Applying drum rudiments in the context of genre

Drum rudiments are those beat groupings and phrases underlaying particular drumbeats that are associated with a certain drumming style or tradition. Essentially, rudiments are building-blocks of drumming styles which, over time, have been standardized and institutionalized by experts or have been constantly practiced and played by musicians.

Creating standard rudiments

Drumming was not always organized as we know it today. According to Paul Schmidt, "By the year 1918, professional drummers were taking drum rudiments seriously enough to argue about them". He further explained that it was within this period that drumming pundits and enthusiasts expedited efforts to improve the craft.

This move, Schmidt explains, was welcomed because, "drumming students felt content to take shortcuts and neglect rudiments," and as a result, "there was a wanton proliferation of below-par percussion sections, which handicapped the progress of bands and orchestras."

Creating good drummers

Schmidt outlines that as a result of this, there was a growing demand for better drummers everywhere.Thanks to the efforts of Sanford A. Miller, an expert of the day who was inspired into action, a comprehensive rudimental book called The Moeller Book was published. It started a natural response by other master drummers and instructors; music as we know it today is greatly indebted to this. Moeller's tutelage was instrumental in shaping Gene Krupa's illustrious career along with Jim Chapin, and others.

Drumming education and tuition

Nowadays, courtesy of the ready availability of drumming instruction via a plethora media comprising schools and colleges and regular drum lessons, there is a far larger and better pool of technically sound drummers to pull from.

Can't read drum charts?

Within my circle, I have found that many professional and gifted drummers never received formal training, yet they know how to play and manipulate rudiments masterfully. This is because they have listened to recordings and have taken wisdom from them. Plenty of them also have no clue how to interpret drum charts. These individuals however have developed all the other skills which are in demand e.g. smooth time, feel, proper placement of fills and the ability to improvise in a musically tasteful manner.

World music and drumming

If you should listen to recorded beats from several recognized genres of music around the world, and compare them to each other, they will absolutely be driven by different feels, grooves, and even time signatures. But thanks to the prevalence of standardized international rudiments, there is a strong level of coherence among them.

Savvy drummers may recognize that triplet rudiments are commonly played in jazz, and that its defining feature is the use of syncopation along with the triplet or sometimes eight-note ride beat. Another marker of style could be the common application of paradiddle rudiments to funk and rock drumming.

Reggae drumming

Personally, in my own study of reggae drumming, I realize that the phrasing of fills and drum parts bears a direct jazz influence. Note that reggae drummers use a lot of syncopated strokes along with rim-shots.

They also apply triplet, eight-note and drag rudiment concepts to fills. in terms of its feel, the beats and fills are most times laid-back in a swinging manner, in a way that they lock in with the bang and shuffle of the accompanying keyboard or organ. Another characteristic of reggae is the steadiness and metric simplicity of its hi-hat pattern, whether it be triplet, eight-note, accented quarter notes, 16th notes, or any mixture in-between.

The study of the rudiments which mostly characterize a particular genre is probably the best way in mastering or authentically reproducing beats and fills. Also quite a few genres utilize the various Latin clave patterns, or variations of each. I've recognized both the rumba and son clave rhythms in reggae applications. Learning these universal rudiments also helps in better understanding various drumming styles.

Rudiments used in different styles however may not directly mirror any standardized rudiments, but may be identified as being hybrid rudiments of a specific genre. I have also noticed that, in reggae songs over the years, these patterns are repeated in recordings like motifs, and may be short-lived or may be used on a continuum over the years as new drummers go into the recording industry.

For better drumming results, I would encourage any drummer to be very mindful of the various standard rudiments out there for your manipulation, and also the ones which are specific to your own genre of specialty which you must learn quite well.

Learn how to play the drums from DVD lessons

As many of us may realize, music education is not like what it once was - when to be a good music pupil or virtuoso of an instrument, you had to be somehow aligned to a usually old, in-demand, highly skilled, and sometimes expensive educator.

With the advent of DVD technology, which came on the scene in 1995 from the efforts of Phillips, Sony, Toshiba and Time Warner, the quality of and access to multimedia products from around the world has increased dramatically. This invention has certainly catalyzed communication, education, and other aspects of modern life, too numerous to mention.

Drum instruction

One other area which has experienced increased efficiency, is that of music instruction, specifically in the area of drumming. Drummers and luminaries concerned with every aspect of percussion have been published, some in books, some in DVDs and some in packages which include both a book and a corresponding DVD.

Drumming systems and methods

These DVDs are integral in spreading the interpretations and unique insights which an individual percussionist or drummer may have of one of the many established genres of drumming around the world.

This is also very convenient as students may purchase the material and benefit from expert instruction in the comfort of their own homes anywhere in the world. These DVDs are designed so that the learning experience is interactive and step by step in nature.

Quite a few drummers develop their own techniques and drumming systems, which are systematized ways they have come up with for teaching rhythmic and general musical concepts and skills to students around the world.

Modern Drummer Magazine and Modern Drummer Festival 

Accordingly, there are several establishments which promote, and are driven by this kind of business. One such organization is Modern Drummer, arguably the cream of the crop of drumming magazines around the world. It usually endorses different drum and percussion releases of top drummers from around the world.

Modern Drummer magazine also stages an annual festival, Modern Drummer Festival, which showcases the talent and musicianship of several hand-picked top drummers and percussionists from around the world who usually do solo and band performances. These are all available on DVDs.

Some drummers, however, produce DVD films which capture mostly their performance of their favourite tunes and rhythms, with also some cursory details about their own playing secrets and approaches.

Drum lessons in video

There is a wide cross-section of genres and aspects of percussion for which there is available DVD instruction. These may range from: snare drum methods, to djembe drums, piano methods, playing the xylophone, double-bass drum techniques, Latin clave techniques, Jazz drumming, reggae drumming, rock, pop, and R&B drumming just to name a few.

Peter Magadini, Jazz drummer

There are several publications that address drumset technique and drum rudiments which are readily available today. I have used several myself, for example, Peter Magadini's critically acclaimed Jazz Drums DVD. I've also used his books, Learn To Play The Drumset, volumes one and two.

They really gave me a high level of exposure to a mixture of the genres of drum kit rhythms that are out there, and are somewhat written from Peter's own rich Jazz and rock influence. As a result, they're ideal for beginner to intermediate level jazz and rock drummers; this is also true of the Jazz drums DVD.

I've also learned valuable, fundamental lessons and skills from Peter Magadini's book, Polyrhythms and the Drumset. This book has also gotten rave reviews from the drumming fraternity, and from individual drummers who have studied from it.

Aaron Spears, hip-hop, r&b, gospel, and gospel-funk drummer

I am currently using a DVD from a rising star in the drumming industry who has played for numerous top music acts, namely: Usher, Alecia Keys, James Brown and American Idol.The DVD is entitled "Beyond the Chops", DVD one. Aaron put it together to shed light on his unique playing style, mind-blowing drum licks and rolls, and his early gospel influences.

He also performs some of his favourite cover and original tunes, and gives an informative breakdown of the things he applies and conceives at each part of the songs.

Buy drum lesson DVDs online

The Modern Drummer catalog and other online sources such as Amazon, lists the plethora of such books and DVDs that are available to you as an eager drumset or percussion student. These are probably available even in your vicinity in a music store or drum shop near you.

There are also some sites that have hit middle-ground between ethics and copyright issues, which offer free downloads of such DVDs.