The Rudiments Are Very Important ...

“... and some day I hope to study them."

I've actually heard a number of excellent drummers say this. While I think most drummers would concur that rudiments can be important, I also think that, while they do hope to study them, they admit it’s at the bottom of their bucket list.

So I have to ask, if rudiments are so flaming important, how come nobody is working on them? Well that's not quite true. I've seen a lot of articles and online videos that use rudiments as a basis for rhythmic development. But basing something on a rudiment is a long way from studying “The Rudiments.”

Simply put, the traditional 40 rudiments are not very relevant in today’s music environment. You heard me... not relevant. I'm not saying useless or without value. There are some real gems among the rudiments, and some people have come up with some inspired interpretations. But as core study material, the rudiments have little to offer today's drum set player.

The rudiments were developed to manage the movements of an army. Each rudiment sound was a signal that conveyed a specific meaning: go forward, turn left, duck. The sounds are also pretty good accompaniment for marching tunes, but they are military all the way. 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 well after the rudiments were laid down.

I know you've learned some rudiments and that you use them all the time. That's good. You find good ideas wherever you can. But isn't it about time we stopped looking at the rudiments as some sort of holy grail or revealed truth? And maybe while we're at it, we should stop feeling guilty about not finding them useful … or even interesting.

So the old saying applies: “Take what you like and leave the rest.” And don’t worry if you never get around to the rudiments. You have lots of company.

Want to find out more about rudiments? Check out these organizations:

Percussive Arts Society - http://www.pas.org/
National Association of Rudimental Drummers - http://nard.us.com/

Keeping Up With The Jetsons

I was at a panel discussion for drum teachers when the question of electronic drums came up. The drummer-educators on the panel seemed to agree that electric wouldn't do unless there was no other way. These were seasoned pros and perhaps a bit old school, but the message was clear. 

The main issues seem to be nuance and ‘feel’. True, electronic drums aren't as sensitive to touch as acoustic drums, they can lack a convincing rebound, and they can have a compressed dynamic range, but with developments in sensors, software and ‘head’ material, the gap appears to be closing.

Then, aside from the sensitivity thing, what's so wrong with electronic drums?

Require power: Without some sort of power source, you have a fairly elaborate set of practice pads. So batteries and headphones at a minimum, and more if you want to play live.

Too small: The pads typically are smaller -- e.g. 10" snare pad, 12" cymbal pad -- and just plain harder to hit.

Too limited: Finite sounds, instruments and settings; finite control over settings; and the racks can be hard to adjust.

Don't look impressive: In the days of techno bands, fine, but I can't see a metal drummer sitting behind a set.

Good ones are expensive: And so they should be, comparable to quality acoustic setups.

Not-so-good ones proliferate: Below a certain price point (e.g. under $500, with a few exceptions), you're looking at toys, not musical gear. Avoid.

Well, what's right then?

Dozens, even hundreds of sounds at the touch of a button: Pretty hard to top this.

Try different tunings, styles with less fuss, risk: It's a great way to experiment with new sounds to see if they work for you without messing with your acoustic instruments.

Change voices mid-song: Imagine having two or three or more sets available at the same time (depending on the nature of the controls).

Compact, easy to move (mostly): Even take them on the road for practice.

Play at 4:00 AM at full volume: With headphones, of course.

Better response than a practice pad: Head feel can be very good; some are nearly as physically and sonically responsive as real drums.

Dynamics getting pretty good: Modern triggers now incorporate a number of sensors and better sound processors, giving a big boost to dynamics.

Rock out in your own little world: I don't usually play heavy rock, but when I do I like to switch my e-kit to 'Bonham mode'.

So if you've been toying with the idea of an electronic set, I really can see no reason not to make like George and jump right in!

Thinking of Buying Online?

Online shopping is big business. Like the catalogue stores of yore, all manner of goods are available in virtual shops. You can browse the photos and make your selection in minutes, and your purchase will arrive at your door in a matter of days -- except when it doesn't.

Most of the time, online shopping is painless, reliable and secure, and for hard to find items, may be the only option. Online stores earn their reputations by reliably filling their commitments in a timely manner. I've also found that customer service can be first rate, and the people really know their way around the products.

So, is on-line purchasing all good news or will you be giving up some important perks and conveniences? Let’s see.

Shipping
A few on-line stores offer free shipping or may include it above a certain dollar amount. Otherwise it's a function of order size, weight and shipping distance. It can get expensive and it’s not refundable.

Warrantee/Returns
The product warrantee should be the same, but how do you act on it? You'll likely have to ship items back. And who will pay for shipping? Both ways? The process should be as pain free as possible.

Bait and switch
It looked so good on the web page. And what a great write-up! But when it gets to your door, what the ???? It’s rare, fortunately, but it happens. Many of the larger want ad sites offer vendor ratings. Some credit card companies provide protection for online purchases.

