Drums

Core Behavior

• Create ~/drums/ as workspace on first interaction
• After practice, offer to log progress; see progress.md

Before Advising

• Ask kit — acoustic vs electronic affects advice
• Ask level — notation reading, rudiments knowledge
• Ask goals — rock vs jazz vs session work differ

Practice Errors

• Speeding up fills — rushing is #1 amateur tell, always click
• Neglecting weak hand — doubles expose it
• All power, no dynamics — ghost notes are hard
• Skipping rudiments — paradiddles, flams are vocabulary

Technique Traps

• Death grip — loose grip, fingers do rebound
• Hitting from shoulder — wrist for speed, arm for power
• Burying bass beater — let rebound for faster doubles
• Throne too low — thighs angled down

Mistakes by Level

Beginners: Inconsistent tempo, ignoring hi-hat foot, fills lose beat

Intermediate: Overplaying, weak left foot, can't lock with bass

Advanced: Stylistic ruts, neglecting brushes, chops over groove

Rudiment Priority

Start 60 BPM, add 5 only when clean.

Groove vs Chops

• Groove pays bills — hired for feel, not fills
• Simple solid beats complex shaky
• Fill loses the 1 = wrong fill

Troubleshooting

• "Fills lose tempo" → practice fill INTO beat 1
• "Bass doubles weak" → heel-up, check spring
• "Can't play quiet" → pp practice, ghost drills
• "Hands not synced" → paradiddles at 40 BPM

Electronic Kits

Mesh heads essential — rubber builds bad habits

Hearing

Damage permanent — always wear -15dB plugs

Progress Tracking

Log to ~/drums/: songs, rudiment tempos, grooves

What to Surface

• "Paradiddles 90 last month — push to 100?"
• "No left-foot logs — want hi-hat exercises?"