CURRICULUM        

Entry Level

Technique

  • Stick Control: Matched grip, fulcrum, rebound strokes.

  • Rudiments: Single Stroke Roll, Double Stroke Roll, Single Paradiddle.

  • Coordination / Independence: 3-way coordination (bass, snare, hi hat) for basic grooves.

Musicianship

  • Sight Reading: Quarter notes and 8th notes.

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Debut).

  • Improvisation: Basic grooves (quarter, 8th, triplet, 16th). 8th note groove with fills.

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Debut / Initial

  • Free Choice Songs: Entry Level

Level 1

Technique

  • Stick Control: German, French and Traditional grips. Rolls (single stroke, double stroke, buzz).

  • Rudiments: Tier One (Single Stroke Roll, Multiple Bounce Roll, Double Stroke Roll, Single Paradiddle, Flam, Drag).

  • Coordination / Independence: Foot ostinatos (quarter note). 4-way coordination for Rock grooves.

Musicianship

  • Sight Reading: 8th note triplets, 16th notes, dotted 8th notes.

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Grade 1).

  • Improvisation: Rock Grooves with 8th and 16th notes, kick variations, open hi hats, ride/bell patterns. Fills using 8th notes, triplets and 16th notes in a four bar phrase.

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Grade 1

  • Free Choice Songs: Level 1

Level 2

Technique

  • Stick Control: Accent control (full, down, tap, up). Flam combinations.

  • Rudiments: Tier Two (Single Stroke Four, Single Stroke Seven, Double Paradiddle, Triple Paradiddle, Paradiddle-diddle, 5 Stroke Roll, 9 Stroke Roll, 7 Stroke Roll, Flam Tap, Flam Accent, Lesson 25, Single Drag Tap).

  • Coordination / Independence: Sticking patterns with the feet (hands play ostinato). Dynamic independence for Funk grooves.

Musicianship

  • Sight Reading: Syncopation, swung 8th notes.

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Grade 2).

  • Improvisation: Funk Grooves with accented hi hats, ghost notes and rim shots on snare. Fills using syncopation.

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Grade 2

  • Free Choice Songs: Level 2

Level 3

Technique

  • Stick Control: Moeller (whip) and Gladstone (finger control) techniques.

  • Rudiments: Tier Three (13 Stroke Roll, 15 Stroke Roll, 17 Stroke Roll 6 Stroke Roll, 10 Stroke Roll, 11 Stroke Roll, Single Dragadiddle, Drag Paradiddle #1, Drag Paradiddle #2, Single Flammed Mill, Swiss Army Triplet, Flamacue).

  • Coordination / Independence: 16th note bass drum independence for Rock and Funk grooves.

Musicianship

  • Sight Reading: All 16th note variations (binary rhythms).

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Grade 3).

  • Improvisation: R&B / Hip Hop Grooves. Fills using broken 16th notes.

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Grade 3

  • Free Choice Songs: Level 3

Level 4

Technique

  • Stick Control: Introduction to brushes. Legato playing with sticks and brushes.

  • Rudiments: Tier Four (Triple Stroke Roll, Flam Paradiddle, Pataflafla, Double Drag Tap, Flam Paradiddle-diddle, Single Ratamacue, Double Ratamacue, Triple Ratamacue, Inverted Flam Tap, Flam Drag).

  • Coordination / Independence: Jazz independence and comping.

Musical Skills

  • Sight Reading: All 8th note triplet variations (ternary rhythms).

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Grade 4).

  • Improvisation: Jazz time playing and comping. Fills using broken triplets. Trading 4’s in a Jazz style.

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Grade 4

  • Free Choice Songs: Level 4

Level 5

Technique

  • Stick Control: Speed and endurance exercises.

  • Rudiments: Memorisation of all 40 rudiments. Further development of rudiments with sticks and brushes.

  • Coordination & Independence: Latin foot ostinatos. Linear phrasing.

Musical Skills

  • Sight Reading: 16th note triplets and 32nd notes. Odd groupings (3, 5, 7) in 16th notes.

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Grade 5).

  • Improvisation: World Grooves. Fills using linear phrases and odd groupings.

  • Musicianship: Sight reading, improvisation and interpretation, ear tests, general musicianship questions (Grade 5).

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Grade 5

  • Free Choice Songs: Level 5

Level 6

Technique

  • Stick Control: Compound stickings (mixtures of singles and doubles) with focus on articulation.

  • Rudiments: Rudimental Solos and warmups.

  • Coordination / Independence: Three-limb ostinatos while reading with the fourth limb.

Musicianship

  • Sight Reading: Quintuplets and Septuplets. Combinations of all subdivisions (2 to 8 notes per beat). Quick Study Pieces.

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Grade 6). Groove transcription.

  • Improvisation: Advanced Rock / Odd Meter. Fills and solos with mixed subdivisions. Stylistic studies.

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Grade 6

  • Free Choice Songs: Level 6

Level 7

Technique

  • Stick Control: Hand / foot combinations, compound stickings.

  • Rudiments: Rudimental Solos applied to the drum kit.

  • Independence: Over-the-bar ostinatos in odd time signatures.

Musicianship

  • Sight Reading: Advanced subdivisions with syncopation. Odd time signatures. Quick study pieces.

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Grade 7). Fill transcription.

  • Improvisation: Advanced Funk / R&B grooves. Fills and solos using compound stickings and linear phrasing. Stylistic studies.

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Grade 7

  • Free Choice Songs: Level 7

Level 8

Technique

  • Stick Control: Advanced brush techniques for Jazz and Latin styles. Open / close technique.

  • Rudiments: Rudimental Solos and Hybrid Rudiments.

  • Independence: Polyrhythmic ostinatos.

Musicianship

  • Sight Reading: Polyrhythms, advanced subdivisions, odd time signatures. Quick study pieces.

  • Aural Skills: Fill playback and groove recall (Grade 8). Full song transcription.

  • Improvisation: Advanced Jazz / World grooves. Fills and solos with polyrhythms. Stylistic studies.

Repertoire

  • Grade Pieces: Grade 8

  • Free Choice Songs: Level 8