Author: Duran Ritz

5 Tips to For a Successful Practice Session

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Blog, Drum Career, school

Recently, I was asked by one of my students how to practice more effectively. This student didn’t have a lot of time to practice, and was looking to get the most out of their time.

Normally I avoid these types of questions, because practice is so unique to everyone. At any time a person can be at any stage in their learning, and no exact schedule is going to work for everyone.

However, I believe that there are a few things that all musicians can take into consideration that can help them get the most out of their time.

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Online Drum Lessons – Learn from Home with Videos

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Drum Career, school

Are you interested in online drum lessons? It can be difficult to know exactly where to start when trying to learn how to play the drums on the internet. Is it worth the money? Are there free alternatives available? How does it all work? This guide will break down the pros and cons of learning to play the drums online and help you decide whether it’s right for you.

*Note: Click the link to skip ahead to our detailed review of Drumeo Edge, our pick as the best online drumming resource available*

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Tuning Drums – Tune The Best Snare Drum With the Udo Masshoff Method

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Blog, gear, Videos

If you’re frustrated by tuning drums, you aren’t alone. There is an art to making a drum sound great, and like so many other parts of music, tuning your drum kit needs to be practiced. At the heart and soul of any drum sound is the snare. It’s the most audible piece on the kit, and also the most versatile.

A snare drum can either make a kit sound great, or awful. Learning to get the best snare drum sound possible is important. Luckily, the “drum tuning guru” Udo Masshoff has a handy new trick to share with everyone.

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This Flowchart Perfectly Describes The Mind of a Drummer

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a drummer? Or what is going on in a drummer’s head during the day time, night time, and any time they aren’t sitting behind a drum kit?

From what we’ve experienced, it usually revolves around drumming. Should I be drumming? Should I be practicing drumming? Should I be drumming louder? Should I be playing faster?

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Honest Review: Drumeo Edge – is it Worth the Money?

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Buying Guides, Drum Career, Reviews

Do you want to learn how to play the drums, but don’t want to go through the hassle of finding a teacher and attending weekly lessons? You’re probably not alone, because there are a few different online drum courses available on the internet now.

However, the most popular drumming product right now would have to be Drumeo Edge. Drumeo offers an online course boasting over 100 hours of content and over 40 different instructors to help you achieve your goals. Sounds great right?

But at a rate of $29.95/month, it is important to make sure it’s worth your money. Here is our Drumeo Edge review:

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Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer Part 2 Review – Jojo Mayer

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Buying Guides, Reviews, Videos

I’m sure you’ve heard about Jojo Mayer’s latest DVD, “Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer Part 2” by now. Jojo is one of today’s top drummers, and definitely one of the best educators out right now. When he puts out any new instructional material, people listen.

This DVD is a sequel to his first in the series titled, “Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer”, which focuses on a huge array of hand techniques. If you haven’t checked out his first DVD, you probably should (because it’s incredible). But what’s the deal with his second one? Here is a review of Jojo Mayer’s second DVD, “Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer Part 2”.

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Gear Review – Roland Octapad SPD-30 Versus SPD-SX

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Buying Guides, gear, Reviews

Which is better, the Roland Octapad SPD-30, or the Roland SPD-SX? In today’s modern music, electronic drums are exploding in popularity.

Today, being able to blend digital samples and electronic sounds with acoustic drums is crucial. But with so many options out there, what do you pick?

Well, I’ve done the work for you and rounded up the two biggest players in the electronic drum pad world, and made a review for both:

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Video: Travis Orbin of the Band Darkest Hour in Session

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Videos

Check out the metal/prog drummer Travis Orbin of the Darkest Hour Band absolutely destroy a drum session! From the looks of the video and reading the description, it looks like this is a preliminary recording session for a side project of Orbin’s called Cartoon Theory, on the song “Wizardy Mind”.

From the description, you can tell that Orbin is pumped on the song, and is even taking notes for improvement.

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What is the Best Wood for Drum Shells

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Drum Career, gear
When you’re looking to buy a new drum kit, sometimes the number of options can be daunting. The most confusing of all is what type of wood is the best to get the sound you want.
When looking for the best wood for drum shells, we need to know the qualities of each different type of wood. The standard for American drum makers today is Birch and Maple. Both sound great, and if all else fails, you can’t go wrong buying a kit made with either of those woods.
But what about kits made from other wood types that aren’t as common? Are those kits worth picking up, or are drum makers just using those rare woods as a clever marketing ploy to get you to buy them for a higher price? The answer is both.
Each wood type comes with it’s own tonality and EQ, but due to rarity and difficulty in manufacturing, sometimes they come with a more expensive price tag. So what are these woods, and what are the best woods for you?

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