Private Lessons – Drum Set Syllabus

Attendance You are required to attend your lesson each week. Illness verified by a doctor’s note or a death in the family are the only real reasons to miss a lesson. I am not inflexible on this subject, but for your well being as a musician, I hope that you are. Obviously, school tours, performances, etc. are excused, but you must let me know of these well in advance so that we can schedule the appropriate make-up time. I will let you know of any days that I must miss also.

Expectations I expect that you will be prepared for your lesson each week. We will start the semester by creating a personalized curriculum for you, and then, I expect you to stay on schedule. Obviously, we may change certain details of your curriculum during the course of the semester, but you should always know what you are to prepare a few weeks in advance. Falling short of these goals will prevent you from realizing your full potential.

Percussion Ensemble All major level Drum Set students are expected to participate in Percussion Ensemble. The ensemble allows you a practical application of the skills you will learn in your lessons.

Required Books All students must obtain the books used in your lessons. These are listed below in the barriers. These books provide a basic educational foundation for percussion education.

Grades will be based on the grade for each lesson. Missed lessons due to unexcused absences will be counted as “F’s”. You will be responsible to pass a barrier at the end of the semester. If you fail your barrier, the highest grade you can receive is a “C”.

Reach Me At:

ROBERT BRIDGE

498-2208 at OCC

bridger@sunyocc.edu

Suggested Books

Barrier Materials

Sticking Patterns – Gary Chaffee

Musical Studies for the Intermediate Snare Drummer - Garwood Whaley

Syncopation – Ted Reed

Eighth Note Rock – Glenn Ceglia

Drum Set Reading – Ron Fink

Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer – Jim Chapin

Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian Rhythms for the Drumset – Drummers Collective

The New Breed – Gary Chester

The Ultimate Drumset Reading Anthology – Steve Houghton

The Art of Bop Drumming – John Riley

Rhythmic Illusions – Gavin Harrison

Beyond Bop Drumming – John Riley

Future Sounds – David Garibaldi

Also Recommended:

John Wooten—The Drummer’s Rudimental Reference Book

George Stone—Stick Control

Drum Set Barriers

The barrier system is designed as an effort towards a complete and well-rounded percussion education. While your interests may allow you to work in areas outside of the barrier material, the barriers will ensure that you cover those materials that are the foundation of good percussion pedagogy. The barriers correlate with specific semesters in your course of study. You may work ahead of the barriers; but you may not fall behind. Failing the barrier exam will result in a lesson grade no higher than “c”.

Barrier exam

The exam will take place near the end of each semester when you finish the materials required in week nine of your current level. You will be required to read any, or all, of the assigned material for that semester’s barrier.

107 Level Barriers

Sticking Patterns – Gary Chaffee

Musical Studies for the Intermediate Snare Drummer - Garwood Whaley

Syncopation – Ted Reed

Eighth Note Rock – Glenn Ceglia

Week	Chaffee pages	Whaley pages	Reed pages	Ceglia as written
1	4-5	3-6	4-7	1-8
2	6-9	7-9	8-11	9-16
3	10-13	10-12	12-13	17-20
4	14-16	13-15	14-17	21-26
5	17-18	16-17	18-19	27-32
6	19-20	18-20	20-23	33-35
7	21-22	21-24	24-25	36-41
8	23	25-28	26-27	42-45
9	24-25	29-32	28-29	46-48

Jury Piece

Rudiments to NYSSMA Level 4 requirements

108 Level Barriers

Sticking Patterns – Gary Chaffee

Drum Set Reading – Ron Fink

Syncopation – Ted Reed

Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer – Jim Chapin

Eighth Note Rock – Glenn Ceglia (with HH Variations 1, 3,4 & 5; and HH Variations 1 & 2)

