by Blake Paulson

Inspired by Gary Chester’s popular tutorial The New Breed, Blake Paulson’s method book Drumset Supersets quickly gets into the nitty-gritty by having students learn and memorize ostinatos for the hands and then tackle a series of bass drum reading exercises to be played in combination. Divided into two sections, one for straight rhythms like rock, pop, and country, and the other for swung rhythms like the blues and jazz, the book can yield endless possibilities and permutations to get students to that next level of reading and coordination. And when you think you’ve got it licked, “vocal counting” is introduced to either make you rise up to the challenge or recoil in defeat. Paulson describes the book as having content that’s easy to understand but difficult to master, so set aside some time for this one if your brain needs a wakeup call. ($12.92, blakepaulson.com)

Ilya Stemkovsky