August 2nd Issue, 2008

In this issue..

1) Rudiments Around The Kit DVD filmed in the Aussie Outback - Devils Marbles (NT) and Pinnacle Desert (WA)
2) 7 Fills For The Price Of 1 - how to take any single sticking pattern and get at least 7 different fills from it!
3) UDS 2007 - 5 stars in Rhythm UK magazine - apologies we had the wrong issue!

Rudiments Around The Kit DVD filmed in the Aussie Outback!

* All photos taken with the written permission of all relevant governing bodies *

Well what an incredible last 2 weeks it has been! The Rockyhouse Media crew flew over 10,000km's around Australia to film the first half of the new Rudiments Around The Kit DVD. In the last issue we showed you some footage from the snow, the morning after that we flew out to Alice Springs where we drove to and filmed at, The Devils Marbles. Then we flew to Western Australia and drove to our 3rd filming location, The Pinnacle Desert.

Click the pics below..

The Devils Marbles - Northern Territory

The Pinnacles Desert - Western Australia

On With The Show! "7 Fills For The Price Of 1"

One concept that Rudiments Around The Kit DVD goes into heavily is permutations. Teaching you how to play the rudiments as fills is one thing, but permutations are what will really expand your fill vocabulary exponentially, as well as develop you some serious independence. Permutations will also teach you how to phrase around the beat and over the bar line, helping you develop more exciting and advanced fill or solo ideas.

So what are permutations? Variations. Within just the subdivisions of 16th notes and triplets, I'll now show you how you can take ONE sticking pattern and get 7 different fills from it - even if the fill is played identically with the same sequence of drums/cymbals.

Let's take the pattern we looked at in the last (snow issue) Big Drum..

Which I showed you how to play around the kit in a few different ways, like these..

Now most people would learn a few variations and be done with it, then go and learn a new sticking pattern to turn into a fill. But you haven't even scratched the surface yet!

By using permutations, even just within triplets and 16ths (let alone 32nd notes or 32nd note triplets) we can get 7 more variations of either of the above 2 fills. Or any other application of it for that matter. All this without even changing the sticking pattern!

Here's how.. we'll learn the permutations on snare first. Don't worry if this pattern is too advanced, I apply this idea to EVERY fill in RATK, beginner to advanced. The important thing here is you see how the flam (marked in blue) moves through the subdivisions in each variation, yet the sticking pattern remains the same.

OK, so far all we've done is learn the above pattern in triplets, with the flam on the down beat. That is, the flam on beat 1, 2, 3 or 4. So we'll call this version 1.

VERSION 1

Next we'll shift the sticking pattern across by 1 triplet. That means the flam now plays on the middle triplet. We don't change the actual sticking pattern, the sequence if you will, at all. We just shift it across and play it again. So now the pattern is this..

VERSION 2

Then across to the last triplet..

VERSION 3

So we have 3 versions already, and that's just within triplets. If we were to use the same pattern phrased over the beat in 16ths, we'd be able to add the following 4 versions as well, totaling 7.

VERSIONS 4 - 7

Now that you're totally confused :) Let's now see that in Ezybeat video, so you can HEAR what's happening. If you missed the snow issue (which introduces the pattern we've been using), use the Table Of Contents in the video player.  

What is Rudiments Around The Kit? (RATK)

Rudiments Around The Kit is an exciting new multi DVD set we're releasing in time for Christmas this year. It covers absolutely every aspect of applying your standard and non standard rudiment / hand patterns around the kit as fills, beats or solo ideas.

All of the DVD's like this on the market today, teaching systems of applying rudiments around the kit, only teach a few ways to play the Standard 40 PASIC Rudiments. While RATK will definitely go in depth into demonstrating great ways of applying the standard 40, it goes WAY beyond this, covering (we can guarantee it) twice as much information as our competition. Here is what is covered in RATK..

* Complete Technique Workshop
* Standard 40 Rudiments - Applied
* Standard 40 Rudiments - Permutations
* Advanced Rudiments - Applied
* Advanced Rudiments - Permutations
* Rudimental Independence
* Snare / Drumkit Solos
* Groove Tracks and heaps more!

 UDS 2007 gets 5 stars in Rhythm UK magazine - our mistake!

Our apologies, we had our information wrong. We are featured in the Summer Issue of Rhythm UK mag (which isn't out yet, but we have it :), which is the very next issue. Stay tuned!