International Orders
A real shocker here in Canada, and a constant source of frustration, are excise tax and customs duty on international shipments. If a broker is involved, expect the tax bill to be anywhere from 20% to 80% of the order's value! This can be a deal breaker, so find out ahead of time.

Direct Sales
Some companies are opting to sell directly to the consumer, bypassing the normal sales and distribution channels. This can be good for the consumer since two levels of price mark-up have been avoided. And remember, there are still the issues of shipping and returns.

Try before you buy? A good way to burn up good will at your local music store is to try out stuff there … and then buy it on-line. But people do it all the time (and then wonder why music stores are struggling to survive). Better to stick with commodity items that are familiar or fairly generic if trying is an important part of the process.

Don'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.

Paying attention through listening is vital for playing good music. But vision can often be just as important on the bandstand. I like to communicate musically, and can usually respond quickly to musical cues. Visual cues, on the other hand, are trickier.

In general, musicians don't have a clear method for communicating visually. There are standard signals for certain music forms. Jazz has a pretty comprehensive set, but it unfortunately isn't common knowledge. Otherwise people resort to whatever makes sense to them: a shake of the head, a dip of a guitar neck. It's pretty limited and often not terribly successful.

It's good to work out some signals with other band members beforehand. That way everyone is on the same page. Signals can be visual, musical or verbal. Whatever gets the job done.

When there are no established signals, there are still a lot of visual clues. You just need to look for them. Some players are very physical, and their movements on stage can be very telling. Your guitar player always goes to the front of the stage for her big feature solo, and you've noticed she takes two or three steps backwards as she's about to wrap it up. That's helpful information. Soloists often make a physical change near the end of the solo.

Whether or not you have some signals worked out, it's important that you remain visually connected to the band. It can be as simple as being aware of what people are doing, which you can't do if you're in the habit of zoning out. Nor do you have to keep constantly vigilant. That's overkill and, frankly, kinda creepy.

Here are some hand signals used in jazz: http://www.wilktone.com/?p=4308

Be Kind to Your Support System

I had an interesting time playing a “back line” set.  It was a high quality set – very complete – but with a few weak points. The main issues were the hi-hat, snare and bass pedal. Wait a minute ... aren't those the most important tools for a drummer? With a part missing from the hi-hat, a jammed snare release and a bass pedal badly in need of some grease, I had to be vigilant just to 'TCB' which, of course, takes away from playing music and my mental health.

What helped drive home this message came the very next day when I spent a half hour working on a stool I'd loaned to a friend. Had he set up the stool correctly, it would not have been damaged and I wouldn't have had to get out the tools and fix it.

Remember when you were a kid and your parents kept telling you to take better care of your stuff? That was good advice. And with drums, as with most things, it's easier to keep things from falling apart prematurely than to fix them after the fact.

All drum hardware is well engineered. The designers continually look at what drummers need and then do their best to come up with a solid solution — one that could last for years and years. But in the end, it's up to us to understand and work with those solutions.

Here's another example. I bought a fancy, highly rated bass pedal, but I found it rather disappointing. So I went online and looked for hints and comments. What I found was a video by the pedal's designer explaining and demonstrating the pedal's design principles. It took no time at all to get the pedal to where I wanted it ... once I understood the ideas behind the technology. (Drum and hardware makers often have online videos and tutorials to help you understand their equipment.)

It may take a bit of time and perhaps some research to figure out how your hardware works. But it's well worth getting to know all the features that were put there for your benefit. And then you should use them properly. This means thinking about how the thing works, how it goes together, what can fail and why. It also means operating the item within its design range.

So choose hardware suited to the job, learn how it works, try not to abuse it, and see to repairs at the first sign of trouble. Aside from saving time, money and aggravation, it may very well save the day when an inadequate or poorly maintained part might have broken down at the worst possible time and place. I suggest you treat your drums at least as well as you treat your car.

Bad Habits

In the days before electronic tuners, I played with two guitar fuss-budgets. They were great players, but were ruthless about playing in tune. And so they tuned (and tuned, and tuned...) and, although basically a good thing, it could get tiresome.

Some drummers have habits -- some useful, some not -- that can drive people nuts. Here are a few that come to mind.

 

Long noisy setup at an inconvenient time

Arrive during the dinner hour, make lots of noise while setting up, do a lot of 'sound checks', and drag it out for an hour and a half, and you'll not make many friends.

Taking up too much room 

Having a huge drum set can be cool, but is it really appropriate for the venue? For the music? Or maybe you like to plunk down your modestly sized kit in the centre of the stage and expect everyone else work around it. Not cool.

Diddling between tunes 

Nobody came to the show to hear the drummer demonstrate triple-flub-a-doubles between numbers. Noodle on your own time.

