These links are some suggestions for books and materials you may find useful for this class. Some of these items are examples of the required materials for this class, though you can find them elsewhere if you wish. Some of the books are a good place to start if you are interested in a particular subject, but none are required for the class. Also check out the Other Stuff section for some other gear which you may find useful.

  Materials for 170 Class

Rubank Elementary Method - Drums
- This is the first book required for the class.

  Examples of 270 Materials

Vater 5A Drumsticks
- This is an average sized stick, a good place to start.

Vic Firth American ClassicŪ 5B
- This is a slightly larger, heavier stick, but still considered an average starting stick

Vic Firth Double Sided Practice Pad
- A good all around practice pad. Any pad like this, rubber on wood, will suffice.

Kingston Digital 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive
- A flash drive like this meets the requirements for the class.

Futz Practice Pedal
- A compact practice bass drum pedal. While this is NOT required, it is highly recommended.

  General Technique Books

Stick Control
- This fundimantal text should be in EVERY drummers library!

Syncopation
- An encyclopedia of rhythm and another must have. This text along with Stick Control form the "drummers bible."

Accents and Rebounds for the Snare Drummer
- This book will clean up your rolls and improve your overall technique.

Master Studies
- The books name says it all!

Modern Reading Text in 4/4 For All Instruments
- Similar to "Syncopation" in content, this book expands the rhythmic scope. This book WILL make you a better reader.

Odd Time Reading Text: For All Instruments
- Rhythmic studies designed to develop accuracy and speed in sight reading as applied to odd time signatures

Accent Control
- This book features over 1,000 accent exercises using mixed stickings, rolls, flams and accents around the drums.

Polyrhythms - The Musician's Guide
- The definitive book on the subject.

Musical Studies for the Intermediate Snare Drummer
- The purpose of this text is to provide the intermediate drummer with a collection of musical studies which will
1. increase his technical ability and 2. develop musicianship.

Portraits in Rhythm
- One of the classic snare drum books, it presents challenging and stimulating material for the intermediate and
advanced percussion student.

The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary As Taught by Alan Dawson
- Dawson was the teacher of Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Smith, Kenwood Dennard, and more. This is his method.

  Jazz Studies

The Art of Bop Drumming
- Hands down the best jazz method book available today.

The Jazz Drummer's Workshop
- A collection of John Riley's Modern Drummer articles. Excellent concepts and exercises.

Beyond Bop Drumming
- The follow up to "Art of Bop," this book is for advanced students.

Advanced Techniques For The Modern Drummer
- The classic independence study, this book may seem a little dated now, but it is the original.

Creative Timekeeping
- This book provides an aproach to "freeing up" your ride cymbal playing from the standard, straight ahead pattern.

  Latin/Afro-Cuban

Brazilian Rhythms for Drumset
- An excellent guide to applying traditional Brazilian rhythms to drum set.

Afro-Cuban Rhythms for Drumset
- The book explores Afro-Cuban rhythms, traditional instruments, and history, and presents it all in a format that is easy to understand and use.

Conversations in Clave
- This advanced text is an authority on "left foot clave" and four-way independence based on Afro-Cuban rhythms.

  Contemporary

It's Your Move
- This fantastic book aims to open new conceptual doors for the student. A must for all drummers!

Advanced Concepts
- This book from the Drummers Collective covers so much material, so well, that it could be used as an advanced curriculum all by itself.

  Other Stuff

Vic Firth Drummer's Headphones
- Protect your hearing while you practice, these isolation headphones reduce noise levels by 22 decibels.

Hearos Bulk Pack 40 Ear Filters
- The "little foam marshmallows" we all know & love! Anything that cuts 32db can't be bad.

Hearos High Fidelity Ear Filters
- If you need to be able to "hear better" while wearing plugs, try these, but be warned; they only cut out 12db.

Westone Custom Musicians Plugs
- If you are a serious musician, and serious about NOT going deaf, check into some custom hearing protection. Your ears will thank you!