Grade 1
Beats
Play to a click (metronome)
Play a 4 beat
Play a 8 beat
Play a 16 beat
Play a basic 4 beat bar fill using eight and sixteenth notes (no rests)
Technical Exercises (Rudiments)
Learn how to play single roll and paradiddle rudiments
Be able to continuously play single stroke rolls at speed for 60 seconds (70 bpm) eighth notes
Play eights and sixteenths for singles, doubles, and paradiddles at 70BPM on snare
Theory
Sight read one bar with quarters and eighths on snare at 80 bpm
Learn what a measure is and other basic music structure
Learn what BPM and time signature represents in music
Learn what each note and rest value mean (quarters and 8ths)
Learn how to play basic fills every 4 or 8 bars 70 bpm
Ear test one bar with quarters and eighths on snare at 80 bpm
Groove recall with kick, snare, and hi-hat (2 bars using quarters and eighths)
(75 bpm)
(75 bpm)
Be able to identify drum kit instruments on the music stave
Understand what dynamics are
Know all names of each part of the drum kit
Grade Exam
Piece 1 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 2 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 3 (Chosen for the exam)
Technical Exercise (A)
Technical Exercise (B)
Technical Exercise (C)
Technical Exercise (D)
Grade 2
Beats
Incorporate hi-hat pedal on the beat (Dog barks or clicks)
Fill using eighth, sixteenth, and eighth triplet (75bpm)
Learn what an offbeat is
Technical Exercises (Rudiments)
Expand on single and diddle rudiments (double stroke technique: one hit two bounces) (BPM doubles are in 8th notes)
Introduce buzz rolls (indefinite buzz rolls)
Introduce what a flam and drag are (left- and right-hand flams included)
Introduce Triplets
Be able to continuously play single stroke roles at speed for 120 seconds
Start learning rudiments and foot patterns at teachers’ discretion
Be able to play accented paradiddles, singles, flams (qtrs), and eighth note
triplets on snare (70 bpm)
triplets on snare (70 bpm)
Theory
Sight read one bar with quarters and eighths and sixteenths (and equivalent rests) on snare at 75 bpm
Improvise with just kick snare and hi-hat at 75 bpm
Ear test one bar with quarters, eights, sixteenths, and quarter rests on snare at
(80 bpm)
(80 bpm)
Groove recall with kick, snare, and hi-hat (open and closed) (Listen and
replay/write on the stave (75 bpm)
replay/write on the stave (75 bpm)
Start to incorporate dynamics while playing and not changing tempo
Grade Exam
Piece 1 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 2 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 3 (Chosen for the exam)
Technical Exercise (A)
Technical Exercise (B)
Technical Exercise (C)
Technical Exercise (D)
Technical Exercise (E)
Grade 3
Beats
Starting to apply beats to drum-less backing tracks
Technical Exercises (Rudiments)
Play a triplet on snare, incorporate accents
Start learning rolls and looking at what this would look like on the stave
Start incorporating beating foot on the “pulse” when playing rudiments
Be able to play singles at 75 bpm (eighth, eighth triplet, and sixteenth notes) 75
bpm
bpm
Double Strokes eighth and sixteenth (75bpm)
Paradiddles with accent on snare or toms (75bpm)
Improvise own drumbeat + fill which include flams, ghost notes and rolls
(75bpm)
(75bpm)
Triplets (Accents on snares and toms) 75 (bpm)
Theory
Recalling drum fills from ear
Ear test one bar with quarters, eights, eight triplets, sixteenths, and quarter
rests on snare at (80 bpm)
rests on snare at (80 bpm)
Groove recall from teacher’s drum beat with kick, snare, hi-hat and crash
(open and closed) (2 bars using quarters eighths and sixteenths and quarter and
eighth rests) (75 bpm)
(open and closed) (2 bars using quarters eighths and sixteenths and quarter and
eighth rests) (75 bpm)
Learn what dotted notes mean
Start improvising fills to backing tracks. 70-80 bpm
Sight read one bar with quarters and eighths and sixteenths (and equivalent
rests) on snare at 80 bpm
rests) on snare at 80 bpm
Improvise with just kick snare hi-hat and crash at 80 bpm
Grade Exam
Piece 1 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 2 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 3 (Chosen for the exam)
Technical Exercise (A)
Technical Exercise (B)
Technical Exercise (C)
Technical Exercise (D)
Technical Exercise (E)
Technical Exercise (F)
Grade 4
Beats
Learn and use different parts of the drums to make different sounds
Fill at 80BPM
Technical Exercises (Rudiments)
Single and Double strokes (eighths, sixteenths, eighth triplets) 80 bpm
Paradiddles singles (triple paradiddles) sixteenth notes (80bpm)
Be able to create an original drum beat and successfully incorporate rim shots
and cross sticks (80bpm)
and cross sticks (80bpm)
Hands and feet playing sixteenth notes and eight triplets (BPM)
Theory
Ear test one bar with quarters, eights, eight triplets, sixteenths, quarter and eight rests on snare at (80 bpm)
Groove recall with all drums from the teacher’s beat (2 bars using quarters, eighths and sixteenth notation + quarter and eighth note rests) (75 bpm)
Know the difference between an 8th, 16th and 32nd notation and triplet notation on the stave