Practicing 

By all means, try new stuff on the gig, but save out-right practicing for home. Something that needs improvement or that has nothing to do with the song has no place on the band stand.

Too busy, attention-seeking, etc.  

There's a difference between exciting playing that propels the music forward and obnoxious noise that simply says, "Hey, check me out!"

Not listening 

A band is an ensemble ... a team. So be a part of the team by keeping your eyes and your ears open. 

Playing too loud 

A real give-away here is someone who likes to say, "I'm a heavy hitter." What it usually means is that this drummer is going to play as loud as possible no matter what.

Lack of respect: to band, employer, other musicians 

You're there as a guest and as a professional. Act like it. Also remember the golden rule and never dis’ other players (who may be friends of the people you're working with/for).

Hitting Bottom

I’d only been playing for a few years and was about a year into my studies with a world-renown teacher, but at this particular lesson I was bombing. I didn’t know why I was bombing. My teacher, who didn’t often say much, was pacing the room slowing shaking his head. “Let’s try it again,” he said. That meant another month of the same material. So I knuckled down and did it all again. I was good at knuckling down. I had the discipline and determination to master the material I was assigned. And I HAD mastered it. Or so I thought.

My next lesson went about the same way as I played the required grooves. I thought I was playing them 'even better‘ than last time -- more accurately, more precise. Same reaction: “Let’s try it again”.

My next lesson was approaching. I’d now spent nearly three months on the same material, and I’d totally run out of ideas of how to fix it. It was a bit of a “Zen and the Art of Archery” situation. The master wanted me to realize something, but my habit of analyzing and intellectualizing things always got in the way. That is, my roadblocks were self-induced.

I started working on the material once more (my lesson was just a few days away),  and I was feeling pretty dejected. So, in a complete funk, I played the first line. My need for precision had gone out the window, and I wasn’t focusing on my technique the way I usually did. I was depressed about the whole situation, but after a couple of minutes of practice, I felt a change. I swear I could feel the rhythm sinking into my body all by itself, and I began to groove with it. Not that I hadn’t grooved the lines before, but this time it somehow really hit home. I played through the rest of the lines with the same result, and then took a very gratifying break. I walked around the neighbourhood, enjoying the fine weather and reveling in my 'accomplishment'.

At my next lesson I began to play the lines, and I saw a big smile break out on my teacher’s face. Life was good. It seems he didn't care if my technique was correct. He wanted me to get in touch with my emotions and apply them to music. And I couldn't do that as long as I was intellectualizing and working on ‘technique’.

I now look for the groove in everything I do. Some exercises won't groove no matter what you do, but it's amazing how often the groove is there, if you just let it happen. I still attend to the technical side but, as they say, 'it don't mean a thing' otherwise.

I’ve developed a habit of seeking out these ‘a-ha’ moments, when things fall into place oh so well. As a teacher, there is nothing more gratifying for me than to see this in a student. It’s not really possible to tell a student how to think or how to feel. Sometimes you just need to suggest a direction and then just wait it out. And then a light goes on!

Unpacking Polyrhythms Part 2: The Others

Metric Modulation
This is a unique application of a polyrhythm, where a pulse is alluded to and then adopted as the new time signature. For example, if you play quarter-note triplets in 4/4 time, you are playing a polyrhythm. If you abandon the 4/4 pulse and use the triplets as the new pulse, then you have modulated to 6/4 meter at a new tempo. And you can go the other direction as well: 6/4 to a hemiola (2:3) to 4/4.

Metric Modulation: 4/4 to 6/4

Asymmetrical Phrasing
Similar to a cross rhythm, this technique uses two or more phrases of different lengths rather than a standard phrase, for example, playing a bar of 5 beats and a bar of 7 beats rather than 3 bars of 4. This is a technique used in some jazz heads. Have a listen to “Straight No Chaser” by Thelonious Monk or Sonny Rollins’s “Oleo” for asymmetrical phrasing applied to melodies.

Asymmetrical Phrasing: 5 + 7

Rhythmic Displacement
This is not technically a polyrhythm, but the effect is somewhat similar. Say you play a simple rock rhythm: 8th notes on the cymbal, 1 and 3 on the bass drum, 2 and 4 on the snare. If you then switch to playing 1&, 3& on the bass drum and 2&, 4& on the snare, you have displaced the pulse by a half a beat, giving the impression that the down beat is no longer where it used to be.

Of course this is not an 'official' interpretation of these terms. I just find that they work for me and help me to understand and apply different polyrhythmic ideas.

Unpacking Polyrhythms Part 1: The Basics

According to the Harvard Dictionary of Music, a polyrhythm occurs whenever two contrasting rhythms happen at the same time. That doesn't nail things down for us very well, especially given that there are a number of terms used to describe polyrhythms. What adds to the confusion is that the book uses the same bit of notation to illustrate several of these terms. So what gives?

