Cliff Almond - Digital Lesson Downloads


Lesson 1	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 1 6.01.07: This first lesson incorporates some basic discussion on some practice techniques that I use for very slow tempos with a metronome. Also basic tips on approach to recording in the studio at these slow tempos, instrument sound, etc. Slow time exercises for development of speed while staying relaxed. Live Performance: Some discussion on how I approach playing live, a few tips on connecting things developed in your practice sessions to live performance, and a great time exercise for hearing a pulse through anything and focus on longer phrasing.
Lesson 2	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 2 7.26.07: This Second Lesson is a bit longer than the first one. I have most recently gotten a lot of questions about my playing with Michel Camilo so It discusses various techniques I use to prepare for playing with him. Also some history on how I got the gig, a brief discussion of how I practice and what I practice when i prepare for his gig, and some examples of latin soloing over a piano vamp in 5/4. This lesson is a bit advanced but has some helpful information on soloing, and specifically soloing over a Piano Vamp. It was recorded while I was preparing to play with Michel Camilo in Santa Fe NM in July of 2007.
Lesson 3	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 3 8.29.07: This Months lesson is part one of an interview with the great Bass Guitarist Anthony Jackson. Anthony and I were in Tokyo Japan playing together for a week in August of 2007, and we had some time to kill backstage while we were waiting to play. I decided to ask Anthony a number of questions related to his opinions of various drummers, producers, and even some more bass related topics, such as his muting concepts, etc. He told some really great stories about Buddy Rich, Tony Williams, and Steve Gadd. Even though this was a drum oriented interview, to hear anthonyÕs stories about who heÕs played with, as well as his bass concepts in his own words was really interesting. Just FYI this lesson is an interview ONLY. There is no drumming performance or demonstration on this lesson. However, Anthony has some very invaluable info to offer on what he looks for in a drummer, as well as how he arrived at his own personal approach to music, as well as his playing style.
Lesson 4	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 4 10.17.07: In this months lesson I discuss my approach to soloing. After receiving some email in reference to the discussion at the end of lesson 2, I decided to go into a bit more detail as to how I work on soloing. This lesson includes three exercises on framework, form, and a great exercise for hearing odd groupings over the barline. There is also a breakdown of a solo fill from the end of a song called "Caribe" that I recorded on a 1995 big band recording by Michel Camilo, some discussion about how I arrive at some of my ideas for vocabulary in solos, and some of my ideas on improvisation.
Lesson 5	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 5 1.28.08: After receiving a number of suggestions from everyone writing in, for this lesson I decided to expand a bit and try something different than the previous lessons. In my past lessons I broke down some concepts of how I work on things, soloing concepts, etc. This time I decided to put up one song in my lesson as a Play-along. Often people sent me emails suggesting this format, however I was not able to get to my studio in California to actually record it and discuss it in the proper environment up to this point. So, in this lesson there is a song that I recorded in my studio and played along with, followed by a version WITHOUT drums that you can play along to. There is also a 2 page Chart for this tune that comes in a PDF format. Both versions of these songs are included inside this Mpg lesson along with some discussion of the song, practice techniques for it, etc. I should mention that this song should be quite challenging. If you are up for something difficult than this is the lesson for you! The style is a Pro-tools based slow Shuffle that may be a bit out of the ordinary as far as what you may have experienced. There is also a brief solo section that you can play over. I played all the instruments in my studio and wrote the tune as well. The Level of difficulty is quite advanced on this one, but I feel it really offers a great format for learning and working on a style that you may not often see, and this can be a very valuable tool for your improvement. When you purchase this lesson you will receive the 2 page Pdf chart along with the mp3 file.
Lesson 6	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 6 2.5.08: This one came up quickly I know, but I recieved so many questions about this topic recently, that I thought it would be a good Idea to just quickly put a lesson up while I had time to do it. Over the years I have had many questions related to Michel Camilo's gig. In past lessons I have addressed some soloing concepts for this gig, and some practice techniques I use to prepare for it. I have recently recieved a number of emails asking me to discuss the grooves on some of the records I played on, and also people have been requesting that I break down the grooves themselves rather than just discussing the soloing concepts. Here I have chosen two of the grooves that have been requested the most by people writing to my site, and broken them down. The songs discussed will be Camilo's versions of Impressions and On Fire. In this lesson I break down the concepts behind these tunes, discuss how they came about, and provide 2 simple written examples of what I played on these songs, and the concepts behind them. I did not play on the studio version of On Fire, however I discuss how we approach it live, and the key points of performing these grooves.
