Reading on your own

[mcraeh]

Just wondering what any of you think about learning to read music on your own. I have taken a few lessons and got a pretty good idea how to read the basics. Have any of you taken the next step yourself? If so, what did you do and what did you study?

[S.P]

Definetely take the next step!

Personally i first started using Modern Reading Texts in 4/4 by louie bellson and then i bought syncopation by ted reed...i also own new breed 1&2 but i suggest going through the other 2 first as new breed gets really hard really fast

Also besides just reading the line on the snare u could make up ur own ostinatoes and play over them. For e.g play jazz ostinato and play all the figures iwth ur foot...or hand..or alternating foot and hand

Or you could play 16ths on the snare and then for every figure you accent that note on a tom...this can help with your reading, technique and facility around the kit!

Anyway hope that helped

[XNavyDrummer]

Transcribing is also a good way to gain confidence in reading music. Transcribe your favorite grooves and fills from CDs and transcribe your own playing. Next, take a pattern that you enjoy playing and create several different ways to write it.

Good luck!

[Klemme]

Originally posted by Andy Vermiglio:
Transcribing is also a good way to gain confidence in reading music. Transcribe your favorite grooves and fills from CDs and transcribe your own playing. Next, take a pattern that you enjoy playing and create several different ways to write it.

Good luck!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That post is one of the most important posts, written on HOD for a long time.

Compensating that post i must say, that learning alot of frequent reading parts individually is a good way. giving an example; My teacher noticed I had difficulties reading dotted notes, and he therefor gave me exercises with dotted notes. like. Let everything start on one. keep a steady back-beat on 2 and 4. and drive the dotted notes on the bass drum. Start out with a quarter note bass trum dotting. Learn all possible ways of dotting quarter notes in a bar. go on to 8th notes. and so and so. After that. i had no problems reading dotted notes, because they were SO integrated in my playing.

Some individual exercises, improve your reading skills while you're not reading at all. And that's why it's important having a teacher all the way.

Not only will he teach you how to read quicker, but he will also teach you how to teach others into read - and that is a major thing if you're planning on becomming a professional drummer.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ July 17, 2005 04:45 PM: Message edited by: Klemme ]</font>