Drumming News :
Creative Flow: The Ultimate Drum Practice Workout
Review By Brad Schlueter
Christin Neddens is an outstanding drummer, clinician, composer and educator as demonstrated in her many social media posts, videos and new book Creative Flow. This book is designed to help drummers play more freely and with greater confidence by developing four key aspects of their playing.
The book is divided into four sections:
• Essentials – Hands in Motion (i.e., rudimental hand technique);
• Coordination – Mastering Balance (i.e., four-way coordination);
• Feel & Groove – Solid Time Flow (i.e., groove ostinatos and rhythm reading); and
• Creativity – Three Stages to Develop a Melodic Solo (i.e., developing rhythmic figures into soloing ideas).
Each section is a deep dive into various aspects of these topics and includes plenty of hands-on (and feet-on!) exercises based on eighth notes, sixteenth notes, quintuplets and sextuplets. If you’ve always been afraid of quintuplets, this book may finally cure you! This book is aimed at intermediate and advanced drummers, but don’t be fooled—it’s packed with ideas and exercises that can challenge even the pros.
Here’s a fun and slightly terrifying example: In the Coordination section, you’ll find exercises built around different groove ostinatos. One of them has you play the classic Purdie Shuffle (yes, that Bernhard Purdie!) while your feet attempt assorted bass drum and hi-hat (yes, even heel-toe splash) patterns. Not easy, but when done well, it’s incredibly musical and super funky! Don’t worry, though—there are also some simpler eighth and sixteenth note grooves to build your skills before tackling the trickier stuff. Each section of the book is thoughtfully organized and systematic, with lots of helpful guidance from Christin on how best to approach the material.
In the Creativity section, she teaches simple ways to catch and outline rhythmic figures that gradually become more advanced until you’re incorporating rudiments and the entire kit to develop your soloing skills. There are many rhythmic figures provided to work from as well subdivisions ranging incrementally from eighths through sextuplets.
My minor issue? At over 120 pages, I wish this book were wire-bound so it would lay flat on a music stand. That said, they’ve got you covered with handy PDF links—just use the password and downloadable app, so you can print out specific pages and hit the practice room. There are 18 pages of reading exercises and even a downloadable Practice Log so you can keep track of your progress.
I’ve long been a fan of Christin’s social media posts and videos, where she showcases her remarkable drumming chops. This book offers a behind-the-scenes look into her practice routines and approach, sharing her smart and progressive take on modern drumming concepts. This is an excellent and in-depth resource that can help drummers take their playing and musicality to the next level—and beyond!
Lean more HERE
– Brad Schlueter
Brad Schlueter is a Chicago-based drummer, teacher and author. He has performed with a wide range of groups and recorded drum tracks from his home studio for clients worldwide. Brad has taught at The Drum Pad, The Music Room in Palatine, and his Batavia studio and also offers online lessons. As a writer, he has contributed to Drum! Magazine, Modern Drummer and Reverb.com, and he co-authored the award-nominated book by Todd Sucherman, “Methods and Mechanics”.
