Book
I am a drum teacher based in Boston, MA. Here is some background on my book Drummer’s Guide to Odd Time Signatures (Alfred Music).
As a drum teacher, I wanted to see a book on the shelves that clearly covered several genres and applications in a way that was not over the heads of musicians unfamiliar with the material. Conceptual information and explanations of how to apply the material was much more important to me than pages of patterns with no explanation on how to use them. It was also important to me to have sections covering fill playing since many drum method books focus strictly on time playing.
Drummer’s Guide to Odd Time Signatures won second-runner up for best drum book in the 2010 Drum! Magazine Drummies readers poll awards. More information can be found at the Alfred Music Publishing website. You can also find it at all major stores and online retailers that carry music method books including Amazon.com.
Here are some quotes from some highly regarded drummer/educators:
“Rick Landwehr’s Drummer’s Guide to Odd Time takes the drum set player on a step by step journey into the world of odd times. Beginning with a simple waltz and advancing to 11/4 time signatures. Every example is clear and concise, providing insight and logic, simplifying complex meter concepts. The fun Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Jazz examples will broaden any player’s bag of tricks. I welcome this book to my library, and look forward to using it with my students.”
–Casey Scheuerell, Berklee College of Music, Jean-Luc Ponty, Gino Vannelli, Chaka Khan
“Way to go, Rick! An excellent, clear and concise pathway to develop understanding and control of odd time signature grooves.”
–Skip Hadden: Berklee College of Music, Weather Report, Author of World Fusion Drumming (Alfred)