How to develop good listening skills ?

Another challenge seen with both new and even experienced drummers & musicians is the tendency to rush into the song or lose the beat during play. In younger kids especially this is very difficult to control even if they are able to pick up the technique. The best way to address this challenge is to develop good listening skills that build your internal clock and enables you to play with total conviction

So what is the difference between hearing and listening? Hearing is passive, while listening is active. Listening to music enables you to learn the fundamental elements of music, such as form, melody and rhythm, through which you can come to understand and appreciate many types of music  

Pianist Paul Lewis says: ‘Hearing is something that most of us are fortunate enough to be able to do with no problem. However, to listen perceptively – without preconceptions or expectations – is a real challenge for anybody, and is something that requires patience, skill, and an infinite amount of practice!’

So here are Five Teaching Tips to encourage active listening (Source: Music motion blog)

1. Ask kids to listen closely to a musical selection of choice with their eyes open; then listen to the same selection with their eyes closed. Have them discover and discuss the differences. 

2. Ask kids to listen & focus on a different elements of the song: the melody, rhythm, harmony, tempo, instrumentation, lyrics, etc. and discuss afterward their findings. Then have them re-listen to the work. This presents a challenge not only of hearing but of remembering the sequence of musical events, and also of learning to articulate in words what they hear.

3. Ask kids to move to the music, conveying either the feelings the music provokes in them, or what they interpret the music to be expressing. You will be amazed at how instinctive young children are at understanding the underlying gestures, emotions, and movements of the music.   They “get” music a lot easier than adults, because their ears at this age are little sponges on steroids, soaking up the world around them.

4. Give your kids some periods of total quiet during the day. (And turn off that TV and stereo at night too!). We live in a noisy, nonstop roar of invasive sounds.  Without periods of silence, kids learn to automatically shut down their hearing in order to protect themselves from the noisy onslaught of the world around them.  So surround active listening experiences with quiet times, so kids learn when and “how to turn on their ears.” Otherwise, the defense mechanism of shutting out the noisy world and learning “how not to listen” is the result of a non-stop background of sound (even music).

5. Link the eyes and ears for intensive listening. This can best be experienced at live musical events. Try to link the visual source with the sound, so your eyes help you listen. That is one reason attending live  performances is always better than recorded media. A child will experience a live concert with his whole being and memory apparatus. Listening to a recording is not the same thing. The intensity and the immediateness of live music are essential. Let the eyes assist the ears, rather than distract them. It takes visual as well as aural discipline to sharpen our listening skills.

Setting up a Practice Pad & learning to play the Rebound stroke

Before you jump in and decide to buy a full drum set for your child, it is better to buy a SD1 Junior drum stick & Practice pad to start basic training on. There are a wide variety of practice pads available, generally start of with a 6" or 12" pad. 

You can lay it down on a flat surface, just below the belly button level with the kid playing in a standing position. Alternatively you could buy a Snare drum kit that comes with its own snare drum & stand for practice

Once you have set these up and have a Metronome (or Smartphone w/ this App) at hand you are now ready to try out your first beat - the Rebound stroke

To accurately describe a Rebound stroke, imagine throwing a tennis ball on a drum head. After hitting the target, it would bounce back up, or "rebound." To sustain a constant bounce of the ball, all you have to do is push it back down (or "dribble" it) - the drum head does the work of bouncing it back to you

If you have a stick in your hand & you "throw" it on the drum head, it will rebound - assuming that you don't use any tension or pressure to stop it. The harder that you throw it down, the higher it will rebound

The trick to playing a relaxed rebound stroke with the stick is to not squeeze the back fingers! The more that you squeeze, the more tension that's produced in the forearm. More tension = slower strokes so STAY RELAXED

Now using the rebound technique play the following pattern with your Right (R) & Left (L) hands, 

1.	R R R R   R R R R   L L L L   L L L L
2.	R R R R   L L L L   R R R R   L L L L
3.	R R L L   R R L L   R R L L   R R L L
4.	R L R L   R L R L   R L R L   R L R L
5.	R L R R   L R L L   R L R R   L R L L
6.	R R L R   L L R L   R R L R   L L R L
7.	R L L R   L R R L   R L L R   L R R L
8.	R R R L   R R R L   R R R L   R R R L
9.	L L L R   L L L R   L L L R   L L L R
10.	R L R L   R R L L   R L R L   R R L L

Practice a perfect rebound stroke as follows:

• Day 1: at 60 beats per minute (using a metronome) for 5 minutes per hand    
• Day 2: at 80 bpm for 5 min per hand    
• Day 3: at 100 bpm for 5 min per hand   
• Day 4: at 120 bpm for 5 min per hand

In Summary, here is what you are trying to accomplish:

• Use a full wrist bend on each stroke - the arm only moves in reaction to the wrist.
• The hand should stay FLAT (horizontal to the floor) while you play.
• The elbow and shoulder should be RELAXED & close to the body.
• The tip of the stick should hit in the center of the drum.
• Watch yourself in a mirror to see if the stick is traveling straight up and down.
• Finally, work to keep a STEADY TEMPO (the tempo describes the speed of the music).

