FLEX Beginner Percussion : Starting to Read Music and Play Snare and Drumset

In this 8 week flexible schedule course students will learn the basic concepts of music and apply them to playing the drum set and snare drum. 

Class learners and communication: 
Class will have 1-6 learners. I will be available for questions everyday during class time. I will get back to students within 24 hours if they post a questions in the classroom or send via conversations. If a student asks a question over the weekend I will get back to them by Monday evening or as soon as possible. 

Class goals: 
Students will walk away from class with a clearer understanding of music notes and techniques. We will cover many basic notes and rests, different grooves, rudiments, and the basics of reading music. We will also be covering basic techniques for playing snare drum and drum set. 

Class structure:
Each week I will post a nearpod code where students can go to test their knowledge of what we learned. I will also post a powerpoint with the different notes we will be learning as well as an accompanying video of me explaining that week's concepts. I will be posting a worksheet as well for students to work on sight reading music and testing themselves on the concepts covered in class. 

Each week we will be covering a couple different concepts and I will post a video of me demonstrating and explaining these concepts. 

Students will also be given a link to Chrome Music lab. Each week we will have a music lab assignment where we create different rhythms and songs in music lab. At the end of class they will be fluent in the use of music lab and will be able to create their own music. 

Our overall project for the class will be to complete one solo each on snare drum. At the end of the class I will asks students to demonstrate their solos and post them in the classroom or via conversations to me: students are not required to do this but I would love to see their progress!


We will also be participating in a weekly scavenger hunt! We will use goose chase.com and we will all participate in the chase to find the correct notes! 

Students do not need a drumset or a snare drum for class. Using a pretend drum set or snare works just fine! You can use tupperware, pots and pans, or whatever you want to practice!

Week by Week Concepts: 

Week 1: Quarter notes, Quarter rests, half note and rest, Learning all about music through dynamics, tempo, and rhythm!, Proper playing technique

Week 2: 8th notes and rests, 16th notes, 16th rests, rolling, Crescendos and Decrescendos, Practice playing technique, parts of the drumset and snare

Week 3: Introduction to Rudiments: Triplets, Single/Double/Buzz rolls, Parradiddle, Basic drum set grooves

Week 4: Drum Set grooves Jazz, Rudiments: Flam, Flam a diddle, Review other rudiments, Pick your solo!

Week 5: Drum Fill on Drum set, Review all concepts

Week 6: Combining different types of notes and practicing sight reading

Week 7;; Dotted notes! This is a tough one so this whole week is devoted to this!

Week 8: REVIEW! Solo practice and presentation! Let's see what you have learned!