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Bill Powelson's School of Drums
Drummers!
Discover How to Overcome Bad Gigs, Forever.

What makes a drummer 'HOT'?

What makes a band 'HOT'?

What Causes a Bad Gig?

I think we can sum up everything in three words. Tempo! Tempo! Tempo!

Who gets the blame for bad tempo?
The drummer, OF COURSE!

Never mind that the Bass player is asleep, dragging every song into the pit of doom. Never mind that the lead player is high on who knows what and rushing every beat. We drummers get caught in a headlong war between the two, and the resulting mess is our fault!

After all, tempo IS the drummers responsibility. RIGHT?

Our jobs may depend on an ability to pull the band together and force them to function as a unit. What is a drummer to do?

GOOD NEWS! There is a solution!

Yes! There is now a 'high tech' answer to this problem and it works better than anyone could ever imagine.

A fellow in New York has developed a very small, tempo measuring device that attaches on top of the snare (batter) head. This device measures the time lapse between each accented snare beat played by the drummer. The (name deleted), as it is called, is equipped with a digital LED that gives an extremely accurate numerical reading of the tempo being played.

The tempos are measured in BPMs (Beats Per Minute.)

This little miracle gadget will also help a drummer lock onto the best tempos for every song, every night. No more guessing! No more intimidating glares from the band members! No more arguments about tempo!

We drummers now have the decisive word in all tempo disputes. Even the most arrogant members of the band will not argue with the accuracy of this little masterpiece. They will quickly learn to rely on it instead, and the tempo-war will be over before any shots are fired! It works perfectly every time!

Another Interesting Feature: It is easy to remember the best tempos for every song. By playing along with original recordings, it is easy to get the true tempo, then remember that tempo when the song is played by the band in a live performance. This allows us to put the song into the same 'groove' or 'pocket' every time it is played. We simply learn to lock onto the correct tempo and hold. It is that easy! The intimidating glares will become nods of approval every night.

THIS IS NOT A METRONOME OR CLICK-DEVICE!
IT'S A 'SPEEDOMETER' FOR DRUMMERS!

It follows the tempo set by the drummer. It monitors and displays the current tempo as it is being played, like the speedometer in an automobile. Can you imagine driving an automobile without a speedometer? I personally feel that all drumsets in the future should come equipped with the fabulous item. It is great for both professional or novice drummers.

"I have been using one since 1991 and it has been a lifesaver to say the least! It stops all tempo disputes and it is a superb confidence builder." Mine has helped me build a team-thing with all my band-members, and it has become the unshakeable driving force in our band." _Bill Powelson

Here is an illustration of one such device:

As you can see in the photo, a sensor rests flat on the snare batter head. It only uses a small area of the (snare batter head) surface. The (constantly changing) BPMs (Beats Per Minute), will be displayed on a LED display.

As we play, the sensor picks up and measures the durations between each backbeat in our rhythm pattern, then gives us a digital reading, in BPMs, just like a speedometer.

NOTE: The item in the illustration is the OLD VERSION. Newer versions are different. Some are now self contained, (about the size of a credit card.) Some are battery powered, and the entire unit rests on the surface of the snare-batter head. I guess they are better than the older versions. I'm not sure.

IT'S THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ANY DRUMMER!

SORRY! THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED . . .

NOTICE!
This is an OLD (but updated) web page. I no longer sell this item, though I still believe every WORKING drummer should have one. Since this page was written, this specific item has disappeared from the marketplace (as far as I know.) Other variations on the product have also appeared, and disappeared.

Newer, better versions of this item are now available,
but I have no connection with any of them.

DO A WEB SEARCH FOR THE FOLLOWING . . .
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE . . .

You'll hear about 'Groove Guides', 'Tempo-Refs', 'Draggin-Russian', and possibly other product names that accomplish the same tasks. Do a web search for any of those names. You'll probably find them out here on the web, somewhere. I do recommend them, though I will no longer support any of the companies that produce them (at this time.)

I wish a 'REPUTABLE' company would emerge, and approach me, with a 'reasonable offer' to promote them again. We all need such a product. They are invaluable to working drummers everywhere. Thanks.

OTHER DRUM LESSONS . . .

Copyright Bill Powelson 1994 all rights reserved.