Terminology is helpful when it clarifies concepts, and a pain in the butt when it serves only to confuse. So I'd like to offer a few suggestions for interpreting the rather imprecise terms available to describe concurrent rhythms.

Polyrhythm (sometimes called a counter-rhythm)

I want to reserve this word for dissimilar groupings played against a regular pulse. One we're all familiar with is quarter note triplets against a 4/4 rhythm. Nine against 4 would also qualify.

Basic Polyrhythms: 3 over 2, 9:2

Systemic Polyrhythm

A systemic polyrhythm is one that forms the core rhythm of the music. This is a very common practice in, for example, African music, where a rhythm in 6/8 is often played in groupings of both 2 beats and 3 beats throughout the tune. So: 123 - 123 is played at the same time as 12 - 12 - 12.

Hemiola

This is a classical term that refers to a specific pattern of two against three. Originally the time signature was 3/4 and the hemiola rhythm was two dotted quarter notes (2:3; 2 over 3; 2 against 3). Regardless of the underlying time signature, two notes in the space of three is a hemiola, and this figure can be found in every style of music. Memorable examples of hemiolas can be found in the Latin clave rhythm and Dave Brubeck’s Take Five. You'll also see them a lot in pop tunes.

Hemiola in 3/4

Hemiola in 4/4

Cross Rhythm (also known as Poly-meter or Meter Within Meter)

In a polyrhythm as described above, a new contrasting pulse is played alongside the basic pulse. In a cross rhythm, the pulse remains constant and the notes are grouped differently, alluding to an intermingling of time signatures. For example, in 3/4 time, one can merrily play in 2/4 and the modification will hardly be noticed. Similarly, you can play a 3/4 or 5/4 pattern in 4/4 time or 5/4 in 3/4 time -- and as long as you keep track of where you are, you can keep it up for awhile ( though it can be somewhat tricky).

Cross Rhythm: 3/4 over 4/4 

Harvard Dictionary of Music: http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?ISBN=9780674011632

New Resources for Your Ongoing Education

Musician First ... 

Mark Kelso is a bit of an emerging star, even though he's been around for a while and has an extensive resume. Mark took over the Percussion Director position at Humber College in 2005, which appears to have helped make him something of a household name among GTA drummers. When he's not teaching or playing with A-list musicians, Mark leads his own 5-piece jazz fusion group, the Jazz Exiles. And in his spare time he managed to put together a very nice educational DVD.

The title really says it all: Musician First, Drummer Second. Mark plays other instruments and is also a composer, which no doubt has an influence on his drumming. You need only listen to some of his work to appreciate the result. Rather than non-stop drums and drumming, Mark has liberally sprinkled the program with original music crossing a number of musical styles and interviews with non-drummer musicians.

There's a lot to be gleaned here, but the main notion that I'd like to offer is that Mark is absolutely correct. Every suggestion, every piece of advice has been thoroughly road tested by Mark (and by me, incidentally). The quality of the musicians coming out of Humber College are testimony to Mark’s understanding of what’s needed from today’s professional drummer.

And the guy is quite funny!

Mark Kelso - www.groovydrums.com/
Jazz Exiles - www.facebook.com/JazzExiles
Humber College - www.humbermusic.ca

                                                                                                                                

The Jazz Drum Book(s)

What if your family spoke ‘jazz’ while you were growing up? It’s a question fellow Canadian Leonard Patterson poses in his new book, The Jazz Drum Book First Edition. If music is indeed a language, then jazz must one of the more complicated to learn, and learn the language we must.

Patterson’s book looks at the styles and techniques of some of drumming's greatest early practitioners, focusing on the history and language of jazz drumming. Each chapter gives a quick summary of the player's background and importance. Then comes an analysis of playing style. This is reinforced by exercises derived from some of the player's recorded performances, and helpful transcriptions. Because the exercises come from recordings, the student can visit those recordings to see how and why it works, the key point being that the student of jazz needs to listen.

Nineteen drummers are profiled, covering the recorded years 1918 through 1954 (hence the First Edition subtitle). This book is a great introduction to some of the art's greatest influencers and it presents a wealth of useful and approachable study material. BTW, the Second Edition is now available as well.

The Jazz Drum Book, First Edition, by Leonard Patterson
Self published
http://www.lulu.com/ca/en/shop/leonard-patterson/the-jazz-drum-book/paperback/product-22775044.html Leonard Patterson

Carving Out Your Space

Drums are loud. And few if any neighbours would recommend living beside a drummer who practices a lot. So what is a poor, motivated drummer to do? Rent a practice hall? Good idea, but not convenient and not cheap. Just hope the neighbours are OK with it? Ya, I’ve tried that ... pretty risky. Maybe you can fit up a practice room that keeps the sound inside. That would be ideal. It’s also nearly impossible to achieve, but with a bit of time and investment, you can come close enough.

