Online Course from world-famous drummer Rod Morgenstein (Winger, Dixie

Dregs) launches on April 4th, 2011

BerkleeMusic.com, the online school of Boston's renowned Berklee College of Music, is debuting the new course Rock Drums for their upcoming spring term, beginning April 4th, 2011. Rock Drums, one of the first in Berkleemusic's new online Drums curriculum, is a hands-on, performance-based course full of top tier musical examples and playing opportunities that teach the time-tested techniques of a variety of rock drumming styles.

"I'm really excited about this new course," said course author Rod Morgenstein. "I've been a drummer for forty some odd years and its amazing to continue to learn and teach new approaches to drumming. The more I peel the layers apart, the more things became apparent to me about all the incredible subtleties of rock drumming."

The course begins by exploring the tried and true patterns from the earliest days of rock and roll starting with 60s drumming icons (Ringo Starr, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, John Bonham, Charlie Watts, and Keith Moon) that laid the groundwork for many of the rock bands that followed. It also features musical drumming examples from over 100 artists including The Beatles, AC/DC, Blink 182, Green Day, Led Zeppelin, Motley Crue, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Rolling Stones, Rush, Incubus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kiss, Radiohead, Judas Priest, Slipknot, Dream Theater, Grateful Dead, System of a Down, Pink Floyd, The Police, Opeth, and more.

The course then covers a wide breadth of other topics including different kinds of beats and fills, how to change the sound and feel of a groove, the influence of Latin rhythms on rock drumming, ghost-stroking techniques, syncopated grooves, odd time, double bass drumming, and the rudiments as they apply to rock drumming. Morgenstein bases the material on his 35 years of real-life recording and performing experience, which includes recording on over 50 CDs and playing over 3,000 concerts in roughly 25 countries.

Whether you are a part-time hobbyist or a drummer who dreams of a career in music, Rock Drums will prepare you with the essential drumming concepts, approaches, and techniques for playing effectively in diverse rock music settings.  

To learn more, visit: www.berkleemusic.com/drums