Welcome back to the Chops Blog! Here at Chops we love a good drum solo, and today we’re going to take a closer look at a classic. In 1996 Tool released their classic album Aenima. The aggressive and conceptually innovative music was the perfect showcase for drummer Danny Carey. His powerful, but cerebral drumming helped him quickly become one of the most respected drummers to emerge in the 1990s. One of the radio signals from the album was the brooding “Forty Six & 2”. In the bridge, which is primarily in seven, Carey plays a powerful solo. It is a perfect showcase of his and his bandmate’s rhythmic prowess. Check out the pdf HERE , and listen to the solo with the tempo reduced by one third HERE. Take time to study the music, and listen to the reduced version many times. Then practice the solo by breaking it down into small pieces. After you are comfortable performing it slowly, gradually speed it up until you can perform it at the original tempo. Get to work, it isn’t easy!

The following originally appeared at (hyperlink here) www.allmandrums.com. Here at Chops Percussion we’re big fans of Dave Grohl. Ever since emerging as the hard-hitting drummer of Nirvana, Grohl has been at the forefront of music. Even though he’s known today as the guitarist and leader of the Foo Fighters, he’s still an outstanding drummer and has played with many artists including Queens of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, and Tenacious D. In honor of Dave’s birthday last week we put together a quick lesson on five ways to emulate his playing. Check out the PDF here. Check out the lesson then listen to the artists and albums we recommended on the PDF, we guarantee you’ll enjoy it!

Welcome back to the Chops blog! We’re already a week into 2016, but I’d like to suggest some New Year’s resolutions for the high school percussionist. As a young and developing percussionist, you’ve got lots of room for growth and improvement. However, it can be easy to follow bad advice or spend time on the wrong things. The following suggestions are applicable to all young percussionists: Learn more percussion instruments A well-rounded high school percussionist is equally comfortable on mallets, timpani, drums, and accessory instruments. If you are unfamiliar with any instrument used regularly in your band, address those weaknesses this year. Don’t know where to start? You can easily find guidance by asking your band director or percussion instruction. Chances are they have some experience, or can help you find someone who does. If you’re serious about percussion, and learning new instruments, you’ll need to find a private teacher. Private lessons will help you grow as a musician faster than anything else Improve your music reading skills The ability to read music separates the truly excellent and mediocre musicians. A strong reader spends less time figuring out what to play, which allows them to focus on how to play.

Welcome back to the Chops blogs! Today we’re going to finish our series on holiday gifts by discussing some last minute ideas. #1 – Sticks and mallets As we’ve already discussed, drummers and percussionists can never have too many sticks or mallets. See our previous entry here. If you are purchasing a gift for a drummer, consider purchasing them several pairs of their favorite stick. If you are purchasing a gift for a percussionist, consider replacing mallets they use regularly, or expanding their collection with a type of mallet they need. Again, be sure to know which brand and model your drummer or percussionist prefers before making a purchase. #2 – Metronome A metronome is a crucial tool for the rhythmic and time development of all drummers and percussionists. We carry many metronomes, ranging from the $31 Seiko DM50 to the $159 Boss Dr. Beat. We prefer the features and price of $69 Boss DB-60. #3 – Accessories All drummers and percussionists also need accessories! For the drummer, consider drum keys, dampening products (MoonGel, etc.), replacement tension rods or cymbal felts, or cleaning products. For the percussionist, consider drum keys, replacement parts, or small instruments such as triangles or tambourines.

Welcome back to the Chops blog! Today we’re going to continue our series on holiday gift ideas. As you’re well aware, drums and percussion can be very loud. Fortunately, there are many products available that limit or reduce their volume during practice. For family, friends, and neighbors, these products are essential for maintaining sanity. Today we’re going to highlight some of our favorite volume-reducing practice tools. #1 – Practice Pads A practice pad is a device that replicates the feel and sound of a drum, but is much quieter. They make practice easy, quiet, and most importantly, bearable for others. Every drummer and percussionist should own a practice pad. Many styles of practice pads are available, but they normally fit into two categories: general use, and marching. General use pads work well for concert, drumset, and marching use. They normally feature a gum rubber surface, but might include a plastic rim and real drum head. For more information on our favorite general use practice pads, please see our previous blog entry here. If you are purchasing a practice pad for a student that participates in a marching activity, such as band or winter drumline, you should consider a marching pad.

Welcome back to the Chops blogs! Today we’re going to begin a brief series on holiday gift ideas. With the holidays rapidly approaching it’s time to think about a gift for the percussionist or drummer in your life. Today we’re going to look at some of our favorite accessories that are cheap and practical. #1 – Sticks and mallets Believe it or not, a drummer and percussionist can never have too many sticks or mallets! As we’ve discussed here many times, every drummer and percussionist will have their own stick and mallet preferences, so ask them before making a purchase. Different brands often use the same or similar model names, so be sure to ask for a specific brand and model. For instance, while every drum stick manufacturer makes a “5A” model stick, your drummer might prefer brand X’s model over Y. If you are purchasing mallets for a percussionist, consider expanding their collection. Consult our guides for the beginner and intermediate percussionist. Price: Drum sticks – $5-$20 per pair Mallets – $10-$50 per pair #2 – Drum keys Drum keys are a crucial tool for drummers and percussionists, regardless of their experience or area of specialty. We carry many different