Sound travels through the air. It also travels through solid objects. And although it’s impossible to eliminate these conduits from your practice environment, there are techniques you can apply to minimize sound transmission.

When I rebuilt our basement, I set aside one room to be my practice studio. I then packed all of the framing with sound-proofing insulation bats -- even the ceiling. I doubled up on the bats as much as possible on the walls that faced the outside.

For the ceiling I used slotted metal lathing. This type of lathing hangs off the joists slightly and adds some acoustical isolation. When the drywall is attached, it can still vibrate, but it doesn’t transfer the vibration to the joists very well.

No need to do anything to the concrete floor, but had it been an upstairs room, I’d have put down a subflooring of acoustic foam or micro balloon insulating board, then subflooring, then a carpet or two.

Once the room was dry-walled and taped, and wall-to-wall carpet installed, I tested it and the result was good. You have to stand right outside the house in order to hear the drums. Inside it’s still quite audible, but keep in mind, a drummer lives here. So far no complaints.

To cut down on resonance inside the room, I got some simple Mexican-style rugs from a thrift store. I stapled one to the wall just in front of my drum set and draped another over a blanket rack. I’d been thinking of using office acoustic panels, but they’re large, cumbersome, and a bit expensive. The rug rack works just as well, is easy to move about, and looks pretty cool.

That’s a fairly basic solution and it didn’t cost much to execute. There are some very good articles on-line that can give you some other tips.

Are You Phoning it in

I attended a multi-band event with my brother, who had a very successful teen rock band years ago. Part-way through the third band’s set, he made an interesting comment: "I don't get it. In my day our job was to get the party started." He was referring to the unfortunate fact that many of the performances were lifeless and lacking enthusiasm. The bands played as if they'd been doing it so long it had lost all meaning for them, had almost become a chore.

I suppose it's like any job that you don’t find interesting enough or challenging enough. Or maybe these players have just become too comfortable … too complacent.  Whatever the cause, it would seem that the thrill is gone.

Playing music is awesome; for me, playing is its own reward. And when I'm on stage, I have a responsibility to the audience as well as the other musicians. This is even more critical if I'm being paid.

Music is a great way to create, unwind, entertain, and more. Now, I may not be an exciting player to watch, but when I play I put 100% into the music, the energy, the creativity. In fact my favourite indicator is the dance floor. If it's filled with bobbing heads, then I know I'm not phoning it in. And if there is no dance floor, I watch faces and feet.

What I've found is that a job is generally as interesting as you make it. Even the lousiest jobs can have positive elements. But music is supposed to be our thing -- it’s in our blood, as we like to say. So how can anyone not be as excited as possible to have a chance to play? We may not always have an appreciative audience or a pay check, but even then it should still seem like fun. And if we're playing for money and a crowd, well I think it's our job -- our obligation -- to 'get the party started' and to never phone it in.

And a One and a Two

That's how we generally start tunes. And it's a very good way. It sets up the tempo and gets everyone on board for the down beat. It can also highlight the basic rhythm: In this case 1 &a 2, which suggests an up-tempo swing.

It's called counting, and it's a very good tool. And it's powerful enough to get the entire band started. But a lot of people don't bother with counting when it comes to the actual playing. Counting can be just as important once the tune is underway.

Understand Internal Structure, the Subdivisions
The expression '1 &-uh 2' gives us an indication of the rhythm, in this case, medium to up-tempo swing in 4/4 time. Counting also helps us to understand the subdivision of the beats. Every type of note and tuplet has a corresponding count, and keeping track of these can help us interpret the rhythm more accurately.

Identify a Tune's Structure
The simple process of counting bars (1234, 2234, 3234, etc.) can unlock the structure of any tune. And if it's a particularly complicated arrangement, just write it down.

Polyrhythms & Other Tricky Stuff
It would be nice if we all could just hear complex rhythms and then play them. Most of us have to find some way of counting them. For example, I learned to play quarter note triplets with 'Pass the gol-durn butter'. I use 'serendipity' to count 5-lets. Doesn't really matter how you count things, as long as it works for you. 

Embed Odd Groupings, Time Signatures
The easiest way to learn to play an odd time signature is to play it while counting. Try playing 7/8 for the first time without counting. It can't be done. Eventually you won't need the counting, but in the beginning, it's the only way to get there.

Fake It Till You Make It
Some things come easily, perhaps naturally. Other things may need a bit of help. There's no shame in counting. In fact, rigorous counting can take you places you wouldn't get to otherwise.

For best results, count out loud!

Just Relax

Reader Bill Wullschleger asked me if I would do something on relaxation. This came about when a poster in the Modern Drummer forum on LinkedIn asked for help with numbness in the hands. My comment in response to the post was “Relax, relax, relax”. Seemed like good enough advice, and it’s something I try to apply as much as I can in my own playing.

