becoming a technical drummer

[Killroy]

well, i can bet that many drummers here struggle for technicality, but is there certain steps that would help one reach their goal? take away the obvious steps though(like mastering the rudiments and focused practice) as we all know this is required for any part of drumming

[crazyguy832]

Force yourself. If you know there's absolutely no way you can play something, but know it would suit the song better (or just want to play it), just keep working at it until you've got it, damnit.

[some jive turkey]

This is kind of a generic reply, but if you want to be a more technical drummer, you need to devote more of your regular practice to technique.
In my mind there's technical practice and musical practice. Both are crucial to becoming a better player.

Working on your fulcrum, or cleaning up something in Stick Control isn't going to directly help you much on your Friday night gig-that type of practice is for long-term skill building techniques.

Working on your set list, practicing your chart reading, and studying the work of other drummers, will help your "musical" side of drumming, and yeild more immediate results.

[dairyairman]

there's nothing wrong with working on technical skills, but never forget that it's more important to keep good time and make the song sound good.

[EdBanger]

Listen to technical music.
Play with the songs.
Master the songs.
Break them down.
Play the different parts without music.
Mix the parts around.

[Loser]

Listen to technical music.
Play with the songs.
Master the songs.
Break them down.
Play the different parts without music.
Mix the parts around.


I think he's talking about striving to have very sound technique, not to play (often unnecessarily) complicated songs.

[Carn]

well, If I want good technique I would seek out a teacher.

If I want to play "difficult" music I would lock myself up and do what EdBanger suggested.

[Killroy]

thank you all for taking time and responding, yes im looking to build more technique in my play ability, not exactly play complicated songs (although, that is on my drumming-things-to-do list).

Some Jive Turkey, when you say i must dedicate more practice to my technique, what kinds of things should i consider in my practice? any advice would be grand.

Carn, i am planning on getting a teacher, but in my city many of the music teachers(drum, guitar, etc.) go on summer tours or work at a full time job june-august. Many, if not all teachers wont take on any students until setpember, so until then i come to MXDP :)

[some jive turkey]

For technical practice i would start with these three books, ( focus on one at a time)

Stick control,
Syncopation,
and master studies

and to quote someone who I don't remember "then you'll be saying something"


...and get a good metronome. If you're playing loud, get one you can plug into your stereo so that click is in your face and there's no escape. make sure you get everything else needed to like practice pad, music stand, etc....


I would certainly find a good teacher, to help with ergonomic issues, even if you can only afford like one lesson every month or two, it's still something to top off your motivation and keep you moving forward in the right direction.
__________________________________________________ ______

aside from that it's good to have a regiment, have a clock where you practice, and make up a schedule.
I.E.
3 minuetes of rudiments
10 minutes in one of stick control
10 minutes of drumset reading
7-10 minutes of jamming to a metronome trying to apply your newly practiced ideas

^
there's a good 30 min a day routine

If time based routines don't work well for you, then try goal oriented motivaion , like "i'm going to sit and play half a page of stick control everyday, regardless, no exceptions, no excuses.......I can not play drumset until I do that"
or whatever.

[Josiah]

The answer for hearing things when it's loud is not making them louder. That's a great way to cause hearing damage. If you can't hear the click, get some iso phones so you can.



Work on your time and being solid. A metronome should be your best friend.


The play along comp is a great example of why. Almost every entry has horirble time, and it just sounds like crap.


If you can't handle simple things in time, it just gets worse as it gets more complex.

[some jive turkey]

^
I didn't say anything about not wearing hearing protection.;)


Ideal practice set up I think is, real acoustic drums, musician earplugs, amplified metronome. This way your practicing on a real acoustic drumset, with a real feel at a real volume, and your hearing is protected, AND you can hear the click.
No comprimises.

But I realize it's not always possible, like if you want to play at 3AM, or whatever,....pads/electric drums are awesome practice tools as well.

[Josiah]

You still wouldn't be able to hear it nearly as clearly as with iso's, and that is the point of hearing the click. Not to mention, needing an amp, far more expensive then a set of great iso's.

