Getting Better All the Time

I've taught a lot of adults at night school, and I've found that keeping a group of tired, often distracted people sufficiently motivated is a critical part of the job. Motivated students will burrow into their assignments and apply themselves with enthusiasm even at the end of a challenging day. To keep students engaged, they need to be able to see the value in what they're working on, and they must also enjoy the process at least somewhat. In short, we need 'buy-in' and a bit of fun.

I'm prompted to muse upon this having recently read a report on the high drop-out rate among adult music students. The authors of the report cited work schedules and family as the main impediments to committing to a course of study, but motivation is also a key factor.

Learning is something we should be doing all the time. It makes us smarter and more well-rounded, and that makes us more valuable to employers and others. Plus there are other rewards to continuous learning. For example, it keeps your brain from turning to porridge.

So how do you fit music lessons and practice time into your already unmanageable grown-up or high school schedule?

Decide to Make The Time
If you can't manage to regularly set aside time to study and practice, then learning to play is not a personal goal but a 'maybe someday' fantasy. Even 5 minutes a day trumps nothing at all. I think of practicing as my personal time -- my meditation time -- and I always look forward to it.

Find A Situation That Engages You
I recommend that you find an effective teacher, someone you can relate to and whose musical approach is in tune with yours. And someone to whom you are accountable. When looking for a teacher, don't be impressed or put off by surroundings or personalities. I've had great lessons in unfinished basements and I've had lousy lessons from A-list players.

Set Sensible Goals
A good teacher will help you with this as a matter of course. A teacher will also know where you need to go and how to help you get you there.

Join A Band
You can only get so far in the practice room. Aside from a chance to apply all those lovely new drumming skills, playing music with other people is a great motivator as it gives you something to work toward. Even a couple of hours once a month will reap meaningful rewards.

Above All, Have Fun
This, in my opinion, is educational goal #1 and the best motivator I know of.

For more on practicing and setting goals, see How To Practice.

Faster Still!!!

When a young drummer asks about the best way to develop speed, the usual answer is “practice slowly”. And no, that's not an oxymoron. Your ability to play fast is 100% determined by the amount of control you have over your limbs. And the best way to develop control is through … wait for it … slow, regular, mindful practice.

Photo © Jose Antonio Sanchez Reyes | Dreamstime.com

Slow practice gives your brain time to attend to everything that’s going on with your limbs. On top of that, you can't always hear what you're playing if it goes by too quickly. Your attention is not compromised because you're not pouring all your effort into your muscles. Your limbs are constantly giving you feedback, and slow practice gives you time to focus on every movement and every note.

Yes, all true! However, this plan totally misses a very important component of playing fast. You see, you get better at what you practice, but, if you only practice slowly, then you haven't actually worked on playing fast. You need to practice at faster and faster tempos, which is much easier once you've developed sufficient control over you limbs, muscles, and thinking.

“Speed is the result of great technique” - Heidi Joubert

Slow practice has other benefits. You'll notice an improvement in articulation in addition to speed. You also are getting practice at maintaining a slow tempo.

Also keep in mind that you can't play faster than your slowest limb. Usually this is your non-natural side. So sticking exercises would be limited by your weaker hand whereas a four-way exercise might be limited by the hi-hat foot. No surprise there. So listen to your limbs giving you guidance.

---

G.L Stone on Control and Speed 

“Progressive Steps Towards Stick Control”
1. Precision - gained through slow motion study and practice.
2. Endurance - though endless repetition of figures at normal tempos.
3. Speed - and even this practiced below capacity, and not until warmed up.

---

 
So the long-range plan is to increase the tempo as you gain control. Play the exercise slowly to gain control and as you feel more comfortable, move the metronome up a notch or two.

For a simple program for speed development, have a look at my speed practice program: http://drumyoda.blogspot.com/2013/02/faster-faster.html

My First Day Job

At the tender age of 32, I was forced out of my music career by major hearing damage (* see below). After a couple of years in recovery, I retrained to be a computer programmer --  a nice, quiet programmer as one of my teachers put it. At the end of my studies, I landed a job with a major corporation developing systems for the then-new microcomputers. This was my first straight gig since a couple of disastrous attempts in my teens.

I'd never been in a corporate environment before, so there was a lot of learning and a lot of adjusting. One thing that intrigued me was the department manager. A mild-mannered guy in his 50s, he was very easy to get along with and obviously very good manager as his department ran quite smoothly.

What I found most interesting about this fellow was that he spent a large portion of his work day looking out his office window. The department was located on the 5th floor, and his corner office looked out over the city. This was in Toronto, which is known for its greenery, so the view was very nice. And in the fall, it was truly spectacular.

