Big Band Drumming at First Sight
By Steve Fidyk
Item: 00-PB-0001830
$19.99
Pickup currently not available
Related Items
Big Band Drumming at First Sight: Drum Book & Online Audio/PDF |
$19.99
|
View |
Description
With Big Band Drumming at First Sight, Steve Fidyk offers a comprehensive approach to improve sight-reading skills in a big band setting. With advice on how to accompany different musical forms and playing styles, Fidyk gives detailed information that will strengthen your ability to recognize band figures and beat patterns quickly and easily. The companion play-along recording features 10 arrangements of varying styles with beat and figure examples extracted from each score that are looped or repeated several times for thorough study. Big Band Drumming at First Sight will be an invaluable tool in helping you to become a better sight-reader! Read, listen, study, and learn through Steve's experience on what it takes to look at a drumset part once, and know how to deliver the musical goods with confidence!
"It was love at first sight when I first encountered this book. Here is a great resource that is focused on sight-reading big band charts correctly the first time."
-Percussive Notes
"Rather than offering exercises in speedy note reading, the volume covers the fine art of chart interpretation with useful advice and clear illustrations."
-Jeff Potter, Modern Drummer
"It was love at first sight when I first encountered this book. Here is a great resource that is focused on sight-reading big band charts correctly the first time."
-Percussive Notes
"Rather than offering exercises in speedy note reading, the volume covers the fine art of chart interpretation with useful advice and clear illustrations."
-Jeff Potter, Modern Drummer
Big Band Drumming at First Sight isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
72
SKU:
00-PB-0001830
More about this title
About the Composer: Steve Fidyk
Steve Fidyk brings more than two decades of professional big band experience to his teaching and writing. After spending 21 years as drummer and featured soloist with The Army Blues Big Band in Washington D.C., he has established himself as a sought-after clinician, composer, and jazz educator. His recordings as bandleader (Heads Up! and Allied Forces on Posi-Tone Records) showcase his distinctive arranging voice, while his work with ensembles ranging from The Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia to major symphony orchestras demonstrates his adaptability across genres.
Currently on the jazz faculty at Temple University and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Fidyk serves as an educational consultant for Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Program. His collaborative discography includes over 100 recordings, and he has accompanied acclaimed vocalists and orchestras throughout North America. This combination of performing excellence and pedagogical commitment informs everything he writes.
Why we love this
Fidyk sidesteps the trap of endless technical drills by anchoring sight-reading in actual big band contexts. The 10 arrangements on the companion recording let drummers hear what good chart interpretation sounds like in real time, then isolate specific beat patterns and figures for focused study. This method builds genuine confidence rather than just speed.
What to expect
The book reads like a conversation with an experienced drummer who has logged countless hours on big band gigs. Rather than abstraction, you get practical wisdom about how real charts are constructed and what listeners actually hear in different styles.
Who it's for
Big band drummers at the intermediate level and above who want to develop reliable sight-reading skills for jazz ensembles and rehearsals. Directors can use this resource to help section drummers prepare charts in advance and reduce rehearsal time spent on learning new parts.
How to get the most out of it
- Listen to each full arrangement first without the book. Let your ear absorb the groove and style before attempting to read along.
- Start with the extracted figures at slow tempos using the looped recordings. Once those patterns sit in your hands, tackle the complete chart.
- Study Fidyk's notes on form and playing style for each arrangement. Understanding the musical intent behind a figure makes the reading stick faster.
- Practice naming the beat pattern you see before you play it. This mental habit bridges the gap between eye and hands.
How to use it
Assign this as a self-guided study resource for your big band drummers during the fall semester, allowing them to tackle new charts more independently as the year progresses. It also works well as a summer preparation tool for students joining the ensemble for the first time.
Skills your students will build
- Recognizing and executing common big band beat patterns at sight
- Interpreting chart notation for different jazz styles and swing feels
- Understanding how drumset comping relates to horn section figures and song form
- Building reading stamina across full arrangements
- Translating written figures into musically appropriate comping and fills