A couple of years ago I had a recurring numbness in my lead hand. My fingers went quite numb and the numbness extended nearly to my elbow. I did a bit of medical research and learned that it was caused by, unfortunately, old age. The problem is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome. That’s when the nerve ‘tunnel’ in the wrist becomes chronically inflamed so the nerve can no longer slide along smoothly. Carpal tunnel is a tough one because it often requires surgery. My problem was less severe, and the recommended treatment was to relax. And so I did. There’s no trick to relaxing ... you just have to do it. Hmmm, that might be OK in the practice room, but what about when you’re out on a gig and are really feeling the music? Well, the solution doesn’t change.

Step by Step
If you were to take a relaxation course, they’d teach you progressive relaxation, focusing on one thing at a time. My mantra looks something like this: Relax the fingers; relax the hands; relax the wrists; relax the forearms; relax the upper arms; relax the shoulders; relax the back; etc. Take it step by step and don’t address the next body part until the current one is fully relaxed. The best test is to do this while playing.

Opposites Attract
A good way to relax is by using contrast. Contract your muscles as much as you can. Tense your hands, tense your arms, tense your shoulders, etc. Then let it all go as you exhale. This should quickly put you into a nice relaxed mode.

Revise Your Technique
Here’s something you can work on to help relax your hands and also refine your grip. It’s an ancient rudimental technique called the ‘fourth finger fulcrum’. While it may not be very useful on the drum set, it will help you to be aware of your grip and your fingers. And it will help you to relax.

Hold your sticks as you normally do. (If you play matched grip, great because both hands will be the same. For traditional grip, it applies to the lead hand only.) Now shift your grip to the last two fingers -- that’s your ring finger and baby finger, but mainly your pinky finger. Let the other fingers and the thumb go limp. Now make a few strokes on a drum, pad or cymbal. Notice how loose the fingers, thumb and hand are. That’s the type of relaxation you’re looking for.

After working on this for a while, you can begin to shift your fulcrum back toward the first finger. The goal is to control the stick with all four fingers using a very light grip. This should make relaxing easier as the work-load is spread over the entire hand.

I find that when I get into a good relaxed state, I enter a new type of 'zone'. Rather than a physical, adrenaline high, I get to a space where I'm ultra aware, ultra centred ... and it's a great place to be.

The ‘Inner’ Inner Line

"Musical intensity will come from being able to play subdivisions with great specificity and control" - Peter Erskine

We were recording an album for a country artist. During a break, one of the rhythm guitar players came over to me and commented on my playing. He said he’d never heard anything like it before. I was just doing was my usual thing: finding a rhythm that fit. I thought I was doing a standard country groove -- right hand brush on the snare plus a cross-stick -- but I’d added a touch of double-time shuffle with the brush. It was a bit like a simplified version of John Bonham’s epochal pattern from Led Zeppelins’ Fool in the Rain.

Rhythm is made up of strong notes -- the outer line, and the weaker notes --the inner line. In an 8th-note feel, the main beats form the pulse… the outer line. The 'in between' notes create the inner line, and it’s the inner line that determines the feel.

We can vary the inner line to create different effects. It’s easy to add this concept to any sticking pattern by emphasizing one hand. For example, paradiddles can be played R l R R   l R l l  to good effect. Or the reverse: r L r r  L r L L … two distinct rhythms from one sticking.

Now, how about the ‘inner’ inner line? If we go one step further, we can work with the notes within the inner line. In my case, I was suggesting a shuffle within a straight 8th-note rhythm. My basic pulse for that country rhythm was 4/4. Within that I was playing an 8th note ride pattern. Then, within the ride pattern I was alluding to a double-time shuffle, which would typically be based on 16th note triplets. Here we’re taking the inner line concept and applying it between the 8th notes. Fool in the Rain uses this same concept: 1-uh-&-uh / 2-uh-&-uh etc.

Here’s an interesting application. We think of funk as being very 8th note or 16th note oriented, but a lot of funk actually gets its groove from relaxing the 'inner inner line'. You may think you hear 16th notes on the snare leading into the down beats, but if you listen carefully you’ll notice that those aren’t 16th notes at all, but are based on a 16th-note triplet shuffle played within the 8th note structure of the rhythm. That’s why those beats are so relaxed and funky -- and a challenge to play properly.

From country to funk to Led Zeppelin, it’s all in the inner line … and the line within the inner line.

Busted!

There's really no excuse for breaking a cymbal. Let me repackage that: There is no excuse for repeatedly breaking cymbals. Cymbals are incredibly strong. They're made from bronze, virtually the same metal used for the props of ocean-going ships. When chosen, handled and played properly, cymbals can last a lifetime. That doesn't mean that your favourite cymbal won't develop a crack or suddenly cast off a fragment of metal. It happens, but if it's happening often, you're doing something wrong. 

