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What Should I Focus On If I’m Too Old to March?
“What should I focus on if I’m already too old to march in DCI or WGI? This question lingered with me.

Percussion IQ
Nov 15, 20242 min read


“I underachieve because I have no time to practice.” Let’s unpack this: Time Management for Drummers.
Everybody has 24 hours in a day. It’s up to you how many of those hours you control, and which hours are stolen from you. And make no mistak

Percussion IQ
Mar 8, 20232 min read
Bad Attacks... WHY?
This blog is designed for all drummers in drumlines (or instructors) who have ever had a bad attack (This applies to everybody by the...

Percussion IQ
Oct 4, 20182 min read


The Inner Game: The Quieting of Self One
You’ve often heard of athletes being “in the zone” or “playing out of their mind”. A basketball player isn’t thinking about every technical

Percussion IQ
Jun 1, 20182 min read


“Natural” Tempo Theory
I have found the music that is played clean and confidently immediately tends to be designed within the natural tempo range.

Percussion IQ
May 12, 20182 min read


Drumming is Like Jiu Jitsu
The best Jiu Jitsu practitioners in the world spend countless hours focusing solely on transitions.

Percussion IQ
Apr 21, 20182 min read
Fix Your Focus
“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble...

Percussion IQ
Mar 31, 20183 min read
Inner Game of Tennis - The Two Selves
The goal of this series is to motivate and inspire you to take the mental aspect of your drumming to the next level. Golf legend, Arnold...

Percussion IQ
Mar 26, 20182 min read
What are “Shift Changes” in drum music?
There are two types of cars you can drive generally, automatic and manual. Driving manual includes the stick shift and clutch. As you...

Percussion IQ
Jan 26, 20182 min read
Grace Note Theory - Part 3
Grace Note Theory Part 1 focused on types of grace notes (tap balanced, isolated, beefy). Gracy Note Theory Part 2 looked at the spacing...

Percussion IQ
Jan 13, 20182 min read
Drumming Pareto - 80/20 Rule
The question to ask is how can I use Pareto’s Principle in my drumming life? The 80/20 rule is called the Pareto Principle. The general...
Percussion IQ
Dec 13, 20172 min read
Home Practice Set Up - Part 1
If you spend about 5 minutes searching YouTube for drummers playing licks and cyphers, you’ll quickly notice one thing; almost everyone...
Percussion IQ
Dec 13, 20172 min read
Taps - Your Drumline's Secret Weapon
I remember learning biology in 9th grade and discussing the importance of water. Life as we know it does not exist without it and man...
Percussion IQ
Dec 13, 20172 min read
Mirror Practice - Part 1
Common best practices amongst marching percussionists are using a metronome, and drumming in front of a mirror. From our experience,...
Percussion IQ
Dec 13, 20172 min read
What You're Not Practicing But Should Be
As a drummer it’s inevitable that you’ll perform in front of at least one person at some point in your career. Whether it’s one person or...
Percussion IQ
Dec 13, 20174 min read
Rule of 16
A common question students ask is, “What’s a characteristic that distinguishes the best players in the world from everybody else.” This...
Percussion IQ
Dec 13, 20172 min read
Are You Operating Under Positive Illusions?
Are you the best player in your drumline and spend more time correcting others than fixing yourself? Unfortunately, a lot of times your...

Percussion IQ
Aug 17, 20172 min read
The Great War: Natural Vs Forced Rebound
As a student, you always feel it’s a race to catch up to your favorite players. As an instructor, you want to give everything you have so...

Percussion IQ
Jul 23, 20171 min read
How To Use Technology To Get Better, Faster
Marching percussion continues to evolve at breakneck speed. If you want to keep pace you’ll need to ensure you’re using every tool...

Percussion IQ
Jun 24, 20172 min read
You’re Running Out Of Time! Stop Getting The Same Comment Twice!
If your end goal is to make a World Class DCI and/or WGI drumline by the time you age out, you don’t have as much time as you think. The...

Percussion IQ
Jun 16, 20172 min read
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