Lessons

Have you always wanted to really rock on the drums, but didn’t know how or where to get started? Or have you already been rocking and want to take your playing to the next level? Then you’re in the right place! StrangeDrumming.com is owned and operated by Derrick Strang, and consists of a private recording studio built with the sole purpose of helping drummers make their musical dreams a reality.

The Strange Studio, as it’s called, is a fully functional recording facility complete with PA, bass and guitar rigs, and of course, two drum sets side by side for in depth lessons that get results. From the moment you walk in, you will be playing and learning right next to your instructor, allowing you the ability to immediately work on new concepts in the moment. No equipment is needed by you, except sticks, a notebook, and a desire to learn the finer points of groove, time, and musicality.

The direction and content of lessons is completely up to each student, and will include the styles of music you would like to play. Derrick has earned an Associates in Percussion Performance from the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, California, and that grueling two year program, led by some of the best instructors in the country, included an extensive curriculum from all styles of music including rock, jazz, R&B, blues, funk, country, fusion, African, reggae and latin. Although he is certainly stronger in the styles he plays, his knowledge in all styles is adequate enough to get any drummer on the right path to becoming confident in their preferred genre.

StrangeDrumming.com believes that the best way to learn is to just play, and Derrick does his best to minimize the amount of information conveyed, in favor of time spent playing the drums. Real progress is made by playing the drums, not by talking about playing the drums. Armed with an extensive arsenal of play along tracks, music without the drums, you will be spending the majority of lesson times practicing as if you were on stage in a real musical setting with an entire band. If you have a particular song you would like to learn, then bring it too. Once the road map and the different grooves have been discussed, you will be playing right along with your favorite songs in no time.

Don’t hesitate to contact Derrick at Strangedrumming.com to schedule your lesson. Next year is going to come whether you have been playing music or not. If you have been kicking around the idea of playing the drums, then you at least owe it to yourself to give it a shot. Unlike many online music lessons websites, there is no contract involved, and you can book lessons as often as you feel is right for you. Beginning drummers may want to come once a month to allow yourself time to practice the previous lessons content, but frequency is completely up to you. It can be tough to move forward if you haven’t yet attained the skills taught at your last lesson. However, any time spent in the Strange Studio will be extremely valuable to your progress as a musician, and you will always be playing the music you love alongside your private instructor, Derrick.

So what are you waiting for…….contact the Strange Studio now!!

The structure of a drum lesson with Derrick can look different for each student, and the direction is dictated by each student’s musical goals. We will start with hand technique, and make sure you understand how to hold the sticks and how to let them rebound properly. Next we will go over all the subdivisions, and make sure you understand how they all line up to the pulse of the music. From here we will go right to the drum set and begin playing different beats. We will start with basic grooves, and you will always be sent home with exercises to practice that will help you build the coordination needed to move on to more advanced patterns. We will then discuss four bar phrases, and where to play drum fills that will establish those phrases. Next we will get into drum fills, short ones and long ones, and once again you will get plenty of exercises to help you develop creative drum fills.

When you have a basic understanding of all the previous concepts, we will then bring in the play along tracks. A play along track is music without drums, and it is the perfect way to dive into a real musical situation without needing three or four other musicians in the room to do so. I feel it is the most valuable use of a drummers practice time, and I have a pretty extensive collection with many styles to choose from.

When you can confidently play in time with the track, I bring Pro Tools, and we will record you along to the track. Listening to, and analyzing the recording is very valuable, and I have found that it is the best way to make progress because you get to hear what you actually sound like, not what you think you sound like. I will even burn you a copy of the recording and send you home with it so that you can listen to it over and over and over. The more you listen to it, the more you begin to hear things that you couldn’t before, and this in turn strengthens your listening skills.

From there, we keep advancing to more complicated grooves, more intricate fills, tougher tracks, and we just keep recording and sending you home with copies. This is my approach, and I have gained a lot of advancements working this way. However, your lessons can look like whatever you want them to, and we will always be working towards the style of drumming that you personally want to pursue.

So what are you waiting for, don’t be shy, next year is going to happen whether you have been drumming or not. I prefer to know that I’ve been drumming. Thanks, and I look forward to working with you in the Strange Studio.