Phrasing is a topic of fundamental importance for every drummer, as it constitutes at least half of what we do. However, the study of this subject tends to easily disorient drummers, due to the large amount of options, directions and solutions available. That’s why I have tried to organize the materials collected over the course of many years in a gradual and coherent program, with the intent to provide a go-to manual full of musical ideas and effective phrasing techniques.

The shortcut to fluent and flowing drumming is to dedicate lots of practice time to jamming and improvising. This is why I have put together a bunch of tracks for you to develop this skill and have lots of fun with. 5 loops, one for each main subdivision: eighths, sixteenths, triplets, shuffle and half shuffle.

What’s the reason why it’s so effective to study with a teacher rather than being self taught? There are four main things a great educator gives us and there are also three important elements that we should consider when looking for an instructor.

A classic mistake many drummers make in their formative years is focusing exclusively on pure hand and foot technique, assuming that eventually all parts will work together automatically, just by playing. Unfortunately overlooking the interaction between upper and lower limbs is one of the main causes of lack of groove and bad time feel in drummers.

It’s not the years that we have been playing that make the difference. It’s the hours How long does it take to log ten thousand hours? If we practice one hour every day… well, I hate to break it to you: it takes 27 years…

Music is about colors. And drumming is pretty much based on colors. There are so many nuances, variations, details and flavors we can add to a song with our instrument. The Hi-Hat is definitely the part of the drum set that allows for the most expressiveness. In this booklet I wanted to gather a bunch of ideas that I have collected over the years, which are quite advanced but also incredibly fun to play.