“I know I need to work on fundamentals… but they’re boring…”
Carmel High School Drumline 2020
Walk into any successful music program and you will find the same thing… the performers buy into fundamentals. In fact… they hype them. I find that getting students to buy into fundamentals early is the key.
My former teacher Michael McIntosh used to give us challenges. He would have us practice a triplet roll at 120bpm for an entire TV show. “Work Accent-Tap off the left hand while you scroll the internet off the right hand.”
Carmel High School Front Ensemble 2020
At that point I started creating my own methods of livening up “boring” practice sessions. I would put on cds and make up my own exercises to go along with the music I was listening to. I would drum through an entire album cover to cover… at the end my hands felt amazing!
Now that I teach for a living I have taken those principles and adapted them for my students. How can I make the boring fundamentals more fun while still accomplishing everything they need. The solution… Playlists.
Here are a few examples of how I’ve been using the playlist with my students. You can download these exercises here on my Patreon.
Accent Tap - Natural Geen by Blazo
Dynamic 8’s - The Night by Two Another
Shady Tree (Double Stroke Builder) - Ultimatum by Disclosure
Paradiddle Builder - Tony Mitraglia - Anomalie Remix
Triplet Rolls - Impression of You - Giraffage
Marching Basics - Let’s Go - VIP Antiserum
Below you will find both Spotify and Youtube Playlists.
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