All in all, there's no positives to spending more money, and equipment, to do the same job that also gains you a much needed and valuable piece of equipment you would need to buy anyway.

[some jive turkey]

To each his own, but...

I think that isos would block out more of my drums than what I want to hear(unless you're talking about miking them), which is why i prefer musician's earplugs, which are also more comfortable to me than large headphones.

If you look around you can get a practice guitar amp used for $20-30....they're practically ubiquitous since %90 of people that play an instrument play guitar,..... or I got some freebie old stereo epuiptment from friends that I use. Any piece of crap bookshelf stereo would do the trick, doesn't even need to be 2 channel for just the click. My solution is just as cheap if not cheaper.

[Josiah]

" I think that isos would block out more of my drums than what I want to hear..."


There's a difference between thinking. And knowing.



Also, when it comes time to actually need to hear something besides a Beep, or record something. Or play live with a click. What then?

Recording yourself playing is also one of the best ways to get better. Having an audible click can be good, but also a very large hindernce. Let alone when you want to play along to music, loops, percussion, etc

I'm also not sure how you play drums. But no $20 guitar amp would be able to compete against normal drumset volume.


This is also, haha, the part that makes me laugh. When you are playing to a click, and are in time, you are not supposed to hear it.

They also have in ear moniters, wich are astoundingly good. Also keep in mind, practice isn't pleasure. Your drums might not sound the best through headphones, or earplugs, or even in the room you practice. That's ok, it's practice.

[jalel]

^but if you have iso phones on, wouldn't you hear the click even if you were in time:confused:

[Josiah]

Nope. It should be cancled out by the backbeat, unless it's REALLY loud, wich would be too loud anyway.

That's the whole point, to make the click dissapear. Then you know you are intime.

[trysthedrummer]

^ My snare sounds not so great in my boxy bedroom, but once it's travelled to gigs and other open rooms, the sound is amazing that you get from it. Pearl Masters snare as well.

[Josiah]

That doesn't have to do with anything.


You should be able to play just smacking the rim of the drum and make the click dissapear.

[some jive turkey]

There's a difference between thinking. And knowing.

^oh, …you’re doing it again, that thing where you turn useful discussions into pointless arguments,
*sigh*
It’s going to be a great day when you finally realize this, and stop doing it.




case in point:

Also, when it comes time to actually need to hear something besides a Beep, or record something. Or play live with a click. What then?

*irrelevant,….not what we were talking about*
Nothing was said about recording or live click playing,…..but sure, yes Josiah, isos are good for that.
Ding Ding Ding, "Johnny, tell him what he wins!"


I'm also not sure how you play drums. But no $20 guitar amp would be able to compete against normal drumset volume.

I like how you’ve ignored my point about using a stereo, and redirected the subject to something about how I play drums….

but, since you don’t understand I’ll break it down for you:
...some cheap solid state guitar/keyboard/bass amps can be loud, they just do not have desirable tone….I’m not talking about buying a high-dollar vintage tube amp….just a cheap, loud, piece of crap. If you find the right one it works, it’s loud enough, …how do I know?….I’ve tried it. In case you misunderstood, I did say “used for $20-30”. People are always selling junky practice amps for next to nothing. I see them all the time in the classifieds day in-day out.



This is also, haha, the part that makes me laugh.
^
This is where you wander out of the bounds of maturity yet again with rude and trite remarks, that don’t contribute anything.


And really, there is no point to responding to me about this here(but you probably will anyway),…. because you’ll only further my point about your penchant for arguing while digging yourself deeper in the hole.

[some jive turkey]

For this technical thread, I thought I would also reccomend a book.


Master Technique Builders for Snare Drum -by Anthony Cirone


I bought it recently and just started going through it a little. It' s good stuff to look at, and there's a nice variety of ideas to think about. I like the way the book is laid out....it keeps technical stuff more interesting, for me at least.

[trysthedrummer]

That doesn't have to do with anything. I know I just read my post again and, why did I write about that? :S


-maybe wrong thread

nope I think this is why. Your drums might not sound the best through headphones, or earplugs, or even in the room you practice. That's ok, it's practice.

[some jive turkey]

i was wondering that myself