Whether in cultures east or west, rhythm has and continues to play a primal (and vital) role in virtually any form of music evolved by humans. Drums have been used as percussive devices for purposes as diverse as rituals to call down rain in Africa, to lift the fighting morale of soldiers marching into battle in medieval Europe or to keep jazz ensembles in Swing-era New York on the ball.

The modern drumkit, so vital to holding up the rhythmic responsibilities in almost all forms of current music, actually evolved out of the compulsions of economics and space. Back in the early part of the twentieth century, it was standard practice for each drum in an orchestral setting to be played by a separate player. But with gradual innovation in design, it eventually became possible for one drummer to manage all rhythmic duties. In music played by modern bands across genres, the drums have come to form the backbone of the music... setting time and holding down the foundation over which other melodic elements can be structured. In addition to his musical duties, the task of the good drummer in today's popular styles ranges from giving the band a focal point during a live performance and driving the energy of the band with the sheer physicality of his instrument. And even though, the drumkit is primarily regarded as a keeper of rhythm, it is capable of unlimited tonal and rhythmic shading. Players like Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa) and Danny Carey (Tool) have experimented widely with diatonic and chromatically tuned kits, unveiling vast new frontiers for the modern drummer to explore.

Course Overview

Drum Concepts
Drum concepts covers all essential conceptual aspects of drumming, including styles, grooves and musical feel. You will also go through the drill of preparing for a show and practicing routines.Here we learn about the Components of a Drum Kit and a brief history of Drums and music. The students must understand the vital role rhythm plays in music. The students are also made aware of the different styles of music.Stick holding techniques and a few coordination exercises are taught. The students are expected to demonstrate the exercises given to them in the beginning of consecutive classes.

Drum Techniques
Drum techniques focuses on the mechanical and physical principles of hand and foot technique. You'll look at co-ordination, control, speed, endurance and mobility to develop effective self-expression on the kit. They are also advised on the ergonomics and posture for easy and healthy drumming. Once the basic beat is learnt they are all set to go ahead with the implementation and dynamics. The students will be taught a beat and its variations along with constant evaluation from the faculty to get an understanding of their interest, practice rate and proficiency.

Introduction to theory
Though playing by ear is a great talent to nurture, learning theory with notations is as important as learning to play the drums. It is an added advantage to know how to read music as it always puts a drummer at higher grounds than the rest. Here we introduce the students to just some basic music theory. All beats henceforth will first be taught to the student to play by ear and then by the notes. The concepts of pitch, beat, tempo and dynamics will be explained to the students in brief and then taken in detail at a later stage when they can play a few beats and understand the concepts in depth.

Rudiments of Drumming
Some of the most proficient drummers follow the style of rudimentary drumming. Learning rudiments brings in a lot of discipline in your drumming and also improves your technique to a great extent. Some of the most complicated grooves you hear is actually very simple to play using the rudiments and the sense of sound you choose for each stroke of the drums enhances the overall quality of the groove. There are 26 rudiments which has been extended to about 40 hybrid rudiments over the years which will be covered in a step by step process.

Dynamics and Accenting
Drumming is not just about playing loud. it is a rhythmic instrument and a backbone to music. Drumming should go hand-in-hand with all the accompanying instruments and the drummers always need to watch out for the mood swings in a song and the chords played by the string/wind/reed instruments in a song to determine how loud or soft should the beat be. There are times when the mood changes from hard to soft in a single song and sometimes in a single bar of a groove. Playing the drums at different levels of volumes (pianissimo - forte) by determining the mood of the song is called dynamics. Accents are a part of your dynamics where, for example, one note is played loudest among a bunch of soft notes to make the note stand out in a musical piece. Accenting and dynamics brings in extravagant colours to your music playing. You can change the feel, style, rhythm, etc, with just your accenting and dynamics and hence is an integral part of the course. You will also explore in detail the relationship between the drummer and the bass guitarist who form the core rhythm section for most music groups.

Flams
A flam is played when one note follows another within a very short interval. A flam accent is said to happen when an unaccented note is followed by an accented one within a very short interval of time. Flams add to the colour of the music when used at the right place. Playing flams may sound easy but playing them correctly is an art. Students will be introduced to flams and shown examples of different places of its use.

Contemporary Music Styles
Contemporary Music Styles will give you the low-down on the latest styles at the cutting edge of music. You'll look at what's required to play these styles authentically, and then at how to program them, as well as the use of MIDI systems and studio techniques.

Rhythm Section Skills
Explore in detail the relationship between the drummer and the bass guitarist. Drummers work on a stylistically varied repertoire of tunes, looking particularly at technique, time, groove and feel.

Latin Percussion
Develop your understanding of the principles of African, Cuban and Brazilian rhythms, and give you a sound grasp of hand percussion. You'll also apply what you learn to popular music.

General Musicianship
Introduce yourself to essential musical concepts, including key signatures, harmony, notation, melody, scales, chords and songwriting. This will enhance your ability to communicate about music and create it effectively.

Performance
Study famous artists who have dominated their craft for decades and learn through them how the drums can fit in to different situations as the backbone rhythmic instrument of the band. Also learn improvisation skills while jamming in a band with other students. Practice kits are available for you to perfect your skills at your own pace and develop the control and confidence required to go live on stage!!

Drums Level 1

• Why play Drums. Basic Attitude & Approach (physical/mental) to the set.

• Parts of the Drums. Parts of the Drumstick

• Demonstrates various styles & techniques of playing with the hands & feet. Foundation Exercises for Hands & Feet
• Includes a number of exercises to build up muscle memory, feel, to strengthen reflexes & to build mental & physical endurance.
• Includes Practice without & with a Metronome

• Includes the teaching & practice of todays' most popular & sought after beats for todays' music.
• Includes Practice without & with a Metronome

• Includes an introduction to playing rolls.
• Demonstrates various roll configurations.
• Includes Practice without & with a Metronome

• Includes a step-by-step procedure of learning how to listen to songs.
• Includes a step-by-step procedure of learning how to play along with songs.
• Includes a step-by-step procedure of learning how to play rolls in time with songs.
• Includes a step-by-step procedure of learning how to improvise to songs.
• Includes a step-by-step procedure of learning how to listen to all the musicians in a band & locking in.
• Includes Practice without & with a Metronome & eventually with songs.