Drum Secrets.pdf

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DRUM SECRETS
With Sam Brown
© 2010
Welcome to the Drum Secrets PDF files!
Here you’ll find the examples that I played written out for you to try for yourselves. There was not
nearly enough time in the videos to explain everything in great depth and I’ll try to fill in any impor-
tant gaps as we go through the examples.
I have tried to present material that contains useful information for both beginners and seasoned
pros. Please bear with me if some stuff is too elementary, and some that might seem
un-neccessarilly complicated. The stuff at the end is good advice for everyone though, so hang in
there.
If you teach the drums, please feel free to use some of my examples. I would prefer that you just
get your students to download my humble app, but if you are teaching your Grannie to play the
drums and she has not got an iPhone or iPad yet, then please consider using some of my teaching
ideas.
So, here we go - on to the videos!
LESSON 1
Well, there are no music examples to follow here because I think it is SO important to get the kit
set up in an erganomically sensible way. There are so many examples of fine drummers who have
wound up being crippled by tendonitis, carpel tunnel syndrome, bad backs... and WORSE, that I
thought it was worth giving you the advice that I’ve been given that has kept me fit enough to enjoy
a thirty year career... and counting!
The height of the stool and snare drum are critical here. I also suggest that you sit slightly forward
on the stool so that your thighs are not restricted. I appreciate that everybody is different and a po-
sition for one may not be the best position for another, but try some of my positioning ideas and
see if it frees up your playing. I have short legs in comparison to my height so the way I sit is not
going to be exactly the same as yours. Experiment. Freedom of movement is king.
The
‘Seven
O’Clock Rule’ is really important. So often I see poor hand technique because the
drums are too low or too high. If you play using the
‘traditional’
grip in the left hand, then there may
be reasons to break this rule.... but I don't think so. I’ve seen film of Buddy Rich - possibly the
greatest sticksman ever - playing on a snare that was sloping violently away from him! Think about
my reasons, chew it over, try it out, then draw your conclusions.
www.drumsecrets.com
© 2010
DRUM SECRETS
Sam Brown
© 2010
LESSON 2
Stick Technique.
Here’s something that is so difficult to put across in a book, but a doddle to show you on video!
Yes, there are many different schools of thought about how to hold a drum stick
‘correctly’,
and this
method guarantees results. It’s not all about strength, but having power in the hands is very useful.
I am basically pretty lazy and find the more I use my fingers to control the stick during a gig, the
fewer calories I burn and the longer I last out! Remember, keep the triangle position and avoid par-
allel sticks.
Buddy Rich and Dennis Chambers are two drummers that spring to mind who I know advocated
practising on pillows. The complete lack of bounce or rebound makes the fingers do all the
controlling. Also, playing with wire brushes is excellent for developing stick-control! don't just hide
them in your stick-bag - USE THEM!
So, to our first example:
I always think it amazing that you can learn this in your first ever lesson, then go and see someone
on the TV getting paid and having fun playing that very groove! I don't think you can say the same
of any other instrument. It’s such a basic groove, but it really shows that its not
what
you play, its
how
you play it! Dynamics and timing rule!
The key points to remember are:
1) Squeeze the hand on the downstrokes so that the tip of the stick
‘checks’
very close to the sur-
face you have just hit. There’s a
‘Karate-chop’
quality to it!
2) Open the hand on the up-stroke so that the stick springs into the vertical position.
I should also point out that there are plenty of occasions when you should play all the hi-hat notes
at the same volume, depending on the style. It’s good to have the control to do both with, and
without accents.
www.drumsecrets.com www.makemoremusic.co.uk
© 2010
DRUM SECRETS
Sam Brown
© 2010
LESSON 3
Coordination.
Yes, its the
‘C’
word! We humans really were not wired up to do this drumming thing! However, we
have an incredible capacity to learn. Remember, if one person can do it then it must be humanly
possible.
With coordination problems, break exercises down into combinations of limbs:
1) The hands
2) The Feet
3) Right Hand and Right Foot
4) Left Hand and Left Foot
5) Right Hand and Left Foot
6) Left hand and Right Foot
7) All limbs except Right Hand
8) All limbs except Left Hand
9) All limbs except Right Foot
10) All limbs except Left Foot.....
Something I learnt from piano lessons: 1) learn the Left Hand part, 2) Learn the Right Hand part,
3) When 1) and 2) are really secure, play both parts at the same time. Apply this to your drum co-
ordination challenges!
So, to the first exercise in this lesson:
Now add the hands on the snare. Make a big difference in volume between the accented and un-
accented notes:
Now go grab your Stetson Hat and
spurs and play the track!
www.drumsecrets.com
© 2010
DRUM SECRETS
Sam Brown
© 2010
LESSON 4
Rudiments.
These are the
‘Scales
and Arpeggios’ of the drums. I love
‘em!
In fact, if scales and arpeggios are
taught well, then you can love them too. When you know what these
‘little
fellas’ can do you’ll be
doing them day and night, much to the annoyance of those around you. They are so much fun
too... if you use your imagination!
Here’s a rudiment - Single Strokes as a funky groove. Download the MP3 backing track. It’s only a
blues, but I’ve run off a few versions at different speeds for you. You can use these tracks to prac-
tise a million other things as well.
The Right Hand on beats 2 and 4 are accented anyway, but apply the accent strategy from the
video and
‘get
on down with the funky groove’!
Ex 9:
Play 3 Choruses of 12-bar blues. Funkier than sin itself!
So, now we get into DOUBLE STROKES - the next batch of rudiments. There are two ways to play
doubles: HIT them or BOUNCE them. If you work on the exercises that are coming up you’ll wind
up with a technique that mixes the best of both methods into one really powerful ability. Exercise
10 (coming up) is possibly the most powerful exercise in the whole of the DrumSecrets program.
This rudiment changes lives!
It’s not an official rudiment... but it should be! An important point
that I did not mention on the video is that when one stick is doing it’s
‘up-stroke
down-stroke’
thing,
the other stick should be MOTIONLESS and in the
‘down’
position. This is an exercise where you
should really exaggerate the movement when you are learning it - when you play for real, what you
have learnt will make your doubles
‘off
the scale of AWESOME’!
Be Exited. Here it comes:
www.drumsecrets.com
© 2010
DRUM SECRETS
Sam Brown
© 2010
LESSON 4
con ti n...
Rudiments contin...
Here it is. This one exercise can do more for your technique than any other... in my humble
opinion. Remember: slowly and perfectly is the way to tame this one. Do what Buddy and Dennis
recommend and play this on pillows!
Now let’s look at some triplet stickings using doubles. If your Left Hand double is not as good as
your Right Hand double, then this will sort you out. You can thank me later.
By the way, I mention on the video that you have already heard the backing track that goes with
this groove. You haven't. I got things in the wrong order, but you’ll forgive me I hope.
EX 12 Half-Time Shuffle Funk 16th-note Groove MP3 Playalong Track
Here I throw in a few cool things:
1) I move the bass drum around and put under different Hi-Hat notes. Work your own bass-drum
variations out using a pencil and paper. It’s fun! I’ve written a few variations down - see below.
2) I move the Left Hand Double down to the snare sometimes. Sounds cool, methinks.
3) Because I’ve practised the Great Ex 10 I sometimes accent the 2nd stroke of the Left Hand
Double. Sounds positively sub-zero cool!
Sorry, but I could not resist the double-strokes on the cymbals at the end!
www.drumsecrets.com www.makemoremusic.co.uk
© 2010

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