Looking at lesson one. Firstly the group of lines, those groups of 5 lines across the page, that's what is called the STAFF. Then we see a 4 on top of another 4, that means there are 4 quarter notes in each bar, we'll talk more about that later. After that we can see some short vertical lines along the STAFF, they are what we call BAR LINES. They separate one bar from the next bar. Each bar is numbered, so starting with the first bar we'll learn about whole notes.


The squashed circle in the 1st bar is a WHOLE NOTE. Just for now think of a whole apple. You can cut an apple into 4 quarters or two halves You have to get used to counting to 4 for starters. Over and over. 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4. On the count of one hit the drum but carry on counting to 4, now you have played a WHOLE NOTE. Play the WHOLE NOTE in the second bar the same way. In the 3rd and 4th bar the notes you see are half notes or minums. Two halves equal one whole so therefore there are 2 half notes in these bars. Still counting to four but only playing the note on the 1st and 3rd count. Listen to the chart up until this point a few times to get the idea. You can also switch the metronome off so that you are only hearing the snare drum. Try to count along with it and watch the lesson one video to get the hang of it. In the 5th bar that small rectangle hanging from the second line in the staff is a whole note rest, so you will still carry on counting to four through this bar but you won't play a note. You won't play a note in the 6th bar either, as the rests you see here are minum or 1/2 note rests. More on these notes as the lessons progress. The rest of this chart consists of 1/4 notes and 1/4 note rests. There are four quarters per one whole or two halves per one whole. So from bar 7 to the end of bar 27 all bars have four 1/4 notes, have a listen. Playing loads of quarter notes gives a great opportunity to develop your grip and technique hitting your practice pad. From bar 27 to 54 there is one 1/4 note rest in each bar, starting with a rest on the 4th note in the bar for four bars then the 3rd and so on. Listen to the chart with the metronome on and off and also watch the lesson one video to get a better understanding.


Practise at slow speeds (60,70bpm, then slowly increase) (bpm stands for beats per minute). Practise until the chart can be played several times without a mistake at many speeds then move on to the next chart. All these notes are a building block to some very interesting beats using the whole kit later on. For the first month or two, learning to play only on a practise pad so you can learn the different notes and how to hold the sticks and hit the pad is very important if you want to become a good drummer. It's not necessary to play on a drum kit for some time, there is plenty to learn before that.


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