Learn How to Play Drums DVD: Have Fun While Practicing

By Terrance Burgess

The "next day" came, and soon it was my turn to see how fast I could play. I did my best and was completely shocked when I ended up winning with a "score" of 905 singles in 60-seconds (with absolutely no practice, and no idea "how or what" I was doing). Nevertheless, winning put me in the northeast regional finals elimination round - 3 weeks later at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Sometimes the drum heads may even puncture when the hit is hard. If all this still does not provide you with good reasons to go for a new one at regular intervals, then you should realize that once it becomes weak it is difficult for you to play the roll or the fast chops. As a drummer you should change your drum heads after every six months.

However, most of the drummers choose the ones that provide sustainability, a good quality tone, excellent durability along with a great blend of depth and attack. A few drum heads may consist of a ring or a dot in the middle. These are considered excellent for tonal focusing. They also help in longevity of the drum skins by straightening the head from the middle.

A drum solo is an individual's creative expression when playing the drum kit. It is the ability to create a percussive piece that adds depth to a song and to showcase one's talent. Many famous drummers such as Billy Cobham, Neil Pert, Elvin Jones, and Jon Bonham have highlighted their expertise by performing incredible pieces. Great solos can be performed by anyone as long as there is room for imagination.

So after reading up on things and listening to a handful of second line drummers, I've determined that although there are a lot of variations of second line you can play, most follow a specific feel and style. The best way to get started would be to play a simple Bo Diddley beat, mixing in an occasional double stroke roll at the beginning or end of the phrase: Play the bass drum with the accents or simply play "4 on the floor" (straight quarter notes)

Learn the 7 essential rudiments (at least) accurately and up to speed. (Especially the single and double stroke rolls). Know and recognize all the styles and be able to play variations of each. Have a thorough understanding of rhythmic note values and sight-reading.Know the "name" players in the industry and their contributions to the drum world.

Foot warm-ups, in a sitting position, raise your right foot off the floor about 10 inches. Point your toes away from you as far as you can, then point them towards you as much as you can. In a circular motion, rotate your foot to the right, then rotate to the left, repeat this exercise 4 times. After you have completed this for the right foot, do the same for the left foot.

After the seating of the heads, the brass drum lug screws should be fitted properly and subsequently the tom toms have to be mounted. While assembling the different toms, it is important to consider the lengths of the lug screws as larger toms require longer lug screws and smaller ones require smaller screws. The other pieces that have to be assembled include the bass pedal and stands such as high hat stand, cymbal stands and snare stands. - 29872

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