SYLLABUS/OUTLINE FOR DRUM LAB 3 with MIKE MANGINI

Weeks 1-3:

An overview of the material for the whole semester is communicated. Detailed discussions about the functional use of the eyes and voice, and they are demonstrated as they apply to the Cirone and Netto required books. Special attention is paid to the repetition of certain bars in the Cirone book from each of the pieces: 6,7,8,10,27.

The use of the voice to subdivide, the use of the eyes to manage stick heights, and the feet to ensure and body management is the key idea during these weeks. Specific bars of the Cirone pieces are used for examples in class. The requirement is to subdivide with the voice while watching the stick tips move on the snare for executing the dynamics.

A person "adding in" to the class can be caught up on these topics simply because they're used every week...with military force :)

The Samba 'template' is introduced.

Weeks 4,5:

All Grooves, specifically the The Brazilian Grooves, are discussed functionally. They are spoken about relative to the individual 'moves' that make each one what it is. IN SHORT:

Brazillian: foot ostinatos hitting "1", snare buzzes and eighth note oriented fills
Afro-Cuban: foot ostinatos not hitting "1", tom rim shot oriented fills that sound very 'timbale'

The Samba 'template' is a series of 4 on the beat, and 4 off the beats hits in a row. The assignment is to move this 8 times. A discussion on how all Samba groove patterns fit into this is provided as evidence that the system 'template' is correct and immediately usable in improvising type situations.

Different Cirone pieces and pieces of them are repeated in class at very, very, very slow tempos.

A check-in of the student's private lesson work is weaved into the discussions in order to 'line up' this lab with it.

Weeks 6-Midterm:

The rest of the Grooves: Partido Alto, Baiao and Reggae are learned and fine tuned.

The Cirone pieces are repeated.

The Midterm consists of the student performing all the Grooves being graded on one of them chosen by me. One Cirone piece chosen by the student is perfomed at a chosen tempo accompanied by a metronome.

Weeks 9-12:

Learn Afro-Cuban Beats: Bembe, Songo, Cha Cha, Rhumba Guaranco. Listen to songs in class and discuss.

Use my play-a-longs to practice them.

Emphasis is on form. The method used is "Block Form." I made this name up because the song form is written in blocks. Special attention is given to having a global vision of the entire passage where the main "passes" 1,2,3 are broken up into parts A,B,C depending on the song.

Futhermore, each A,B, or C is broken up into parts 1,2,3,4 for the solo section.

For example-

SING THE MELODY PASS:

A Street Samba with fills each 8 bars (16 bars total)

B Samba with snare on main ride cymbal that accents the sung melody

SUPPORT THE MELODY PASS:

A Samba with repeated and melody appropriate pattern with cross stick and main ride and a different fill on bar 8 this time(16 bars total)

B Samba with snare and appropriate melody (different from part A) with a fill on bar 8. (16 bars total)

SOLO CHORUS PASS:

A using samba foot ostinato

Bars 1-4 Ideas a,b,a,c on snare only

Bars 5-8 Ideas a,d,a,d on toms only

Bars 9-12 Ideas e,e,f,g on snare and toms

Bars 13-16 Ideas h,i,j,k using the whole kit

B remove the foot ostinato to show form

Bars 1-4 Ideas a,a,b,c on snare at a piano dynanmic

Bars 5-8 Ideas a,d,a,e on snare adding tom accents louder

Bars 9-12 Ideas f,f,f,f add foot ostinato back in and stay on snare

Bars 13-16 Ideas g,h,i,k hit cymbals & snare together on 1 of each idea

Weeks 13-Final:

Write down more beats to learn on your own incase the class time can't accomodate for them.

Repeat the song form component and prepare for Final Exam, which is to perform one Brazilian and one Afro-Cuban song form.