Introduction In this blog post, I’m sharing the worksheet that I use when teaching my students how to play a mambo pattern on the drum kit. The mambo is a Cuban dance rhythm that’s typically played by a group of percussionists, each performing their own rhythm line on congas, bongos, timbales, cowbells, etc. To …
The Jazz Waltz The jazz waltz is a great feel to master, and someone who did just that was Max Roach. You can hear him play one on this Sonny Rollins classic, ‘Valse Hot‘, from the album Sonny Rollins plus 4 (1956). It’s written in 3/ 4, to indicate three beats in the bar, and counted as …
Merengue (ma-ren-gai) is the style of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. The music is often played very fast; however, the dance style is usually slower and more majestic. Learn how to play a Merengue drum beat below. Download PDF Let’s Merengue! The following Merengue patterns for drum kit are based on the kind of rhythm …
So, you’re interested in learning to play the drums, but unsure what equipment you’ll need? The following drum equipment guide is designed to help students/parents work out just that. Not everything on the list will be essential for everyone (you won’t need an amplifier if you get an acoustic drum kit), but it’s a good place …
For this blog entry I‘ve decided to try out the Glyn Johns method of recording a drum kit. In this case, my Sonor SQ2 kit with Zildjian Constantinople cymbals. It’s a great kit, so I can’t really blame the drums if it doesn’t sound good. I used two Shure KSM32 condenser mics to capture the …