So, it seemed to me like this guy did very little actual work, and got paid a lot for not doing it. So what was his secret?

To some degree, he'd made himself redundant. His staff did all the routine work -- quickly, quietly, efficiently. Sometimes someone would go to the boss's office with an issue, and he would help them deal with it. Or he might send them packing because he needed them to figure it out for themselves. And then it was back to gazing out the window.

You see, he'd hired a lot of very capable, dedicated, and creative people. And his management style was to step back and let them do their thing as much as possible. So the department essentially ran itself, driven by the quality of the staff. The manager was there to determine priorities, provide direction, and solve any problems that came up (plus the usual managerial stuff). When it came to the department's day-to-day workload, that was well covered by the staff, freeing the manager to resume his contemplation.

The moral of the story is this: Surround yourself with good people and then get out of the way. If you teamed up with them because of their skill and knowledge, why would you mess with that? I'?ve even heard stories about musicians (and non-musicians) who were hired because of their abilities only to have the 'boss' require them to do something else entirely. It's a no-win situation, often leading to conflict, stress and even occasional sackings.

* For the full story and an in-depth look at hearing damage, check out my early blog posts: https://drumyoda.blogspot.com/2012/04/

Photo Credit: 2341020 - Jaco Janse Van Rensburg | Dreamstime.com

Fuhgeddaboudit

Quite a few years ago I read a very helpful book called "The Wealthy Barber" (see below). It's the story -- a parable, actually -- about a young couple learning about personal financial management and investing. One of the tips author David Chilton throws out is to not pay attention to any of it. This turns out to be an extremely important part of the investing process.

When we focus on money, some of us just end up worrying about it. We're even inclined to put extra effort into worrying, resulting in extra stress and anxiety. The better approach is to work out a sound plan, set it in motion, and then forget about it. Step back and let the plan do its job so you can go off and attend to more interesting chores while the benefits accumulate in the background. 

This is an almost magical solution to the frustration of tracking the progress of things that move along slowly. For example, if I plant a tree today and then check on it daily, weekly or even monthly, I’ll drive myself nuts. If instead I check it only a few times a year, I’ll be a lot less anxious about it. Plus I’ll have a more realistic idea of how things are getting on. 

When you check on something constantly, it can be hard to perceive progress. Frequent checks can accentuate or obfuscate the ups and downs of your journey, and it can be hard to cope with the accompanying variability and uncertainty.

This investment/tree-planting angle occurred to me as I was practicing the bodhran. I set about eliminating a major obstacle to bodhran mastery, and that is speed. So I set up a practice card with my 'guaranteed to get-faster' program and then slipped it into my bodhran practice schedule. A few weeks later, as I practiced, I was intrigued with not only how smooth my stroke had become, but also how much speed I’d achieved in a relatively short time. And the key component to this admirable accomplishment? I didn’t pay attention. In fact, I barely acknowledged that I was working on speed. I just did the practice routine.

So if you want to track your progress while lessening anxiety, do it less often. Or maybe don’t do it at all! 

“It's arrogant to be too hard on yourself” - Barbara Sher

 

David Chilton, the Wealthy Barber: http://www.wealthybarber.com/ - A bit dated but still highly recommended.

“Free” is Good, Right?

There will be times when you'll be asked to play for free. There are some good reasons for playing gratis, and only you and your bandmates can decide how to handle it.  Well, then, just how do you decide whether you are going to do a job when there's no money to be had. In short, WIIFMAMB (What's is in it for me and my band)?

Sucker Play
The first question I like to ask is, “Who else is working for free?” Too often the answer is “Just you.” That's when I have to ask some serious questions.

Experience
If you're at the stage where you're desperate for experience, then go ahead and latch on to any chance to play -- friends' parties for example. Also get out to open stage nights and do a few guest sets. But once you feel comfortable in front of an audience, you may want to move on to the next stage: actual gigging ... for pay.

Exposure
The so-called showcase is presented as an 'opportunity' to get your music in front of people who can help you move forward, often augmented by the opportunity to promote the event and sell tickets to 50 of your friends. Sadly, the chance that a person of influence will hear you and then seek you out may be no better than at a paying gig. The exception is if you'll be paired with a major name. Appearing with or opening for a top local or up-and-coming band can be a good step toward more gigs.

Good Works
If I'm going to support a charity function, I want to know what my time and effort will be going toward. If a charity really means something to me, then I may leap at playing at their fund-raiser. It’s a bonus if the charity complements my 'branding'. It also doesn't hurt if the event has a high profile (see Exposure).

