Length: 60 minutes
|
Coffeehouse Drumset DVD
How to Keep a Beat Without Using Your Feet
by Alan Dworsky
If you've ever played drums in a coffeehouse, you know that a regular drumset is too loud, it takes up too much room, it's a pain to carry back and forth, and it's a hassle to set up and tear down. What you need is something smaller, simpler, and quieter.
For years I've been experimenting with different set-ups, trying to find just the right combination of drums, cymbals, and sticks. The result is what I call my “coffeehouse” drumset, but I’ve also used it at worship services, jams, rehearsals, and once at a dance with an acoustic celtic band.
My coffeehouse drumset has four pieces: a stationary hi-hat, a crash cymbal which doubles as a ride, a muffled snare, and a muffled timbale which functions as a bass drum (a muffled floor tom can also work). The sticks I use are Cool Rods (made by ProMark) and they cut the volume of the kit in half. In this DVD, you’ll learn how to play full-sounding drumset grooves on this quiet, compact, portable kit.
As you can see from the picture, you play this kit with just your hands. This makes playing a lot easier if you're a beginner, because you don’t have to worry about the challenging task of coordinating your hands and feet.
The DVD is an hour long and covers 20 popular drumset grooves. I’ve grouped them together by style into four lessons: Pop and Funk 16ths, Rock Straight 8ths, Blues Shuffles, and Latin Grooves. I first explain each groove, then play it in slow-motion while I count out loud, and then play it up to tempo for about a minute.
Click any of the clips below to see a sample.
The DVD comes with a booklet containing printed charts of all 20 grooves.
|
|
|
