Responding to a forum question, referencing Delfeayo’s Dilemma, a Wynton Marsalis tune, as recorded by Kenny Garrett on his record Triology, with Blade on drums. How does one even beginning practicing playing time the way […]
Year: 2022
Counting system overhaul – 01
This guy gets it. Severely long two-part nerd item alert— the following post is an embarrassing mess that will be perhaps useful/entertaining for music teachers and others who think about this stuff all day every […]
Stick control patterns for jazz
I posted something like this before, but here it is in a new form, for a different student— we’re using some sticking patterns to simplify learning some basic jazz coordination. Swing the 8th notes. Play […]
CYMBALISTIC: Cymbal day!
UPDATE: Creating my order right now— I’ll be picking up cymbals probably on Monday the 7th, with new listings with videos coming Monday or Tuesday. I’ll be getting the Extra Special Janavars, some Special Janavars […]
CYMBALISTIC: New cymbal day Monday!
CYMBALISTIC: OK, the new shipment of Cymbal & Gong cymbals has finally arrived— including the Extra Special Janavar prototypes I had them make: three 20″ Janavar crash-rides with K-type hammering and lathing. As you hear […]
Yolanda Mero on practicing the piano
More from the book Piano Mastery by Harriette Brower, here is Yolanda Mero (1887-1963)— like everybody in this book, the type of language she uses is dated, and a little long winded, but everyone will […]
Afro 6 in 4
Purely exploring an idea that occurred to me during a lesson— this has nothing to do with anything. Except I’m writing a new book about developing the Afro 6 groove, so I’m thinking about the […]
Transcription: Max Roach solo – I’ll Remember April
A Max Roach epic here, a chorus of fours and two solo choruses on I’ll Remember April— not a short tune. This will probably go in an e-book sometime, so get it free while you […]
Practice phrase for Chapin
A very small item here, for making your time practicing single measures of independence patterns a little more productive. Try it when practicing Chapin— that Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer— or for any other […]
Very occasional quote of the day: simpler ways of playing
“You have to see the truth in the simpler ways of playing. That was a real challenge to me. I realized that technique doesn’t mean a s* if you can’t play a back beat in […]
16th note exercise for brushes – solo
Continuing this thing— playing the the 16th note pages from Reed with brushes, with accents and bass drum additions hastily scribbled in while practicing. Here’s the 20 bar solo on p. 23. > = accent / […]
Elvin’s march
“I did go through [Harr’s snare drum book] as a matter of fact. I went to public school in Pontiac, Michigan, so I didn’t do anything extra. […] I didn’t have that advantage of being […]