Friday, 2 September 2011

Rudiments tutorial

Hai drum lover,
                          here I am  starting step by step tutorials for Rudiments. In this topic I will describe very useful and beautiful Rudiments not widely well known. I will give you notations on the Rudiments and everyone who know how to read it and play it can use it effectively. It will relax your fingers and hands muscles, also make your fingers quick respond to the notes with minimum effort. Your hands will be more flexible and free from tiredness. With these beautifully created patterns make you go deep in to a good mood and you can explore your maximum potential. Wait for next post for the first lesson.
                                                                        Vlad Jayesh
                                                                      Drum Master 

Friday, 26 August 2011

DRUMMING FOR STRESS RELIEF

         Hello friends,
                        when we watch a live music program, most of the peoples eyes on drummer. Because it is a fascinating instrument. Its size, complexity, sound and the beat attracting the audience. When we hear any music we are automatically following the beat. In the pop music world Michale Jackson is the Emperor, because his beats in music is fantastic. When he create any song , firstly he spend most of the time for designing a new beat and rhythm. In Indian music culture there are many forms of drums. And the drums are called Asur vadya(demons musical instrument), due to its loudness, size and it creates the foundation for rhythm. 

                     Extensive scientific study in the field of drumming reveals that it also cure our stress. You know suppose we think anyone near to us died, at that time we cried aloud, after a while we are able to cop up with the situation. It is the system of mind to make any hyper activity like crying aloud, or beating the chest with hands or pulling hair to make pain etc, will reduce stress in our body. All the above hyper activity make human capable to overcome such a hard situation. You know military peoples are mentally very strong and they can face any hard situation, due to tedious training they got, all the trainings are hyper active. Yes drumming is also a hyper active work compared to other music instrument. All our body, hands, legs are having in synchronized movement. If you suffer from any stress you just take the drumming sticks and feel the stress and do drumming violently for some minutes, after that watch your self, you can feel something drained out from your mind, ya the stress.Now you can feel  tensionless and peaceful atmosphere. In my experience when I met any drummers in death metal or any kind of extreme drumming, during the stage show they looked weired or gruesome by their costumes or make up or action, but when I personally interact with them they are very nice, calm and sweet people. I think the extreme drumming make them having controlled and peaceful mind. I designed some set of patterns in drumming with the help of a psychologist to make stress less , tension free mind and to get inspired and peaceful mind.    
                                                                           Vlad Jayesh
                                                                         Drum master 
 

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

BENEFITS OF DRUMMING

  Hai friends,
                  here I am sharing with you the benefits of drumming. Most of the students coming to me for studying the drum playing because of their craze and interest to become a drummer. Here I am describing some scientific facts about the benefits of drumming. Our brain having two sections called left brain and right brain.
 As you can see the above picture Rhythm, Music, Imagination, Action and Creativity controlled and executed by Right brain, and Logic, Analysis, Language, Numbers and Sequences etc. by Left brain. Left side of our body controlled by Right brain and right side of our body controlled by our Left brain. Efficiency of the both brain determine our out put. Due to many factors most of the human having imbalance brain efficiency. Some having more active left brain, so they will more analytical, logical and having good memory people, and right brain activated people having more creativity, artistic, energetic and having short term memory. Think about the job of a doctor, when he do a consultation he is using his left brain for recollecting what he learned and analyzing the disease, but when an architect doing his job he is creating new designs so he want right brain to do his job. 
                             Due to continues use of any brain will cause the other brain to less work.If you have a memory loss it will tell that left brain is in low active.There are two types of memory, short term and long term.Long term means the memory to store all the things we learned, short term means suppose if you want to go for a shopping you must to remember what you want to buy, after the purchase you don't need to remember that. Right brain activated people having short term and left brain activated people having long term memory. But when we study about the successful persons in the world, they having both brains equally activated. If you have both brains in same functioning you can easily remember what you learn and think and analyze with your logic and you can execute in a creative way at the proper time and you will be successful. Our habits, nature and lifestyle will affects the efficiency of our brain. For balancing both the brain means we are totally efficient. There are some trainings for this and it is called brain gymnastics. 
             There are many ways for this. And drumming is a very perfect way for brain gymnastics, because in drumming we are using both hands and legs like an athlete. When these four limbs are in work, the synchronize and rhythmic beating will activate both the brain in equal amount of energy. Because all the nerves starting from the brain directly goes to each palm and sole of feet and returns to organs and then go to the brain. Actually this is the same principle for acupressure or acupuncture therapy. When you regularly playing drumming like an exercise it will make our brain more powerful and efficient. 



