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Drumming Mixtape

Mary Claxton

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WELCOME

Please grab a pair of drumsticks and a bucket!

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Most of the information you will need will be WRITTEN, so sit somewhere where you can easily see! Let me or a session assistant know if you need any accommodations.

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Now Playing 🎧

“Don’t Start Now”

by Dua Lipa

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About This Session

  • We won’t stop to talk until the end, but you can raise your hand and I’ll come answer questions for you.
  • Each song will have a different concept to work on, but you are encouraged to use your ears, improvise, and have fun!
  • Please rotate through the drum set – nobody should play on the kit more than 1 song total during the session. Create space, even if nobody is actively waiting to go next.
  • Be mindful of your volume so we can all hear ourselves and the recordings.

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About Me

  • My name is Mary Claxton.
  • I am the Associate Director of Teaching & Learning for Music Will.
  • I am also a gigging drummer and I am SO HAPPY to play drums with you today!

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WARM-UP

Choose Your Level

  1. Hands only
  2. Bass drum and snare drum
  3. Full Backbeat
  4. Add Bass Drum comping

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Now Playing 🎧

“Put Your Records On”

By Corrine Bailey Rae

Chorus Lyrics

Girl, put your records on

Tell me your favorite songďż˝ You go ahead let your hair downďż˝ Sapphire and faded jeansďż˝ I hope you get your dreamsďż˝ Just go ahead, let your hair downďż˝ You're gonna find yourself

Somewhere, somehow

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Concept: Bass Drum Development

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Now Playing 🎧

“Under Pressure”

by Queen

Let’s do the same thing but add

the snare drum back in!

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Concept: Bass Drum Development

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Now Playing 🎧

“Zombie”

by The Cranberries

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Concept: Bass Drum Development

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Now Playing 🎧

“Bad Blood”

by Taylor Swift

ft. Kendrick Lamar

Now, it’s time to take these skills/ideas and improvise.

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Listen to the track to get ideas that their drummer/producer

used and then try your own ideas!

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Concept: Snare Drum Development

We’re going to use a technique called a cross-stick.

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To play a cross-stick, place the tip/bead of the stick on the head and then click the end of the stick on the rim.

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Now Playing 🎧

“Fast Car”

by Luke Combs

(Tracy Chapman cover)

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Concept: Snare Drum Development

Now let’s use a song with a slightly more complex bass drum pattern. Listen carefully to the song. The beat changes occasionally – see if you can match it.

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Reflection: what’s one thing that makes you you?

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Now Playing 🎧

“I Got To Be Myself”

by The Staples Singers

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Concept: Snare Drum Development

Now we’re going to use a technique called a flam.

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A flam is when your two sticks hit the drum at almost the same

time. In this GIF, you can see how the drummer raises one stick

up higher then drops them down – low stick first, then higher.

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For this practice, you can alternate (like the GIF) or use the same

stick up high throughout.

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Now Playing 🎧

“SNAP”

by Rosa Linn

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Concept: Snare Drum Development

Let’s play some different sticking combinations along with the beat!

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Now Playing 🎧

“Sound and Vision”

by David Bowie

You are playing rudiments!

These are the building blocks of drumming.

Singles

Doubles

Paradiddles

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Concept: Rudiments in Practice

This song heavily incorporates this rhythm:

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How can we use singles and doubles to play it in different ways?

Try different combinations and see which one you like best for this song!

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Now Playing 🎧

“Sofia” by Clairo

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*Teaching Tip: Start sequences with both Right Hand and Left Hand to support

all students and build everybody’s ambidexterity.

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Concept: Rudiments in Practice

Pick a part and figure out what sticking works best for you. Feel free to switch rhythms or make your own!

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Now Playing 🎧

“The Great Curve” by

Angelique Kidjo

(Talking Heads cover)

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Concept: Movement

  1. Time to STRETCH! Move around the room and high five your fellow drummers.
  2. STOP: Find a partner (or trio) and make up a secret handshake)

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Now Playing 🎧

“Good Day”

by Nappy Roots

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Reminders

  • Each song will have a different concept to work on, but you are encouraged to use your ears, improvise, and have fun!
  • Please rotate through the drum sets – nobody should play on the kit more than 2-3 songs total during the session. Create space, even if nobody is actively waiting to go next.
  • Be mindful of your volume so we can all hear ourselves and the recordings.

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Concept: Affirmations

Did you know that Snoop Dogg has a kids web series called “Doggyland?”

