One of the most common frustrations I hear from my students is how to help make their playing sound more musical, and less robotic. My response just about every time is dynamics.
Here is another song sheet, (part 3), of some fun and hopefully approachable songs.
I have found that about half my job as a music teacher is also being a motivational coach. This is almost double true for beginners (for the most part). It's because playing drums is actually kind of difficult and takes a lot of work. Other skills in life don't necessarily help prepare you, even a background in music. So here...
Learning drums is like learning recipes, you need to combine a lot of ingredients in order to make the final result work. There's coordination, stick control, limb independence, rhythm, steadiness, and dynamic awareness just to name some of the big ones. But beyond the more obvious physical skills needed, is one ingredient I personally would put...
It's always satisfying to have some songs under your belt. Here's another set of well known beats that are very doable even for a beginner. If these are giving you trouble, I'm always available for one-on-one lessons. Enjoy!
A lot of people ask for beginner songs to learn. I've put together 8 popular songs that use basic beats. This is a great way to start, you'll be playing full songs in no time. Download the sheet music and give them a try.
I recently wrote up an exercise sheet for my students that isolates different 16th note bass drum patterns. If you're new to playing 16th notes on the bass drum or having trouble keeping it clean sounding, try working through these exercises.
I get this question a lot from new students, so I wanted to share some pros and cons on electronic kits to hopefully give potential buyers a broader understanding.
Over my years of playing, I've had periods of growth and periods of plateauing. The direction, (or lack of direction) I was moving in was always in lockstep with my practice habits. Knowing how to practice is much more vital than the sheer number of hours you practice. Even a focused 15-30 minute practice per day will greatly improve your...