Regards to Gary Chester's The New Breed I and II

[BlackEvovii]

Ive been interested in seeing what this book is about.  When i use to go for lessons id always see this book on the rack and while listening to one of Dave Weckl Videos, he says, "it tore him a part, so to speak."  What i am wondering is, is this a challenging book?

[Carn]

I dont have it, my friend has, and its one of those books that has challenging exercises.....if i remeber correctly, most of them are written out for snare (please correct this post im im talking nonsense)....but to apply the ideas on the whole set, or during a song, thats a pretty big challenge i think

[Bart Elliott]

It's a challenging book(s) and is not designed to just be played through ... and then put on the shelf.

These are LIFE TIME books ... and should be treated as such. Slow, methodical practice is the way to progress with anything ... but especially with these books.

I highly recommend them; there a must have for any drummer/percussionist library.

[Carn]

bart, is it wise to be a little advanced when you start with that book? i dont think its really beginner material right?

[Bart Elliott]

bart, is it wise to be a little advanced when you start with that book? i dont think its really beginner material right?

Well ... that depends. If you read music pretty good, but are at a beginning level drum wise, I think the book would be fine.

Just to clarify your earlier comments Carn ... the book(s) isn't really written out for snare drum ... although it may appear that way because of the Reading Sections.

Here's the basic premise:

You start out with a simple ostinato (Gary calls them Systems, of which there are 39 in Book 1, Part 1), and using the Reading Section for a particular limb. In the beginning of The New Breed, Gary has you start out with sixteenth-notes in the right hand on a hihat, and sixteenth-notes in the left hand on another hihat. You're basically playing Flat Flams or French Flams with your hands. Gary is into splitting the body and the drumkit. If you play it with the right hand it's on your right, if it's the left hand it's set-up on your left. You don't HAVE to do this, but this is his concept which is thoroughly explained in his books. Now back to our Flat Flammed sixteenth-notes. While playing these, you play the Reading Sections with your kick drum or right foot.

As you progress through the various systems, you have different ostinato grooves that you play with the hands and left foot ... while the right foot, kick drum plays all the notation (melody) in the Reading Sections. This is just how it begins; it ends up where you are playing the rhythmic (melody) notation with your left foot, right or left hand while the other limbs participate in an ostinato groove which is the Systems.

What I've described is just the beginning of book 1 ... it advances even further than that ... believe it or not.

So, to fully glean all that Gary Chester's books have to offer, you need to have a good grasp of rhythmic notation. Isn't it interesting that it is ASSUMED that the student working out of the book can read? This is just another reason why it's good to learn to read music. If you don't ... then you'll miss out on one of the greatest books for drummers that has ever been written.

A beginner reader would struggle with the book, but a beginning drum student would not ... as long as the understand quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes and rests. It's just math ... so it's easy to learn.

[Carn]

thanks bart!

i`ll talk with my teacher about this, maybe its something nice to do after the rick latham stuff im doing right now

[BlackEvovii]

Rick Latham - advanced funk studies?