Lesson Menu #1

Lesson Menu #2

Lesson Menu #3

Lesson Menu #4

Downloads * Drummers Trivia * Drummers Chat Rooms * Rudiments * Digital Music * Knowledge Assessments * 400 ADDITIONAL linked Lessons * TD Archives * Drum Set Buyers Guide * Bass-Player Jokes * Assembling a Drum Set *
Parts of a Drum Set * About HSID * Video Troubleshooter

Bill Powelson's School of Drums

(Absolute Beginners thru Ultra Advanced)

Drum Lesson Menu #1

A priceless treasury of drum lessons, drumset tips, percussion techniques and drumming tricks. This website contains useful hints and secrets for students of all levels, from the moderately curious air-drummer to the advanced professional percussive artist.
It is easy! Simply choose your level of ability then progress to each of the higher levels one lesson at a time. It will take much more than one visit to do this for most folks. So make a bookmark of this 'Lesson Menu' page and return often.

MENUS:

LEVEL #1: Beginners

This level is for the absolute beginner or the mildly curious. It is a threshold to discovery and the seed from which your hidden talents will grow.

  • The Introductory Page My goal here is to convince everyone they should give drumming a try.
  • Drummers Aptitude Test: This page is a must for the curious. Prove that you can do it. Complete this page and discover that a career in drumming may be only five minutes away!
  • Reading Drum Notation Forget all your fears about reading music. You will be doing it comfortably in five minutes. This little bit of knowledge will get you through the more difficult lessons ahead.
  • Note Values, Rhythm Terminology and Symbols: This material is essential but somewhat boring and dry. You can move ahead without it! Do the best you can but don't let it kill your spirit.

    • LEVEL #2: Intermediate


    • The Basic Dance Beats: If you can't name and play these five basic dance beat categories from memory, please take this lesson. This is foundation knowledge and it is extremely important! After memorizing these patterns you will find yourself playing along with nearly every song on the radio. Use the 'Song List' to help get the feel of each beat.
    • 3/4 Waltz: This BASIC DANCE BEAT is so special that it deserves a page of its own. The modern rock scene has very much ignored this potentially volatile rhythm structure, even though it contains over five-quintillion variation possibilities. If you want to innovate a few decades of new music styles, take a hard look at this dance beat category as we discover many ways to make it explode with imagination and creativity.
    • The Worlds Cheapest Drumset:Do not buy a drumset until you are sure. Simulate a practice set instead, this inexpensive way.
    • How to buy a Drumset Tips on getting the most for your dollar when buying drums.
    • Tips on Tuning your Drumset: I contend that even the cheapest drums can be tuned to satisfaction. It is simply a matter of knowing what sound you want and how to get it.
    • Rudiments, Rolls and Fills (Part 1A): Boring rolls are not so boring when used as thundering fill patterns in mid-song. (Simplified for beginners!)
    • Rudiments, Rolls and Fills (Part 1B): SPICE UP YOUR FILLS! Learn to use a FULL PALETTE of rhythmic color, at all times. This complete assortment of NOTE-VALUE fills, once memorized, will add variety to your 'imagination tool-box' as you jam. Here, you'll improve your reading/writing skills AND your improvisational (or jamming) creativity at the same time.
    • Popular Rock Variations: These are the foundation rhythms that have continued to dominate rock music styles for the past thirty-five years. You should do more than just learn them. Memorize and play these patterns until they are a part of your soul.
    • Getting Your First Gig: Some of the most gifted drummers never graduate from the practice room. Maybe this lesson will offer insight enough to help guide you into the profession.
    • The complete Tempo Dispatch Archives: Updated monthly. Fifty or more 'newsletter' lessons.

    LEVEL #3: Advanced

    • Rock Syncopations: These patterns will put the 'fun' into 'funky'. You should have a solid feel for rock variations before attempting syncopations.
    • Rudiments, Rolls and Fills (Part 2): A little knowledge can take you a long way. Learn to extend and combine fills within a beat pattern or a song. This lesson, when mixed with a little imagination, will add polish to your style. Imagination is the key element!
    • Permutations: In this lesson we will discover a minimum of 4.297 billion beat variations that exist in eighth note 4/4 'rock'. The knowledge gained here will explode exponentially when applied to the upcoming 'Time Signature' lesson. This is fascinating and enlightening information!
      Within the margins of the next two lessons it is hoped by the author that you will experience a 'Eureka' moment. Total awareness of these contents should stun you with a blinding flash of brilliance. You will understand it all . . . Yes, EVERYTHING! Virtually every dancebeat permutation pattern in the current musical time signature system will unfold within your imagination, each of these beat patterns will be complete with its' own number name. Your playing style will grow by leaps and bounds and the increased improvosational creativity will overwhelm you for years to come. If ever there was a 'magic wand' for creating knowledgeable drummers, this is it!
    • Time Signatures: The permutation theory will literally become invaluable here. You will learn time signature formulas from 1/1 thru 64/64. Then, as we gain an understanding of time signatures, we will blow each time signature into several note value modifications, each with a gazillion named and numbered beat variations (permutations.) I say gazillion because I have not tallied to a final number. Both my computers and all three of my pocket calculators ran out of zeros before the job was even half done. I can determine five quintillion individual 3/4 Waltz beats but that is only one time signature.
    • Beat the Monster Drummers to that Sought-After, Dream Gig: Precious tips and tricks that winners live by. This may be the lesson that will put you over the top.
    • How to Overcome Bad Gigs, Forever! In this discussion I will show you how to keep perfect tempo and put an end to the tempo-wars with your band members. . .for good!

  • MORE DRUM LESSONS! All the E-M lessons complete with sound! Study lessons E-M #1 thru E-M #14 now!
    E-mail your comments to Bill Powelson drums01@postoffice.att.net Copyright Bill Powelson 1994 all rights reserved.