FAQ's
- Where can I find free drum exercises to practice?
- If you email us we can email you back with exercises to practice. This service is free.
- Do you recommend learning to read music?
- Yes, reading music is very important when learning to play drums. If you are about to start learning drums please discuss this with your new teacher.
- I'm a beginner, how do I set a drum kit up?
- We can send you instructions or we can show you where to order a drum kit that is already set up or we also have a network of teachers and drummers who can come to your house or studio and set the kit up for you. In most areas we can also arrange for the kit to be set up and you can then have a lesson in the comfort of your own home or studio.
- I'm a beginner, do you have any exercises I can practice?
- Yes, please email for more info.
- Do you offer mobile lessons?
- Yes, please email for more info.
- Do you have any exercises to develop Metric Modulation?
- Start by learning the following 3 Paradiddle Stickings:
- 1, RLLR
- 2, LLRL
- 3, LRLL
Then when comfortable play them as 16th Notes on your snare drum to create a bar of 3/4:
- 1e+a = RLLR
- 2e+a = LLRL
- 3e+a = LRLL
This will look like this:
- 3/4 RLLR LLRL LRLL
Once comfortable add your bass drum on the 1st note of each group. If you prefer to count like me this means that you will be adding your bass drum on the following counts: 1 2 3 (Not any of the e+a notes).
This will now look like this:
- 3/4 RLLR LLRL LRLL (If a note is underlined this means play your bass drum at exactly the same time as your snare).
Once comfortable with this it now starts to get a bit more tricky. (Please fasten your seat belt at this point).
Turn off your snares and whilst leaving your Right hand on the snare at normal volume then reduce the volume of your Left hand and carefully move your Left hand onto your Left knee.
You should now have created a Polyrhythm playing 4 notes on the snare against 3 notes on the bass drum.
Count the bass drum out loud: "1 2 3" and repeat this until comfortable.
Next step: Keep going but stop counting the bass drum. Now count the snare drum out loud "1 2 3 4" whilst still keeping the bass drum going. (This, is were the seat belt might come in handy).
Whilst counting the "1 2 3 4" out loud please remember that you are still in 3/4. At this point stop playing your Left hand on your Left knee and see if you can keep going with the count "1 2 3 4".
If you can do this you are know counting "1 2 3 4" in 3/4 time without the help of the Left hand filling in the gaps but with your bass drum still going.
This is known as 4:3 (4 against 3) in 3/4 time.
Now whilst keeping the Right hand going on the snare stop your bass drum and you now have your new Metrically Modulated 1/4 Note/Crotchet Pulse. (Remember 4:3 is written above the bar at this point so that everyone can see that you have Metrically Modulated.)