Visual Drumet Method by Nicole Julius

CD INCLUDED

THE VISUAL DRUMSET METHOD

B Y M AT T A D R I A N S O N

THE VISUAL DRUMSET METHOD

ISBN 978-1-4234-9523-9

Copyright ÂŠ 2010 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved In Australia Contact: Hal Leonard Australia Pty. Ltd. 4 Lentara Court Cheltenham, Victoria, 3192 Australia Email: ausadmin@halleonard.com.au No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Visit Hal Leonard Online at www.halleonard.com

DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this book to

CREDITS JOHN FINK — electric guitar tracks TIM ADRIANSON — bass guitar tracks

my son Aaron

MATTHEW ADRIANSON — original

and my wife Joy.

songs, drums/keyboard/percussion tracks, mixing and mastering

CONTENTS PAGE

preface TECHNIQUE Right-Hand Grip Left-Hand Grip Playing Position Right Foot and Right Leg Position Striking the Snare Drum Striking the Hi-Hat

4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10

CD TRACKS

DRUM KEY

BEGINNING EXERCISES

DRUM BEATS

TEACHER’S CHARTS

GRAPHIC CUTOUTS

preface

The concept behind this book was to use pictures

exercises cover striking each instrument separately

instead of normal music notation to communicate

and all combinations of instruments used in this

how to play basic drum beats. In teaching both piano

book. Once you can play the exercises you have the

and drums privately, I’ve found that students learn in

tools you need to play all of the drum beats that

different ways. You might have to communicate the

follow. Above each exercise and drum beat you will

same idea multiple ways before one of them clicks

see “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & .” This is a traditional way of

with any given student. In a world of multimedia

counting and is helpful for keeping track of where

including video games, why not make learning drum

you are. Practice with each track as many times as

beats more visual? In hopes of making learning

needed. Once you feel comfortable playing a given

less intimidating and more fun, I have constructed

drum beat, try playing that beat along with any

a visual approach using pictures and audio tracks.

of the songs on the CD starting on track 49. Each

If you don’t have a drum set, use the cutout sheet

song first has a track with drums and then a track

on page 31 and place the pictures of the hi-hat and

without drums. The goal is to get used to playing

snare drum on a table, and the picture of the bass

with other instruments. The audio tracks for the

drum on the floor. You do not need to cross the right

beginning exercises are at 30 beats per minute, and

hand over the left hand if you are using the picture

the drum beats are at 52 beats per minute. If you are

cutout sheet. Simply place the hi-hat cutout on your

wondering what that means, there are 60 seconds

right and the snare drum cutout on your left. Use

in a minute, so 60 beats per minute is one beat per

the picture cutouts to follow along with the audio

second. A metronome and the song tracks will help

tracks on the CD. On the audio tracks each exercise

you practice these drum beats at tempos other than

and drum beat is played eight times. The beginning

52 beats per minute.

technique Right-Hand Grip

ILLUSTRATION A

ILLUSTRATION B

ILLUSTRATION C The right-hand grip is made up of two components.

finger and ring finger are touching the stick, and

The first component, shown in illustration A,

your pinky is tucked right next to your ring finger.

consists of your thumb and your pointer finger.

Think of the stick going through the middle of your

The flat part of your thumb goes on the side of the

hand, which when turned over will create a straight

stick and points down the stick. Your pointer finger

line from your elbow to the tip of the stick. Your grip

wraps around the stick, touching it underneath. The

should not be tight. You need to hold onto the stick

second component, shown in illustration B, consists

just enough that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fall out of your hand.

of your other three fingers on the underside of the

When you strike a cymbal or drum you will tighten

stick. As you can see in illustration B your middle

your grip a little more.

Left-Hand Grip

ILLUSTRATION A

ILLUSTRATION B

The left-hand grip is a mirror image of the right-

second component of the grip is your other three

hand grip. The first component of the left-hand grip,

fingers on the underside of the stick. As you can see

shown in illustration A, consists of your thumb and

in illustration B, your middle finger and ring finger

your pointer finger. The flat part of your thumb goes

are touching the stick, and your pinky is tucked right

on the side of the stick and is pointing down the stick.

next to your ring finger.

Your pointer finger is wrapped around the stick. The

Playing Position

Playing position on the snare drum is a good place

side down “V.” Think of each stick as an extension

to get familiar with holding the sticks and striking

of your arm and hand. You should be able to draw

the drum. The grip and technique for striking the

a straight line from each of your elbows to the tips

snare drum will hold true when moving around the

of your sticks. The tops of your hands should be flat.

drumset. In playing position both tips of your sticks

Think of holding handlebars on a bike. Your elbows

are in the center of the snare drum. They are ap-

should be relaxed at your sides, and you should sit

proximately at a 45 degree angle. You could think

up straight. Good posture is important and will help

of playing position as looking like an “A” or an up-

you play better.

Right Foot and Right Leg Position Your right foot should be over the bass drum pedal with your heel off the foot board. The main point of contact should be the ball of your foot.

When striking the bass drum, the beater will go into the head, but allow it to come back off the head after impact.

Think of your leg as being straight over the bass drum pedal. This will allow you to use your leg for both power and speed.

