Here we go: First “Butterfield Effect” blog entry!
Over the past couple weeks I’ve been working on a new skill: Video production and editing. I had done 3 drum cover videos last month, but those were a simple matter of syncing up the audio and video, and then alternating between two different camera angles. These instructional videos, however, were a whole new beast!
I created video which eventually became two videos, and I may expand upon later… so now an open-ended series. The first one is called “Basic Strokes Part One: A System for Drumming with Dynamics.” It’s the technique system I like to teach my students, which comes from my marching percussion background. It’s the best way I’ve found to acquire control over dynamics on the drums, and dynamics are so vital to drumming that this technique system which supports it truly lays the foundation for everything a student plays. The video covers the playing position, which is the default place to keep your sticks while at rest but ready to play notes, as well as the 4 basic strokes: Taps, Downstrokes, Rebound Strokes, and Upstrokes. It also briefly covers the Moeller Technique and compares it to the Conventional Technique (which is a name I just made up for the technique that is so commonly taught in schools all over the United States and Canada, and presumably, the rest of the world.)
The second video is called “Basic Strokes Part Two: Additional Exercises,” and it’s just what it sounds like — more exercises to help you master the techniques shown in Part One. They are meant for a single surface, like a snare drum or practice pad. They also focus on one hand at a time, which helps because you’re not distracted by the need to coordinate both hands together.
I chose to make videos on this topic because it’s very important for drummers to learn, but also difficult to teach. It’s a lot of information, so it needs to be presented in a concise, yet thorough manner. So now I have videos for my students to refer to, and it’s helped me organize the information in my head so I can present it better in the future.
It has also provided the prerequisite information needed to get into future videos I have planned about snare drum rudiments. All the rudiments can be systematically broken down, using the basic strokes along with single hand isolation.
It looks like for the next few days I will be engaged with a lot of the admin side of teaching — including updating website and all social media platforms. But I definitely enjoyed the process of creating these videos, and am looking forward to making the next one!