The Importance 
of FUNdamentals

     If you were to build a house, you would lay down a solid surface to build upon.  The most important aspect to keep a house standing for years to come is the firm foundation.  The same applies to music; strong musicians develop from working on their FUNdamentals on a regular basis.  Notice the emphasis on FUN.  Try and change your thinking about FUNdamentals: rather than making them a chore, turn them into daily goals that you can achieve to make yourself better!

     While working on FUNdamentals may seem laborious at times, a good musician will see the value of thoughtful repetitions on their instrument or voice.  Take a look at the music that you are working on.  What is the music made of?  For pianists and guitarists, the music is made up scales, chords, intervals and arpeggios.  The key is to isolate those basic building blocks until they are proficient. Remember to always work with a metronome to help develop your sense of time.  If you are a percussionist, playing simple rhythms in time with a metronome is extremely valuable to help you get better on the drums.  Challenge yourself!  Break down the rhythms you are playing into smaller pieces, work enthusiastically on those pieces and then put them back together.  You will find yourself learning new patterns much quicker.  If you are a vocalist, work on intervals both ascending and descending, along with scale patterns.  Work to improve your tone and record yourself singing.  Remember that getting better takes hard work, determination, and a great attitude!

     Learning new music can be FUN if you approach it that way.  Never neglect the building blocks of music.  Put the FUN back into FUNdamentals.  Once you learn to pay attention to the details of music and work them out, you will find your level of achievement will go through the roof!

-Nick Flores
Drum Instructor