher taught me the rudiments and instilled in me an appreciation of their importance. To...
Read moreThe Practicing Mind in Drumming and Beyond
I am almost done reading The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life – Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process by Thomas M. Sterner. I highly recommend checking this out. While the concepts in...
Read moreTeaching the Drumming Basics
Without a doubt, I end up teaching the same material to different students. For some teachers, this is not fun or pleasurable. I find, however, that it’s better for everyone (including me) the more I teach the same drumming basics. I find...
Read moreYoung Students
I have a young student who was given the chance recently to sit in with a professional band at a July 4th party. I wasn’t there, but I saw the video. He held down the groove like a pro! The band’s song list consists mainly of classic...
Read moreMaking Magic
I love the feeling when playing music where it feels almost magical. One of my students felt this recently after we had been working on a swing ride cymbal pattern and I asked him to try to count out loud while playing the ride. Before he began...
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