In this first additional set of lessons to accompany my Progressive Drumming Masterclass, I present nine advanced lessons, containing 43 new exercises. The ideas and techniques I guide you through in these lessons will challenge your understanding of grooves and fills, and help you take your drumming to the next level.
To get the full benefit of these lessons, you will want to have worked through the first Masterclass – so if you’re jumping in at this point, I highly recommend spending time with the Progressive Drumming Masterclass first.
Drum fill development – 3 lessons, 15 exercises
The first couple of lessons carry on from the Alternating Double Strokes lesson from the original Masterclass. In these new lessons, I present ways to use this alternating double stroke technique in a very musical way. Specifically, we’ll apply it as a drum fill to help you move efficiently and musically around the kit. In the second lesson, we will take these concepts much further across five advanced timing exercises.
I also present one of my favorite lessons that demonstrates my go-to method for developing flow – you’ll learn to play a selection of my preferred sticking patterns, and how to flow from one pattern into the next with a high level of control and musicality.
Grooves – 4 lessons, 19 exercises
The first lesson in this section covers one of my favorite grooves from TesseracT’s sone ‘Hollow’. It’s a fast-paced groove that requires a solid level of comfort with the 5/4 polyrhythm. and in this lesson, I’ll show you exactly how to get this groove down.
The second lesson focuses on ghost note patterns. Specifically, I cover a selection of the patterns I use the most within my playing and demonstrate how you can learn these.
The third lesson covers one of my favorite TesseracT grooves, and just so happens to be a perfect example of how you can use the 3/2 Polyrhythm musically within a groove.
The fourth lesson carries on from the nine-stroke lessons in the Progressive Drumming Masterclass – we’re going to realize this nine-count as a cool kick drum ostinato.
Quintuplets – two lessons, 9 exercises
In the Progressive Drumming Masterclass, we learned about five-stroke rolls and how to use them both as drum fills and within the context of a groove. Now, I’d like to introduce you to quintuplets – another awesome way of incorporating fives within your drumming. The ideas presented in the second lesson are quite advanced but they absolutely demonstrate where you can take this type of idea.
