Playing Songs

[Basement Drummer]

I am having alot of trouble playing album songs. I can play music from my lesson book but when I go to play a song from tabs I have a hard time. I also have a hard time just playing by ear to songs that I like.
Anyone else like this? What helped you out?

[steeldrummer11]

Personally I have a hard time with tabs too. I think theyre very sloppy and a waste of time. But with playing by ear allot of the time if you really just concentrate on how the drums, nothing else and just listen, it should come to you eventually. It also helps to know many kinds of grooves then you'll eventually just recognize the drum patterns played and have a much easier time figureing them out.

[Grumma]

Pretty much learn the tabs by heart.
Thats what I try and do

[DxRocker]

I am having alot of trouble playing album songs. I can play music from my lesson book but when I go to play a song from tabs I have a hard time. I also have a hard time just playing by ear to songs that I like.
Anyone else like this? What helped you out?

Maybe it is because you are trying to play what certain professional drummers are doing, while you are posting in the beginner forums?

I'll tell you this: instead of trying to play along with the song... take out the beat from the song you like (only one groove, the chorus for example) and break it down. Simplify it. For instance, leave out ghostnotes and/or a difficult double/triple on the bassdrum.

Set the metronome to an appropriate level (wich isn't necissarily the speed of the song). Play the groove.

When you can do that, add in some of the stuff you left out before. Add the first ghost. Then add the second ghost, then put in the bassdrum double, etc etc. Continue like this until you have the full groove covered WITH the metronome, not the actual song.

Do this for every beat you like in any song that you would be playing along to.
If you have a tough time analysing some of the grooves, ask your teacher to help you transcribe it (but don't let this take more then 5 minutes of your lesson - there are more important things to do there)

Next to that, practice the stuff your teacher gives you.

Realise that you are in this to learn how to play the drums, not to learn how to play Californication...

Having said that, I don't understand people who are trying to play from tabs (I assume sight reading). If you are going to put in time to learn that (playing while reading), then why on earth would you do it with tabs? Learn the actual universal musical method...

It will serve you a lot better in the future and you'll be able to buy any book and go through it, study it. No book that you find in a drumshop will have tabs in them you know...