A Reading Challenge

I met a great pianist on this past contract and got to know a little about his years in the music business over many dinners together.  It turns out that this amazing player actually started out as a big-band drummer spending many of his childhood years in New York working in this complex style of drumming before making his way out to LA to study with some of the best teachers.

At his first college audition he was presented with a very difficult challenge.  He was asked to site read parts from the iconic snare drumming manual Portraits in Rhythm by Anthony J. Cirone.   It was this story that peaked my interest about the manual and pushed me to download it from Amazon's Kindle service for my iPad.

For all you drummers who think you are a great reader this book will challenge your personal opinions about your ability.  The manual covers a number of rudimental styled snare drum solos that will challenge even the most ambitious drummer.  There are lessons in 4/4, 2/4, 6/3, 3/8, single beats and ones that cover a number of changing time signatures.  And if the time signatures couldn't challenge you enough the stickings will.  You will be forced to do flams and ruffs into six stroke, seven stroke and nine stroke rolls all in weird time markings. Perhaps the books greatest attribute is the use of dynamic markings and accents in the most unusual places all designed to turn regular drummers into great musicians.

I have been working through the pages for about three weeks now and I am starting to understand many of the lessons, but the work has just begun.  Each page must be practiced slowly and diligently.  At times I have to break out a pen and paper to figure out what is written, but I am on a quest to be a better musician so I accept the challenge with open arms.  As I am learning there is a reason that Modern Drummer magazine placed this book in their Top 25 Drumming manuals.  Download it today at Amazon Portraits of Rhythm, grab your metronome and get ready to work.