Curriculum

The Curriculum

Section I. Introduction Material

1. Design, Purpose and Intent
2. Technique, Stick Grip and Pedal Control
3. Foot Position Diagrams
4. Hi-Hat Pedal Techniques
5. Steps to Learning Any Rhythm
6. Tips for Parents
7. The Drumset
8. Student Assignment Sheet
9. How To Read Dotted Notes
10. The Proper Care and Feeding of Your Drumkit
11. Drumkit Ergonomics – Setting up

Section II. Reference Materials

1. Learning All Possible 8th and 16th Notes
2. Reading Music
3. Triplet Combination Patterns
4. Rudiments (PAS adopted)

Section III. Warm-up and Exercises

1. Mirroring the hands
2. Forearm Slap
3. Wrist Trapping
4. Leg Pressure
5. Bouncing Stick Drop
6. Open-close Palm Coordination
7. Foot heel-toe tapping

Section IV. Curriculum

1. Beginner (no belt) Basics
   • 1.1 All 8th and 16th Note Rhythms
   • 1.2 All 8th Note Triplet Beats
   • 1.3 All 8th Note Triplet Rhythms
     • Rudiment: The Single-Stroke Roll
   • 1.4 All Shuffle Rhythms
   • 1.5 All 16th Note Beats
     • Rudiment: The Double-Stroke Roll
2. Beginner concepts (white belt) – Grooves and Exercises
   • 2.1 Swing Basics
     • Rudiment: The Flam
   • 2.2 6/8 Exercises
     • Rudiment: The Single-Stroke Triplet
     • Song: Blue Jeans Blues (ZZ Top) – OR –
     • Song: Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine)
   • 2.3 Rock and Funk Beats
     • Rudiment: Drag Triplet
     • Song: Sweet Home Alabama (Lynard Skynard)
   • 2. 4 Alternating 16ths and Alternate Sticking
     • Rudiment: Understanding Stoke Rolls – 5,7,9,10
     • Song: Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton) – OR –
     • Song: Legs (ZZ Top)
   • 2. 5 Open Hi-Hat Reading Exercises
     • Rudiment: The Swiss-Six & the 6-Stroke Roll
     • Song: Smoke On Water (Deep Purple)
   • 2.6 Triplet rhythm Reading Exercise
     • Song: The Sky is Crying (Stevie Ray Vaughn)
   • 2.7 Kick Drum Reading Exercise #1 (8^th notes)
     • Song: Pour Some Sugar On Me (Def Leppard)
   • 2.8 Beginner Snare Solos
3. Higher Beginner (yellow belt) – Fills, Swing and Funk
   • 3. 1 Paradiddle Fills
     • Rudiment: The Single Paradiddles
     • Rudiment: The Double Paradiddles
     • Song: Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)
   • 3.2 Paradiddle Fills – Advanced (no instructions)
   • 3.3 Inverted Paradiddle Grooves
     • Song: Fire (Jimmy Hendrix) – just the first verse/chorus
   • 3.4 Swing Exercises
   • 3.5 Hi-Hat Up-Beat Exercises
     • Song: American Idiot (Green Day)
   • 3.6 Funk Exercises
   • 3.7 Funk Grooves
     • Song: Play That Funky Music Whiteboy (Wildcherry)
4. Intermediate (orange belt) – Getting More Complex
   • 4.1 Dotted Eights
     • Song: Bring Me To Life (Evanescence)
   • 4.2 Odd Meter Rhythms
     • Rudiment: Flam Accent & Swiss Army Triplet
   • 4.3 Odd Meter Exercises
     • Song: Schism (Tool) – beginning instrumental & verse
   • 4.4 Linear Exercises
     • Rudiment: Flam Tap and Inverted Flam Tap
   • 4.5 Triples, Quads, Quints
     • Rudiment: The Drag
     • Song: La Grange (ZZ Top)
   • 4.6(a) Music Styles 1
     4.6(b) Music Styles 2 – Latin
   • 4.7 Kick Drum Reading Exercise #2 (16^th Notes)
5. Higher Intermediate (green belt) – expanding your drumming
   • 5.1 Linear Fills and Rhythms
     • Song: Losing It (Rush)
     • Rudiment: Buzz Roll
   • 5.2 Latin Rhythms – Level 1
     • Rudiment: Flam Drag
   • 5.3 Latin Rhythms – Level 2
     • Rudiment: Single & Double Drag Tap
   • 5.4 Latin Rhythms – Level 3
     • Song: Roll The Bones (Rush)
     • Rudiment: Single Dragadiddle

Section V. Addendum: Top Drummers of the Day