In 2002 gordy knudtson created the first instructional video and books showing it could be used in both hands at the same time to create a new genre of single stroke rolls. What makes stick technique so unique, and is it for meb a. Apr 16, 2014 for me the best book for learning how to play a drum set for the first time was 5 second drums in 3 moves. In 2002 gordy created and published the first books and instructional videos on his openclose technique. Jun 15, 2017 this technique allows the full range and balance of the instrument to develop and it captures the room sound. Accent miking is a technique used for solo passages when miking an ensemble. Alfreds drum method, book 1 is the ideal teaching tool to help prepare beginning players for all styles of snare drum and percussion performance. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. This is one of the best snare drum books out there and is suited to all players from beginner to advanced.
Our advanced courses are targeted for drummers who have a desire to be a professional and be seriously good on drums. By focusing on the openclose hihat patterns in these exercises, you can clean up otherwise sloppy sounding rock beats. The drumming system includes 20 training modules and is widely considered the ultimate encyclopedia of video drum lessons. Engineering acousticsmicrophone technique wikibooks, open.
I used a snare drum book when i was taking lessons. The moeller method, moeller technique or whipping technique is a percussive stroke method that combines a variety of techniques with the goal of improving hand speed, power, and control while offering the flexibility to add accented notes at will. Stick control for the snare drummer by george lawrence stone alfred this book was at the very top of the. Drum technique pt 7 openclose form exercise youtube. From the moment i discovered the idea that learning to read music would open up a world of drumming information and learning, i was hooked. Single stroke rolls and the openclose technique 80 pgs is an edited compilation of the best of gordy s original two open close technique books. It is also incorrect to call openclose moeller like like some people do. Setting up the snare drum the snare drum has metal wires called snares attached to the bottom head. Play the bass drum using the heel down technique, then using the heel up technique. Visit for skype lessons, and method books by gordy knudtson, drummer for the steve miller band. Drum set method books drum set steve weiss music page 3.
Reading drum notation for beginners school of rock. Go to for skype lessons, and method books by gordy knudtson, drummer for the steve miller band. It is quite common for snare and toms to have both top and bottom microphones, allowing you to capture not only the initial attack, but the fullbodied. Open, closed, open is a technique of playing snare drum rudiments, especially used during auditions or classical practice routines technique open, closed, open, also referred to as open to close to open, or slow, fast, slow, consists of beginning a drum rudiment very slow and controlled, speeding up evenly until at the maximum speed for the drummer, then slowing back down after. It will walk you through the basics, then show you how to synchronize the hands and combine the strokes to create a complete family of single stroke rolls paralleling double stroke rolls. Gaining independence between the feet is important to every level of player. A loose hihat technique is in between a closed and open technique. This is the last of the drum symbols that uses an x, and unlike the hihats or ride cymbal notation it is circled. Gordy, and his company gk music, pioneered the use of hearing protection sterio headphones fro drummers in the mid 90s. Advanced welcome to sg drum academy the academy for drum. The bass drum is played with the right foot on the bass drum pedal. Printed and digital snare drum and drumset instruction method books by gordy knudtson including the openclose technique drum method books. Load a drum rack onto a midi channel in ableton and add some hihat samples by dragging and dropping them onto the grid on the drum rack. Musical performances from this clinic are on another playlist at this.
Go to for skype lessons and method books by gordy knudtson, drummer for the steve miller band. Open close technique pushpull is an old technique viewed mostly as a novelty or trick, which allowed you to play a fast, continuous stream of notes from one hand. I personally use these books in my teaching, and have had good luck with them. We asked the members of the md education team to give us their five or so favorite drum books. One of the first pieces of equipment any musician acquires is typically some kind of instructional book. Drum lessons with todd bishop in portland, seattle, and online via skype. As a general overview, the book begins with descriptions of certain playing techniques, drum set up information and pearls of wisdom from the man himself. It rests in the stands cradle without being clamped down. Apply your technique to these patterns for a great result. The two cymbals are tightly pressed against each other by pressing down on the foot pedal to create a very tight, crisp sound. Before you learn how to play a rock beat you are assumed to know how to hold the drum stick and how to kick the bass drum. Essential technique for drumset book 1 is the most comprehensive drum set text available. This tends to add a live, open feeling to the recorded sound, but careful consideration needs to be given to the acoustic environment.
Based on concepts developed by teaching great jim chapin and fusion legend billy cobham, open handed playing not only outlines all the benefits of avoiding the crossing of hands when playing the drumset, but provides an incredibly detailed, complete and approachable method for learning this technique. Skype lessons, and method books by gordy knudtson, drummer for the steve miller band. High isolation headphones, video drum lessons, method. Written by worldrenown performer and clinician ed soph, this book provides an. Email, call, or text 5033809259 to schedule a free 30minute lesson to see if my approach is right for you. Not sure if they are still around but they were great. The drum school has a huge library of drum instruction books. I could actually play along with almost every song that was on the radio instantly. This is a great jazz drum book too as it incorporates many rudiments in the context of playing time. Here are probably my favorite and mostused drum books. Close miking the drums one of the biggest benefits that modern recording technology affords an engineer or producer is the ability to capture each drum from multiple angles and distances. Sep 30, 2018 hihat open close syncopation combination fillin drumset intermediate 4, 8, 16beat intermediate poly rhythm linear pattern 4 way independence moeller technique buzz roll one handed roll double bass drum rhythms rock funky slow rock shuffle halftime shuffle swing samba bossa nova clave songo reggae song score about song copy that thing.
