Mark Boatman

Performance Artiste and Educator
Drum Lessons

I have over 15 years of experience teaching drum lessons to people of all ages and have over 2000 classroom hours of experience teaching English language.  I am a highly effective teacher in both group settings and one on one.

 

When teaching drum lessons I try to develop skills that allow the student to become a well rounded drumset player with a strong foundation in traditional snare drumming techniques. I also require all my students to develop basic music reading abilities. This allows them to become musically literate and learn from the many written sources that are available. i.e. books, CDs, the web.

 

Where?

 

I teach at Rhythm House located at 5 Coleman Street, B1-23 in the Excelsior Shopping Center opposite the Central Fire Station on Hill Street. My rate for private one on one lessons is $60 per one hour lesson and $35 per 1/2 hour lesson. If you would like more information about lessons please send an email to: markjboat@yahoo.com.

 

My performance abilities are recognized by some of the best drumset players/teachers in Singapore. Drummers who have used me as a substitute for performances include: Eddie Layman, instructor at Lasalle College ; Robert Nalin, instructor at The Australian International School; Darrel Irvin, instructor at United World College SEA; Carl Jenkins, faculty member at United World College SEA. I have also subbed for recognized local drummers Tan Boon Gee and Tama Goh.

 

The following is an outline of the areas I focus on when teaching students at various levels.

 

Beginning Drum Students

Students at this level will work on the following areas:

 

1.      Choose a grip, traditional or matched

·        Develop a consistent grip

·        Develop a good basic stroke - pivot at the wrist, limited arm movement, good hand position, good stick path.

 

2.      Basic Reading

·        4/4 time and 2/4 time

·        Quarter notes, quarter rests

·        Eighth notes, eighth rests

·        Sixteenth notes, Sixteenth rests

·        Itroduction to eighth note triplets

·        Basic snare drum studies using quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes

·        Basic pop and rock drumset patterns using quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes.

·        Basic slow blues (12/8) patterns using a triplet subdivision (feel).

 

3.      Snare drum technique

·        Sticking patterns

·        Accent patterns

·        Introduction to Rudiments

 

4.      Introduction to Drumset

·        Cymbal techniques

·        Bass drum techniques

·        Hihat techniques

·        Movement around the drums

 

5.      Basic pop/rock and blues drumming.

·        Simple eighth note rock patterns (grooves)

·        Simple drum fills using quarter, eighth, and sixteenth note

·        Slow blues grooves, i.e. triplet based patterns

·        Triplet based drum fills

 

Intermediate Drum Students

Students at this level will continue the development of concepts and techniques introduced at the beginning level and move on to more advanced playing techniques. Students at this level will focus on the following areas:

 

1.      Eighth note triplets

·        Basic triplet patterns for snare

·        Basic triplet patterns (grooves) for drumset

·        Jazz

·        Blues shuffles

2.      Slow Blues, 12/8

3.      Snare Drum

·        Open rolls

·        Closed rolls (buzz strokes)

·        Advanced flam rudiments

·        Introduction to the drag (ruff)

·        Rudimental snare drum studies

 

4.      Syncopated sixteenth note bass drum patterns for rock and funk

5.      Snare drum studies in ¾ and 6/8 time

6.      Application of ¾ and 6/8 time to the drumset

·        Jazz waltz

·        6/8 latin rock grooves

 

Advanced Drum Students

Students at this level will continue the development of concepts and techniques introduced at the beginning and intermediate levels and move on to more advanced playing techniques. Students at this level will focus on the following areas:

 

1.      Right hand cymbal pattern variations as applied to eighth note (duple) grooves.

·        Reggae

·        Disco

·        Upbeats only, downbeats only

·        Hihat openings.

 

2.      Latin drumset grooves

·        Bossa Nova

·        Jazz samba

 

3.      Advanced accent patterns and drum fills

·        Jazz

·        Rock

·        Latin

 

4.      Drum chart reading

·        Jazz big band

·        Pop/Rock

 

5.      Playing with brushes

·        Medium swing  jazz

·        Ballads

 

markboatman.com contact: markjboat@yahoo.com.