So you want to learn your favorite song on drums but don't know the best way to approach it? There is a concrete method that I have developed from years of teaching and playing in cover bands. When I first started playing, learning a song was like the learning the entire number sequence of pie. I couldn't do it, but I have something to share with you... By using these three simple tips you can learn and perform any song you want confidently.
Listen to the song until you hate it. I've found that you don't know a song until you are sick of hearing it again. What this does is gets the entire tune in your head so you can remember the structure of the song. This way you won't have to worry about how many times the verse is, but rather you can just have a clear head when you play it. You will love playing it for other people though, once you have it down!
Use the listen and compare strategy to transcribe the song. Many people try to play the song back with the recording after an initial listen. The problem with this is that you can't truly hear what's going on when playing at the same time because your drumming will drown out the recording. What you should do instead is listen to the recording, then play it back by yourself to compare what you played, to what you heard. Do this a few times and you will get the beat really close or dead on.
Don't worry about covering the song verbatim. Remembering an entire drum score is really difficult and very unproductive. What works better is to learn the main drum beats and one or two fills that you like. Your main aim when covering a song is to capture the style of the drummer. This way you can make up your own fills and variations on beats. Also after covering a few more of that band's songs, you will be incorporating your favorite drummer's style into your own unique style whether you are aware of it or not.
For more music lessons click on Online Lessons
Monday, June 14, 2010
How to read drum notation
So you want to learn how to read drum music? Reading drum music is actually pretty simple if you just know how to get started. Many people will buy a drum book with high hopes, will have trouble with the first page or two, then give up. When I first started playing drums that was me, but I have something to share... You can learn how to read drum notation well, if you take these three simple tips to heart.
Learn how to count. We've all seen sesame street, but I'm talking about learning the relationship between quarter notes, eighth notes, eighth note triplets, and sixteenth notes. Half notes, whole notes, and quarter note triplets aren't nearly as common in drum music, so I suggest to start with these. Start by counting quarter notes on the high-hat in 4/4 (four beats and the quarter note gets the beat) 1,2,3,4. Next count eighth notes out loud while still playing quarters on the hi hat.. 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and (2 eighth notes= 1 quarter). The counting device for eighth note triplets is 1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and a, 4 and a ( 3= one quarter). Lastly the counting device for sixteenth notes is 1 e and a, 2 e and a, 3 e and a, 4 e and a (4= one quarter). The smallest subdivision should determine the counting device you use. For instance if there is a beat with two eighth notes and the rest quarters, you should count eighth notes... 1 and, 2 and, 3 and, 4 and.
There should be a section in your book that has a graphic that shows what the notes look like. Quarter notes are composed of a black circle with a stem that goes vertical. Eighth notes are made up of two of these, which are connected by a horizontal line at the top. Eighth note triplets are composed the same way, but they have 3 notes instead of 2. They also have a 3 above the group of notes, either with brackets or without. Sixteenth notes have four notes that are connected. The way they are easily distinguished is by having two horizontal lines instead of one.
Look at the key at the front or back of the book for where each drum/cymbal is on the staff. I can get you started in this article. The x's above the top line on the staff are the hi-hats. A little bit south of that in the middle of that top line is the ride. The snare drum is located on the middle space of the staff. The last of the simple symbols is the bass drum, which is located on the bottom space of the staff. Some drum books vary slightly but this is the most common.
Learn how to count. We've all seen sesame street, but I'm talking about learning the relationship between quarter notes, eighth notes, eighth note triplets, and sixteenth notes. Half notes, whole notes, and quarter note triplets aren't nearly as common in drum music, so I suggest to start with these. Start by counting quarter notes on the high-hat in 4/4 (four beats and the quarter note gets the beat) 1,2,3,4. Next count eighth notes out loud while still playing quarters on the hi hat.. 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and (2 eighth notes= 1 quarter). The counting device for eighth note triplets is 1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and a, 4 and a ( 3= one quarter). Lastly the counting device for sixteenth notes is 1 e and a, 2 e and a, 3 e and a, 4 e and a (4= one quarter). The smallest subdivision should determine the counting device you use. For instance if there is a beat with two eighth notes and the rest quarters, you should count eighth notes... 1 and, 2 and, 3 and, 4 and.
There should be a section in your book that has a graphic that shows what the notes look like. Quarter notes are composed of a black circle with a stem that goes vertical. Eighth notes are made up of two of these, which are connected by a horizontal line at the top. Eighth note triplets are composed the same way, but they have 3 notes instead of 2. They also have a 3 above the group of notes, either with brackets or without. Sixteenth notes have four notes that are connected. The way they are easily distinguished is by having two horizontal lines instead of one.
Look at the key at the front or back of the book for where each drum/cymbal is on the staff. I can get you started in this article. The x's above the top line on the staff are the hi-hats. A little bit south of that in the middle of that top line is the ride. The snare drum is located on the middle space of the staff. The last of the simple symbols is the bass drum, which is located on the bottom space of the staff. Some drum books vary slightly but this is the most common.
How to stretch your fingers on the guitar
Right, so you want to learn how to stretch your fingers on the guitar. There a few great exercises that I teach that help my students stretch there fingers. When you first start playing it's really hard to make that chord sound good, or that scale sing, but I got something to share... By practicing these three tips and techniques you can play any chord and scale with ease.
Play the finger stretching exercise. You start by putting your index finger on fret one of string 6 (the biggest string). Then you add your middle finger to fret 2 , your ring finger to fret 3, and your pinky to fret 4. This is all on the same string. By keeping your last finger on the fret board and adding another, it really stretches your fingers out. Repeat this same process on strings 5-1. When you descend this scale you will be peeling off your fingers after you play the note. Do this 4-10 minutes a day.