Striking a Snare Drum

The basics of striking the snare drum involve a two-

ing the down motion. The tip of your stick also goes

part motion. Starting at playing position, with your

up and down beginning and ending about an inch

sticks about one inch above the drumhead, the

off the drumhead. Notice the progression of the tip

stroke is up and then down. After striking the drum

of the drumstick and the wrist in the photos above.

your stick should return to playing position. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

When playing more aggressively you may also bend

leave the stick on the drumhead. Remember to relax,

at your elbow and use your arm. For the first time

and the force of striking the drum will naturally bring

through the drum beats in this book, we will focus

the stick back off the head. Two points of focus are

on bending at the wrist. Exaggerate the motion to

your wrist and the tip of your stick. Your wrist will

make sure that you are really bending your wrist.

bend up during the up motion and bend down dur-

Striking the Hi-Hat

As with the snare drum, striking the hi-hat is a two-

tion. The tip of your stick also goes up and down

part motion. While maintaining playing position

beginning and ending about an inch off the hi-hat.

with your left hand, move your right hand/stick over

Notice the progression of the tip of the drumstick

to the hi-hat as shown above. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave the stick

and the wrist in the photos above. When playing

on the hi-hat. Remember to relax, and the force of

more aggressively you may also bend at your elbow

striking the hi-hat will naturally bring the stick back

and use your arm. While learning the drum beats in

off the hi-hat. Two points of focus are your wrist and

this book, we will focus on bending at the wrist. Ex-

the tip of your stick. Your wrist will bend up during

aggerate the motion to make sure that you are really

the up motion and bend down during the down mo-

bending your wrist.

10)

CD Tracks Beginning Exercises

Track

Hi-Hat Only

Snare Drum Only

Bass Drum Only

Hi-Hat and Snare Drum

Hi-Hat and Bass Drum

Hi-Hat, Snare Drum, and Bass Drum

Drum Beats

7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;48

Song Tracks

49â&#x20AC;&#x201C;58

drum key hi-hat / right hand

snare drum / left hand

bass drum / right foot

Your right hand/stick plays the hi-hat, your left hand/stick plays the snare drum, and your right foot plays the bass drum.

(11

beginning exercises hi-hat only

TRACK 1

snare drum only TRACK 2

bass drum only TRACK 3

12)

hi-hat and snare drum

TRACK 4

hi-hat and bass drum

TRACK 5

hi-hat, snare drum, and bass drum

TRACK 6

(13

drum beats Try practicing beats 1 through 6 with song tracks 49 and 50 on the CD.

1) TRACK 7

2) TRACK 8

3) TRACK 9

14)

4) TRACK 10

5) TRACK 11

6) TRACK 12

(15

Try practicing beats 7 through 12 with song tracks 51 and 52 on the CD.

7) TRACK 13

8) TRACK 14

9) TRACK 15

16)

10) TRACK 16

11) TRACK 17

12) TRACK 18

(17

13) TRACK 19

14) TRACK 20

15) TRACK 21

18)

16) TRACK 22

17) TRACK 23

18) TRACK 24

(19

19) TRACK 25

20) TRACK 26

21) TRACK 27

20)

22) TRACK 28

23) TRACK 29

Try practicing beats 24 through 30 with song tracks 53 and 54 on the CD.

24) TRACK 30

(21

25) TRACK 31

26) TRACK 32

27) TRACK 33

22)

28) TRACK 34

29) TRACK 35

30) TRACK 36

(23

Try practicing beats 31 through 35 with song tracks 55 and 56 on the CD.

31) TRACK 37

32) TRACK 38

33) TRACK 39

24)

34) TRACK 40

35) TRACK 41

36) TRACK 42

(25

Try practicing beats 37 through 42 with song tracks 57 and 58 on the CD.

37) TRACK 43

38) TRACK 44

39) TRACK 45

26)

40) TRACK 46

41) TRACK 47

42) TRACK 48

(27

teacher’s charts 1)

7) 28)

                                                                                                                                                 

                    

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10)

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11)

                  

12)

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13)

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14)

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15)

16)

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17)

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18)

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19)

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22)

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24)

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25)

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26)

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27)

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28)

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29)

30)

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32)

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33)

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35)

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36)

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cut here

â&#x153;

graphic cutouts right hand

hi-hat left hand

snare drum right foot

bass drum

about the author

Matt Adrianson graduated from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan in 1992 with a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in music with an emphasis on percussion performance. While at Grand Valley, Matt played drumset in the big band, mallet percussion in a ragtime band, mallet percussion in percussion ensemble, snare drum in marching band, and percussion in the orchestra and concert band. Since college he has taught privately and is currently working in the music retail industry. He has played drumset at Resurrection Life Church in Grandville, Michigan since 1997 and has played drumset and percussion on five albums, which have all had global distribution. He started playing drumset at age 12. Both of his parents were school teachers, and his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a private piano teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;firmly believed in private lessons. He attributes much of his success as a musician to receiving quality instruction from the very beginning. In an effort to simplify what might seem intimidating or out of reach to the average person, Matt has put together a simple pictorial method for learning how to play basic drum beats.

instead of normal music notation to illustrate how to play basic drum beats using snare, bass drum, and hi-hat. Practice along with the individual drum beats on the CD, then move on to the song tracks later on the CD, and play any of the drum beats with these songs. Hand grip, hand and foot positioning, and technique instructions are also included.

Book $4.99, CD $5.00 = Pkg

U.S. $9.99

Parts not sold separately

HL06620152

THE VISUAL DRUMSET METHOD

The concept behind THE VISUAL DRUMSET METHOD is to use pictures