I like to mix things up with Stick Control. Here I’ve moved the figures to the snare and bass and laid a ‘funk’ ride pattern over top. These can all be played at the same tempo but the feel changes depending on where you put the hi-hat.
I'm of two minds on this...
Or maybe three. But definitely not one. It's an exercise I find myself doing a lot as I work on things that challenge me: trying to get my mind -- not just my limbs -- to focus on two things at once.
Read moreCure For Idle Hands - Stick Control Unleashed Part I
The exercises in Stick Control are great for getting your hands moving, so why not use them to get the other limbs involved as well? The following interpretations move the stickings around the entire drum set. While the idea is to get all four limbs working, it’s best to go easy at first, i.e. start with two limbs, then add the third (and then the fourth) when ready.
Read moreInspiration From The Stars
I picked up a copy of the Sabian publication “Create: 2017 Cymbals & Sounds”. It’s a 40-page full color magazine provided free by Sabian and distributed through music equipment outlets. It’s really just a catalog of their various products, but it delivers quite a bit more. The book is filled with information about cymbals: how they’re made, how they’re used, how designs came about, what different features mean. There’s lots of cymbal lore and history too. If someone wanted to quickly learn about cymbals, this edition would be a great place to start.
Read moreSome Of My Favorite Drummers Are Invisible
Some of the very best drummers are virtually unheard of. When it comes to the needs of music, visibility -- or, rather, audibility -- is often not high on the list. There are high profile drummers we admire who have the ability to disappear as well as get noticed. Vinnie Colaiuta is a great example.
Read moreDiversify and Conquer: Part II
Richard Best
There are lots of gigs within the music industry that do not necessarily involve playing drums. Here are just a few examples.
Read moreMany Ways To Kick A Drum
Forget the 'flat foot vs. toe' argument. When it comes to working the bass drum foot pedal, pretty much anything goes. All of the pedal techniques listed below have advantages and limitations. My advice is to try them all, as each one can bring something worthwhile to your bass drum execution. Note that some pedals may not be suitable for certain techniques.
Read moreTime To Get Creative
This brings to mind the adage “You don't stop playing because you get old. You get old because you stop playing”. The same might be said of creativity. Maybe we don't stop being creative because we're not very good at it, we're not very good at it because we stopped being creative.
Read moreYoung Ambition - Making A Good Impression
Sad Car
When I was a young professional musician, I had a reputation of being extravagant. It's a bit ironic because I'm a total cheap-skate. While I was making a pretty good living from drums, I still had to live frugally. I also had to allocated funds carefully. The main areas of contention were instruments and transportation. You see, I had very expensive drums and a fairly expensive car, whereas many of my peers made do with lesser equipment. There's a simple reason for that: TCB.
Read moreThe Rudiments Are Very Important.....("and, some day, I hope to study them")
Some of the patterns have been around for a thousand years or more. Most of them are a few hundred years old at least. The drum set itself, barely a hundred years old, came along long after the rudiments were laid down. Well, if the rudiments were never intended for drum set use, does it even make sense to drag them into the drum set arena?Some of the patterns have been around for a thousand years or more. Most of them are a few hundred years old at least. The drum set itself, barely a hundred years old, came along long after the rudiments were laid down. Well, if the rudiments were never intended for drum set use, does it even make sense to drag them into the drum set arena?
Read moreDon't Look Now
My doctor put me on a new drug that actually made me a bit stoned for the first few days. I was prepared for this and planned my days accordingly. What I didn't realize was how it would affect my playing. Being a little bit high (from whatever cause) can help you get into the music. Best case is to be high on the music alone. Less desirable is to be in enough of a fog to forget to pay attention to, for example, the guitar player trying to catch my eye because he wants to end the tune.
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