Lesson 7	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 7 W/Wayne Krantz 2.12.08: I've been wanting to do this lesson for a while now, but we never got around to getting it together until recently. This is a topic that I have received a number of questions about from drummers and other musicians as well. Basically this lesson describes the concepts associated with playing the Wayne Krantz gig. I have played this gig off and on now for about 3 or 4 years along with a number of other drummers in New York and I'm constantly getting questions about the format, what it's like to play with wayne, etc. So, in this lesson we discuss the improvisational format that Krantz uses and then Wayne and I play a couple of duo pieces with just Drums and Guitar. Wayne also discusses what he looks for in a Drummer, as well as what he looks for in a Bass player. If you are a fan of Wayne's Music this will help to explain the improvisational concept that he uses.
Lesson 8	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 8 Soloing #2 2.25.08: Here is the follow up to Lesson #4. This is basically the other side of the concepts discussed in lesson 4 which was a soloing lesson. After lesson 4 was posted, many people emailed me asking for a lesson that was based more in vocabulary. I felt that it was necessary to first voice the concepts of soloing from the standpoint of construction and arrangement, before I did a lesson on licks or vocabulary. This lesson is based more on the concept of developing a vocabulary, and how to come up with some ideas of your own. In this lesson there is a discussion of two exercises that are broken down to very basic sticking on a snare drum, and then a demonstration of how to orchestrate them in a soloing context. This Download includes a PDF file that has notation of the exercise as well as the sticking.
Lesson 9	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 9 Vamps #1 3.11.08: This lesson is the first in a series of lessons where I will be posting practice based vamps for students to play along with. Over the years I have developed a small library of vamps to practice with for my own use. They are all quantized and have a click with them so they are easy to play to. I've found this to be a very useful tool when practicing and they are much more fun to play with rather than using a just a click track. I've decided to start putting them up in lessons to try to provide a way for students to play along with some styles that they may not have access to otherwise. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what it feels like to play some styles in some areas that you may not have much experience in. There are 2 different vamps in this lesson and each of them are at 3 different tempos (80, 95, and 110 BPM). They are both based in Latin concepts. This lesson is much longer than normal (50 Minutes or so) and it is meant for more advanced students.
Lesson 10	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 10 Vamps #2 3.19.08: This is the second in a series of vamp based lessons. This particular lesson deals with the basics of practicing and becoming familiar with Odd Time Signatures. I start off with some discussion of playing in 5/4, then I give some examples over vamps in 5/4 and 5/8. There are also versions of the vamps at different tempos so you can play along with them. This lesson is geared more tword the advanced student.
Lesson 11	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 11 Vamps #3 3.21.08: This lesson is basically a continuation of lesson 10. In it, we continue the discussion of odd time playing and practicing with vamps that are in 7/8, 9/8, and 11/8. There is discussion on the breakdown of groupings within these time signatures, then I demonstrate the examples of how to play around them and get comfortable with the concepts associated with them. Each of the three vamps are given in various tempos so you can gradually get used to the time. This lesson is a bit longer than normal. It's around 40 minutes.
Lesson 12	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 12 - What it takes (and other thoughts)... 3.24.08: I decided to do something different this time. Up to this point i've been focusing on exercises, soloing concepts, and various topics related directly to improving your ability on the drums. I thought it was important to take a pause from the usual format and do a lesson based on the topic of what kind of other things you need to be aware of and focus on if you are going to be successful in this business. We touched on this a bit in the interview lesson with Anthony Jackson. I think there are a number of things to consider if you decide to make a living in this particular profession. I grew up being told a number of things in relation to this topic, but I when I started out in this business alot of it was still a mystery to me. In this lesson I talk about some of my experiences in the business, what I think it takes to be successful, getting gigs, issues on confidence and how it relates to your playing, and what kind of things you'll have to consider if you decide to play professionally.
Lesson 13	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 13 - Practice Concepts 4.4.08: In response to the feedback I received from lesson 12, I decided to do a lesson that would serve as a follow up. There were a number of emails asking for more elaboration on some of the topics addressed in that lesson. Specifically the concept of a practice schedule and how to create one that will work the best for you. Much of the email i received in reference to lesson 12 inquired about my practice routine. The objective of this lesson is to provide information on how to construct a practice schedule that will allow you to achieve the best results, as well as tips on concentration, discipline, and breaking down exercises.
