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DARN GOOD TUITION

RESOURCES

For a beginner I strongly recommend getting the following items for practice purposes

 

Essential - for beginners

 

A5 notebook - This can be with plain or lined paper and is essential so that we can keep a thorough record of all the exercises, practice schedules and songs that I give to the student. It is important that the student brings it to every lesson. 

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

Rhythm recipies book 1 - As well as learning to read rhythm this book contains rhythms that I use to teach improvisation, co-ordination and technique. It was written by Will Sivier who mentored me in teaching techniques.
He wrote the resource as an accompaniment to teaching. 

 

(CLICK HERE)

Sticks - Obviously these are the most important item for a drum kit player. However the type of stick will vary for the student according to hand size and favoured style of drumming. You can visit shops such as the Wembley Drum Centre to try a few out and see what feels most comfortable. However, if you are in a hurry to get your first pair of sticks I recommend the following… 

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

Drum pad - These are essential to learning stick control with our the distraction of the drum kit. If a student doesn’t have the money to buy a drum pad I recommend placing tea towel  a hard placemat or table so that the surface has a similar response to a snare drum. However, there are some great pads out there.

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

 

Non essential

 

A drum kit - Yes. A drum kit isn’t essential to learning as a lot of the skill required is with the drum sticks. However, a drum kit really does help. Electric or Acoustic? A lot of this will depend of questions such as budget, practice space, neighbours and noise levels. I actually recommend getting something 2nd hand for a beginner or intermediate student as the type of kit required by a student will develop as they learn the art. Ebay and GumTree are great websites to find 2nd hand kits. Please feel free to email or call me for advice. [contact me]

 

Rhythm recipes Book 3Once the student has completed book 1 I go straight to book 3 where there will by more rhythmical patterns for us to explore. 

 

(CLICK HERE) 

 

 

 

Guitar / bass guitar

 

Essential 

 

 

A5 notebook - This can be with plain or lined paper and is essential so that we can keep a thorough record of all the exercises, practice schedules and songs that I give to the student. It is important that the student brings it to every lesson. 

 

(CLICK HERE) 

 

 

 

A tuner - Having something to help keep your guitar in tune is so important to a student’s musical development. I always check and and adjust the tuning of a guitar at the beginning of every lesson. However, having a fixed note on a keyboard, piano or tuning app is very helpful. However if the student is lower on confidence here is a tuner that I recommend. 

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

 

 

 

Other

 

 

Trinity classical guitar grade books

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

Rock School bass guitar books

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

Trinity Guildhall book 1 - A lot of my students have done graded examinations with the Trinity syllabus grades are not an essential if the student / parent doesn’t want pursue. However, the books do contain lots of playing ideas that we can use in lessons. 

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

 

Ear defenders - These are so cheep to buy but they are worth a lot to a student that practices regularly. You can use the ear plugs used as sleeping aids from supermarkets or pharmacies. Otherwise try these…

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Metronome - These days a decent metronome is easily available to download onto a laptop, tablet or phone. However if you want a separate metronome here is one that I recommend. 

 

(CLICK HERE) 

 

 

 

 

 

Trinity Guildhall books 2 / 3 / 4 - If grades are your thing we can go as far as grade 8 by using the pieces in these books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A guitar / bass guitar - As a beginner a guitarist may not know what type of guitar playing they want to pursue. It could be electric guitar, folky steel guitar, classical guitar, bass guitar or something else. I recommend 2nd hand nylon guitars as a starting point, which can cost as little as £20 on Ebay or Gumtree.  Please consult me before buying though if the student is younger than 14 as there are various size guitars for various ages. 

 

 

The guitarists way book 1 (not recommended for bass guitar) - Reading music really isn’t as hard as it can seem whether you play classical or electric. The guitarists way is a fantastic book that I take many students through in order to teach them good technique and a very simple way to learn to read. Once a student can understand how to read it means that they can learn in their own time and aren’t always dependant on having a teacher show them every piece of music in person. 

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rock School guitar books

 

(CLICK HERE)

 

 

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