Kihle-Set Focus: An Introduction to Drum Set

Set Focus is written by Jason Kihle as an introduction to the drum set and an overview of many of the areas of drum set study that a student will encounter. A wide array of excellent drum set books are available; I mention a few in each lesson and there is a longer listing at the back of the book. This book is not meant to replace any of these books but to serve as a one-stop shop until students get started in their drum set studies and have purchased additional books to focus on certain skills.

Set Focus contains a lot of information in each lesson. The user is always at liberty to cover one lesson over the course of several weeks instead of one. The book is primarily a way to arm students to go out and ask their own questions while working to master this material. If I raise more questions than I answer throughout the lessons in this book, I have done my job. This book is essentially trying to eliminate as many "you don't know what you don't know" areas as possible for the student.

A couple of points to note. First, not every drummer covered in each chapter has a recommended recording in the same chapter. I have tried to pick recordings that work well for someone just starting drum set. Second, jazz tracks and album listings were taken from the most accessible album on Spotify to make it easy for the student to find.

A few areas for further study are four-limb independence (adding the bass drum), brush concepts, up-tempo playing, and transcriptions. Several components of drum set, such as brushes, are touched upon at points in the book, but are not covered extensively. These areas require more focus than can be given in this type of overview; the student will need to dedicate time to each part of the craft to achieve mastery.

I hope Set Focus will serve as a useful resource for drum set students and lead to more efficient and focused study of the instrument. Happy grooving!
- Jason Kihle