My practice schedule

[drumapprentice]

Hi everyone,

I want to post my practice schedule in hope that maybe someone will improve ist.
Here we go:

First I start with some technique: The first exercise is taken from "The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary, as taught by Alan Dawson" where I take a column of take a page of Stick Control and practice singlestrokes. I adjust my metronome at 72 bpm and I play one line and than I play 5 clicks 16th singlestrokes. 6th is pause. I only use one column. After a week I increase the tempo and I switch to the next column.
When I finished a column I adjust my metronome at 80bpm and I play 60 clicks 16th single strokes. First right hand leading then left hand leading. I increase my tempo every 2 weeks.

Especially now I am also practicing the heel-toe technique. For hat I adjust my metronome at 110 bpm and I play with my right hand 8ths on the floortom and my foot is playing the 2nd and 4th 16th note. I do this for 3 minutes.
Then I combine both feet and I play some double strokes.

After practicing singlestrokes I take a rudiment group of Complete Vocabulary and practice this group until I am satisfied. I start slow and I increase tempo to my limit and than I slow down.

My technique part is now finished. So now I practice some reading with the book "Syncopation". I use some methods of the Vocabulary to get more independet. A method would be: play short notes ond snare (eights) and long notes base drum. I don't want explain every example because the Vocabulary has 15 or so. At the moment I am trying to learn every method. Quite hard! Ah I forgot to tell you that I practice pages at 35. So it's kind of an etude.

Next part is now Beyond Bop Drumming by John Riley. I try to learn the hihatcomping. I think there is no need for a great explanation.
I stay on Riley and go to one of the last pages where you practice your ability to move every where on the drumset, even if your hands are crossed.

Now soloing is starting. I wrote myself an excercise where I play a jazztime and with my hand and foot I play some motives and I arrange them in 3/4 against 4/4. For example:
I got this motive (everything is in quarter notes, bd = bass drum, s = snare, p = pause) | bd s s p |
Now I play this motive in this context: |: b s s b | s s b s | s b s s | b s s b | 4 bars time :|
I am also orchestrating the motive. The can be even more complicated and it can be also be streched into 8 bars. I mean 8 repetitions ;).
After doing ~3 motives I take a nice exercise from the Vocabulary.
I sing a tune loud or I hear it in my head. Lets take an AABA form. I take page 5 of Stick Control: Now I play 4 bars time than I use the first row like this: s bd s bd s bd s bd
So whenever a R appears it means a snare and a L means a bd. I repeat this motive four times, so that I finish 1 chorus.
Now the same procedure but I am going down to the next row. A column has 12 rows, so I play 3 chorus like this and the 4th one is an open solo. But don't forget so sing the tune the whole time.

Now my soloing part is done. To enhance my groove repertoire I open a random page at Mel Bays Complete Modern Drumset and there I focus one page or one groove. At the moment it is an afro-cuban groove. I stay at this page as long as I can handle those grooves.

The very last part is now to play to some records.

I don't know if it is the best description, but I am not a native english speaker and writer ;).
I you have some suggestion or even questioes: Please answer!
I need ideas ;). And yeah: I have enough time to pracitce this way ^^.

Best greetings,
drumapprentice

[oops]

Sounds like you've got a fair bit of stuff covered.

Warmup, technique, jazz comping, independence, soloing... it's all well and good, based on what you want to come out of it with.

My teach broke it into 5 sections... Groove, Latin, Jazz, Technique, and Improv. Work on a couple of sections a day.


Another idea: have you read Effortless Mastery (by Kenny Werner)? Check it out. He talks about how instead of trying to practice everything, and practice for hours we should work on one topic, master it, then work on variations.

That's something i got caught up in. I'd spend 4 hours a day, run through a heap of exercises, but not completely master them. The next time you come back, you have to start again. Sure, you'll master them eventually, but if you knuckle down and workshop one topic for a week, a month, or even a year, you'll find that you get better heaps faster.

My 0.02...

[drumapprentice]

Hey oops,

Could you give me an example? I am not sure If I really understood the effortless mastery way.
What I understood is that I focus on one topic, let's say a certain technique excercise. I practice this part until I can master it. Now I am taking a new section? Is that right?
The problem is, that this method gives me the impression that I could do many more, than only this excercise. Additionally my practiceplan would be rather short, I think.
But don't think that I want to play 10 hours a day. I know, there is a difference between quality and quantity and I want some quality ;).

@everyone else: Any suggestions? Every answer saves a drumstick :P.

Greets,
drumapprentice

[oops]

Well take something easy...

Paradiddles should be easy right?

So you start out learning as a pure technique thing. Play it on the snare as 16th notes. Lock it in perfectly with the click at a slow tempo, say 60 BPM.

Practice that until you can't hear the click going behind it, until you can play for 2 minutes straight without losing time.

Work it up to 100 BPM or as fast as possible while keeping it perfectly locked in.

That variation of the paradiddle will take you a while to master, but once you've got it down you move onto another variation.

Play it as a fill, accent every beat, so RLRR LRLL.

Play each of the accents on a tom (R- floor tom, Left- rack tom). Same thing, lock it in.

Then move on to a paradiddle groove, R on hats, L on snare, accent beats. David Garibaldi type 16th groove.


You want to master the basics of what you're trying to learn, and only then are you allowed to move onto variations.


You can practice whatever you want. Within a practice session I'll work on grooves, jazz comping, technique and maybe even some songs. But don't move on from a subject until you've completely nailed it. Don't specify how long you'll work on a topic, work on it until it's perfect.

It takes focus.

Hope that helps?

PS. In your case, I'd take something like Syncopation. Instead of working on all 15 variations, take one and make sure you can play the whole page perfectly with it. Then you can move onto another variation.

[lildrummerboy827]

Hey ooops, what exercises do you do to develop independence? I'm currently practicing the exercises given in Thomas Lang's instructional. Its helping me a bit but I wanna learn more.

[drumapprentice]

PS. In your case, I'd take something like Syncopation. Instead of working on all 15 variations, take one and make sure you can play the whole page perfectly with it. Then you can move onto another variation.

That is exactly the way I do it. I don't start a new variation before I can handle the first variations. I always try to play an excercise perfectly until I take the more difficult excercise.
Nevertheless I think I understand your approach and I will try it, but I think I will keep some other ascpects like swing, latin and so on.


@lildrummerboy827: I don't know the Thomas Lang excercises, but I am no big Thomas Lang fan, because he is more twirling and throwing than playing. If you want to get some indepence you should try to approach these 15 ways I mentioned for syncopation. They give you really some good feelings in time. Also I would suggest that you get some African or Latin grooves. If you can handle these grooves they will give a new view of what you are drumming.
But maybe this is not your favorite approach. Then try to play polyrhythms. For example with your hands a paradiddle and with your feet triplets. That might me a little bit egdeless but I think it will develop your independence. Don't forget orchestration!

@all: Dont be shy, post your ideas :).

Best greets,
drumapprentice

[balboa]

technique should be ever-present

[oops]

Thomas Lang is an intensely independence orientated freak.

I have his first DVD, I've watched it a couple times, but I honestly can't find myself putting in the time to work on his independence stuff.

That being said, each to his own. It's a great DVD to build up chops and independence.

I guess the thing is deciding what you want to be able to play, and then practice independence structured around that.

Say you're interested in jazz, work through the variations on Syncopation.

If you're interested in Latin, work through The Rudimental Ritual (over various different foot patterns, ie. samba, baion, songo...)

If you're interested in rock/fusion/even metal I'd work on Lang's stuff.