The New Breed II

The New Breed II, by Chris Adams and Gary Chester, is a continuation of the concepts in Chester’s The New Breed, one of the all-time classic instructional drum books, and one that forever changed the way modern drum set players approach playing time on their instrument. The book follows the model of The New Breed in presenting groove combinations played by up to three limbs while another limb plays “Melodies” against it. The New Breed II is a very advanced sequel containing some of Chester’s most difficult exercises, which he called “Bonuses.” There are over 50 of them in the book, and they vary in execution, so each one must be studied carefully to understand how to approach it.  The Bonuses and Melodies can be interchanged for a nearly endless series of advanced independence exercises that will challenge even the most accomplished drummer. The New Breed II provides a method that will assist you in learning total independence. As with any form of greatness, patience and perseverance are the keys. You will master anything you set out to master, even with the seemingly impossible, with this key formula. Take your time in learning. Play each part correctly, and make it feel good. It is so important that everything really grooves. Use dynamics and sensitivity. Make the melodies sing and let each drum and cymbal come alive with expression. Sit upright, breathe naturally, relax and become free of all tension. Co-author Chris Adams has overseen this new edition and written several new examples that have been added to the text. 96 pages | Print or Digital From Gary Chester: “There are no limits to learning. If you are good, you strive to be better. If you are better, you strive to be fantastic. If you are fantastic, you want greatness. And so on. It all depends on how hungry you are and to what limits you will go. Everyone has ambition, but what are you putting into the instrument that you expect greatness to come out of? Everyone hopes to become good, but is that good enough? This brings us to the fact that a musician needs internal motivation to want to achieve satisfaction and have a feeling of accomplishment and pride. Remember, you are calling the shots. Once you lose your motivation or let someone or something distract you away from it, you’re in trouble. You’re doing this for yourself and to yourself. You’re practicing to please someone else in a performance situation, but before all this, you must satisfy yourself. Which brings us to your confidence. You must know that you are capable of handling any situation necessary.”