Foreword from “Practical Drumming - Book 1” by Matt Gibson:

First things first; thank you so much for trusting me with sharing something that has meant the world to me since I first picked up a pair of drumsticks when I was only 8 years old. As a kid I really loved the challenge that drums brought as well as the overwhelming feeling of achievement when I unlocked something new on the kit. In my later years I’ve come to love seeing those same moments realized in my students and this book is designed to do just that. 

“Practical Drumming – Book 1” provides a structured and systematic process to achieving freedom on the drum kit and works hand in hand with the globally recognised “Rockschool” Exam curriculum. It brings together all the ideas that I believe helped to set a solid foundation to my playing as well as new ideas that I have seen bring about those same moments of realization in my students. Unlike most other tuition books on the market, this is not a self-teaching system but is intended to be a compliment to one-on-one lessons, striving to balance having fun and putting in the hard yards. Something that is truly unique about this book is that it can be adjusted and scaled to any age and is supplemented by songs at the appropriate level depending on the student. Whether you are 8 years old, or 60 years old you will still be able to understand the concepts and apply them to your playing without finding it either overly childish or too difficult.

This foreword wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the people that brought my playing to where it is today. I would be remiss to not pass on a wholehearted thank you to my amazing parents that after much pestering allowed something as loud and obnoxious as a drum kit into their house. Encouraging and supportive; they nurtured me musically all throughout my childhood and I owe them any success I have found. Thanks to them, in my formative years I was privileged to find myself under the tutelage of the incredibly talented Ross Moule and later Grant Reekman who I attribute my relaxed style and technical proficiency (or rather, the amount that I managed to glean) to respectively. I cannot thank them enough for their patience and dedication with me over the years. A special thanks is also due to Michelle Charlton for her invaluable assistance in editing this book for publication.

Have fun,
Matt