lessons..

I'm impressed by the preparation of students, all of them did their homework, whether partially or all of them. It's a big difference from the other non-christian students from music schools. Good work, keep it up! =)

many of u have great potential, so my teaching & expectations will suit n be measured with the potential.

the UK drum book that u have is not really a beginner's book (surprise!). Any of you who are able to make it pass "Week 1" in the book, which is until page 47, you might be able to play simple christian songs if you have good listening skills. I'm still developing a method to teach on listening skills as it is not an easy topic & so far I haven't found any materials about it in the market.


so.. students, remember to practice lesson 1-6, and the crash course book, read it too. and practice the techniques of drumsticks by swinging it using the 2 most important fingers, & the other 3 fingers, as i have taught you last sunday.

have a great time practicing! =)





*if u're wondering why your drum teacher was rushing to Church of Praise on the 1st day of group lesson (to reach church early), changing shirt, taking deep breaths.. cos before this i was at jusco tebrau playing drums at late afternoon. =P


Are you able to identify the drum parts? the 1st tom, 2nd tom, bass drum, floor tom? the 3 crash cymbals, 1 splash cymbal and 1 ride cymbal?

*the 2 microphones hanging high above me - to capture the sound of cymbals.

schedule

students, please read through what u have learned last week. theory..

practice your basic drum notations in lesson 1 to 3.

timetable for individual lessons:
3.30 - Joel
4.00 - Daniel
4.30 - Chong
5.00 - Justin
5.30 - Johnevan
6.00 - Grace
6.30 - Dyi Shin
7.00 - Shermaine
7.30 - Angel, Jia En
8.00 - A-Khimz
8.30 - Natalie
9.00 - Tracey
9.30 - Ziaw Feng
10.00 -end-

How to Use a Metronome to Practice Drums

A Metronome is a vital tool in music education. Guitarists, pianists, violinists, and bass players, all use metronomes during their practice, therefore it's not surprising that drummers, the "time keepers" of music, do too. In order to be a good drummer, you will need to keep good time, and practice with a metronome can help you do that.

The very basic drum practice is simple left, right, left, right... drum strokes. Start very slowly to develop good technique. You can set your metronome at 80 beats per minute, and strike the drum every other beat. This pace will give you enough time between strokes to concentrate on your form. Try to land on the drum exactly with the metronome's beat. This will require you to lift your stick a bit before the beat.

Once you feel comfortable with your technique at the speed you're going, adjust your metronome and increase your speed a bit. As you practice, never go much faster than you feel comfortable, or your form and technique will be neglected, and if you practice with bad technique, you'll learn bad technique. Not good! Once you start going really fast, instead of having the metronome go crazy, you might want to do several drum strokes for every one metronome beat.

You should also practice any drum beat you play with the metronome. You'll probably find that keeping up with the metronome beats is a little more difficult than playing it "free style". When you practice a beat, make sure the metronome's accented sound starts the beat's measure.

Practicing with a metronome will improve your time keeping almost by magic. You might not feel your sense of rhythm improving while you work with a metronome, but you'll sense it when you later play without one.

Stuffs that i'll cover during the whole drum course

- proper techniques and posture in drumming
- reading of drum scores and understanding of musical terms
- progressive exercises for stick control, footwork and co-ordination
- various rhythm styles and variations
- ideas for drum fill-ins
- drum rudiments for stylised techniques and versatility
- repertoire of gospel and contemporary styles using back-up tracks
- specialised tips on improvisation, general techniques and practical ways in worship


i might be able to teach for at least 1 whole year, and my aim is... at the end of the day. ALL the students are able to play in children's service, if not the adult service.

it's gonna be challenging, but possible, depending on the diligence of the student. hee.. =)