Letter from Lionel Duperron
Sent on May 5, 2011
If you are like most drummers, you probably have a lot of questions about the drum rudiments. Why are they important? How are they usable in everyday drumming? Do you really need to know the rudiments to become a good drummer? These are just a few examples of questions I've heard from many of my private students.
Well, let me start out by saying this... the rudiments are NOT a group of secret patterns that will change the way you play the drums. Quite the contrary! In fact... the rudiments are the ONLY way to play the drums!
That's right! Every single pattern you have ever played (and ever will play) makes use of some combination of drum rudiments. More importantly, every pattern you will ever learn in the future is nothing more than variations on these essential patterns. So, whether you have realized it before or not... you are already playing some rudiments!
Is There An Easy Way To Understand The Drum Rudiments?
Here is a really simple analogy to explain the drum rudiments... consider the paragraphs of text you are reading on this page right now. They are made up of 26 letters that make up ALL words, sentences, and paragraphs in the english language. It doesn't matter what you write, these 26 letters end up being used to express anything!
Drum Rudiments are the "letters" of the drumming language. They are incorporated into every beat, fill, or pattern that you could ever conceive to play on the drums. Now, that doesn't mean you have to think of the rudiments every time you play, just as you wouldn't think of each individual letter when writing a word, sentence, or paragraph. Instead, you just think of your ideas and translate them directly into sentences with ease.
It would never make sense to try to learn the english language one letter at a time - especially without a detailed understanding of the alphabet. However, this is how most students approach the drum set. They try to master individual beats and fills without first understanding the core rudimental patterns. This is really quite backwards when you think about it, and this is why most beginner drummers get extremely frustrated with complex patterns.
Imagine Playing The Drums With Complete Creativity & Control
Let's continue along with the english-language analogy presented above... Playing the drums by mastering each word individually is like traveling to a distant country and trying to speak their language using a phrase book to struggle through each sentence. You can communicate on some basic level, but every time you want to say something new, you have to work hard to translate your ideas into what only amounts to broken sentences.
Imagine what it would be like to play the drums as easily as you speak fluent english! If you could come up with your own words, phrases, and creative sentences at a whim. Consider how it would revolutionize your drumming if you were able to think in complete musical "phrases" rather than individual beats and fills! This is why it is so important to learn and master all 40 drum rudiments!
The MASSIVE Disadvantage Of Mastering The Drum Rudiments!
Playing the drums is an art form that you do NOT want to make unnecessarily complex. It is important that you consider this when first learning the rudiments. You are going to learn some very powerful patterns that unlock musical potential like you never thought possible, but with that comes a responsibility to play musically.
Returning to our "english-language analogy" from above... consider what it would be like to have to read a paragraph that makes way too much use of the letter Z. What if every second letter was a Q, W, or an X? Would you want to keep reading for very long?
Of course not, and that is why it is important to make "musical" use of the rudiments. Use the powerful and rare patterns as occasional "spice" to mix things up, but don't overdue it to the point that it sounds un-natural. There are several rudiments that are like vowels, and can be used in virtually every beat you write. Use these more often, and then allow your new found creativity and control come together to play exciting musical patterns!
This is why it is so important to have guidance while learning the rudiments. Not only to be sure you are learning the patterns correctly, but also to be sure you are incorporating them within your drumming in a musical way. That's where the complete Drum Rudiment System 2.0 comes in!
Lionel Duperron
Author of the Drum Rudiment System
P.S. - The Drum Rudiment System is backed by my 90-day money-back guarantee, so you have absolutely nothing to lose. If you are un-happy for any reason whatsoever, simply send it back for a prompt and courteous refund. You can even keep the free bonuses as my gift to you. Order the Drum Rudiment System now!
Click Here To Order The Drum Rudiment System! »
