Compared to offbeats in simple time, offbeats in compound time are much simpler. Compound time uses beat groupings of three notes and the offbeat is located on the second note of these three note groupings. There are only three rhythmic…
The Ups and Downs
The Blog for Pipe Band Drummers
What is "Lift"? Part III: Understanding the Offbeat in Simple Time
We've already discussed beats and backbeats in simple time. Today we'll be looking at the part of the beat that, if emphasized, provides the most effective way to get "lift" into your drum scores: the offbeat. The offbeat is…
What is "Lift"? Part II: Understanding the Beat and Backbeat in Compound Time
Last time we discussed the differences between the beat and backbeat in simple time. This week we'll be discussing those differences in the context of compound time (sometimes referred to as "triple" time). Whereas simple time uses subdivisions of…
What is "Lift?" Part I: Understanding the Beat and Backbeat in Simple Time
The word "lift" has been appearing on pipe band score sheets for decades. It is a mysterious and confusing word! What is lift? How can a drum corps achieve it? In the next several weeks I'll be discussing the issue…
The Ups and Downs: My Six Year Journey as a Lead Drummer
On August 2, 2019, the Dartmouth and District Pipe Band from Nova Scotia won the North American Pipe Band Championships in grade 4. I am fortunate to be the lead drummer. We won every judging category (1,1,1,1) against some very…
"REPS": Let's get real about repetition
The word "reps" is thrown around a lot in every pipe band. Every practice we hear...
"Get some reps in"
"We need to rep that some more"
"Don't forget to rep the second part"
What Does this Word Mean?
The…
Video Blog: How to Improve Your FOCUS
The word "focus" is thrown around a lot. I hear often hear it in rehearsal and even more often on competition days. What does it mean? Is it possible to practice focusing? If so, what does that look like?
Check…
#pipebanddrumming
This week I'd like to discuss the subject of #hashtags. Hashtags are commonly used on Twitter to categorize posts so that others can follow those hashtags and comment, share and otherwise interact. They are incredibly useful! I use them all…
Backyard FAQ: How Do I Get My Rolls Faster?
Today marks the start of a new video series on PipeBandDrummer.com: Backyard FAQ. My plan is to answer frequently asked questions I receive from subscribers to PipeBandDrummer in video form and then post them on the YouTube channel for everyone's…
Five Long Minutes of Cut Fours (Slow)
Welcome to the fifth instalment of the "Five Long Minutes" blog post/video series: Five Long Minutes of Cut Fours!
When I was first taught to play a cut four (four stroke roll) there was a disconnect between the way…