DAVE ODART PLAYS THROUGH EXERCISE 1 FOR THE GRADE 6 DRUM KIT EXAM

Exercise 1:
This study is influenced by Steve Gadd’s use of rudiments to create interesting grooves and melodic shapes in his playing. The A section is reminiscent of the legendary groove recorded on the song 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon. The B section begins with a sparse tom tom melody using the drag and stroke, which is then embellished with ghost notes provided by the paradiddles. Finally the C section uses the triple paradiddle to create a half time groove feel. Make sure that you play this exercise with a melodic approach and observe the quieter notes on the snare to allow the toms to shine through.

Dave Odart
Dave has had a life long passion for playing the drum kit. He studied drums for six years, performing in local bands before signing with indie band Mustard for two singles and a tour. He set up the Odart Drum Studio in began teaching for both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Music Services in twenty schools across the county. In 2009 he assisted in organising Mike Dolbear's 'Young Drummer Of The Year' competition in Shropshire.

Dave also created a 'YouTube' channel dedicated to helping Trinity College students and recorded the entire 2014 syllabus for student reference, the channel currently has 4000 subscribers worldwide. In 2017 he became Percussion Team Coordinator, writing the teaching resources and performance criteria for staff across the authority. In 2018 he worked with Trinity to help create the new syllabus.