The Journey of a Drummer:
From Foundation to Creative Freedom
Build your skills, develop your musical instincts, and discover the freedom to express yourself through rhythm.
FIND THE PULSE
PHASE ONE - 1
Get comfortable following a pulse and returning to it whenever you lose it. The point is to become absorbed in something without having to think about it consciously.
BUILD COORDINATION
PHASE ONE - 2
Learn to move your hands and feet independently while staying connected to the groove. It builds the skill of doing several things at once.
DEVELOP RHYTHMIC VOCABULARY
PHASE ONE - 3
Build your vocabulary by learning the language of rhythm. The more you know about feel, groove, space, accents, fills, dynamics and articulation, the more expressive you can be.
LEARN TO LISTEN
PHASE ONE - 4
Learn to listen to the music you're playing with. Instead of only working out patterns, notice the basslines, melodies, harmonies and contrasts.
PRACTICE RECOVERY
PHASE ONE - 5
Practice making mistakes and recovering from them. Learn to recognize a mistake when it happens and recover quickly, without drawing attention to it.
STUDY DIFFERENT STYLES
PHASE ONE - 6
Become comfortable playing in several different rhythmic styles: rock, funk, jazz, Latin, reggae, and jam bands. Each one teaches something different and adds new tools.
Phase One: Build the foundation
Goal: Build a thorough understanding of the instrument so that it becomes intuitive.
Phase TWO: Explore & Improvise
Goal: Apply the tools you've developed to further explore and better understand your instrument, as well as the music you play.
PHASE two - 1
Respond to the music
Instead of working out drum patterns, respond to the music in the way you think it wants to be responded to.
PHASE two - 2
Improvise within a structure
Leave something fixed and constant (the pulse, groove, or song structure) and explore the possibilities of the other elements.
PHASE two - 3
Leave and come back
Follow an idea, change the feel, or play something unexpected, then find your way back to the groove.
PHASE two - 4
Surprise yourself
Don't think about what you're going to play next. Leave room for inspiration and exploration so that you can discover abilities you didn't know you had.
PHASE two - 5
Have a musical conversation
Instead of just playing along, trade call and response with the other musicians. That makes the conversation more interesting and challenging.
PHASE two - 6
Follow the moment
Instead of pushing the music somewhere specific, let it lead you where it wants to go. Stay aware and flexible enough to follow wherever it goes.