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Each month we will be featuring different
drummers and styles of music, letting them speak their mind on all aspects
of drumming, equipment, what they love about the drums, philosophies and their
reflections on music from the drummers unique perspective.
Please contact us if you would like to share your thoughts at info@MetroMusicMayhem.com.
Derek Odom, Yahoo! Contributor Network
So you'd like to be a drummer, eh? Everyone wants to be Gene Krupa or Neil
Peart on the first day, but it just isn't going to happen. Learning to drum
is a process, and not usually a fast one. The key is patience and trying to
emulate what you hear your favorite drummers playing. Then listen to yourself
and be critical; be overjoyed when you improve, but also be a tad hard on yourself
when you don't. Trust me, if you stick with it, one day it all just clicks
and you tell yourself "Hey, I'm not half bad!" Until that day comes,
though, please take your time and don't rush your drumming - you'll pick up
bad habits that are very hard to change later.
1. Go slow. The speed will come, for sure, but making yourself drum as fast
as you can every single time you practice will hurt your play in horrible ways.
Take your time, making sure you have great control before you attempt to speed
up, your future band will THANK you for it.
2. Work on your meter. Everyone loves a drummer who can do insane rolls and
double bass beats, but unless you can actually play in time, all the fancy
drum stuff in the world doesn't mean much. Almost every band I've encountered
would rather have a simple drummer who keeps great time than a monster who
can do 47 different kinds of amazing rolls and solos but can't find the beat
to save his life.
3. Play to the radio. Slap some headphones on and put the dial on your favorite
station or play a CD. Playing with recordings is a great way to learn because
the tempo stays steady no matter what. You'll know real quick what you need
to work on when you find yourself drumming way ahead of the beat in an already
fast song. Try different stations and styles of music as well, don't just drum
what you want to play. In one hour of drumming you could play some oldies,
some funk, some punk, some country and some alternative. Heck, when I was learning
I'd even play to the Spanish stations because I couldn't understand what they
were saying so there were zero cues for when stuff was coming up in the song
other than the music itself.
4. Get a video or two. Videos on hand / stick technique, foot positioning,
snare work and actual beats are all great to watch if you are just starting.
To be honest, I know a few veteran drummers who could use some video time to
brush up on their chops. Spending a few dollars NOW on a DVD can prevent you
from trying to change a bad habit years from now, when it will be much harder
to accomplish.
5. Decide what you will play. If you are a heavy metal fan, you may want thicker,
heavier sticks than the drummer who likes to relax with some jazz. If you want
to get into classic rock or funk drumming, usually a 5A or 5B size will work,
depending of course on the size of the drummer, how hard or soft you play and
your technique.
6. Get a practice pad. These little gems are very inexpensive at around twenty
dollars and will allow you to practice drumming at night when mom wants a quiet
house, when traveling, while watching TV or really anywhere you have a little
stick room. They usually consist of a wooden base with a rubber top of varying
density and are about the size of a snare drum head. You can set the drum pad
on your lap, a table, a chair, a bed or anywhere else that is comfortable and
you won't bump into things. I personally find these are especially effective
with headphones or while listening to the stereo.
7. Get the basics down first. One-two beats and simple rolls are all over
in the music you hear for a reason: they work. Def Leppard and AC/DC are two
of the most successful bands in history, and both their drummers incorporated
simpler drum technique and solid beats to create a driving sound. If asked
to solo, I'm sure either drummer would happily oblige, displaying skill and
speed only dreamed of by many drummers. Learn basic fills, rolls and beats
and get them down PAT before moving on to more complicated things like off-beats
or drum rolls.
8. Learn how to tune your drums. A well tuned drum sounds exponentially better
than just slapping a head on and going. In fact, it greatly increases the life
of the drum head if you have it installed the way it should be. There are videos
all over which can teach you the proper methods, or you can talk to an experienced
local drummer.
9. Stay away from the cymbals for a while. Sure, they are fun, and extremely
loud. However, until you can play many different kinds of beats and do them
respectably, you just aren't ready for them. Same goes with the hi-hats - keep
them closed until you are experienced enough to begin using yet another appendage
to work them. Your drumming will sound infinitely better in the long run, and
you won't break as much stuff.
10. Play a little soft. Yea, I know it's fun to bash the things, and you think
it looks cool when drummers break sticks on stage left and right, but it isn't
good technique and it can be harmful to the equipment. Play around with this
a bit, try really smacking your snare good and hard, then medium, then rather
soft. Not barely tapping it, mind you, but softer than a medium hit. I think
you'll find that the difference isn't all that great, and if you try playing
softer you'll see improvements in speed and endurance almost immediately. Besides,
sticks and heads are expensive, why not keep them as long as you can?
I hope that if you are a beginning drummer and reading this, you will take
at least a couple things away from the article and try them out. Remember,
the most fun isn't always the best way to learn!
Derek is a freelance writer and author living in Southern California.
He works as a Guns.com contributor and writes articles for RCNitrotalk.com.
He writes dark fiction as well as fantasy.
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