Sergio Bellotti

My Overall Teaching Approach:

My teaching approach is very practical; I’m not much into intellectualizing the music. I like to put my hands on the instrument with my students and act like a sort of a coach on the field. I also believe our best teacher is our own body. Repetition will actually empower your body and teach you the most effective way to do what’s best for you. And the drums are very physical, so when we sweat for half an hour, the body is sending messages about what to do and what not to do. It's like learning how to whistle. I wouldn't be able to teach you how to whistle. You have to try to imitate me till you get it.

I stress repertoire a lot. I want all of my students to get a good grasp of the repertoire, and to learn the history of music in many styles. I'd like them to get down to the roots and analyze what happened before, because by studying the history we can protect the future a little bit and be better prepared for what is going on now.  

My job is to help my students study positively, and try to give them that energy to make practicing a joyful experience. From what could seem to be the most boring exercise to the most beautiful piece of music, I want to make sure that everything is done with joy. So even if the student is a beginner and can only play two bars, I want him to play those two bars over and over with a musical attitude. I want them to excel at a ‘Carnegie Hall’ level with those two bars, and make it sound like a piece of music. Once they get that, the next two bars are going to be a little easier.   

I would also want my students to feel genuine passion for music. I’m fortunate to be exposed to music; I want other people to be exposed to it and love it as much as I do. Music has brought so many positive things in my life, professionally and non-professionally, and I definitely want to share that. It’s a joyful event. 

Tools You Need:

• recording device (any from cassette to ipod or computer) Audio and/or Video
• Manuscript music paper
• notepad
• sticks,brushes and mallets (vicfirth.com)
• metronome (korg mm1 or higher)--if you have access to internet connection and audio or headphones while practicing you can use metronomeonline.com as well

The Bookmarks section:

www.pas.org for the rudiments (audio and notation)

wanna see the 40 rudiments online? here

the Berklee Percussion Handbook click here to download it. Please print and bring to class.(for Berklee students only)

Sergio Bellotti YouTube Video Channel  (please subscribe to receive new lessons and performance videos as soon as available)

Itunes software to buy songs at $0.99 each ( i do not engage in illegal file sharing)

 Allmusic.com to cross reference albums/artists or to find out about album credits

Thinking of coming to Berklee? here is a link with the audition guidelines from the Berklee website.

Cool useful links for the advancement of drum education can be sent to sergiobellotti@gmail.com or in the contact sections. Thanks in Advance

Need to build a cool promo pack for you or your band? Try SonicBids. Look at Sergio's band Spajazzy full promo pach here

Berklee Students Resources:                    (always and forever under construction)

level 3 non perf major proficiency requirements for tips and developments click here ---also here is a video example with an exercise to develop a 6/8 feel over Sugar by Stanley Turrentine (pardon some of the singing)

rppc-412

Video Clips on common FAQ:

• Double Stroke Video development Exercise Video

•  A nice permutation double stroke application over a single stroke 16th note roll. Designed to gradually get your doubles up and running and anywhere in the beat Video

• An intro video on the advantage of playing open hand or becoming ambidexter Video

• Single,Double,Triple Paradiddle in a simple exercise (mini table of time) using 16th,sextuplets,32nd Video

Teaching by Making Analogies:

oftern times the best way learn to learn something new is to analyze what we already do and how we have learned it in a different discipline or in life. (this section also will be updated often) or to simply adopt great life lessons into the art of drumming

1. a great cook can prepare a great meal in a poor kitchen with fewer ingredients than a louzy cook with access to the Ritz Carlton kitchen facilities
2. Simplicity is not Stupidity. (courtesy of the great Steve Jordan)
   
3. work on your weaknesses right away. It's like opening a drawer in your fridge and find some old fish. Do you throw it out and clean the fridge or close the drawer?
4. a lawyer will prepare a case by carefuly listening and collecting evidences, then resolving the matter with a short final argument (listen carefully to the music around you : listening vs hearing)
5. Just like working out at the gym: if you keep working on your already strong biceps and don't work on your legs you will notice even more size or shape diference in between those.Feel pretty good about your rock playing but can't play jazz at all? Time to work on your Jazz and don't overdo on your rock skills.In time you will develop a better balance in your playing skills and overall knowledge.
6. You cannot change your voice each time you talk.You can speak soft or loud,get mad or be very nice,learn how to talk simple to a kid or sophisticated like a lawyer but stil with your own voice so learn how to play few patterns in as many styles and dynamics you can instead of many without really "owning"them.Yes...less can be more.
   

