Hello drummers,
I am reaching out to gain a bit of guidance on my learning journey. This is quite a long post, thank you in advance if you have the time to read through and offer some advice. I just want to check with a few other people and see if I am on track and whether there exists some framework I can see myself working through learning drums.
My goals are to be a well rounded drummer with the ability to sit down and jam with other musicians and feel confident and expressive on the instrument. I have been on and off drums since I was young, took lessons here and there but have only recently started lessons again ( the past 3 months). For the first time I am taking practice serious and being dedicated and consistent. I never have had a structured practice routine and focused on getting better.
Background info.
Where I am at right now:
General:
TLDR: I have finally started taking practice serious and the more I look into videos and guides on how to practice I realize that everyone has slightly different opinions on how to go about practicing. Is there a cheat sheet which outlines the order in which to learn drum concepts?
I am reaching out to gain a bit of guidance on my learning journey. This is quite a long post, thank you in advance if you have the time to read through and offer some advice. I just want to check with a few other people and see if I am on track and whether there exists some framework I can see myself working through learning drums.
My goals are to be a well rounded drummer with the ability to sit down and jam with other musicians and feel confident and expressive on the instrument. I have been on and off drums since I was young, took lessons here and there but have only recently started lessons again ( the past 3 months). For the first time I am taking practice serious and being dedicated and consistent. I never have had a structured practice routine and focused on getting better.
Background info.
Where I am at right now:
- Know about 5 songs 95% accuracy to the real song and another 10 songs 'jammable' with band. Mainly the easier rock songs by; beatles, ramones, creedence, doors, black sabbath and more contemporary artists like blur, jimmy eat world, blink 182 ...
- Have a decent ability to just mess around and play grooves but I'm still largely a beginner
- Able to play through the beginner 'Great Hands For Life' warm up
- Singles max out about 160 bpm
- Starting to explore basic jazz ride, latin grooves and snare drum comping (1 month in)
- Syncopation
- Stick Control
- Future Sounds
- Bop drumming
- Great Hands Dvd and Groove Essentials 1/2
- Fills / Transitions. I can't play advanced fills, my transitions can be a bit off time at higher tempos 120bpm+
- Song structure knowledge
- Having many songs that I know and can play with a band
- Ability to play different styles - I am limited to sort of basic funk/rock type feel.
General:
- Stroke types - Full, Down, Tap, Up
- Fulcrum squeeze - cement the fulcrum position
- Finger technique
- Speed training - pushing highest speeds with single stroke roll
- Focus on accent technique
- Table of time
- Great Hands Warm Up
- Buzz rolls, Flams, Drags
- Jazz - The Art of Bop Drumming
- Funk - Future Sounds
- Latin - general beats i.e. bossa nova, samba, partido alto
- Currently trying to learn the song Tappan Zee-Bob James. Which was recommended by my drum teacher.
TLDR: I have finally started taking practice serious and the more I look into videos and guides on how to practice I realize that everyone has slightly different opinions on how to go about practicing. Is there a cheat sheet which outlines the order in which to learn drum concepts?