The Rhythm Section
Keeping you bang up to date with 'On The Road Drumming'.
k again for future updates...
December Trinity Guildhall Exam Results published-
Congratulations
...to the Following Students for passing their Trinity Guildhall Grades in December 2011. I'm very proud of you all, keep up the good work!
Sam Branch, Grade 3, Merit
Jackson Shoob, Grade 3, Merit
Brandon Boyd, Grade 3, Pass
Jola Kendal, Grade 2, Merit
Jake Kramer, Grade 2, Pass
Freddy Ugo, Grade 1, Distinction
William Lloyd, Grade 1, Distinction
Claudia Martignetti, Grade 1, Merit
Rhythms Of The World 2011
Thank you to all my students that took part in this years 'Rhythms Of The World' festival. It was a great day, both educational and fun experience to
have the chance to work on the main stage and back stage of one of the UK's largest music festivals. Thanks to all the crew and production team and a special thanks to Steve Smither for the opportunity.
2012 WORLD RHYTHM DRUM WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED
Do you or a friend want to chance to play in a group drum circle and learn about rhythms from all over the World?
In 2012, Gareth will be hosting special 'World Rhythm' workshops for students, to take part and play some professional equipment in a group.
What is a drum circle?
A drum circle is any group of people playing hand-drums and percussion in a circle. They are distinct from a drumming group or troupe in that the drum circle is an end in itself rather than preparation for a performance. They can range in size from a handful of players to circles with thousands of participants.
"Typically, people gather to drum in drum "circles" with others from the surrounding community. The drum circle offers equality because there is no head or tail. It includes people of all ages. The main objective is to share rhythm and get in tune with each other and themselves. To form a group consciousness. To entrain and resonate. By entrainment, I mean that a new voice, a collective voice, emerges from the group as they drum together".
'Mickey Hart', drummer, Grateful Dead.
10 DRUMMING SECRETS
#1 TAKE YOUR TIME TO LEARN
1. Always take your time, start slow, even if you already know the beat. Once you know, speed up, playing too fast will slow down your progression.
#2. COUNT OUT LOUD
2. Count.This is essential for beginners and advanced players- it’s a great way to see if you’re playing correctly.
#3. DON'T PRACTICE BEATS WHEN YOUR PLAYING WITH A BAND
3. If you’re playing with a band don’t play something you are practicing. If you are doing this you will waste your practice time and waste the bands practice time.
#4. SIT UP STRAIGHT
4. Be ready to play- not only better for your body but helps you stay more focused if you sit up properly and have a good posture. Playing is so much easier when you have your back straight
#5. DON’T GIVE UP
5. Take things as a challenge- when you get to hard patterns, learn them. The whole reason you practice is to learn new ways of playing. I won’t stop practicing until I play correctly beat 5 times in a row. Set yourself mini practice goals. By ending with an accomplishment you’ll get more out of your playing for future success.
#6. PRACTISE DOES NOT MAKE PERFECT. PRACTICING CORRECTLY MAKES PERFECT.
6. Always be sure your playing things correctly, count out loud
#7. USE A METRONOME
7. As a drummer your job to keep the time this will give you a steady pulse to play with.
#8. SET YOURSELF APRACTICE ROUTINE
8. Ideally you want to practice every day to improve but might not be possible, so it’s important that you establish a routine.
#9. STAY LOOSE ANDRELAXED
9. Breathe correctly do not tense up. Don’t hold your breath when holding your drum pattern Breathe deeply.
#10. HAVE FUN ANDENJOY PLAYING
10. Always take the time to enjoy playing the drums. It’s important to practice hard, but more important to enjoy your playing.
DID YOU KNOW?
The state that we get into when we drum is called the alpha brain wave state. This state is where your brain is working at a certain
amount of cycles per second. This state is associated with clear thinking, relaxation
lack of stress and the ability to let go of negative emotions.
