PREFACE

Throughout the last 30 years or so, there has been a definite increase in the availability of books designed to further a drummer's technical facility and musical development. And with the addition of instructional videos and DVD's, there is even more information available. It seems to me that there are many more important things that drummer's and percussionists need to develop to enter the professional field than other instrumentalists. Drummers need to develop:

• good hand and eye coordination
• finger, wrist and arm strength as well as foot and leg control (which includes independence of all four limbs
• ambidextrous control
• a command of all the major styles
• brush technique
• posture
• the ability to keep good meter
• the development of personal style;
• the ability to feel comfortable and relaxed at the instrument
• the development of a good ear, and
• proficient reading abilities.

Simply, drummers just have to make the music feel good. Not only from their point-of-view, but from the other musicians' point of view and even the listener's point of view. Obviously many of the things mentioned above are directly applicable to other instrumentalists; however, some of them are truly unique to the drummer, i.e., the ability to use all four limbs simultaneously.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that long hours and a lot of hard work doesn't exist in mastering other instruments. It takes many years to develop technical facility on any instrument. I'm just saying that drummers and percussionists in general need to develop completely different techniques than other instrumentalists do. One reason might be the fact that most percussion instruments including the drumset and hand percussion are not generally considered melodic instruments (excluding of course, piano, mallet percussion and timpani). Even though the drumset is not considered a melodic instrument, I stongly suggest that drummers develop and ear for melody and harmony because I believe that it will help in the overall command of the instrument and other instruments as well.

I consider books like:

• Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone
• Accents and Rebounds, Ibid
• Master Studies by Joe Morello
• Syncopation by Ted Reed
• The New Breed books by Gary Chester
• Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer by Jim Chapin

To be timeless drum books-they will never be outdated. There are literally an infinite number of ideas and techniques that can be learned and developed from these books. I personally believe that drummers will use them forever -- that are what makes them timeless, will use them. Furthermore I also believe that these books and many others for that matter are extremely important to the drumming community: past, present and future Period. Every drummer should own at least one copy of each and should use them in their daily practice routine.

One of the things I notice as an educator that disturbs me is that when a student finishes a certain book and then all but throws it away, never to pick it up again. They may not realize that books, in general, have so much more to offer than what is actually written on the pages. It is extremely important for students to use their imagination and start developing their own concepts and techniques to help proficiency and progress. Always try to get as much out of a book as possible. Turn it upside down, play it backwards, reverse stickings, change accents, and use different books in conjunction with each other, etc. This is how originality is learned. Use anything to stimulate imagination and that, in turn, will improve creativity and originality.

I believe Progressive Coordination Studies will help the development of all the aforementioned ideas and techniques. This book was not designed as a book full of "hip" grooves or fills. It was designed as a workbook made up of systems and patterns that will improve proficiency at developing coordination, independence, movement and musicality on the drumset. It will help you to place accents wherever you might hear them, thereby improving your sense of rhythm and in turn your ability to groove and play musically. It will also help you to play whatever you might here in a given musical situation and help you to play "tightly" or "loosely" depending on what that situation is. Your playing will generally become more "polished."

Although I mentioned that this book is made up of "patterns" and "systems", by no means play the exercises mechanically as the term may apply. You should always think musically and make each pattern groove in it's own way. The exercises can be played from hand-to-hand, starting with either the right or left hand. They can be played using all rights or all lefts and can also be played linearly. To begin with, I suggest that the bass drum, hi-hat, cymbal and snare drum always be played simultaneously at first. Playing the patterns in this manner will force you to concentrate on the timing of certain strokes and in turn will help to improve your overall consistency of rhythm and meter. Later you can try playing them slightly ahead or behind the beat allowing the patterns to breathe more musically.

And lastly, with any method book, I firmly suggest the use of a metronome and dynamics in the development of these exercises.

ENJOY!

Back