Mary had a little lamb

In my last post "Ba Ba black sheep," Josh had started teaching Delores simple nursery rhymes by number of beats per measure. The first was "Ba Ba black sheep." She would sing the numbers to the tune of Ba Ba black sheep while hitting the drum every time she sang a number. She did this because when she tried to sing the words she would get hung up and she would go back to a 4/4 beat instead of what Josh was trying to teach her.

The second song he taught her was "Mary had a little lamb." He teaches her one line at a time (4-5 measures) over and over again until she has the beat memorized. Then they move on, doing a little at a time, until the whole song is memorized. Here is a you tube video of her singing the beats for "Mary had a little lamb." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpr-MoV0q5g&sns=em

I find her singing this way just a much as she sings words to other songs, which is very interesting to me. 

Josh told me recently that he was taking this time in their lessons to teach her songs and different beats to those songs and then teach her to sing while playing the drums because she has gotten to a point in her drumming where she cannot make her hands go any faster and they will not be moving on 16th notes for a while longer. So she will be getting a lot of practice with her 1/4 notes, 8th notes, playing with songs and singing while playing with songs. 

This week she learned how to sing and play the beat at the same time to "Ba Ba black sheep." Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9R8GkJdy0M&sns=em

It amazes me how quickly Josh can work with Delores even though she gives him such a hard time. As hard a time as she gives me. Maybe he should come home and take over the rest of the lessons too. Hahaha. I'm only kidding. I'm sure it's just because this is where she is strong and this is where Josh is strong and when they get together they make things happen. That to me is just beautiful. 

Music lessons--ba ba black sheep

When Delores starting learning how to play the drums back in January the first song she learned to keep time to was Ba Ba Black Sheep. Now after several months they have made a little remix to the song. 

Delores' Ba Ba Black Sheep Rendition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsIpv4MHtAY

You can hear that she is singing the beat 

instead of the words to the song. 

Josh said when she would sing the words 

she would get confused and go back to 

playing a 4/4 time. 

I thought that was pretty cute. 

She has improved lately in being able to play 

something Josh makes up for her as you 

can see here:

1/8 notes and 1/16 note combination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I23OJ9NJeBk 

I just wanted to give a little update into that area of our lives. It is a little harder for me to write in great detail the things that are going on with her music lessons because I'm only allowed to enter when they invite me in for little concerts. So I hope you have been enjoying her little performances as much as I have.

*I apologize if the layout or links don't turn out right. Blogger changed some things on their mobile app editor and apparently there are a few glitches they need to straighten out.  

Music lessons--Flam taps and 1/8 notes

Delores has been progressing nicely since my last post on her drum lessons given by daddy. Thursday they performed a little concert for me since she had been working so hard on her flam taps. Yeah, I don't know what they are either but Delores sounds hilarious trying to say the word. 

According to Drumlessons.com, "the flam tap is basically an 8th note double stroke roll whose first stroke is flammed." Uhh, do what now? And that is why I am so thankful and happy Josh is covering this area and not me. 

Pretty much what I gather is that a flam is where it is noted in sheet music to play louder and hitting the drum with both sticks at the same time (a flam) gives that effect. The tap is just to hit with one stick. Together quickly they make some kind of drum roll. Josh says this is mostly used in marching bands or high school bands solely on the snare drum and not the whole set. He is teaching her this really to get her use to alternating different strokes and alternating hands while reinforcing the language of left and right. 

So here she is:
YouTube video of Delores playing flam taps.

They also, have been working hard on keeping up with 8th notes. Now, I do know a little about those because I sing and can read enough music to sing the right note at the right time and I did take a little piano when I was like 10. So, I can explain this a little bit. 

Sheet music is made up of measures and each measure has a certain amount of beats/notes before you move onto the next measure. A whole note represents all the beats/notes played in one measure. An 8th (1/8) note represents one eighth of a whole note. Say, for example, you were playing a song that had 4/4 time (4 beats in a measure) a whole note would represent 4 beats. An 8th note would represent 1/8 the duration of a whole note. On the drums you can't hold out notes so you would use 4 quarter notes instead of one whole note. So in this video Josh and Delores are playing quarter notes for two measures and then switching to 8th notes for two measures. Josh says that it was too hard for Delores to only do one measure and then switch. 

So here she is doing quarter notes and moving into 8th notes. 
YouTube video of Delores playing 1/4 notes and 1/8 notes. 

This made me gleam. It just amazes me to watch her play the drum. I mean it's not just banging and noise that has no rhyme or reason. It is the background rhythm for music. Without it music as we know it would not be the same. There would be no groove to make to want to dance. No blues to loose your cares in. No classical or opera to take your breath away. No hymns, soul or gospel to enter into His presence with. She is playing music that completes almost all genres and that leaves me watching in wonder as this 3 year old, completely unaware, taps into her musical abilities that will change her life forever. Wow!

Music Lessons

Delores has always shown a natural gift for keeping time to music. At two years old I started preparing my husband, Josh, for being in charge of formal drum lessons twice a week when Delores turned 3.

Josh has been playing a full set of drums since he was in high school. He played in the school matching band (hot right?) and years ago he played in a church band. So I knew he would have no problem with providing the information. 

We began in the beginning of January, just a few weeks after she turned 3, and she took to it like duck to a water. She was a natural. Josh, on the other hand, realized that while he knew what she needed to learn to play, he didn't know how or in what order he needed to teach her. 

I did some research and found this: 

Mel Bay Drum Lessons for Kids of all Ages.

After a month of using this book (tweaking it a little since she is so young and the book is aimed for readers) Josh has taught Delores the difference between her left and right hands, how to alternate her left and right hands and how to play paradiddle with instruction.

You Tube video of Delores playing a paradiddle on the snare drum. 

I was one proud momma and wife when they allowed me to come into their sacred area to show me this. 

*Delores will find anyway to wear as little clothing as possible so please ignore her naked legs. She is wearing coverings on her bottom.