On the Beaten Path: Beginning Drumset Course, Level 2 Cover Image

On the Beaten Path: Beginning Drumset Course, Level 2: Drumset Book & CD

$14.99 USD
$14.99 USD
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On the Beaten Path: Beginning Drumset Course, Level 2 Cover Image
On the Beaten Path: Beginning Drumset Course, Level 2: Drumset Book & CD

On the Beaten Path: Beginning Drumset Course, Level 2: Drumset Book & CD

An Inspiring Method to Playing the Drums, Guided by the Legends

By Rich Lackowski

Item: 00-35145
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Description
This three-volume series teaches you to play the drums using carefully selected beats and fills from hit songs that shaped modern music. Level 2 teaches you to play with over 50 authentic blues and jazz beats and fills by legendary drummers, including Steve Jordan (The Blues Brothers), Chris Layton (Stevie Ray Vaughan), Max Roach (Miles Davis), Buddy Rich, and many more. You'll also learn to play double-stroke rolls, buzz rolls, the 9-stroke roll, accents, rim clicks, ghost notes, crescendos, and decrescendos. And you'll learn valuable concepts like call and response, reading and playing cues, and improvisation. Tips, tools, and terms are used throughout the book to introduce key drumming concepts at just the right pace, and the included audio CD contains all the beats and fills presented in the book.

"This series makes it fun to learn to play, learning pieces of inspirational drumming performances to build a rhythmic foundation."
- Robin Tolleson, Modern Drummer

"By the time you complete the course, you'll understand the essentials of being a good drummer and have a well-rounded vocabulary of more than 100 beats gleaned from experts like Art Blakey, Mitch Mitchell, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Ringo Starr, Steven Adler, Levon Helm, and Alex Van Halen."
- Making Music magazine

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Sample Pages

Sample Audio
1 I Want to Be Loved --:--
2 Moanin --:--
3 Theme from New York New York --:--

I Want to Be Loved

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Sample Video
Additional Details
Series: On the Beaten Path
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 48
ISBN10: 0-7390-7034-7
ISBN13: 978-0-7390-7034-5
UPC: 038081395241
SKU: 00-35145

More about this title

About the Author: Rich Lackowski

Rich Lackowski designed the On the Beaten Path series with a clear philosophy: drummers learn fastest when they're playing music that matters. By grounding instruction in authentic beats from iconic recordings, Lackowski connects technical development to the songs that define blues, jazz, and rock history.

His approach reflects deep understanding of how beginners internalize rhythm. Rather than abstract exercises, students work through the actual patterns Steve Jordan, Max Roach, and Buddy Rich played on records they can hear. This bridges the gap between method book and real musicianship.

Why we love this

Level 2 grounds drumset fundamentals in the actual playing styles of the artists who defined modern music. Rather than abstract exercises, students absorb rhythm vocabulary directly from recordings and notation of Steve Jordan, Chris Layton, Max Roach, and Buddy Rich, making the learning process feel like apprenticeship rather than drill work.

What to expect

Grounded, purposeful work that connects technique to taste. You're not just playing beats; you're learning the rhythmic language that made Miles Davis, The Blues Brothers, and classic rock happen. The progression feels guided but not rigid, with each concept building on what came before.

Who it's for

Beginning drummers ready to move beyond basic grip and sticking into real musicality and jazz and blues vocabulary. Students who respond well to learning from recordings and want to understand how professional drummers actually play the beats they hear on records.

How to get the most out of it

  • Listen to the audio CD before attempting each beat or fill so your ear absorbs the pocket and inflection first; reading the notation will then reinforce what you've already heard.
  • Practice ghost notes separately at slow tempos until they sit naturally under your hi-hat pattern; they're rhythmic seasoning, not the main dish.
  • Work through the call and response exercises with a practice partner or metronome playing the 'call' so you develop confident phrasing and timing in your 'response' fills.
  • Record yourself playing the beats alongside the CD and listen back to check your placement relative to the kick and snare parts, not just the click.

How to use it

Use Level 2 as the core curriculum for a beginning-to-intermediate drumset private studio or as reinforcement material for band drummers ready to deepen their jazz and blues pocket. The song-sourced approach makes it natural to program a recital or showcase where students play the authentic beats alongside recordings or with accompanists.

Skills your students will build

  • Double-stroke rolls, buzz rolls, and 9-stroke rolls at controlled tempos
  • Ghost notes and rimclick techniques on snare drum
  • Blues and jazz beat vocabulary from authentic professional sources
  • Call and response phrasing and improvisation concepts
  • Reading and responding to musical cues in ensemble contexts
  • Accent and dynamic control (crescendos and decrescendos) at the kit
  • Coordination of kick and snare against hi-hat and ride patterns

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