...drum tips
Practice Sessions
There
always seems to be much confusion over what to practice, how much
to practice and how to divide your practice time. Here are some
tips to help you (and to help guide the parent).
First of all, students are given weekly assignments (the green
sheet). This sheet is placed in the front pocket of the
student’s binder. This will tell you what to have prepared
for the next lesson. If you are alternating weeks between snare
drum and drum set, then there will be two assignment sheets. In a
normal sequence, one week you will have a set lesson and then the
next week you will have a snare lesson. This is the pattern
unless you are told otherwise.
Make sure that you LOOK at your assignment sheets. There is no
excuse for not having lessons prepared. If I forget to write
something down, then it is my fault and you will not be
penalized.
Students should practice 5 - 6 days week (homework permitting).
If you are involved in other extra curricular activities, you
should ask for a copy of “Scheduling Practice”.
BEGINNING STUDENTS
With beginning students, especially the younger ones, I assign a
certain number or repetitions for an exercise or a page. When ALL
of the repetitions are completed, then the practice session is
over. This time is marked on the Practice Calendar and then the
day is signed by a parent.
It should take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to complete, just
the technical portion of the practice. When you add reading, then
the sessions should be longer. There is not such thing as a 5 or
10 minute practice session, even for a beginner.
Each practice session should start out with hand exercises that
are in the first section of the binder. At some point you will
have more than one page in that section. You only need to
practice one page of hand exercises each day. There should be the
page that you received at your first lesson and then some pages
that are called, Single Double Diddle. One page per day is
enough. Do a different page each day. If you want to do more than
one page, you are certainly encouraged to do so. Make sure that
you do the correct number of repetitions for each exercise.
After you have completed your hand exercises, you will practice
your reading assignment. Reading assignments are in the third
section of your binder. Make sure that you are learning the names
of the notes and the names of the rests and any other terms that
are on the pages. Practice the reading exercises the correct
amount of times.
When you are done with this, mark down your practice time on your
Practice Calendar and give it to a parent to sign.
Check your assignment sheet to make sure that you have practiced
everything.
BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE
Depending on the age of the student, the practice time will
increase. Your practice time will depend on the amount of work
that you have assigned. At this point you will be receiving
Rudimental assignments. These assignments will be placed in the
second section of your binder.
Your practice day will consist of Hand Exercises (section one),
Rudimental Assignment (section two) and Reading Assignment (if
you have one.)
If you are preparing a drum set lesson then you will still start
with Hand Exercises and Technique Exercises. You will then work
on your drum set assignment.
YOU ARE TO START EACH PRACTICE SESSION WITH HAND EXERCISES
AND TECHNIQUE EXERCISES REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE PREPARING A DRUM
SET LESSON OR A SNARE DRUM LESSON.
Your practice sessions, depending on your age, should be at least
30 - 45 minutes a day.
“Practice” session times that are marked on the
calendar are times that are spent on “assigned” work
only. Any extra “playing” time should not be included
on the calendar. It is possible that students play 2 or so hours
a day, but only part of that time is on assigned material. Only
the assigned material time is marked on the calendar. I do
encourage students to play after their assignments are done.
Playing along with CDs or the radio or just improvising is a
great way to learn and to develop one’s style.
Reviewing rudiments or reading assignments is a good idea also.
Music reading is cumulative and everything that you learn today
will be used in the future. You need to retain all that you have
learned and reviewing is a great way to do this. Reviewing
rudiments is a great way to improve on your speed and accuracy.