With the palms turned perpendicular to the drumhead and the thumbs placed on top of the stick, the french, or timpani grip, brings the elbows in closer to the body and brings more of the fingers in contact with the stick, allowing for a more controlled, finessedriven stroke. Bass drum independence refers to the ability to play bass drum rhythms that are separate from the patterns performed by the rest of your limbs. Open, closed, open technique consists of beginning the rudiment very slow and controlled, speeding up evenly until at the maximum speed for the drummer, then slowing back down after maintaining that speed. He has authored many drum instruction method books including the first ones to be written and published about the open close technique. Go to for skype lessons, and method books by gordy knudtson, drummer for the steve miller. Gordy is known as the drummer for the steve miller band and as the head of the percussion department at mcnally smith college rip. Samuel potters book, the art of beating the drum from 1817 recommends that rudiments be played until perfectly close, but there is no mention of. Charles dowds a funky primer emphasizes the idea that keeping time is the most important function of any drummer. Open, closed, open is a technique of playing snare drum rudiments, especially used during. Single stroke rolls and the openclose technique 80 pgs is an edited compilation of the best of gordys original two openclose technique books. The left hand grip that moeller advocates is an open, loose grip. So be open to suggestions and seek a teacher to help guide you through the fundamentals. Rudimental drum books the following books are very helpful for the rudimental drummers library.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Single stroke rolls and the openclose technique by gordy knudtson is a method book for applying openclose technique to single stroke rolls for drums. Feb 21, 2019 part 4 of steve miller band drummer gordy knudtsons clinic for twin cities drum collective. Basic snare drum technique by thom hannum there are a number of effective methods for learning basic snare drum technique. For more rhythmic drum exercises, i recommend purchasing ted reeds book progressive steps to syncopation for the modern drummer. Bass drum exercise 2 play the pulse for 4 beats, then double pulse for 4 beats. The first book in agostinis series of drum set method books. Whether you are an experienced professional, or just starting, this book will serve as a major tool in learning everything from taking care of your instrument to playing your first. He can be seen here explaining the open close technique. Both methods are accent methods and multible stroke methods. Drum technique pt 5 open close technique tips youtube. So, first things first, learn the basic hand and foot techniques. Alfred drum method 1 by dave black and sandy feldstein joe bergamini. Remember your hands cant think, you must get the ideas by reading and studying.
Printed and digital snare drum and drumset instruction method books by gordy knudtson including the open close technique drum method books. It contains a complete and detailed reference of the most effective drumming grips and stroke types for your playing. Drum instruction method books by gordy knudtson gk music. Daniel bedard drums gordy knudtson open close technique. Pdxdrummer drum lessons with todd bishop in portland and. Well, anyone who wants to finetune their technique and coordination. Without proper technique you will have difficulty playing in time and your rock beats will sound sloppy. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Single stroke rolls and the openclose technique gk music. Push pull technique a lot of time and patience is needed to learn a technique like this and when you first start learning it it can be very tedious because your maximum speed using pushpull seems to be about a third of the speed you are able to go using basic techniques, but it all pays off in the end so anyway here are some of the things that i practiced to help me to. A signature groove of extreme metal drummer dirk verbeuren, ex. Stick technique is your ultimate book on drum technique.
Drum technique pt 5 open close technique tips duration. Here in sgda, we pride ourselves in having top class teachers such as brandon khoo, alfe kim, wei lung whom has the skills, experience and desire to bring you to such heights. This technique will be explained in a future lesson, but here is how it is indicated in drum notation. This book is often considered the most important source for developing independence, as it provides page after page of unique rhythms that can be applied to any limb on the drum set, and performed either swung or straight. Openclose technique by gordy knudtson stay safe and healthy. Open close technique by gordy knudtson stay safe and healthy. He has authored many drum instruction method books including the first ones to be written and published about the openclose technique. Jan 31, 2020 open, closed, open is a technique of playing snare drum rudiments, especially used during auditions. The exercises in the book focus on triplet exploration and 4 way coordination. I use dozens of books in my teaching practice, and i have written and edited many books as well.
Improving technique, and adding helpful and creative ideas. Some drummers play blastbeats openhanded, which means they dont. Much like the snare drum independence exercises, i recommend that beginners focus on just two voices on the drum set bass drum and hihat before adding the third snare drum. Adventist youth honors answer bookrecreationdrumming. The method involves not crossing the hands when playing the hihat or ridecymbal and snare drum simultaneously as opposed to. This bestselling book contains excellent sequential instruction covering rudimental studies, roll studies, contest solos, and bass drum and cymbal technique, as well as 23 solos suitable for recitals and contests. A closed hihat technique is the opposite of an open hihat. If you dont have any samples like this to hand there are plenty of free 909 drum sample libraries around, or failing that at least make sure you choose. Open handed drumming refers to a method of playing a drum kit.