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Bill Powelson's School of Drums

Free Lesson Menu #2 (~Intermediate)

Free Lesson Menus

This is a completely free course of drum set instruction. My objective at this web site is to provide the absolute BEST free drum instruction in the World. Money is NOT the prime objective here. I have no advertising budget at all. If content is still king here on the web, you will find me easily. If not, then YOU will lose and we can legitimately blame the greedy search engines.

In the old days (of 1995/2005) I sent this group of lessons to subscribed students, via e-mail. Many of these lessons still contain traces of the 'old' plain text formatting and the E-M labels. Here they are . . .

  1. Drum Set Lesson #1 ~ 16th 4/4 Variations: 4.3 billion ideas exist in every measure of this beat category. All drummers should have an arsenal of these variations in their trick bag. Fill patterns operate differently in this framework too. If you have ever heard 'Tom Sawyer' by Rush, you have heard a complex 16th 4/4 variation. These beats are a ton of fun!

  2. Drum Set Lesson #2 ~ Blues Beat Variations & Fills (bass syncs included) 16 million possibilities per measure. Every drummer will need a bundle of these tricks!. Learn to add fills too!

  3. Drum Set Lesson #3 ~8th 4/4 (Rock) Variations, Syncopations and Fills: Some of this stuff has been covered online, but there are still tons of tricks in this category too. We can go much deeper into these if you choose to do so. Just give me some indication as to what you know already. I will try to take it from there.

  4. Drum Set Lesson #4 ~ Quarter Note (Rock) 4/4: 90s music has made this a very popular beat category. 65536 possible variations exist in every measure. The fill patterns are similar to 8th rock but there are some differences.

  5. Drum Set Lesson #5 ~ Rudiment, Tips and Advanced Fills: This lesson is for those of you who are having trouble will rolls and fills. It is guaranteed to take the embarrassing kinks out of your playing style. Learn to connect will fills every time in mid-song! Contains beginner and advanced material.

  6. Drum Set Lesson #6 ~ Waltz: The Waltz beat is loaded with innovative and fascinating rhythms, (over 5 Quintillion per measure) but, due to its current lack of popularity . . . maybe it is better to save it for last.

  7. Drum Set Lesson #7: ~ Drum Solo Tips The quickest easiest way to get your chops together and start playing smokin solos' like a pro in only a matter of days.

  8. Drum Set Lesson #8 ~ Swing: Swing is really a variation of Shuffle! Or is it the other way around? Maybe Shuffle is a variation of Swing. At any rate, Swing is central to Jazz drumming! Learn about it here!

  9. Drum Set Lesson #9 ~ Disco: This beat might best be called '0verhand 16th 4/4'. It got stuck with the undeserved Disco handle back in the 70s and in many minds, the name doesn't do this interesting pattern justice. The truth is, this fascinating pattern existed before the so-called Disco era and it has survived it. This form of 16th 4/4 is still very popular today and it should be for many years to come.

  10. Drum Set Lesson #10 ~ "Reggae & Ska". I am still searching for verified histories of these two beat patterns. Meanwhile, I'll just pass along what I have picked up over the years. Legend has it that Ska came first from Europe during the early days of the British rock and pop invasions of the 1960s. Actually, classic Reggae and Ska are based on the same general beat patterns.

  11. Drum Set Lesson #11 ~ Polka, CutTime 2/4 and Up-Tempo Jazz. There are easier substitute beat patterns that can be used in place of these patterns. You might play a lifetime without these beats and never have a problem. So, if they drive you crazy and leave you frustrated . . . DON'T PANIC! You can put them on the back-burner for study at another time.

  12. Drum Set Lesson #12 ~ Syncopated Jazz Waltz . . . Based on the Swing Beat. This beat is a Jazz Classic. Sooner or later . . . you'll need it!

  13. Drum Set Lesson #13 ~ Syncopated 5/4 . . . This very cool beat is also based on the Swing Beat. This is another Jazz Classic! I've met people who think this is the ONLY 5/4 beat pattern! Yet, we discover through permutation theories that over 1 Trillion 5/4 beat patterns exist ( See 'Finite to Infinity'). Every drummer needs this one in his/her trick bag, whether it's ever used or not. Knowledge is power! You'll need to know what you are talking about even if 5/4 only comes up in conversation.

  14. Drum Set Lesson #14 ~ Using brushes with modern music styles: In this lesson we are speaking primarily of old-fashioned wire brushes used to swish, slap and scratch rhythms at low volumes. More useful knowledge to add to your Jazz info base.

ADVANCED DRUMMERS!
Now, move on to Lesson Menu #3. These are the Latin beats every advanced working drummer will want to add to their onstage bag of tricks.

ULTRA-ADVANCED DRUMMERS!
If you find that you already know all the material on the above lesson menus, then you may want to investigate this:

Time Signatures: Finite to Infinity: 7 amazingly simple, EZ lessons will elevate ANY MUSICIAN to "Rhythm-Guru" status. It's a fun 1-hour read. What you DON'T know about musical-time and song-beat-structures is retarding your musical creativity and innovation by 500 years. This little e-book will definitely thrust pop-musical styles into the 25th Century. It's a MUST READ for all creative musicians and composers. If your competition reads it first, you lose! Discover ENTIRE ERAS of new and different MODERN POP MUSIC-STYLES in 2 hours or less.

NOTE: We had the Waltz ERA in the 1700s; the Swing ERA between 1920 and 1955; the Rock ERA between 1955 and now. What NEW ERA will you launch? . . . It's 100% free for members.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER FOR FREE: Certain individuals are given free access to everything at this web site INCLUDING ALL THE MEMBERSHIP PERKS (like the e-book advertised above). It depends on the economics in which you live. I often allow free membership to anyone out there who lacks the living standards that others (some of us in the U.S.) tend to take for granted. This idea will sound a bit strange to some and other sleazebags may take advantage just to get something for free, but I still want to try it.

Send me (via e-mail) your actual street address, city and country, wherever you live. I'll visit Google Earth's (amazing street level maps) and I'll know by just looking at your house and neighborhood, whether or not you qualify. In other words, this offer is for the truly poor and disadvantaged. If I feel you qualify, I'll send passwords to everything . . . INCLUDING ALL THE MEMBER PERKS via regular mail (or possibly e-mail). However; If you live in a $60,000 (plus) home and a nice neighborhood, forget it. You'll be wasting my time and your own. Pony-up or do without. All these perks (combined) have a street value of well over $500. If you are too frugal to help others by donating the already discounted membership fee, . . . then . . .: Well, you get the idea, don't you?

Your future begins here . . .

To simply make your donation and become a member QUICKLY, visit this sign-up page.

To learn MORE about everything that is included in the (virtual give-away) donation plan visit this web page.

"The teacher, of indeed wise, does not bid you to enter their
house of wisdom, but leads you through the threshold of your own mind"-Kahil Gibran.

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