Daily Drumset Workout by Claus Hessler

eddypierce

Senior Member
Hi all,

I wanted to give a plug for a really cool drum book by Claus Hessler that just was released in an English edition: Daily Drumset Workout. This is a really comprehensive drumset technique book, covering all sorts of independence and coordination. To me, it pulls together a lot of the concepts that one can find in Stick Control and Syncopation, and applies them in a very methodical and practical manner. And as wonderful as the technical material is that’s presented, I find the book even more valuable because 1) it’s clear how the exercises can be expanded upon to fit various musical needs, and 2) Hessler gives very clear instructions on how to practice the material to achieve maximum benefit, which frankly is advice that can be applied to any drum material. Basically, he strongly advises that you practice a given set of material for 30 minutes per day (no more nor less), every day, with no deviation, for at least a week at a time. After a week is up, you reassess your command of the material, and if you don’t feel like you’ve mastered it sufficiently, you go for another week.

Another thing I like about the presentation is how concise it is. Almost every section of practice material is boiled down to one or two pages, so it’s easier to focus on mastering it. For example, in the initial pages on independence, Claus gives a few ostinatos coupled with just a few lines of reading material (a la New Breed or Syncopation—two to three limbs play the ostinato, and the other limb plays the reading material). But unlike New Breed, instead of having many pages of reading material, initially you’re just focused on mastering a few lines against the ostinatos (and these few lines have sufficient rhythm variation to cover a lot of independence challenges). Claus suggests that you can substitute other reading material to make it more challenging, or you can practice improvising with the “reading” limb, but it’s nice to have just the few lines of material so as not to be overwhelmed with too much.

The book also comes with “jam track” play-alongs, but I haven’t used these yet.

Anyhow, I wanted to spread the word about this, because I think it’s one of the best drum books I’ve seen in a while, and I think a bunch of folks here would find it valuable. Unfortunately, the amazon link for the book says it’s temporarily out of stock, so hopefully that’ll change soon. I ordered my copy through sheetmusicplus.com. Here’s the amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Drumset...8006/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334689533&sr=8-1

Ed
 
Didn't he co-author a book with Claus Macklin on relaxation and reducing tension while playing?

I think it was called "Two Claus For Comfort"

:)

Bermuda
 
Anyhow, I wanted to spread the word about this, because I think it’s one of the best drum books I’ve seen in a while, and I think a bunch of folks here would find it valuable. Unfortunately, the amazon link for the book says it’s temporarily out of stock, so hopefully that’ll change soon. I ordered my copy through sheetmusicplus.com. Here’s the amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Drumset...8006/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334689533&sr=8-1

Ed

Totally agree: a VERY good book.

Well thought-out, well presented, and very clear instructions.

Patrice. (One of Claus's happy students. :))
 
Open Handed Playing Vol. 1 is one of my favorite books. I am excited to heart this has been released in English.

Fair warning, though - Claus's playing is extremely technical, and his approach to coordination is quite challenging.

-sheldon
 
Open Handed Playing Vol. 1 is one of my favorite books. I am excited to heart this has been released in English.

Fair warning, though - Claus's playing is extremely technical, and his approach to coordination is quite challenging.

-sheldon

Yes, I probably should have clarified that this book is not really for beginners, but more for the intermediate to advanced drummer who is serious about honing his or her technique. That being said, many of the exercises are simple enough that a beginner could gain a lot of benefit from them if they are practiced slowly and diligently (perhaps with the aid of a teacher). But even though the material is challenging, I find that it is very practical and applicable to everyday playing situations. A lot of the exercises involve basic rudimental variations playing against common foot ostinatos (such as the samba or baion foot patterns). And in addition to all this, I think that the practice philosophy espoused in the book is valuable information in and of itself--you can apply it to any type of drum material (simple or difficult), not just the material in Claus’s book.

Ed
 
Is it just me, or did this book just go up in price on Amazon over the course of this thread?

... and back down it goes, that was weird. (it was briefly $18.99)

In other news, I ordered this book from B+N for a little less $ and I'm pretty psyched about it, seems like exactly what I need.
 
... and back down it goes, that was weird. (it was briefly $18.99)

In other news, I ordered this book from B+N for a little less $ and I'm pretty psyched about it, seems like exactly what I need.

Amazon has an automated system in place that keeps adapting prices of items.

If you keep stuff in the shopping cart, but don't make the purchase immediately, oftentimes when you go to the shopping cart page in a day or two, there'll be notifications re items having changed price. I remember one of the Chaffee books alternating between $ 16.xx and $ 25.xx.

BTW: Modern Drummer just published a review of one of Claus (with Dom Famularo)'s other books, "Open-Handed Playing Vol. 2, A Step Beyond"; sounds interesting.

