Students
All Students | Info | Songs | Notes | Receipts | iCal Link
Ian & Jacob O'Keefe
Past Notes
November 25th, 2019
Ian started, and we went through Nothing Else Matters again - a big improvement with keeping in time. After going through it for a bit, we added some extras, such as the fill that has a "snare snare kick, kick kick, kick, kick snare, snare, snare snare snare snare crash" etc.
A good thing to do when practicing this week, is to try to hear the fills the drummer is doing, and to emulate them as best you can. Start by trying to 'say' them with your mouth (boom boomsnare boom, etc).
Then Jacob went next and we added a new song, by Maroon 5, Sugar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFe0G-38mYs
We just worked on getting the kick and snare in the right timing. We didn't add the high hat yet. There's a kick kick on the fourth repeat of the pattern that we took out of the song for tonight, but I suggested to him that he work on learning and executing that this week.
November 18th, 2019
Ian started, then Jacob.
With Ian we added a new song, "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica. It's in 6/8 time, and Ian struggled a bit with keeping it in time. The kick on beat six tended to be late, which would then slow him down for the next bar, then the next etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waBb-UM5m4g
If you can download a metronome to your phone and play along with it, that is a great aid to keeping in time.
Jacob then played through Bites the Dust first, using only kick, then adding snare, then finally hat. He did really well, keeping it in time quite well.
We then did Seven Nation Army, and he nailed it. :)
November 11th, 2019
Jacob is unwell this week.
November 4th, 2019
Ian went first, and we started with Another One Bites the Dust. He had it down pretty good! We decided to add another one by The Chainsmokers, called Closer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25ROFXjoaAU
It's got some new features we haven't addressed yet, specifically open and closed highhat, kick on an "and" as well as a marching snare thing happening a few times.
After Ian, Jacob was next and he played Bites the Dust again- he's still struggling with playing the beat on any time at all, but we dropped out instruments, just using kick, until he could get that on the beat, then adding snare, and finally hat. With that approach he was able to get much closer to the beat.
October 28th, 2019
Ian started first - we reviewed Seven Nation Army, and then added a new song by Queen: Another One BItes the Dust:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ZRpdJ5VcI
It has a kick on every beat, with a highhat on every beat, and the "in between" beats.
We did the same song for Jacob, but didn't have enough time to go through it - he should continue to work on that beat, and on the songs he's been learning so far.
October 21st, 2019
Jacob started tonight. He's having quite a bit of difficulty with playing the drums, and doesn't seem to have a good sense of rhythm as of yet. It might be a good thing to practice with him, and just reinforce the beat, and not speeding up or slowing down... keeping really even time with him while he plays through his songs.
Ian went for 10 minutes after Jacob, and is doing really well. Perhaps if you, Ian, were able to work with Jacob a bit on keeping time, it might help him to get more steady.
Please continue to provide feedback to me as to how I'm doing with Jacob. I don't want to be too hard on him, or too easy on him- if I need to change how I approach him, please let me know.
October 7th, 2019
Jacob started this week, and we simplified Back in Black by taking out the High Hat - he seems to be struggling a bit with keeping time - playing evenly, but he is improving.
He sometimes plays the snare with the wrong hand when not using the right hand for the high-hat, so that's something to watch.
When not having to worry about the highhat, and with me pointing at what drum is coming next, he was able to generally make his way through the song.
After that Ian played and we went through Back in Black first, then added Seven Nation Army.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3qy8H6-5WY
This might be a better song for Jacob to try first, since he's struggling with Back in Black.
Reminder: There are no lessons next week, since it's Thanksgiving.
September 30th, 2019
Ian started first, and we reviewed the eighth note beat, before trying our first song, Back in Black by ACDC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiq9HDUkNxg
This video is of a 5 year old boy playing, it's got a good view of what hes doing and it's a simplified version of the song.
If you don't get a kit, maybe help Jacob with playing on his knees or something - he seems to have a harder time than some kids in getting the beats. Let me know if I can do anything to be more encouraging, or if you have other ideas in helping him grasp this. I get the sense sometimes that he seems pretty frustrated, and I want to do whatever I can to encourage and help him.
September 23rd, 2019
Today Jacob took the whole lesson.
We reviewed the names of the instruments, and the quarter note beat.
We added a flam - when there are two very close sounding notes hit together. We did it on beat 4, and also going around all the toms with the kick, ending with a crash.
We played the quarternote beat on the ride cymbal as well, and transitioned back and forth between them every eight beats with a flam on 8 and a crash on 1.
We tried the disco beat, with hat and kick on quarters, and snare on 2 and 4. I think Jacob was getting pretty tired.
September 16th, 2019
Jacob took up a 25 minute lesson slot - we worked on playing the quarter note and eighth note "boom chuck" beats, introducing cymbal crashes on 1, and then later tom hits on 4.
I played along with the bass, to help him hear the "end product" of what the drum beats will sound like.
September 9th, 2019
Jacob started first and we learned the "boom chuck" drum beat. We did the names of the drums, hi hat, kick, snare, toms, floor tom, crash, ride.
Then Ian went to drums, we did the same beat, but added the eighth beat as well.
Web Development by CrookedBush.com • Login / Logout