Drummer Michael D’Angelo recently put out a new book of reading material that I’ve been enjoying for the last couple of weeks. I know Michael through his wonderful YouTube series on how to mic jazz drums. I’ve learned a lot from him and am happy to help spread the word about his book.
Michael’s book builds upon the many drum books designed to develop independence and coordination on the drum set, such as Ted Reed’s Syncopation and Gary Chester’s The New Breed.
Melodic Systems can be used in various ways and is only limited by your imagination, but Michael provides some exercise ideas to get you started.
What I like most about this collection is the thoughtful way that it’s organized. Michael has sections for eighth notes, sixteenths, triplets, and 12/8 rhythms. Each rhythmic study in the book puts the different combinations in a musical context while focusing on limited groupings (1-note, 2-note, 3-note, and 4-note). This is very useful for methodically working up challenging exercises.
After I bought the book (this is not a sponsored post), Michael sent over a promo code for me to share with you all. Use PRACTICINGDRUMMER at checkout for $5 off (digital version only). This code is good through August 2024.
Highly recommend!
Buy the digital version – promo code PRACTICINGDRUMMER (good through August 2024)
If you pick it up, let me know what you think!
