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HackerEd
02-15-2009, 11:57 PM
So my question is I am 20 years old have been drumming for around 3 years and after realizing my passion for drums I have practiced every day for the past year and a half. I have started to get to the point where I feel I am not completely productive with my time. On average I practice for 3 hours everyday if not more(No joke). On days I have no work or College I will play for 6 plus hours. I am currently Working out of Rick Latham's Advanced Funk studies book with a teacher who is great player I feel I am really getting alot out of my hour every week with him. What I am working towards is to be a drum teacher, but of course I have dreams of getting in some band whether it be rock or an indie type style, but I know I will be happy just teaching to.

My current routine is to start with a stamina exercise at various comfortable tempos
Left hand triplets 2 minutes
Right hand triplets 2 minutes
RLLL 2 minutes to gain more left hand strength 2 minutes
RLRL 2 minutes

Then I play around a little bit as an even greater warm up 5-10 minutes of playing whatevers in my head

Then I practice 6 or so different rudiment about two minutes each at whatever tempo is comfortable

then I move to what were working on in Advanced funk studies I am usually assigned 1 to 2 pages depending on the material and can take me various time frames.

Then I usually play to some sort of music I try to mix it up by either trying to mimic the drummer in the song I am listening to or go with my own interpretation for the song.

At night when it to late to play drums due to other members in my household I play on my practice pad whether it be rudiments or out of the book Stick Control for the snare drummer


So since I am practicing everyday for 3+ hours so I am sure there is got to be a better way to use my time. What do you do, or what would you do in my situation with my time frame and goals in mind. Is there a book I should pick up (Or I might have) I should do over and over again. Should i practice rudiments for longer. I am, no advanced drummer I would consider myself a good drummer, but understand there is always more to learn and now I think its time for me to be more productive as I have started to plateau.
jeffwj
02-16-2009, 01:30 AM
My current routine is to start with a stamina exercise at various comfortable tempos
Left hand triplets 2 minutes
Right hand triplets 2 minutes
RLLL 2 minutes to gain more left hand strength 2 minutes
RLRL 2 minutes

Then I practice 6 or so different rudiment about two minutes each at whatever tempo is comfortable



If I am correct in interpreting your post, you practice over three hours a day and only do 10 minutes of hand technique (and a few extra minutes at night)? Your RLLL and RLRL exercises are also found in Stick Control, pages 5-7 along with 70 more sticking possibilities.

Then I practice 6 or so different rudiment about two minutes each at whatever tempo is comfortable
Practicing rudiments is great, but you did not say anything about rudimental etudes or solos. Check out books by Wilcoxon, Pratt, and Freytag just to name a few. You will need to be familiar with the rudimental solos since many students will probably be in marching band at school.

...then I move to what were working on in Advanced funk studies I am usually assigned 1 to 2 pages depending on the material and can take me various time frames.
Funk is one style. It may be the style that you or your teacher is most interested in. But if you are planning on teaching, be prepared to know a wide variety of styles - jazz, big band, latin styles, Brazillian styles, society beats etc...

Then I usually play to some sort of music I try to mix it up by either trying to mimic the drummer in the song I am listening to or go with my own interpretation for the song.
Excellent! If you want to take that a step further, transcribe a beat, fill, or a few lines of a solo each day. Also, when you play along, try to include a variety of styles. Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials or Houghton's Essential Styles books should help.

What do you do, or what would you do in my situation with my time frame and goals in mind?
I would try to balance the practice routine as follows.

Snare Drum
1. Hand Techinque/Rudiments
2. Snare Drum Reading/Concert or Rudimental Solos

Drum Set
1. Reading - Chart Reading, Play-along books etc...
2. Coordination - Jazz, Funk, Latin etc... This goes along with #3 which is...
3. Styles - Knowledge of styles - Listening - Transcribing

Mallet Percussion - You said you were in college, but did not say if you were majoring in music. If you are then you probably know already know melodic notation. If you are teaching kids who are in school band, at least an intermediate knowledge of mallet percussion is necessary. If you are not familiar with it right now, a good series is Fundamental Methods for Mallets by Mitchell Peters. (http://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/1168/mallet-books)

I would also start buying method books now to see which ones you would like to teach out of. So many people take jobs teaching and then rush to find materials to teach out of. Here are a few beginning snare books you should check out.
Primary Handbook for Snare Drum (http://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/915/snare-drum-books-cd)
Concert Solos for the Intermediate Snare Drummer (http://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/1102022/snare-drum-books-cd)
Mel Bay Modern Drum Method Series (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786679239)
Vic Firth Drum Method Book One (http://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/1021/snare-drum-books)
Vic Firth Drum Method Book Two (http://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/2711/snare-drum-books)

Jeff
HackerEd
02-16-2009, 04:34 AM
Thanks for the comments they are all really helpful. I didn't mention it but in the warm up and inbetween songs and or during I try to throw in some rudimental solos, but I am sure it would definitely help to pick up some different books for it. Yeah Rick Latham's book is good so far, Jazz is next.

As for the Music major I havn't not decided. This could be a whole other thread but I have been trying to decide whether to major in Music, or Audio productions.

How it ways out in my mind is that if I major in music I am more likely to work at a college and have an in general better understanding of music and all its aspects. If I major in audio production I get work recording other musicans, and myself and know all the tricks of micing and production. Maybe if I was working in a studio it would be easier to find people looking for a fill in or a great band in need of a drummer.

All dreams and thoughts though. Any opinions on the second issue?