See accomplished drummer Mark Wessels demonstrate this technique here from his book "A Fresh Approach to the Snare Drum" 

What is the right way to grip the drum stick ?

This is an often asked beginner question. There are 2 commonly used methods of holding your drum sticks. These are the matched grip & the traditional grip. For most starter kids the matched grip is an easier option to go with. So lets look at the basic techniques required to play with matched grip as explained in the book 'A Fresh Approach to the Drum set'

1. Find the BALANCE POINT of the stick. The best place to grip the stick is usually about a third of the way from the butt end of the stick.

2. You’ll hold the stick between the thumb and index finger. This is called the FULCRUM – the place where the stick will pivot. For a more relaxed grip, you can grip the stick between the thumb and MIDDLE finger. Experiment to see which fulcrum feels best to you!

3. With the butt end of the stick laying across the heel of the hand, gently wrap the back fingers around the stick. Keep a small amount of space between the back fingers and the palm.AVOID SQUEEZING THE STICK! You should feel no tension in your fingers or wrist.

4. With your shoulder relaxed and elbow close to your body, place the tip of the stick on the center of the drum head, with your hand at about a 45º angle

You can see one of the author's & influential drummer Stanton Moore demonstrate this technique here

Why counting out aloud is critical for the beginning drummer ?

One of the most difficult challenges i have seen kids face is counting our aloud (one of 5 basic steps to playing your first beat) when they play a beat or roll. While this may seem trivial, developing your 'internal' clock via this practice is a foundational skill for a drummer whose main role is to keep time in a band or ensemble

The reason most kids find this difficult is that counting aloud and playing drums requires focus & concentration, something which they develop gradually with age. 

Thus start by playing each note pattern with a clap to begin with while counting aloud as shown below,

We count,
Quarter notes as 1,2,3,4 
Eighth notes as 1&2&3&4& 
Sixteenth notes as 1e&a, 2e&a, 3e&a, 4e&a
Triplets as 1&a, 2&a, 3&a, 4&a

Once they get a hang of this, introduce a metronome (available as free smartphone apps today). This will help them support the length of playing a whole song or set of notes

Finally when they are adapt at this, start turning the metronome on & off periodically so that their 'internal clock' is in control all the while

Drummers ultimately aspire to be playing with real human expression and feel not programmatic like a robot. Following a simple training regime as highlighted above can really help kids excel at this basic skill required for proficient drumming. So let's start practice by COUNTING OUT LOUD !!

How do i pick the right drum sticks ?

This is one of the most common question one asks when beginning to start playing the drums. Drumsticks come in varying sizes (with model numbers), suited for various types of music and made of different materials. Here is a summary of the selection guide from Vic Firth 

How can I pick the right stick for my playing style?
At one time, sticks were generally "classified" into 3 categories: "A" for Orchestra/Jazz/Acoustic settings, "B" for Band and "S" for Street (Marching). However, those general descriptions no longer apply across the board. Percussionists today have a wide selection of implements to create exactly the sound and feel that they desire for any given situation.

What makes a great drumstick?

A great drumstick is the perfect combination of balance, response and "feel". Each of these critical factors is a function of a stick's design - including the shape of the tip, the location of the shoulder, the taper, the thickness of the neck, the length and the species of the wood.

Let's go through each of the factors that determine which stick might be best for your situation.

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How thick should my drum stick be ?

The thickness of a drumstick's shaft affects the overall weight, projection and strength. A thicker, heavier stick creates greater sound and offers increased durability A thinner stick is lighter, faster and plays with greater ease. Generally, you need to match the thickness of your stick selection with the style of music that you play, and the volume in which you intend to play it. Great sticks for light jazz and combo playing are the 7A, 8D and 5A. For jazz, latin and fusion playing, the most popular stick choice is the 5A , although you might want to experiment with something a bit thicker if you find that the stick doesn't produce the volume that you need (or if you tend to break sticks easily) If that applies to you, some good sticks to try might be the 55A, F1, 1A or 3A , but have other characteristics that affect balance and speed

If you play rock, pop, or anything outside the 'acoustic' setting, the 5B is a popular choice. Hard rock or metal drummers might want to step up to an even larger stick, which might include the 2B, ROCK or METAL drumsticks

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What sort of materials should my drum stick be made of ?

The wood type is the key to a stick's response and durability. 

	MAPLE has a fine grain pattern, producing a light, fast playing stick with the greatest amount of flex. Vic Firth'sAmerican Custom® and American Heritage® models are examples of sticks turned in maple. These lines are perfect for the artist who is playing lighter types of music, or prefers a beefier stick without a lot of weight.
	HICKORY has a fibrous grain pattern and is denser and more rigid than maple. For these reasons, a hickory stick produces less flex and a more pronounced sound. Hickory is also capable of withstanding a great deal of shock, making it more durable. Vic Firth's American Classic® and American Classic® Nylon lines are examples of sticks turned in hickory.