                        From systematic drumming we will get Skill, Dexterity, More memory, Active, Energetic, Logical, Analytical. Sharp, Clear and Healthy mind. The benefits are two, one our brain will be more powerful, secondly we will get more relaxation after a drumming. Our stress, strain, tensions will dissolve in to thin air. Your both hands and legs including your body in working and a good physical exercise also. So its a great tool helping your mind and body.                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                               Vlad Jayesh
                                                               Drum Master


Thursday, 18 August 2011

VOCABULARY OF DRUMMING - RUDIMENTS

   Hai friends,
                we know for a better communication we need vocabulary knowledge on that language. When you use any language if you know more words you will be proficient on that language. Like this for the better drumming we need the vocabulary of drumming, and it is known as RUDIMENT. A rudiment is a set of basic patterns used in drumming. These patterns are the basic building blocks or “vocabulary” of drumming, and can be combined in a great variety of ways to create drumming music. So when you have a thorough knowledge in Rudiments you will be a great drummer. But alas most of the students in drumming neglecting the study of Rudiments and going straight in to song playing. Then what will happen, they can only play the learned songs, but never can make a new pattern or new creations. But here I am giving more value on Rudiments, when you practice the Rudiments you will learn better holding position of sticks, finger controls and you can play as long as without hurting your hands from muscle cramps or pains. You will get better speed, good control and best timing and become a good drummer.
       
             HISTORY: Rudiments have a rich history that is tied directly to the development of the snare drum, known earlier as a side drum or military drum. The Swiss were the first to clearly document the use drums to signal troops in battle. The Battle of Sempach in 1386 was the first recorded use of fifes and drums as signals by the Swiss in a military campaign. By the early 15th century, many elite Swiss fighting forces were employed throughout Western Europe as mercenaries. Their signals and marches using drum & fifes were quickly adopted for use in other European countries. Baron Friedrich von Stuben, working for the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1778, wrote "Regulations" which specified drum signals for the Revolutionary Troops.

The first use of the term rudiment was by Charles Stewart Ashworth. He used the term to classify a group of drum patterns, thus establishing himself as the father of rudimental drumming. In 1812, he published his drumming manual, "A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum-Beating." In 1869, another book containing drum rudiments, "Strube Drum and Fife Instructor," was published by the National Guard of the New England States. By the 1880's, John Philip Sousa, Director of the U.S. Marine Band, wrote a manual of instruction called "A Book of Instruction for the Field-Trumpetand Drum." This book became the guide for military drummers in all branches of the armed services and had also a wide civic distribution because it contained a collection of drum rudiments. After the turn of the century, Sanford (Gus) Moeller's book, "The Moeller Book," published by The Ludwig Drum Company in 1918, helped to renew an interest in rudimental drumming.

It was about this time that the American Legion began organizing national contests for Drum and Bugle Corps, but there were problems with these competitions because of the differences between therudiments published over the past century. Spearheaded by the American Legion and the Ludwig Drum Company, the most influential drum instructors from across the country came together at the American Legion National Convention in Chicago and created set of 26 rudiments. This also led to the creation of the organization NARD (National Association of Rudimental Drummers) in 1932. Membership inNARD required a performance test on the 13 essential rudiments. The 13 additional rudiments of the 26 were not required to be performed.

Today there are 40 recognized drum rudiments broken into four categories: I - Roll Rudiments (17 rudiments); II - Diddle Rudiments (4 rudiments); III - Flam Rudiments (12 rudiments); and IV - Drag Rudiments (10 rudiments). NARD dissolved in 1978 leaving PAS (The Percussive Arts Society) to be the remaining advocate for rudimental drumming.

Aside from the 40 standard rudiments, there are a growing number of rudiments that are used in conjunction with Drum and Bugle Corps competitions. These rudiments tend to be combined patterns and some of more complex rhythms used in drum cadences unique to Drum and Bugle Corps.
    On the next post I will post some Rudiment exercises.
                                                                                 Vlad Jayesh 

Sunday, 7 August 2011

About my new blog

                           Hai friends,
                                        I am Vlad Jayesh, professional drummer and a drum teacher since last 16 years. Here I am sharing with you my experiences, experiments and new and feasible techniques on easy drumming. Drumming is a hard job, both mental and physical. But with my long years of research I simplified so many drumming techniques for drum lovers. According to my opinion I think drum was the first musical instrument, because drumming is within us in our body. Yes the great drummer with a perfect rhythm is within us, from our birth to death. It is our Heart. So we programmed automatically with divine rhythm. That's why all the human can enjoy music without learning it. Not only that our walking, running and breathing we have a rhythm. Unknowingly we follow our body's rhythm. So I think I m very lucky being a drum player. It is my passion and life. I think, I live and sleep in the magical world of drumming. Follow my blog, and you will learn easy drumming techniques and become an Extreme drummer. So welcome to every one who love drumming and share my blog's link to your fellow drummer.
                                                                   with regards,
                                                       Vlad Jayesh
                                                      Extreme Drum Master