Unfortunately I cannot answer all of your questions, but i'll still give my input.
1). This honestly depends on your learning style, and overall preference. Personally, I do a little bit of both. There are some days where I really try to focus in on 1 or 2 rudiments at most, and work on different dynamic levels or moving them around the kit. Then other days I will do just a little bit of warming up with a bunch of different rudiments, but not really focus on any one in particular.
2). Groove Essentials 1.0 and 2.0 by Tommy Igoe. He has roughly 5-6 or so grooves from each style, and they are played at various tempos. He also talks about each one and gives some slight background on inspiration for them, or where the groove is commonly found. These are real neat for a player like myself who wants to get a taste of all these different styles. The 1.0 is more basic, and the 2.0 has some real neat and interesting grooves, but both are great DVD's.
3). N/A, not my area of expertise.
4). Once again, this varies. On a long day where I know I have a big chunk of time to play, I'll start by just randomly playing whatever is in my head, just getting warmed up a little and also checking tunings of my toms and snares before I play. If something is a little out of tune, I will not progress any further until everything is tuned back up properly. From here, I will play some rudiments on my hi-hats usually, focusing on rolls, paradiddles, and flams. After this I usually plug in my Iphone and start playing to some songs. I try to mix it up, some days I'll play 10-15 songs from the same band, or even drum along to a concert DVD when I want to feel like a rockstar(may turn the lights off for this one and use a lamp to create stage lighting
). Other days, I'll play an assortment of songs from different artists and genres, or even play along to a piano instrumental I find while searching youtube. If I feel like continuing after playing a bunch of songs, I will then maybe work on some double bass or just a certain fill or two that I want to work on. Now if it is a shorter day, I may work on some songs, or work on various technique stuff and leave the songs for another time.
5). It is not a matter of when you are GOOD enough to move on, but when you feel like you want to move on and learn something new. If I had to, I could play different variations from just the first page of stick control for a month, a year, 5 years. But then I wouldn't get the gift of all of the other pages, so generally I would spend around 1-2 weeks per page, and you can adjust to how well you are playing the new material, or if you aren't getting as much kit time as you usually do.
6). Set some attainable short-term goals, as well as a FEW long term goals. Some realistic short term goals are to learn a new fill by the end of the week, learn 5 songs by so and so artist, etc.. Where as the longterm goals are going to be tougher, such as be able to play even double bass 16th notes at 200bpm, 220 bpm, or really learning a particular style or so. These long term goals take a lot of work, not to discourage you, but it is not realistic to try and master every style of music out there. Take everything 1 step at a time, 1 day at a time. When you achieve your short term goals, it is a very rewarding feeling, as well as when you surmount one of your long-term goals. Generally, i'll have anywhere from 3-5 short term goals that I work on with various degrees of interest, and then 1-2 longer term goals that take a lot more work over a lot longer of a time period.
Best of luck with your drumming endeavors.
Bookmarks