This is for those who have bought my very short book "Learn to play drums with Swayseeker" and is in fact a continuation of that book. Please ask questions by posing a comment.
Getting started with a four beat song This is for a right hand player. If you are left handed substitute left for right where right appears and then it will be for a left handed player. 1) Start by learning to play a four beat bar: If the beat matches One two three four One two three four and so on you have four beat tune. Start tapping with your foot. You will probably find that your foot taps on the "One". If you are right handed you will almost certainly use your right foot to play your big base drum with the foot pedal. Now it is common to play the "One" with your right foot on the base drum. 2) Bring in your cymbal by playing the four beats on your cymbal. 3) Bring in your snare drum by striking with your left stick on the beat of three. Now you will have a basic beat going: Base drum and cymbal (one), cymbal (two), snare and cymbal (three), cymbal (four) for beats one, two, three and four. You can go to my webpage http://www.ilike.com/artist/Swayseeker/ and download "Think up and down". This is an example of a four beat bar tune.
Getting fancy When you have got this going in a satisfactory manner you can try some variation. You can also close your high hat using your foot on the pedal for the beat of one (should close on one). When you have got the idea and sound you can experiment with other patterns. At first to keep it simple just play snare and cymbal, but try hitting the snare on beats of three and four. Try different combinations - hit the snare at a beat of four and so on. Now bring in your base drum and high hat on a beat of one, but vary the snare beats.
Three beat Beat the base drum (foot pedal) on one and the snare at two and three whilst hitting the cymbal at one two and three. You can download "One Times Two" from http://www.ilike.com/artist/Swayseeker/ for a three beat tune.
After this After this you will be able to dream up many variations and it will be some time before you are satisfied with your playing if you are a beginner. This in a way is the end of this very short book and it should give you a quick start. My book however continues in the form of a blog and there you will be able to ask questions by posting on my blog. Remember that this is meant for beginners, so please do not ask fancy questions about writing music on my blog. I will answer questions for a while, but if after a lot of tutoring you continue I will ask for some contribution (two dollars or so). Regards Eddie Miller
After having played gospel music at churches for a while I discovered a beat I seldom hear, but suits many gospel tunes. When I hear gospel music I wish drummers would play it (maybe some do) so I can grove along. It goes (for a four beat bar) bass drum (foot pedal) on beats one and two, and four and two of the next bar (1,2,4,6 if you are counting 8 beats) and then the hi hat closes at beats 1 of first bar and 2 of the second bar (1 and 6 for 8 beats). If you are playing the hi hat with a stick this gives a really good beat. This would also be good for coordination practice for non drummers. It really suits gospel such as "Waiting on the Lord" and I think church goers will love it - perhaps clap along as many love to do. Regards Eddie Miller.
Learn to play drums with Swayseeker
ReplyDeleteGetting started with a four beat song
This is for a right hand player. If you are left handed substitute left for right where right appears and then it will be for a left handed player.
1) Start by learning to play a four beat bar:
If the beat matches One two three four One two three four and so on you have four beat tune.
Start tapping with your foot. You will probably find that your foot taps on the "One".
If you are right handed you will almost certainly use your right foot to play your big base drum with the foot pedal. Now it is common to play the "One" with your right foot on the base drum.
2) Bring in your cymbal by playing the four beats on your cymbal.
3) Bring in your snare drum by striking with your left stick on the beat of three.
Now you will have a basic beat going: Base drum and cymbal (one), cymbal (two), snare and cymbal (three), cymbal (four) for beats one, two, three and four. You can go to my webpage http://www.ilike.com/artist/Swayseeker/ and download "Think up and down". This is an example of a four beat bar tune.
Getting fancy
When you have got this going in a satisfactory manner you can try some variation. You can also close your high hat using your foot on the pedal for the beat of one (should close on one). When you have got the idea and sound you can experiment with other patterns. At first to keep it simple just play snare and cymbal, but try hitting the snare on beats of three and four. Try different combinations - hit the snare at a beat of four and so on. Now bring in your base drum and high hat on a beat of one, but vary the snare beats.
Three beat
Beat the base drum (foot pedal) on one and the snare at two and three whilst hitting the cymbal at one two and three. You can download
"One Times Two" from http://www.ilike.com/artist/Swayseeker/ for a three beat tune.
After this
After this you will be able to dream up many variations and it will be some time before you are satisfied with your playing if you are a beginner.
This in a way is the end of this very short book and it should give you a quick start. My book however continues in the form of a blog and there you will be able to ask questions by posting on my blog. Remember that this is meant for beginners, so please do not ask fancy questions about writing music on my blog. I will answer questions for a while, but if after a lot of tutoring you continue I will ask for some contribution (two dollars or so).
Regards
Eddie Miller
After having played gospel music at churches for a while I discovered a beat I seldom hear, but suits many gospel tunes. When I hear gospel music I wish drummers would play it (maybe some do) so I can grove along. It goes (for a four beat bar) bass drum (foot pedal) on beats one and two, and four and two of the next bar (1,2,4,6 if you are counting 8 beats) and then the hi hat closes at beats 1 of first bar and 2 of the second bar (1 and 6 for 8 beats). If you are playing the hi hat with a stick this gives a really good beat. This would also be good for coordination practice for non drummers. It really suits gospel such as "Waiting on the Lord" and I think church goers will love it - perhaps clap along as many love to do.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Eddie Miller.