Welcome back to the Chops blog! Over the weekend marching bands from across the nation gathered at Lucas Oil Stadium to participate in Music For All’s Bands of America Grand National Championships. On Wednesday evening the competition began with the Indianapolis Marching Band Tournament. The following schools from across the city participated: Arlington Community H.S. John Marshall Community H.S. Northwest Community H.S. Crispus Attacks Community H.S. Broad Ripple Magnet H.S. Shortridge H.S. Emmerich Manual George Washington Community H.S. Key Learning Community H.S. Arsenal Technical H.S. The Marian University Marching band also performed the national anthem, and closed the evening with an exhibition performance. The championship competition began on Thursday morning and continued through Saturday evening. Indiana was well represented with the following schools participating, in order of Prelims performance: Monrovia H.S. Homestead H.S. Southwestern H.S. New Palestine H.S. Avon H.S. Ben Davis H.S. Carmel H.S. Triton Central H.S. Lawrence Township H.S. Center Grove H.S. Lake Central H.S. Goshen H.S. Congratulations to the following bands who made Semi-Finals: Ben Davis H.S. Lawrence Township H.S. Homestead H.S. Center Grove H.S. Lake Central H.S. Avon H.S. Carmel H.S. Goshen H.S. Congratulations the following bands who made Grand National Finals: Avon H.S. (2nd) Carmel

Welcome back to the Chops blog! Chops Percussion is proud to be the presenting sponsor for the Indiana Percussion Association. IPA recently announced their annual clinic day, which will take place at Franklin Community High School on December 12th. This annual event includes the IPA Individual and Ensemble contest, organizational meetings, and performances by clinicians. Check it out the details here and make plans to attend! Amongst this year’s exciting lineup of clinicians is Glenn Kotche, internationally renowned percussionist and composer. As a solo artist and member of Wilco, Kotche is regarded as one of the most creative drummers thanks to his percussion-centric approach to drum set. If you don’t attend the IPA clinic for any other reason than to see his presentation, it will be well worth your time. Kotche’s creativity has its roots in his education. He began percussion as a student, and continued his studies under Professor Jim Campbell at the University of Kentucky. He also spent a summers in the late eighties as a member of The Cavaliers. While studying percussion, Kotche also dedicated himself to learning drum set. Rather than approach the drum set like a separate discipline, he found creative ways to enlist the techniques

Welcome back to the Chops blog! A couple of weeks ago Jeff wrote a great guide to the WGI independent drumlines in the area. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out here. Today I’d like to continue on the subject of drumlines by providing a few tips for auditioning. In my younger days I spent lots of years marching with several drum corps and winter drumlines. Having successfully, and unsuccessfully auditioned for a number of groups, I’d like to offer the following advice: 1. Have reasonable expectations. It’s critical that you enter an audition with reasonable expectations. While the world class corps and drumlines are the most impressive, only the best and most experienced candidates will make the cut. In other words, audition for a group that you have a reasonable chance of joining. If you’re still young, and have a limited amount of experience, you should consider auditioning for an “open”, or “A” class group. Membership in these groups is typically not as competitive, and will help a young student develop crucial skills and gain experience. Many members of the best marching organizations have many years of experience, including seasons spent with scholastic, “A”, and “open” class groups.

Welcome back to the Chops blog! Today we’d like to take the chance to preview the new college football season and several of our local collegiate marching bands. If you are a fan of the marching arts, it’s hard to beat Indiana. Between drum corps during the summer, marching band in the fall, and winter guard and percussion during the winter and spring, there’s rarely a break between marching seasons. However, it’s easy to forget that there are many great college marching bands in the state. Butler, Purdue, Indiana, Indiana State, and Marian University are all located in, or within a short drive from Indianapolis, and have excellent marching bands. These bands will perform before, during, and after their school’s home football games throughout the fall and winter. For the relatively inexpensive price of a ticket you can see an exciting college football game and performances from the band.  Be sure to get there early for some tailgating, as most of the bands will perform outside the stadium before everyone heads inside! The Butler University Marching Band will perform five times this fall at upcoming games. 9/12 – vs. Franklin (Band Day) 9/26 – vs. Campbell (Homecoming) 10/17 – vs.

Welcome back to the Chops blog! Today I’d like to address a topic that I feel has needed attention for some time: drum covers. Over the past five to six years a type of video called a “drum cover” has become popular on the internet, especially on YouTube. If you’re not familiar, a drum cover is a video of a drummer playing along to a prerecorded track. However, rather than playing an authentic, straight-forward version of the track, the drummer plays their own version of the song. This often involves unique beats, fills, and solos. There are many drum cover videos available on YouTube that showcase some incredibly creative and technical playing. Despite their prevalence, and the impressive musicianship often on display, drum covers are often a negative influence on young or otherwise impressionable drummers. When a naïve musician watches a drum cover, they are easily impressed by the complex techniques on display. They then think that these things are important, and should be emulated in their own playing. This idea is then reinforced by the number of times the video has been viewed. Unfortunately, drum covers are unrealistic and impractical for drummers in the real world. For every YouTube

Welcome back to the Chops blog! Today I’d like to address a concern we frequently hear at this time of year: uncomfortable carriers. As the marching band season begins, students often suffer through the first several weeks when they are commonly out of shape, and unprepared to carry the weight of a marching drum. Combine that with the intense, all day schedule of a band camp and you quickly have a miserable student. Weak shoulders, backs, and legs are punished by the weight of the drum. After suffering the shock of a heavy drum, concerned parents often contact us seeking relief for their student. However, before investing in expensive alternatives, I recommend that your student endure the first weeks of the season and develop strength in their back, shoulders, and legs. The more time your student spends marching and wearing their drum, the more their body will be accustomed to the weight. By the end of the season your student will barely notice the weight, and will be able to wear their drum for hours at a time. However, if your student is still suffering a month into the season, contact us and we’ll discuss options that might work for some