Practice switching between chords in your left hand only. For example switch between a G chord and a C chord back and forth. You want to make sure that your thumb is not popping out from the neck of the guitar like a gofer. Your thumb should be going with the neck of the guitar (horizontal). When you play these chords you want have your fingers arched and you also want to be playing with the pads of your fingers. Practice switching between chords until you feel comfortable enough to add rhythm with your right hand.
Practice your favorite scales. Scales are great because we don't have do think about the rhythm that much. We get to focus almost entirely on what the left hand is doing. When you play your major scales end each one with a half or whole note. You want to give your brain the chance to recover and calculate how to make your next scale better and how to make your fingers stretch more. Practice your major scale for at least five minutes and then move on to your other scales. Scales will really stretch your fingers if you put the effort into playing them. Imagining your fingers stretching before playing a scale never hurts either.
For more music lessons click on Online Lessons
Play the finger stretching exercise. You start by putting your index finger on fret one of string 6 (the biggest string). Then you add your middle finger to fret 2 , your ring finger to fret 3, and your pinky to fret 4. This is all on the same string. By keeping your last finger on the fret board and adding another, it really stretches your fingers out. Repeat this same process on strings 5-1. When you descend this scale you will be peeling off your fingers after you play the note. Do this 4-10 minutes a day.
Practice switching between chords in your left hand only. For example switch between a G chord and a C chord back and forth. You want to make sure that your thumb is not popping out from the neck of the guitar like a gofer. Your thumb should be going with the neck of the guitar (horizontal). When you play these chords you want have your fingers arched and you also want to be playing with the pads of your fingers. Practice switching between chords until you feel comfortable enough to add rhythm with your right hand.
Practice your favorite scales. Scales are great because we don't have do think about the rhythm that much. We get to focus almost entirely on what the left hand is doing. When you play your major scales end each one with a half or whole note. You want to give your brain the chance to recover and calculate how to make your next scale better and how to make your fingers stretch more. Practice your major scale for at least five minutes and then move on to your other scales. Scales will really stretch your fingers if you put the effort into playing them. Imagining your fingers stretching before playing a scale never hurts either.
For more music lessons click on Online Lessons
How to make money off of music
Right, so you are a musician and want to learn how to make money off of music? There are many ways to make money off of music, it just takes some hard work and some know how. When I first started playing gigs I was stoked to get two free drinks and find a five dollar bill in the tip jar, but it doesn't have to be like this...If you do one or two of these things well, you can make money playing music for a living.
Join a cover band who plays on cruise ships. Luxury cruise ships are a rapidly growing industry which have a high demand for entertainment. These cruise ships can afford to pay musicians up to 10 grand each for a four month job. The food and board is accommodated as well. Travel the world and make a boat load of money. The amount of jobs for cover bands at local clubs is few and far between, so playing cruise ships is the way to go. Search on craigslist.org and keep your eyes open for these cruise ship jobs.
Be prepared to market yourself. If you are a singer/songwriter and you plan on making money off of your music, you have to treat music like a full time job. Create a professional website with quality photos, recordings, a press pack, good reviews, and a bio. Hire somebody to get your website to the top of google for certain searches. Some examples are "San Diego Local bands" or "best new music LA". Sticker and flier up the town, and play open mikes frequently. Whenever you play a gig or an open mike say your group name at least two times every 15 minutes. Look like a rock star, and always have your cd handy to sell. Network with everybody, and if you're not playing gigs in LA or New York, you should start.
Teach lessons for the instrument you play. This also involves having a sold marketing plan and a good sense for business. Advertise on craigslist and other free sites like this. Get car magnets and t-shirts with your business name and a phone number on them. Your business name could just be your name, plus what instrument you teach. For example "Steve Brown Drum Lessons" or "Michelle Davis Guitar Lessons". Do research on what people charge in your area and either match it, or just lower your price by 5 bucks. Teaching lessons has been my number one source of income for a long time and it's a really fun job!
For more music tips click on Online Music Lessons
Join a cover band who plays on cruise ships. Luxury cruise ships are a rapidly growing industry which have a high demand for entertainment. These cruise ships can afford to pay musicians up to 10 grand each for a four month job. The food and board is accommodated as well. Travel the world and make a boat load of money. The amount of jobs for cover bands at local clubs is few and far between, so playing cruise ships is the way to go. Search on craigslist.org and keep your eyes open for these cruise ship jobs.
Be prepared to market yourself. If you are a singer/songwriter and you plan on making money off of your music, you have to treat music like a full time job. Create a professional website with quality photos, recordings, a press pack, good reviews, and a bio. Hire somebody to get your website to the top of google for certain searches. Some examples are "San Diego Local bands" or "best new music LA". Sticker and flier up the town, and play open mikes frequently. Whenever you play a gig or an open mike say your group name at least two times every 15 minutes. Look like a rock star, and always have your cd handy to sell. Network with everybody, and if you're not playing gigs in LA or New York, you should start.
Teach lessons for the instrument you play. This also involves having a sold marketing plan and a good sense for business. Advertise on craigslist and other free sites like this. Get car magnets and t-shirts with your business name and a phone number on them. Your business name could just be your name, plus what instrument you teach. For example "Steve Brown Drum Lessons" or "Michelle Davis Guitar Lessons". Do research on what people charge in your area and either match it, or just lower your price by 5 bucks. Teaching lessons has been my number one source of income for a long time and it's a really fun job!
For more music tips click on Online Music Lessons
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)