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2...ef=.T5CVlGpQytY.like&fb_source=home_multiline

Patrice
 
For me, there are three things which make Claus's approach unique:

  • Everything is ostinato based.
  • Everything is executed using Moeller motions with the goal of extreme dynamic control.
  • The left foot IS NOT used for keeping time (such as up beats or down beats).

Looking at any of his video footage, this is extremely clear. His books certainly reflect that.

Comparing to the other book I've spent serious time with, The New Breed, the coordination problems are MUCH more challenging due to the use of accent patterns. But, the level of dynamic control is definitely worth the extra effort.

Do the new books follow this trend?

-sheldon
 
For me, there are three things which make Claus's approach unique:

  • Everything is ostinato based.
  • Everything is executed using Moeller motions with the goal of extreme dynamic control.
  • The left foot IS NOT used for keeping time (such as up beats or down beats).

Looking at any of his video footage, this is extremely clear. His books certainly reflect that.

Comparing to the other book I've spent serious time with, The New Breed, the coordination problems are MUCH more challenging due to the use of accent patterns. But, the level of dynamic control is definitely worth the extra effort.

Do the new books follow this trend?

-sheldon

I cant wait to get this book in the mail

everything I have read about it says his approach to the left foots responsibilities is similar to mine

in between using my left foot for time I will also use it as almost a second snare drum closing it to replace ghost notes, or replace a kick, or even as a splash

the hi hat itself has so many voices and to use it strictly as a time keeper is to seriously stifle its capability
 
I cant wait to get this book in the mail

everything I have read about it says his approach to the left foots responsibilities is similar to mine

in between using my left foot for time I will also use it as almost a second snare drum closing it to replace ghost notes, or replace a kick, or even as a splash

the hi hat itself has so many voices and to use it strictly as a time keeper is to seriously stifle its capability

You're in for a treat, but you have a lot of work ahead of you, too. Claus isn't playing games, the guy is an elite level drummer! One of the most technically skilled musicians to ever live, IMO. Can't get enough of it!

-sheldon
 
Gvdadrummasum, keep us updated. I'm really curious to see what you think of the material. For now, I'm going to stick with the New Breed for a few more months. Then I'm going to evaluate where I am, but I will say that Hessler's stuff is on the top of the list.

-sheldon
 
Gvdadrummasum, keep us updated. I'm really curious to see what you think of the material. For now, I'm going to stick with the New Breed for a few more months. Then I'm going to evaluate where I am, but I will say that Hessler's stuff is on the top of the list.

-sheldon

just started it yesterday

Im really trying to stick to the system he recommends ....but doing only 3 patterns, ten minutes each for a week is going to be difficult for me .... especially the very simple beginning of the book...I get impatient some times

but he is very adamant about sticking to the system so I will

I think its really cool to have your practice routine (or at least the first half hour) planned out for you ...its very new to me and I kinda like it

there is no way I can stop after a half hour though so I just move on the other things Im working on.... :)

I feel that some of the descriptions are very vague ....like the very first exercise A through D use the kick pattern below.....then the rest use that same pattern on hi hat?
I think that is what he is suggesting but its not very clear

thats what I have been doing anyway....so I hope thats what he means

I can see that this book is going to be beneficial

even the extremely easy stuff in the beginning is making me notice the tiniest little inflections

so Im on the first week ...Ill keep you posted
 
just started it yesterday

Im really trying to stick to the system he recommends ....but doing only 3 patterns, ten minutes each for a week is going to be difficult for me .... especially the very simple beginning of the book...I get impatient some times

but he is very adamant about sticking to the system so I will

I think its really cool to have your practice routine (or at least the first half hour) planned out for you ...its very new to me and I kinda like it

there is no way I can stop after a half hour though so I just move on the other things Im working on.... :)

I feel that some of the descriptions are very vague ....like the very first exercise A through D use the kick pattern below.....then the rest use that same pattern on hi hat?
I think that is what he is suggesting but its not very clear

thats what I have been doing anyway....so I hope thats what he means

I can see that this book is going to be beneficial

even the extremely easy stuff in the beginning is making me notice the tiniest little inflections

so Im on the first week ...Ill keep you posted

Hi Gvda,

I've been working on the same material for the last 3-4 weeks (ever since I got the book). I've been doing three ostinatos for ten minutes each, and then I've been doing some other pages for 30 minutes also each day. It's a bit hard to stick with the exact same thing for at least a week, but I think that's the point--that's what it takes to really get this stuff down.

I've been mostly practicing it slowly, and during the course of each ten minutes I've been spending some time playing it very soft, very loud, and in between. After three weeks, I can really notice some increased solidity in my playing (and what's more encouraging, I think some of my fellow musicians are noticing it as well on the gigs I've been doing).

I had a few questions on some of the exercises in the book, and I e-mailed Claus through his web site(claushessler.com) about them, and he responded right away, so you might want to try that if you're confused about anything.

Ed
 
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