Lesson 14	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 14 - Sight Reading 5.14.08: This is a lesson on Sight Reading. I always get questions about this topic. As drummers we can get away with faking things more than other musicans. Quite often this keeps us from really getting down to business when it comes to learning to read. The process of sight reading is a simple one, but like any other skill it takes some dedication. In this lesson I share some of my concepts for practicing sight reading, interpretation, and how to really work on making a piece of music sound as if you have been playing it your whole life, when in reality you are seeing it for the first time. This lesson includes a PDF of exercises as well.
Lesson 15	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 15 - Introduction to Styles 6.20.08: The topic of this lesson is how to learn to play a style of music when you have no experience in it. Many times I have been in situations where I had to become quite fluent in a style quickly, and I receive a number of questions on my site about how I learned to play different styles, such as latin music. In this lesson I discuss my techniques for approaching a new style and what I choose to focus on when I do so. This is the first in a series of lessons that I will be doing on styles. In the next few lessons I will choose some styles and show how to break them down more specifically, what to listen for, and how to translate the style as if you have been playing it for years. In this lesson there is also some brief discussion of improvisation and how to make the style your own. It includes a two page PDF outlining the rules that I discuss in this lesson.
Lesson 16	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 16 - Styles 1. Latin 7.27.08: Here is the first in a series of Style based lessons. In lesson 15 I discussed the various concepts that I use to learn a style, and what to focus on when listening to a new style in order to perform it with some degree of confidence, even if it isn't very familiar to you. In this lesson I chose a specific style to demonstrate these concepts. In this case the Style topic is latin music. In this download I play an example of music and show you how to break down the style, give some very basic approaches to playing latin music, and demonstrate some elaborations on this particular style of music. There was originally a pdf that was to accompany this lesson but i've had some software issues, so this time I will just put up the audio. This lesson is not meant to be as much a lesson in how to play latin music, as much as it is to demonstrate the concepts of learning a new style, and what to focus on to elaborate on the style and add your own flavor to it.
Lesson 17	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 17 - Styles 2. Swing 9.01.08: Here is the second in a series of style based lessons. The topic of this lesson is on the basics of how to capture some of the tradition of swing. In this lesson I discuss some of the nuances that are associated with this style of music, and what I would focus on if listening for the first time. The concepts here are not meant to be a textbook approach to playing jazz, but they are useful in knowing what to focus on and what to listen for in attaining proficiency in a style.
Lesson 18	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 18 - Styles 3. Drum and Basics 6.18.09: This is the third in a series of style based lessons. Over the past year or so i've been in quite a few situations where I was required to play in a drum and bass type format. Recently, this groove has become popular in various jazz forms, outside of the traditional electronic applications. Many artists are now incorporating this groove into their compositions and using more of a jazz approach in how they perform it. This lesson deals with a basic groove in this style, and how to expand upon it. This lesson is not based on the electronic versions of this style, but more the manifestations of what I have seen a number of groups do around New York with this groove. The style itself is very fast and the drum parts are difficult. In this lesson I have enclosed a PDF with some examples of what I played, some stickings, a Lesson Vamp to practice over in different tempos, and examples of me playing along with the vamps. The grooves are broken down and demonstrated at a very slow tempo to begin, then brought up to speed later in the lesson.
Lesson 19	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 19 - Focusing Concepts 10.6.09: This lesson is on the topic of focus. Over the course of this lesson program, I have received a number of questions from people regarding this topic. Many of the people who write me with questions are at a plateau in their practice or playing routine. They can't seem to figure out why they are spending hours everyday for weeks or sometimes months on end, and not seeing more of a result. Usually this problem can be solved when the student can analyze their actual thought process, and ask themselves a few simple questions. In this lesson I discuss some concepts of how to develop better focus and concentration, and give some tips to control how you think when you practice as well as perform. .
Lesson 20	Purchase ($18)
Lesson 20 - Linear Drumming Ideas 10.20.09: This lesson is an intro to Linear drumming concepts. I had a few requests to do a lesson on this topic and my thoughts on the concept. As I have stated in the past, I usually like to base my subject matter on ideas or topics that I don't see very often, and there are quite a few sources out there on this subject. But after a few requests I decided to do a lesson on this topic. This lesson is a bit longer than usual (around 45 minutes). It includes a PDF with 4 exercises for building your linear vocabulary, and some orchestrations that will help you to get around the drums. If you are into the Gospel drumming style that has become so popular recently you may find this useful as a way to bulid some ideas in that area as well. This lesson is for intermediate to advanced students and gives some relatively difficult sticking/orchestration exercises that are based in a "Linear" approach. .