Former and Current Students:
(my apologies to all of the students i had forgotten. I will update this in time but also feel free to email me and i will be happy to include your name in to this community database)

Jordan Snow, Calvin Fenner, Lyndon Rochelle, Alessandro Lombardo, Archelao Macrillo',Martino Malacrida, Elia Micheletto, Daniele Rauso, Luca Menegozzi,Fabio Pirozzolo,Giancarlo DeTrizio,Luca Cingolani,Chuckwudy Hodges,Stephanie Barker Paul Dooley Sab Charunas ,Matthew Musty ,Marco Mondini, Tom Arey, Shawn Edmonds, Brandon Maclin Alex Bailey, Giovanni Durst Poggi Luke Mutchler Adriel Ferguson

many more--under updating

Students About Sergio:

Hey guys!! I studied with Sergio for a long time and I definitely recommend you to check him out! He really is a great man and teacher.He will teach you how to play everything in the RIGHT way and he will
help you developing your own sound and groove through his method. Definitely a great deal!

Alessandro Lombardo

Student music submissions:

All Sergio's students sometimes during the semester (usually midterm project) orcycle of private studies will be asked to compile a cd with a minimm of 2 songs and unlimited max. The goal for the student and the teacher is to grow a database of songs and related topics.(ex label songs as 8th notes feel,busy 16th notes,in "3,motown type feel etc

in time this will make a database to be used for choosing repertoire,teaching material,play along to address specific weaknesses and much more.

Here is what a database coud look like (mouse over to zoom in)

Less known songs or artists

Basia--very interesting singer doing some nice brazilian vibe stuff-awesome samba type feel

Tye Tribbet & G.A. great gospel band-song "Everything will be allright" (6/8 funk gospel incredible drumming)

Repertoire/Topics (these songs are somewhat known or standards) 

"Baby it's cold outside" from James Taylor Xmas Album (really clear typical bossanova beat on a christmas song--Bossanova celebrates 50 years in 2008!)

Asymetrical forms:

Joshua by Victor Feldman

S'Matter by Keith Jarrett

Winds by Dave Holland

Stablemates by

Alone Together by

Airegin by (8 12 8 8 ) by Sonny Rollins

Need More Information?

Check out comments on Sergio at ratemyprofessor.com 

Current and past students please rate him now.

Sergio teaches the traditon of drumset while keeping himself motivated and pro active in coming up with innovative concepts and strategies for quick and effective learning while having fun

Topics Include: (for current and potential students and school/festivals/clinic host etc)

any of these can/will be elaborate at a masterclass/clinic or private lesson as well in actual performance after mastered.

Sing it before you play it--Sing back what you played (the singing drummer)

-Groove and Fill ideas utilizing simple ideas (back to the rudiments as seen at vicfirth.com

 -digirhytms--for a challenging drumming as easy as counting

-3 levels of coordination (subdvisions,accents and dynamics cycles and swinging individual parts)

-Musical systems for solo development

-Which Lead Hand? philosophy (and its application to brush technique)

-Groove Mastery-a deeper look at the space in between the notes (as presented at Pas 2005)

The Brain Pod-play in the pocket from beat one and 

Knowledge is Power (database consolidation)

Rebound happens---now let's learn how to control it

Knowledge is power--repertoire/topics/song list/artists/ styles (database prelude to the brainpod concept)

The importance of play-along with recordings ( simulated conversations in the actual language with native people)

Fun Stuff:

1.  The Hi Hat when closed with the foot shall produces a nice "chick"sound as well as provide with some fan ventilation type of relief. Play more hi hat in the summer?

Thoughts:

1. In real practice you shall see lots of imaginary repeat signs...after a bar or two bars...even after a beat (Sergio Bellotti)
2. After rehearsing a bar or two or four,turn the page(if you were reading) and sing it or play it from memory. Then also try to write down what you remember. This is a 3 way steps to master reading,memory and writing skills
3. Work on your weaknesses. Don't overdo what you can already play at an acceptable level but focus on incorporating essential skills you may lack of.

Teacher to Teacher Advice:

1. Ask your student at each lesson the following: what album have they been istening to the most that week? At what metronomic tempos are they working the most? Which one was the book they have used in practice the most? these are provocative questions and imply the fact that they actually did read,listen and used the metronome. Try: it works!