Of course, there are a variety of other materials that drumsticks can be made of, but these two types of wood are considered best for all around playing. Non-wood products (such as composite fiber or metal), which may offer extra durability, can deliver undue shock to a player's wrists and arms, sometimes resulting in sore muscles or even tendonitis.

RUTE, made from premium birch dowels, allow you to play even more alternative sounds and feels across a variety of musical settings.

The Steve Smith Tala Wands feature a foam center surrounded with bamboo dowels wrapped in thin PVC. This combination of materials provides great balance and rebound, while naturally producing a lower volume. Available with both birch and bamboo dowels.

 There are plenty of other sticks like Brushes, Mallets & Swizels that are used for more advanced play and alternative musical sounds. You can read more about them here

Cool Metronome Apps for Drummers

Keeping time is the primary role of a drummer in the band. This is also one of the biggest challenges drummers of all level face. Incomes the METRONOME, a device that produces regular, metrical ticks (beats, clicks) to help keep a steady tempo as they play, or to work on issues of irregular timing, or to help internalize a clear sense of timing and tempo

Today with the age of Smart Mobile devices , we have cool metronome Apps that are available on devices like tablets & smartphones. Below links point to the metronome Apps available on the Google & Apple app stores

Android (Google) device apps

IOS (Apple) device apps

Couple of ones i use include the Ludwig App (free) &  Visual Metronome (paid) . Check these out and let us know other cools apps that you may have come across !

Famous Drummers & Percussionists

• Top 100 Drummers of all time (Source:Rolling Stones)

http://www.listology.com/blindsider/list/rolling-stone-100-greatest-drummers

• Famous Percussionists

Poncho Sanchez

Airto Moreira

Hamid Drake

Cyro Baptista

Kahil El’Zabar

Giovanni Hidalgo

Zakir Hussain

Marilyn Mazur

Trilok Gurtu

John Santos

Han Bennink

Daniel Sadownick

Leading Drums Manufacturer’s

Acoustic

Ludwig

 DW Drums

Yamaha

Pearl

Tama

Gretsch

Electronic

Roland

Yamaha

Alesis

History of Drums

• Early civilizations and races used music as a way to communicate and express themselves

• The use of a rhythm and song has long been associated with expressing meaning, feeling

• Early music groups comprised of an assimilation of drums of different cultures from around the globe. Cymbals and tom tom drums were brought in from China with the size being adjusted to allow for ease of play when played with drumsticks.

• Early form of drumming in  the 1900 were are free form Jazz type drumming popular in France, Sweden etc

• It was not until the early 1930’s, that drummers discovered with the proper drum placement and a lot of practice, one musician could handle a set of drums, and an entire band of drum players was not required anymore. Thus, the basic kit was born and an evolution took place

• In the 1930’s the drum set was heavily influenced by the sounds of the time, and the early forms of Rock and Roll music. The sounds had a strong basic beat backing them

• The 1950’s as Rock and Roll music began to develop, the sounds became more complex

• In the 70’s Rock musicians then began expanding the drum kits adding more cymbals and tom tom’s drums to them

• As time went on with the introduction of Disco , R&B  Electronic (e) drums were added to the drum kits as well

• Today we find a wide variety of innovation around both acoustic & electronic drums to fit the needs of users or various forms of music

How old do you need to be to play drums ?

• 4 years ? http://youtu.be/JP7NvDN0wuo

• 10 years ? http://youtu.be/_eU4A9V58bU

IF YOU HAVE A HEARTBEAT YOU CAN DRUM !

Inspiration & Practice can make you the best !

•INSPIRATION (making something out of nothing )

http://youtu.be/A_kloG2Z7tU

•PRACTICE (can make you better than Buddy Rich !)

http://youtu.be/n_BmeBfV-O4

The Basic Drum Exercises (Rudiments)

1.There are 40 International Drum Rudiments  per Percussive Arts Society

2. These are organized into 4 basic groups,

a. Roll Rudiments – Single Stroke, Multiple Bounce and Double Stroke

b. Flam Rudiments – Roll preceded by single, lightly played note

c. Diddle Rudiments – Combinations of single and double strokes.

d. Drag Rudiments – Roll preceded by two lightly played notes called a drag

3. Here is how to play them (listen to the sounds !)

Basic techniques while approaching the Drums

1. GRIP the STICK correctly
2. Practice on a Drum PAD
3. Use good POSTURE & HEARING aids
4. Keep time with a Metronome
5. Learn/Perfect the BASIC Exercises 
6. Experiment & have FUN

The Electronic Drumset

1.BASS drum

2.FLOOR TOM

3.SNARE drum

4.Low/High TOMs

5.HIGH HAT

6.CRASH Cymbal

7.RIDE Cymbal

8.HiHat Foot PEDAL

9.Bass Drum PEDAL

The Acoustic Drum set

1.BASS drum

2.FLOOR TOM

3.SNARE drum

4.Low/High TOMs

5.HIGH HAT

6.CRASH Cymbal

7.RIDE Cymbal

8.SPLASH Cymbal

9.CHINA Cymbal