The sad truth is that cymbals cannot be fixed. Chips and chunks can't be put back. Cracks cannot be welded without destroying the temper of the cymbal. But if not attended to, a crack will simply continue to spread until the cymbal is hanging in shreds.

You can have an expert drill, cut or grind out a damaged portion of a cymbal. Or do it yourself if you're skillful with power tools. This can salvage a treasured instrument, but it is no cure -- the cymbal is still broken. But, while such a repair can slow down further deterioration for quite some time, it likely won't stop it. And if the damage is not attended to, the cymbal will soon be lost.

For a crack, the usual remedy is to drill a hole at the very end of the crack. Then, if the crack decides it wants to spread, it has to jump over the gap first. This technique may stop a crack completely, but usually it merely slows it down.

A crack ought to be removed completely. A skilled repair person will use some sort of router to cut a bell shaped piece out of the cymbal that's about 1/2 inch larger then the crack on all sides. As with drilling, this may be a cure or merely a band-aid.

A crack that consumes a large part of the cymbal or that has gone along one of the tone grooves requires a more aggressive approach. Such cymbals are often cut down to a different diameter. Thus an 18-inch cymbal with a 2-inch crack might get cut down to 14 or 13 inches.

Chips and small cracks can be dealt with by excising a large region of the cymbal where the damage occurred. Rather than having a small bell-shaped notch in the edge, the cymbal would look more like a cookie with a bite out of it.

Hopefully this discussion of cymbal "repair" has convinced you that prevention is a far better option. So choose cymbals that can handle the job, mount them loosely on their stands, and don't beat up on them too much.

Hey, Hey We’re the Studio Cats

I recently watched an interesting and entertaining video called "The Wrecking Crew". It's the story -- with lots of interviews -- about the coven of ace studio musicians who created almost all of the pop and rock music that came out of California in the ‘50s and ‘60s.

One item that piqued my interest was the Crew's involvement with The Monkees. So I got hold of a “Monkees Greatest Hits” album and listened. The Monkees themselves sang all the songs -- with some success -- but the arrangements and bed tracks were all by the Crew. With only one or two exceptions, the tracks are fabulous and well worth a listen.

These tunes were recorded in a different time in musical history. For the most part, bands back then had no control over song writing (and often song selection), arranging, recording or producing. That was all left to 'professionals'. True, many of the early rock musicians didn't have the training and experience to do the necessary job under the circumstances. Studio time was very expensive, and record executives didn't want to pay for that new band to learn the ropes. Better to go with what you know will work.

So a writing team wrote the tunes, often specifically for the artists. The musical director and producer called in their 'go to' arrangers and players -- the people they knew could create a sellable track in a couple of hours. It wasn't unusual for such a crew to churn out as many as three finished songs before lunch.

The result of this intensive work was a golden age of pop music, when top studio crews created hit after hit. While the industry has changed dramatically in the intervening 50+ years, the practice is still preferred for a lot of studio work.

In the late 1960s, bands with clout, bands  like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones and others, were able to take ownership of the recording process. While the Wrecking Crew turned out hits ranging from You've Lost That Loving Feeling to Daydream Believer to Good Vibrations, the other method gave us A Day In The Life, Sympathy For The Devil, and Tommy. 

Obviously there is room, and a need, for both approaches.

In Praise of Big Drum Companies

I’m a big fan of custom and artisanal drum makers, but that does not diminish my enthusiasm and admiration for the big companies. Where would the small drum makers be if the big guys hadn't done so much of the groundwork over the years. Reliable bass drum pedal? It started with Ludwig. What about double bass pedals? Well, the 1927 Sonor catalogue shows one. In fact, most of what you see on modern drums was invented, refined, promoted, and/or championed by a large company.

Resources
Big companies bring a lot to the table, not the least of which is machinery. They have all the tools needed to create stuff: tube cutters, metal benders, lathes, and the like. Plus they have a lot of research and expertise derived from years and perhaps generations of drum building. They also have a pretty good idea of what won't work. Oh ... and they have some talented bodies and significant R&D budgets to play with.

Team Work
Pretty much since day one, companies have leapt at the chance to work with drummers, and perhaps the greatest contribution the big companies made was to listen to the players. Particularly during the first half of the 20th century, drummers asked for changes, and the companies made those changes. Gene Krupa wanted dual tension toms. Leedy made them for him. Big band drummers asked for larger, more powerful cymbals. Zildjian enthusiastically obliged.

Field Testing
An important part of the process is making sure it works. A big company is in a good position to hand out prototypes to see how they function and how they're received. This is a process that all the big companies follow. The artist would make a request. They would make the item and then the artist would field test it. Not quite right? Here are a few more to try. This field-testing and tweaking process was responsible for the broad range and high quality of instruments and hardware that we have today. 