Credibility
In this business, you're only as valuable as your perceived worth. If you have a reputation for wantonly giving away your services, you may not gain the respect of other musicians or the people who could hire you.

So playing for free might be a good move ... depending. Many artists choose to do a set number of charity gigs each year. Just understand that a freebie has the potential for both enhancing or hampering your career.

Rebutting Drumming Myths

I did a quick search of online resources and compiled a list of what the Internet considers to be drumming myths. A myth is something that someone believes but has not been demonstrated to be true. There are potential problems with drumming myths. At best they are harmless, but they can lead you down the wrong path. At their worst, they can harm you in a variety of ways. They can also cause you to discount things that you might otherwise find useful. So here is my rebuttal to things I found in the wild.

4-Way Independence Rules
Our limbs typically cannot act independently, and so we must train them to co-ordinate their actions as a team. We call it independence, but what we're really talking about is “co-ordinated interdependence”... the limbs are co-operating and not acting independently.

A Great Band Will Always Have a Great Drummer
There are lots of examples of successful bands who had less than awesome drummers, but rarely do we see a band succeed with a drummer who isn't up to the job or who isn't contributing something special to the music. A good drummer, on the other hand, will often propel a good band to even greater heights.

Bigger Is Better
“If you can't make it on a 4-piece kit then getting more drums isn't going to help you” - Todd Sucherman
Yes but, you say, Todd plays a HUGE set. To that, Todd would likely say that he’s just as comfortable on a 4-piece kit ... but a big set sure comes in handy at times.

Counting In Your Head Is Better/Easier Than Counting Out Loud
You really need both. Counting is merely a tool to help you to understand and take control of the metre and the music. Anyone trying to play in 5/4 for the first time will quickly see how difficult it is to do without some sort of counting. Counting out loud is a great exercise. It forces you to actually count and to focus on the count. It also calls into play a second area of the brain. Counting can even be liberating, so count whenever it helps.

Drummers Are Not Real Musicians
I've met too many drummers with music degrees -- PhDs, even -- to go along with this one. Rhythm is a core element of music, so someone who specializes in rhythm must also, logically, be an essential part of music. So it turns out drummers are musical VIPs (very important percussionists).

Faster Is The Way To Go
Speed is necessary at times, but speed is just one aspect of musical performance. There’s nothing wrong with working on speed, but it should not detract from the rest of your practice and playing.

If It Feels Good To You It Must Be Right For The Song
When I was just starting out, I played what I thought worked, and would occasionally be 'corrected' by a band member. Although it felt right to me, I lacked sufficient background at the time to play what was right for the music. It’s a good idea to become familiar with the idioms you'll be responsible for. And if you're not sure, ask.

It’s All In The Wrist
To say that it’s all this or all that can cut us off from a lot of things. I see many drummers who are trying to get by using just one or two fingers, and I'm amazed at how often the thumb is neglected. We should be using all the tools we were given: hand, fingers, thumb, wrist, elbow, shoulder, back.

Mistakes Are Bad. Always
Beethoven probably wasn't the first to say it: "Playing a wrong note is insignificant whereas playing without passion is inexcusable." As my jazz theory professor was so fond of saying, "A mistake is just an unanticipated outcome."

More Technique Is Always Better
You need to have enough technique and knowledge to do the job, and you should also have something in reserve. That frees you to play without worrying about technical or physical limitations.

Muscle Tension Is Bad
In general, you should try to be as relaxed as possible when playing. That doesn't mean you shouldn't dig in and work the muscles as needed. Different things call for different approaches. Just bear in mind that chronic muscle tension consumes more energy and limits your mobility.

Odd Time Signatures Are For Advanced Players Only
Jazzers started exploring odd time signatures in earnest back in the 1950s. Early rock musicians followed a few years later. Other contemporary musicians quickly adopted the habit, and would throw in an occasional 5/4 or 7/8 tune or section. While bands like Tool and Meshuggah take it to an extreme, the average player is quite capable of playing odd time signatures.

Perfect Time Exists/Does Not Exist
There are drummers who don't display remarkable technical ability on the drum set, and yet they are snapped up by top musicians and demanding producers. Why? Impeccable time (and taste). If you've got great time, everything else is a bonus. Note that perfect time, like perfect pitch, is very rare. Most of us have to work at it.

Practicing With A Metronome Will Make You Mechanical
A standard in music education and practice for more than two-hundred years, the metronome marks out a tempo in strict time. Most professional musicians use a metronome to help them continually improve their time. There is no downside to playing good time.

