Grade Two Rock School Lesson

Okay, so for you, Grade Two Rock School,

It's a cool piece. It's an RB tune with a bit of hip hop and house influence, which is really, really cool. As with all electronic-influenced genres, it's crucial to be steady and consistent.

Key Points to Note

• Bass Drum Technique
  The first thing I would immediately note is that there's a point in this tune where the bass drum transitions from playing on beat one and a couple of accents on three or three and to playing all four quarter notes throughout the bar.

  • At that point, you're really kicking the groove up a notch.
  • It's essential to be steady. Try not to speed up, just really sit on that groove, and it will all sound great.

• Simplicity in Performance
  This piece is a fantastic illustration of how good things can sound when you play something simple really well.

  • Whenever I play any music in a club or dance hall, and I start playing just four beats on the bass drum, you can immediately see people moving.
  • You need to be really, really consistent with it. The bass drum is the most important part of that groove.

• Staying Consistent
  When you move to the ride, again, stay really consistent. Remember that the drumming on an RB or hip-hop track may well be programmed; it may not even be real drums.

  • They'll be programming the same sound over and over again.
  • You want that groove to flow smoothly, rather than sounding like a rock piece.

Additional Tips

• Crash Cymbals
  When you hit the crash cymbals on all four beats, you do that twice in the whole piece.

  • Be really thoughtful about how you hit them, be loose and try to get a full sound from it.
  • You want volume behind it, and all at the same volume as well, as this is really important.

• Open Hi-Hats
  The open hi-hats need to be sizzling.

  • Aim for a really clean sound coming off on beat one; this will elevate your groove to a professional level.

Reminder

There's no reason why I couldn't go out and play any of this stuff at a gig and have people dancing. It would really work. Other than that, just be solid!

• Practice with a metronome.
• Listen to your teacher.

I'll see you soon! I hope you enjoy it.