MATERIALS FOR NEW STUDENTS
BEGINNING STUDENTS
All my starting drummers should get a pair of Vic Firth SD1 General drumsticks. If you are a younger student (ages 5 to 7) and may have smaller hands, then do not buy the sticks until after the first lesson as the SD1 may be too large. I will make a recommendation. I do have them here for sale for $10 per pair.
A practice pad is a necessity and will be your best friend as long as you play drums. A drummer NEVER outgrows his or her practice pad. I have some here for $35 each. The pad should be 12" to 14" and be of gum rubber. Some good brands are: RealFeel, Vic Firth, Vater and Aquarian. Xymox and OffWorld make pads but they are more for the High School or Drum Corps snare drummer.
Those of you who are in your school band or wish to be in school band as a 'percussionist' you will need to have a set of bells at home so we can study mallet instrument concepts. A decent set of bells by Vic Firth or Yamaha, along with a stand, can be found for around $200. I can assist you with this, or any other, equipment purchase.
Lastly, the last member of our 'team' is the metronome or click (nickname). Up until the past few years, a metronome was a stand-alone device that cost between $20 - $200 dollars. I have and use some of those now and then but I like to stay with the times so I use metronome apps, which are available for both iOS (Apple) or Android platforms. Go to your appropriate application store and type in 'metronome' in the search box. You will get a list. Most of them are fine. The one I use in the Studio is called TEMPO by a company called Frozen Ape. The kids like it and get used to using it quickly. It is one of the the two most popular metronome apps in the world, with the other one being PRO METRONOME. Either one is fine. It is worth the extra $2 - $3 for the upgrade. The extra bells and whistles are very handy in learning rhythms and technical development. For computers there are metronome sites like <onlinemetronome.com> which are free but you need your comp nearby. The other apps can be used on your iPhones, iPod touches, iPads, smart pads, Android phones, etc.
I will provide a binder and dividers as well as your lesson materials. If I need for you to get a particular book, I will tell you which one and refer you to the page that has it listed.
All items are, also, available at most music stores as well as Amazon.com.
Sticks and binders must be brought to all lessons. I have iPads for the click plus a selection of pads here so yours can stay at home. If you happen to forget your sticks you are welcome to use a pair of mine.