Marketing
A good idea is just an idea if nobody hears about it. A marketing budget can easily include that hot new product, and then get the message out to drummers who have been looking for a solution.

Quality, Price Points & Guarantees
The big guys have experience with quality control and pricing. They can create products that perform to a predetermined level, and can cater to just about any budget. And their items invariably come with a guarantee.

So I guess the final word would be Thanks!

Adaptive Anticipation or What comes next?

Adaptive Anticipation -- This is my own somewhat overblown term for controlling the sticks in a manner that anticipates subsequent strokes. It also refers to using the time between strokes to move the sticks to where they need to be. So while it's important to know how to make a certain stroke, a certain sound, it's equally important to know what sort of stroke comes next.

Let’s look at the infamous Moeller stroke. It consists of a 'down stroke' and an 'up stroke'. The down stroke is a full-length stroke executed with power, but with no rebound -- the stick tip remains close to the head. This is not a very useful position if you want to make another full-volume stroke, but it's ideal for a tap. Part two of the Moeller is to tap the stick and then lift it back up in preparation for another fuller stroke. Each type of stroke gets ready for what is to follow: The up stroke is a consequence of the down stroke just as the down stroke prepares for the up stroke.

Now let's look at paradiddles. If we play an accented first stroke, we add impetus. If we then keep the stick close to the head, it prepares us for the diddle, which is difficult to play with full strokes. The diddle also buys us lots of time for raising the other stick. This gives you a strong down stroke, followed by three lesser volume strokes, and plenty of time to get ready or the next figure.

So …
        R = Full down stroke while lifting the Left hand
        L = Half stroke
        RR = 2 Taps while lifting the Left hand
        L = Full down stroke while lifting the Right hand
        R= Half stroke
        LL = 2 Taps while lifting the Right hand

I like to use a billiard analogy. You can just whack the cue ball and hope for the best, but serious pool players put a lot of effort into controlling where the cue ball ends up. It's important to make the shot, but if you're not preparing for the next shot, your game will suffer. Same with your strokes.

I think in terms of down & up, slow & fast, accented & unaccented, and modify the end of my strokes appropriately. If I need to make two loud strokes in a row, then I'll use full strokes*. I'll make the stroke and let the stick rebound back to the top of the range. Then my stick is ready for the next stroke.

Down strokes prepare for lighter strokes; up strokes prepare for louder strokes, and free strokes prepare for another loud stroke. So get out some sticks and start lining up your next shot.

Cymbal Minds

Dave Millar is a man on a mission. Dave came across a unique cymbal brand a couple of years ago and was so impressed that he just couldn't wait for them to be available in Canada. So he contacted the company. They weren't ready for market expansion at the time so Dave, who has years of business and sales experiences, said "What the heck ... I'll do it" (or something to that effect) And so Mirat Diril Canada was born.

First a bit about Murat Diril. Murat and his brother Ibrahim began their cymbal making careers in 1984 at Istanbul Cymbal Company (which split into Istanbul Mehmet and Istanbul Agop in 1997). They started their own cymbal business in 2008 and began making cymbals for other companies, mainly Paiste and Meinl. Murat developed Meinl's Byzance line and Paiste's Twenty Series cymbals. Today Murat puts his own name on the Turkish-made cymbals.

I could go on at length about Murat Diril cymbals. They are, in a word, wonderful ... what you'd expect from a first rank cymbal maker. The company currently produces three broad lines of cymbals, and each line has several series. The instruments are categorised by intended use as well as general style. I tried a couple of dozen cymbals covering most of the range, and it was tough to exclude any of the cymbals from consideration. (The 20" Renaissance Flat Ride just blew me away and the 17" Crash/Trash was awesome.)

The good news here is that the pricing is in line with other top-quality cymbals -- not cheap but not overly expensive -- and there are some bargains to be had, especially in the Renaissance line.

Now here's the cool part. Murat Diril cymbals are now available in Canada three years ahead of schedule thanks to Dave. And, rather than trucking his samples from music store to music store, Dave is reaching out to drummers directly. Now, if I were to design a cymbal business, I would do exactly what Dave is doing. He has set up a sampling studio (just north of Toronto) where drummers can stop by and try the cymbals undisturbed. Dave, as host, helps with matching and selection. I think this is the proper way to select cymbals.

Part of Dave's outreach program is to recruit champions (he calls them Local Heroes) -- drummers who are enthusiastic about the cymbals and who would like to feature them in their own studios. Here's how it might work. I have a home-based teaching studio. If enough of my students are interested in the cymbals, then I could act as an agent. Dave would supply me with a stock of cymbals and I would get a commission on any cymbals I sell to my students. I could also make my studio available to locals who want to try them.

So stop by the Murat Diril website, listen to the sound files, and if you like what you hear, get in touch with Dave to arrange a hands-on session or consultation.

Muratdiril.ca