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Now you know! Let’s listen and REPEAT AFTER SNOOP!

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Now Playing 🎧

“Affirmations” by

Snoop Dogg &

Doggyland

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Concept: I’m Mindful of My Body

  1. Start by taking two deep breaths together
  2. Let’s play a backbeat:

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  • As you play, check in with different parts of your body. Can you relax your:
    1. Forehead and jaw?
    2. Neck and shoulders?
    3. Stomach and buns?
    4. Legs and feet?
    5. Where else might you be holding tension?

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Now Playing 🎧

“Lovely Day”

by Bill Withers

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Concept: Triple Meter

We’re going to sway! You can do this standing or sitting.

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Now count and tap with me.

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Let’s try this triple meter “backbeat.” Again, choose a level that works for you.

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Now Playing 🎧

“Glue Song”

by beabadoobee

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Concept: Triple Meter

Now we’ve got it! Let’s keep practicing.

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You can keep the same pattern we used before or try adding

the bass drum pattern below:

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Now Playing 🎧

“Until I Found You”

by Steven Sanchez

ft. Em Beihold

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Concept: Triple Meter

This song is in the same meter, but it doesn’t have drums

throughout. Can we continue to feel the pulse and play this beat?

If we played a song like this, we could choose to add this drumbeat or opt for auxiliary percussion or no drumming at all.

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Now Playing 🎧

“Golden Hour”

by JVKE

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Concept: Polyrhythms

Let’s try playing some different patterns over this song!

Some of these are polyrhythms, or overlapping patterns that

imply different meters simultaneously.

Tap them on your leg to start, then we’ll use our sticks.

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Now Playing 🎧

“Everybody Wants to

Rule the World”

by Tears for Fears

Pulse

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Polyrhythm #1

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Polyrhythm #2

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Concept: Groove w/ 16th notes

We’re adding in some subdivision to our right hand!

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Feel free to comp other bass drum patterns if you need a challenge.

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Now Playing 🎧

“Soul Food y Adobo”

by Princess Nokia

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Concept: Groove w/ Clave

Clave refers to a rhythm and an instrument!

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This song uses a son clave pattern (in double-time).

Let’s play it together using our drumsticks.

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Now Playing 🎧

“ALREADY”

by Beyoncé

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Concept: Groove w/ Clave

The clave typically has a group of 3 and a group of 2

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Now Playing 🎧

“Calm Down”

by Rema

ft. Selena

Gomez

For this song, we just repeat the “three side”

Start by using your sticks, then play with your feet. Try combining hands in feet in different combinations!

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Concept: Groove w/ Latin Rhythms

This song uses aspects of Cuban, Spanish, and Brazilian

music! Start with the hands and see if you can add the

bass drum pulse.

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Now Playing 🎧

“Don’t Go Yet”

by Camila Cabello

The 3-2 son clave works over this song as well!

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Concept: Improvise w/ Rhythms

1. Start by listening to the song and choosing a repeated rhythm that you hear OR something that complements what you hear.

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2. Go around the room and play your patterns! Each person will play their pattern twice, then we will all join in twice.

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Now Playing 🎧

“Merengue”

by Marshmello &

Manuel Turizo

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Concept: Groove w/ Backbeat

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Back to the backbeat!

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Pro Tip: If you want to play faster, play lighter and move less.

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Now, try this disco/club beat with off-beat hi-hats!

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Now Playing 🎧

“Hold Me Closer”

by Elton John &

Brittany Spears

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Concept: ”Sightreading”

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This song uses the backbeat in a trap style at two different speeds. Can you approximate the groove and follow along with the changes?

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Now Playing 🎧

“OMG”

by NewJeans

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Concept: Party!!

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Now Playing 🎧

“I Wanna Dance

With Somebody”

by Whitney Houston

Oh, I wanna dance with somebody!

I wanna feel the heat with somebody!

Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody!

With somebody who loves me

Options:

  • Play the beat
  • Play a complementary rhythm
  • Sing, dance, let loose!

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We Did It!

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Discussion:

  • What was easy, what was difficult?
  • How might we use these various concepts?
    • A full day – when you need a vocal break, when kids need to be active, when you’re reviewing drums, etc.
    • Segmented lessons by concept
    • Warm-up activities for everybody!
  • How would you “punch up” this lesson?
  • What are some of your or your students’ favorite songs to drum to?
  • Questions?

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mary.claxton@musicwill.org