Daily Warm-Ups Improves Your Technique

Submitted by Mike The Rep on Sun, 04/24/2011 - 22:46

 

Andy Ziker’s Daily Drum Warm-Ups: 365 Exercise to Develop Your Technique (Hal Leonard Corporation) is a follow-up to Drum Aerobics. This book is a 52-week, one-exercise-per-day warm-up program. Daily Drum Warm-Ups includes a detailed tutorial on hand technique (including brush playing), 365 hand exercises and 20 foot ostinatos, and an accompanying audio CD with demos of each exercise. (The CD is enhanced with the Amazing Slow-Downer.) It is designed for all drummers, from beginners to advanced.

In the following interview, Ziker talks with Percussion Partners in more detail about the new book.

PP: Two books is a lot in one year.  How did this come to pass?

Ziker: The content found in Daily Drum Warm-Ups was originally supposed to be part of Drum Aerobics. The idea being: a warm-up and a workout for every day of the year–just like you might do as a gym routine. When Hal Leonard informed me that I was over-stuffing the layout of Drum Aerobics with too much content, I proposed another book and Daily Drum Warm-Ups was born.

I feel that new book is a great companion to Drum Aerobics, since the weekly content crosses over from one book to the other. For instance, when a rudiment is introduced in Daily Drum Warm-Ups on a particular day of the week, it is very likely that rudiment will be applied to the drumset during the same week in Drum Aerobics. 

PP : What is the concept of the book?

Ziker: John Riley’s excellent book, The Jazz Drummer’s Workshop, includes a chapter “The Warm-Up”. I really enjoyed working through this material. During one of my lessons with John, he explained how warming up before you practice or perform can improve technique. I made this part of my routine and soon noticed the uptick in my own playing.

I’ve been further inspired by David Stanoch’s, Mastering the Tables of Time, and Bill Bachman’s series of articles in Modern Drummer Magazine.

All of the exercises in Daily Drum Warm-Ups are designed to be beneficial to drumset players. In the same vein as One Surface Learning by Roy Burns and Joey Farris, you can take any of the exercises from the book and apply them to the drumset.

Taking it one step further, I’ve included 20 foot ostinatos in the book (and the CD). This will encourage 4-limb drumset practice. 

PP : Why is brush playing and playing with your bare hands included in the book?

Ziker: I have discovered throughout the years that brush playing might be the best way to warm up. There is something about how the brushes feel in your hands–and the touch required– that really gets the blood flowing and prepares you to practice or perform. I introduce some basic brush techniques that will encourage creativity and also allow you to play almost all of the warm-ups in the book as brush examples Because sticks and brushes aren’t always available, bare-hand playing is also introduced.

In the future, I will be offering free video content to demonstrate the brush and bare-hand warm-up examples. (Brush examples are included on the CD.)

PP: What drum audience will benefit from this book?

Ziker: I feel that book is a great supplemental tool for drumset players of all levels and private teachers. Because of the calendar style organization, both this book and Drum Aerobics also work well with large groups, such as high school or college classes. Marching band, drumline, and pipe drumming players may also find Daily Drum Warm-Ups intriguing. My own students are finding the book to be very motivating.

Recently, the book received a favorable review from Mike Dolbear’s website: http://www.mikedolbear.com.

Daily Drum Warm-Ups lists for $16.99 and is available at many music stores across the US, most e-commerce sites and on Ziker’s own website:http://andyziker.com/