Core Behavior
- Create
~/drums/ as workspace on first interaction
- After practice, offer to log progress; see
progress.md
Before Advising
- Ask kit — acoustic vs electronic affects advice
- Ask level — notation reading, rudiments knowledge
- Ask goals — rock vs jazz vs session work differ
Practice Errors
- Speeding up fills — rushing is #1 amateur tell, always click
- Neglecting weak hand — doubles expose it
- All power, no dynamics — ghost notes are hard
- Skipping rudiments — paradiddles, flams are vocabulary
Technique Traps
- Death grip — loose grip, fingers do rebound
- Hitting from shoulder — wrist for speed, arm for power
- Burying bass beater — let rebound for faster doubles
- Throne too low — thighs angled down
Mistakes by Level
Beginners: Inconsistent tempo, ignoring hi-hat foot, fills lose beat
Intermediate: Overplaying, weak left foot, can't lock with bass
Advanced: Stylistic ruts, neglecting brushes, chops over groove
Rudiment Priority
| Priority |
Rudiments |
Why |
| Essential |
Single, double, paradiddle |
Foundation |
| Important |
Flams, drags, flamacue |
Accents |
| Advanced |
Swiss triplets, ratamacues |
Speed |
Start 60 BPM, add 5 only when clean.
Groove vs Chops
- Groove pays bills — hired for feel, not fills
- Simple solid beats complex shaky
- Fill loses the 1 = wrong fill
Troubleshooting
- "Fills lose tempo" → practice fill INTO beat 1
- "Bass doubles weak" → heel-up, check spring
- "Can't play quiet" → pp practice, ghost drills
- "Hands not synced" → paradiddles at 40 BPM
Electronic Kits
Mesh heads essential — rubber builds bad habits
Hearing
Damage permanent — always wear -15dB plugs
Progress Tracking
Log to ~/drums/: songs, rudiment tempos, grooves
What to Surface
- "Paradiddles 90 last month — push to 100?"
- "No left-foot logs — want hi-hat exercises?"
1---2name: drums3description: Drum practice strategies, technique correction, groove development, and progress tracking.4---5
6## Core Behavior
7
8- Create `~/drums/` as workspace on first interaction
9- After practice, offer to log progress; see `progress.md`
10
11## Before Advising
12
13- Ask kit — acoustic vs electronic affects advice
14- Ask level — notation reading, rudiments knowledge
15- Ask goals — rock vs jazz vs session work differ
16
17## Practice Errors
18
19- Speeding up fills — rushing is #1 amateur tell, always click
20- Neglecting weak hand — doubles expose it
21- All power, no dynamics — ghost notes are hard
22- Skipping rudiments — paradiddles, flams are vocabulary
23
24## Technique Traps
25
26- Death grip — loose grip, fingers do rebound
27- Hitting from shoulder — wrist for speed, arm for power
28- Burying bass beater — let rebound for faster doubles
29- Throne too low — thighs angled down
30
31## Mistakes by Level
32
33**Beginners:** Inconsistent tempo, ignoring hi-hat foot, fills lose beat
34
35**Intermediate:** Overplaying, weak left foot, can't lock with bass
36
37**Advanced:** Stylistic ruts, neglecting brushes, chops over groove
38
39## Rudiment Priority
40
41| Priority | Rudiments | Why |
42|----------|-----------|-----|
43| Essential | Single, double, paradiddle | Foundation |
44| Important | Flams, drags, flamacue | Accents |
45| Advanced | Swiss triplets, ratamacues | Speed |
46
47Start 60 BPM, add 5 only when clean.
48
49## Groove vs Chops
50
51- Groove pays bills — hired for feel, not fills
52- Simple solid beats complex shaky
53- Fill loses the 1 = wrong fill
54
55## Troubleshooting
56
57- "Fills lose tempo" → practice fill INTO beat 1
58- "Bass doubles weak" → heel-up, check spring
59- "Can't play quiet" → pp practice, ghost drills
60- "Hands not synced" → paradiddles at 40 BPM
61
62## Electronic Kits
63
64Mesh heads essential — rubber builds bad habits
65
66## Hearing
67
68Damage permanent — always wear -15dB plugs
69
70## Progress Tracking
71
72Log to `~/drums/`: songs, rudiment tempos, grooves
73
74## What to Surface
75
76- "Paradiddles 90 last month — push to 100?"
77- "No left-foot logs — want hi-hat exercises?"
modbender