What's included

More than 50 exercises
Drumless, play-along backing tracks for all exercises and charts.
Simple descriptions of articulations and note lengths.
How to approach saxophone, trumpet, or trombone section figures.
How to approach ensemble figures, rests, and fills.
Two big band charts with interpretations.
Video and audio demonstrations for all material.

Video content

Each exercise is accompanied by a video demonstration and drumless play-along backing tracks at slow to fast tempos.

'Short notes' sample

About the author

Anthony Stanislavski is a drummer, educator, and author from Melbourne, Australia. He prides himself on his ability to play many different styles of music and devotes himself to his craft by continuing to learn and develop as a musician. At the age of 18, Anthony joined the Australian Army Band as a percussionist and during his seven-year service he toured Australia and overseas, performing with Guy Sebastian and Marina Prior. He studied with some of Australia’s most prolific drum teachers including Simon Barker, Graham Morgan, Peter Blick, Dave Beck, and Ronny Ferella. He has a Bachelor of Music Performance from the Victorian College of the Arts.

As a performer, Anthony has performed at high-profile events including the ANZAC Day Clash at the MCG, the Australian Grand Prix, the Japan Self-Defence Forces Marching Festival, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Melbourne. He performs regularly in rock, jazz, Irish and country bands. As an educator, Anthony teaches drum kit, percussion, and music theory at Caulfield Grammar School and Luther College.

'Dirty socks' sample

"The Beginner's guide to BiG BAND DRUMMiNG articulates quintessential elements of big band playing which you can also apply to a variety of rhythm sections that working drummers must be literate in."

Michael Julian

"The exercises are laid out and demonstrated in methodical and thorough way, which allows the student of big band drumming, both beginner and intermediate, to attain the necessary fundamentals in theory and practice to step into the unique, wonderful and sometimes challenging world of Big Band drumming with confidence."

Adrian Smith

"By the time a player has finished with this book, I'm sure they'll have the tools to investigate the style further and work out how to weave in their own style over the solid foundation Anthony has helped them build."

Dan Slater

Digital media

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About the book

As an educator, Anthony Stanislavski has taught many students over the years and really enjoyed discovering new resources to enhance his teaching. He owns just about every book written on big band drumming and although these are fantastic resources, in general they are a little too advanced for a drummer taking on the style for the first time. So that is why Anthony wrote this book.

The Beginners Guide to Big Band Drumming sets out; a method for interpreting drum charts, exercises to develop co-ordination and control, and charts to apply the learned skills. The reader will learn how to orchestrate short and long note phrases, how to approach section and ensemble figures, and how to tackle rests and fills. There are also two big band charts written specifically for this book to apply the learned skills.

Each exercise and chart come with four drumless play-along backing tracks, from slow to fast tempos and there are also video and audio demonstrations on all the material covered in the book.

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Beginner's Guide to BiG BaND DRuMMiNG