With Clicks, Good Time Isn't Necessary For A Drummer Anymore
Nobody wants to have an actual metronome on stage, although a click track can be useful in some contexts. For the most part, musicians have only their own sense of time to keep things on track, and the better that sense, the better the resulting music will be. And no click required!

You Should Work Toward Being Proficient At As Many Different Styles As Possible
Are you a specialist or a generalist? I'm a generalist. I can play lots of things fairly convincingly, and that’s a sensible stance for a freelance musician. On the other hand, you may be a specialist. There are lots of great drummers who have a limited palette of styles but it serves their music perfectly, Joey Jordison being just one great example.

My Top Dozen (or so) Drum Set Exercises

The material on my music stand changes from time to time, but certain exercises remain and get a regular top-up. Below are the exercises I keep on my practice schedule and which I revisit regularly. Note that while slow practice yields better progress, you should also work toward playing at working tempo as you gain control. The exercises assume right handedness, but  feel free to reverse the stickings.

Note: I have prepared a summary of these exercises in standard and Berger notation. Email me if  you’d like to receive a PDF copy.

1-Minute Maintenance
Singles, doubles and buzz rolls all deteriorate fairly quickly, so add them to your schedule. Basic beats can also do with frequent review. I do a quick 1-minute review of at least one of the ‘basics’ every day. (In fact, I do most exercises for 1 minute and that seems to work for me.)

Left-Hand Lead Inverted Doubles
There are a number of forms that double strokes can take, but this one has a secondary benefit. Lead with your ‘weaker’ hand and accent the down beat “double forte” to help build a better relationship with your non-dominant side.

L R R L / L R R L / L R R L / L R R L

Speed Builder
Play single strokes on the snare but play 1 & 3 on a cymbal. The feet play in Cut Time
Target the down beats (1 & 3) by throwing the stick against the cymbal. Also practice leading with each hand.

Accents on Toms
This exercise helps with getting the limbs moving in a natural and relaxed manner, plus the rhythms are good fodder for fills and soloing. I use Ted Reed’s “Syncopation”, but any book that has similar exercises will work, and put the accents on the ‘nearest’ tom: R=FT, L=ST.

Buddy’s 3's
Buddy used this pattern a lot during solos and it’s a great exercise for developing single stroke speed and for nailing the relationship between 16th notes and 16th note triplets.

3-way Combinations

I picked up this trick from Claude Ranger and have expanded it by applying the concept to G.L. Stone’s “Stick Control”. Right hand strokes are played with the bass drum and ‘L’ strokes are played with  both hands, on the snare and floor tom, HH on 2 & 4.

More about Claude Ranger:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ranger-claude-emc
https://youtu.be/5HOSCWCwAHA

Doubles Between Snare & Bass vs. Ride Rhythm
These are good muscle builders and they also produce some pretty useful rhythms. Play the diddle variations between the bass drum and snare while keeping a steady ride, 2 & 4 on the hi-hat.

Paradiddles Between Snare & Toms
Place one of the single strokes of a paradiddle on the ‘nearest’ tom (i.e. right hand strokes on the floor tom, left hand strokes on the mounted tom) and the remainder on the snare. Also apply two strokes on toms. Finally, put the doubles on toms.

Tony’s Warm-Up
Play single stroke 16th notes and switch to double strokes, also 16th notes. And repeat. Be sure to lead with either hand.

RLRL RLRL RLRL RLRL |  RRLL RRLL RRLL RRLL  | etc.

Diddles a la Billy Cobham
This is a good way to refine your double strokes. Using a book such as Ted Reed’s Syncopation, take the accented exercises and play a diddle for each accented note. This helps develop speed, dexterity and control ... and they sound pretty cool.

Half Diddles
This idea was inspired by David Garibaldi. The figures are actually the four Single Paradiddle forms, but with one stroke missing, and played between the snare and bass drum against a ride rhythm. The figures can be played with either a rock or a swing feel.

Quads
These are great for developing a better relationship with your limbs. The exercise consists of one stroke with each limb in various sequences: LH RH RF LF /  LH LF RH RF / RH LF LH RF  etc.

Tony’s Fusion Tom Work-out
Best done on a “fusion kit” (2 up, 1 down), these exercises are great for getting around the set and also for developing a more musical palate. Play a short figure (e.g. 2 8th notes) on each drum and go around the set playing the figure once on each drum. The principle can be applied to any sort of pattern. 

Bonus Tip: I like to practice stickings with a Cut Time foot pattern. That is, play “1” on the bass drum and “3” on the  hi-hat. You can then use your feet as targets for your hands.


Picture Credit: 1371580 © William Berry,  Dreamstime.com