Week	Chaffee pages	Fink pages	Reed pages	Chapin	Ceglia Variations
1	22	3-6	30-31		1-8
2	23	7-8	32		9-16
3	24-25	9-11	33-35	4-7	17-20
4	26	12-14	36	7-8	21-26
5	27	15	37	9-10	27-32
6	28-29	16	38	11-14	33-35
7	30	17	39	14-15	36-41
8	31-32	18-19	40	16-17	42-45
9	32-33	20-21	41	18-20	46-48

Jury Piece

Rudiments to NYSSMA Level 5 requirements

Level 1

Sticking Patterns – Gary Chaffee

Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian Rhythms for the Drumset – Drummers Collective

Drum Set Reading – Ron Fink

Syncopation – Ted Reed

Reed Exercises – play with the listed page

Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer – Jim Chapin

Week	Chaffee pages	ACBRD pages	Fink pages	Reed Exercises	Chapin
1	4-17	8-11	1-14	38	11-20
2	17-22	12-13	15-16	38	21-24
3	23-25	14-17	17	39	25-31
4	26-30	18-20	18-19	39	34-37
5	31-33	21-23	20-21	39	38-40
6	34-37	25-27	22-24	38	41-43
7	38-39	27-28	25-28	38	44-46
8	40-41	29	28-32	38	47-49
9	42-43	Style Quiz 8-29	33-36	38	50-51

Jury Piece—Performance of one approved swing tune with live accompaniment

40 PAS Rudiments

Level 2

Sticking Patterns – Gary Chaffee

Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian Rhythms for the Drumset – Drummers Collective

Drum Set Reading – Ron Fink

Syncopation – Ted Reed

Reed Exercises – play with the listed page

The New Breed – Gary Chester (Melody IA – IIB)

Week	Chaffee pages	ACBRD pages	Fink pages	Reed Exercises	Chester Systems
1	44-46	30-31	37-42	40	1
2	47-49	33-35	43-45	40	2-3
3	50-52	36-41	46-47	41	4-5
4	53-56	42-45	47-49	41	6-7
5	57-59	46-49	50-54	41	8-9
6	60-62	50-55	55-58	40	10-11
7	63-65	56-58	59-63	40	12-15
8	66-68	59-61	64-71	41	16-19
9	69-70	Style Quiz 30-61	72-78	41	20-21

Jury Piece—Swing and Cha-cha-chá

Level 3

Sticking Patterns – Gary Chaffee

The Ultimate Drumset Reading Anthology – Steve Houghton

The Art of Bop Drumming – John Riley

Syncopation – Ted Reed

Reed Exercises – play with the listed page

The New Breed – Gary Chester (Melody IIIA – IVB)

Week	Chaffee pages	Houghton	Riley Pages	Reed Exercises	Chester Systems
1	71-73	3-15	5-19	42	1
2	74-76	16-17	20-24	42	2-3
3	77-79	18-21	25-29	43	4-5
4	80-82	22-26	30-39	43	6-7
5	83-85	27-29	40-46	43	8-9
6	86-88	30-36	47-49	42	10-11
7	89-93	37-41	50-54	42	12-15
8	94-100	42-44	55-61	43	16-19
9	101-105		62-77	43	20-21

Jury Piece—Up-Tempo and Brazilian Style

Level 4

Snare Drum

Continue Audition Preparation

Rhythmic Illusions – Gavin Harrison

The Ultimate Drumset Reading Anthology – Steve Houghton

Beyond Bop Drumming – John Riley

Future Sounds – David Garibaldi

Week	Harrison pages	Houghton pages	Riley pages	Garibaldi
1	4-11	45-47	5-9; 22-24	4-8
2	12-15	48-50	10-11; 25-26	9
3	16-18	51-55	12-15; 27-30	10-11
4	19-20	56-58	16-17; 32-33	12-13
5	21-24	59-63	18-21; 34-37	14-17
6	25-27	64-66	38-41; 46-47	18-22
7	28-29	67-69	42-43; 48-49	23-24
8	30-34	70-71	50-55	25
9	35-41	72	56-59	26-27

Jury Piece - Transcription

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