Drums Masterclass | Jazz Essentials and Double Bass Drum Technique

Are you interested in learning about jazz music but unsure where to start? Or are you keen to take your technical abilities at the drum kit to a new creative level? If so, this one day course is for you! We are offering students an in-depth workshop to develop a solid foundation for playing and understanding jazz music. This course is designed to help students understand the theory of jazz (context, structure and development of the genre) and leave with a full tool kit of basic grooves and foundational technical concepts to get up and running. This will allow you to confidently get started with playing in a jazz setting and have a new set of skills to approach other styles that you might already have experience with.

The topics covered during the course will include:

• Playing “swing” time
• Four way co-ordination with the ride cymbal
• Basic Jazz grooves for keeping time using Ride, Hi-hat, Toms and Brushes
• Technique, Feel, Dynamics, Speed and Timing
• Off beat phrasing for interaction and expression
• Using rudiments in a Jazz context
• Soloing and Improvisation. Jazz song forms and structure. Reading “Lead sheet” charts.
• Hybrid Jazz/“Latin” concepts and approaching odd time signatures.

This workshop will emphasise playing and understanding how to listen and create. While the context will be solely jazz music, the skills which you will learn are applicable across any genre of music – coordination, use of the whole kit, developing a wide vocabulary, improvising and soloing, emphasising creativity.

Ability level – intermediate technical and theory ability required (approx grade 3/4 and above).

1. 10-1130: Intro and detailing structure/brief summary of jazz eras and phases/development, who knows what, what do people want to get out of it, people’s favourite albums or drummers etc (15 min max). Ride cymbal feel (basic 1/4, adding the skip beat, reduced skip beat and inversions), Adding hh pedal 2 and 4 (also introduce idea of Tony Williams style playing and off beat comping usage for later in the afternoon). Feathered BD and again the comping idea introduction. Add snare drum 2 and 4 (ie big band feel), comping introduction for later. Cross stick 2 nd 4, 4 only, bongo idea w tom (2 inversions of this). Introduce “2 feel” and 2 bar feel giving space. HH grooves (classic open shut feel, closed, continuous slurred, “crash” application) with all the feathered/snare/cross stick options. Tom grooves eg Krupa etc (explain this in timeline of jazz eras and underline original snare drum marching feel from “swing”/ragtime era). Everyone plays all thru these sections and speed is tested. BOUNCE TECH FOR RIDE (go into tech for hands and feet to facilitate all, quick look at trad grip later). Emphasise space / “walk the dog” / straightening out at higher speeds. End session with listening examples if needed. Continue/recap quick at start of session 2 to warm back up
2. 15 min break
3. 1145-1: Comping w/ hands and feet. Don’t forget the long short bass drum and tom usage for phrases. Brush intro here if time, session 5 if not.
4. 1-2 lunch
5. 2-3.30: Brushes – constant sweep for ballads, 1/4s , regular jazz feel, mention sweeps and taps for rudimental application. Quickly cover trad grip unless previously done . odd time (3/4 5/4 only), “Latin” crossover basic intro concepts. Speed all ideas from earlier up. Play with some songs over speaker.
6. 15 min break
7. 3.45-5: Theory, forms, soloing/trading, comping to solos etc etc