MakeMusic (http://www.makemusic.com) has added Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 1 and Rudimental Etudes for Snare Drum to its SmartMusic interactive music learning software library. The SmartMusic library now contains 29 method books, more than 7,700 solos (including popular music), thousands of practice exercises, 2,344 band and orchestra titles and 18 jazz improvisation collections.

Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 1, popular with many public school and private teachers, helps prepare beginning players for all styles of snare drum and percussion performance. The book contains 80 pages of sequential instruction, including rudimental studies, roll studies and solos.

Each line in SmartMusic has a live snare drum recording. Also available are the Rudimental Etudes for Snare Drum, Easy and Rudimental Etudes for Snare Drum, Intermediate, which are based on the 40 rudiments established by the Percussive Arts Society and feature professional live recordings of each etude.

In addition to the new percussion method books, SmartMusic has expanded the assessment feature to bells. Previously limited to woodwind, brass, drum and string instruments, assessment offers students instant feedback of their practice session, with green and red notes indicating what was played correctly or incorrectly.

SmartMusic 2011 is a free update for all current subscribers. For new users the cost is US$36 per year for students and $140 per year for educators.