Apply 8th, 16th and triplet rests period in your very own drumbeat
Learn what a ghost note is and its purpose in music
Start to increase speed, endurance, and maintain proper technique with the
basic rudiments
basic rudiments
Understand coda’s, repeats, dynamic notation
Grade Exam
Piece 1 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 2 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 3 (Chosen for the exam)
Technical Exercise (A)
Technical Exercise (B)
Technical Exercise (C)
Technical Exercise (D)
Technical Exercise (E)
Grade 5
Beats
Fill at 80 BPM
Homework: To have learnt how to play the drums to a song of the student’s
choice (80bpm)
choice (80bpm)
Technical Exercises (Rudiments)
Singles, doubles, paradiddles, triplets, flams and ruffs/drags 85 BPM
Single and Double strokes (eighths, sixteenths, eighth triplets) 80 bpm
Paradiddles singles and (triple paradiddles) sixteenth notes (90bpm)
Hands and feet playing sixteenth notes and eight triplets (BPM)
5 stroke roll phases
Theory
Ear test one bar with quarters, eights, dotted eights, eight triplets, sixteenths, quarter and eight rests on snare at (80 bpm)
Grove recalls with all drums (open and closed) 2 bars using quarters eighths, eight triplets, dotted eighths and sixteenths and quarter and eighth rests (80- 120 bpm)
Be able to distinguish the difference between a verse, pre-chorus, bridge, and
outro
outro
Grade Exam
Piece 1 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 2 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 3 (Chosen for the exam)
Technical Exercise (A)
Technical Exercise (B)
Technical Exercise (C)
Technical Exercise (D)
Technical Exercise (E)
Technical Exercise (F)
Grade 6
Beats
Continuous Cycle of drum fill at 80 BPM
Technical Exercises (Rudiments)
Singles, doubles, paradiddles, triplets, flams and ruffs/drags 120 BPM
Play single stroke rolls at a BPM of 200
Single and Double strokes (eighth triplets, sixteenth, sixteenth triplets) 140 bpm
All diddle rudiments sixteenth notes (80bpm)
All Ratamacue rudiments (80bpm)
Rolls open and closed (80) bpm
Hands and feet playing sixteenth notes and eight triplets (80 BPM)
Theory
Intro to polyrhythms
Be able to watch the teacher play a drum beat and correctly write this beat
onto a stave (Using correct notation value also)
onto a stave (Using correct notation value also)
Refining techniques including fingers, wrists, and arms
Improvise to drum less tracks
Study (Rock, Jazz, Latin, Blues) rhythms and be able to play each genre on
demand
demand
Grade Exam
Piece 1 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 2 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 3 (Chosen for the exam)
Stylistic Studies (1 genre chosen)
Technical Exercise (A)
Technical Exercise (B)
Technical Exercise (C)
Technical Exercise (D)
Grade 7
Beats
Be able to perform a fill at 100 BPM
Technical Exercises (Rudiments)
To have created their own drumbeats for an: intro, verse, chorus, bridge & outro
Be able to tune each part of the drum kit in such a way that it caters to their chosen genre of music that they’ll be playing
All diddle rudiments sixteenth notes (115bpm)
All ratamacue rudiments (100bpm)
Rolls open and closed (135) bpm
Hands and feet playing sixteenth notes and eight triplets (85 BPM)
Theory
Recall of groove and fills
Homework: To find a song of the students choosing and create three variations
of drumbeats which can be played
of drumbeats which can be played
Review a drum beat which the teacher creates and learn how to play the drum
beat perfectly in 20 seconds
beat perfectly in 20 seconds
Intro to odd time signatures (9/8, 5/4 7/8, 3/4)
Grade Exam
Piece 1 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 2 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 3 (Chosen for the exam)
Stylistic Studies (1 genre chosen)
Technical Exercise (A)
Technical Exercise (B)
Technical Exercise (C)
Technical Exercise (D)
Technical Exercise (E)
Grade 8
Beats
To have created their very own composition which involve other band members and direct their very own video production (Speak to teacher for further information)
Technical Exercises (Rudiments)
Be able to pack down and set up and drum kit in 10 minutes
To have created their very own composition (Which includes a guitar backing
track that they’ve played)
track that they’ve played)
To learn a song of the student’s choice and play In front of an audience
All Ratamacue rudiments (150bpm)
To have learnt how to use various video editing software’s (e.g., premiere
pro) and used this to enhance homemade recordings
pro) and used this to enhance homemade recordings
Hands and feet playing sixteenth notes and eight triplets (150 BPM)
Theory
Stylistic Study (Rock, Jazz, Latin, Blues)
Learn how to play in band situations (e.g., various cues)
Intro to odd time signatures (9/8, 5/4 7/8, 3/4)
Grade Exam
Piece 1 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 2 (Chosen for the exam)
Piece 3 (Chosen for the exam)
Stylistic Studies (1 genre chosen)
Technical Exercise (A)
Technical Exercise (B)
Technical Exercise (C)
Technical Exercise (D)
Technical Exercise (E)
