Recording and Videos

Exciting things in the works here at stickandstrum! This week I ordered some drum mics and other recording gear. By the end of the year I'm hoping to have some video lessons posted. I know a lot of people (myself included) are visual learners and sometimes it's just a lot easier to do something when you can see someone else do it. I'm looking forward to being able to post some warmups, guitar licks, strum patterns, drum fills, grooves, etc. Video lessons will serve two main purposes: reinforcing what I teach in lessons to current students and offering instruction and ideas to non-students. 

Video lessons are something that I have always wanted to be able to offer students. I know how frustrating it is to sit in a lesson and begin to grasp something and then completely forget it when you go home to work on it. This semester especially, I have noticed a few key areas where I think video lessons would really benefit students between lessons:

1. Strum Patterns: I have quite a few students learning chords and how to strum this semester. It's a lot easier to follow when there is someone guiding you along. It's an entirely different situation when you're at home alone looking at a sheet of paper and trying to figure out what to do!
   
2. Drum Warmups: There are a few warmups and ideas that I've talked about this semester that not all of my students have fully grasped yet. One of these is the Subdivision Warmup. This is another example where it's sometimes just easier to watch and play along.
3. Particular songs and exercises: There are plenty of random songs and exercises from the lesson books and elsewhere that I've been working on with students this semester. I'm really looking forward to being able to post videos of these songs to help students out between lessons. 
4. Chords: Simple videos playing through various basic chords so that you can see and hear them as you work through them at home.

If you aren't a current student, I think that there is still tremendous benefit to watching and learning from videos. Nothing replaces one-on-one instruction with a teacher that can guide and correct you, but the right videos can go a long way to lay a solid foundation. 

So, until I get some videos up here is a great drum site that I frequent and highly recommend!

Drummer Connection

I love this site. You will definitely be hearing more from me about Drummer Connection and Billy Ashbough. Billy has some great lessons ranging from beginner to advanced. He's a solid drummer (having played with everyone from *N Sync and Britney Spears to Tim Mcgraw and Gloria Esteban) and a great teacher. I've learned a lot from him and I highly recommend these videos. There are hundreds of videos ranging from drum rudiments, to fills, to setting up your set, to stick twirls. The site also features drumless tracks that you can play along to. Great site.