I’ve been posting my ‘personal drum philosophy’ since March of 2012. At the time, I was convinced that I wouldn't have enough material for more than a couple of years. Here we are, 13 years later, and I’m posting article number 250!
Read moreA Letter to Buddy Rich Non-fans
What, then, are the criticisms leveled at Buddy and what are the facts? Let's see ...
Read moreFatherly Advice From A Well Seasoned Drummer
I’ve been posting my ‘personal drum philosophy’ since March of 2012. At the time, I was convinced that I wouldn't have enough material for more than a couple of years. Here we are, 13 years later, and I’m posting article number 250!
Read moreLosing My Dream ... or When one door closes
It took a long time for my ears to settle down and to find ways of coping with a pretty debilitating condition (tinnitus, hyperacusis, recruitment). Today I can do a bit of playing and that has enabled me to teach again, and that’s where I think I’m really meant to be.
Read moreWWSGD? (What Would Steve Gadd Do?)
It’s an old joke: How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb? The standard answer is three: one to change the bulb and two more to discuss how Steve Gadd would have done it.
Read moreDirty Little Cymbal Tricks
A highly rated technique is pickle juice. The process calls for covering the cymbal with the juice and a dash of salt. Then you just watch the magic happen -- seriously, this will turn your cymbal green pretty fast. Apparently pickled onion juice works best.
Read moreBest Practices (Please No Jokes About The Name)
We are all individuals, and what works best for one may not work for another. But in general, you can assume that the techniques you see the better players using are some of best practices available. You just need to find the ones that work best for you.
Read moreSame Hand Tom Sweeps
I put this exercise together to get my shoulders moving a bit better.
The sweeps are done with the same hand from tom to snare or snare to
tom.
One Link At A Time
Consider practice as basic as brushing your teeth.
Read moreLet Me Give You A Hand With That
It’s a phenomenon called Limb Assistance. That’s when one limb is able to perform better when it’s partnered with another limb.
Read moreA Brief, Mostly Factual History Of The Bass Drum
The trend toward smaller bass drums was driven as much by portability as sound. Elvin Jones settled on an 18" bass drum because it fit into a cab nicely (so I’ve heard).
Read moreJust a Small Town Doc
So you pack your bags, load up the drums and head for the big city -- just as countless other aspiring players have done. And you’re immediately faced with the more established players, the ones who really are the big fish in this bigger pond.
Read moreRaising The Bar
my life, apparently. It turned out to be a lick that I’ve been using for years. Useful, but hardly life changing ... and after such a great build-up.
Read moreHow important are sticking patterns?
So, if one sticking pattern is so amazingly useful, why bother to learn more? Well the key word here is ‘learn’. There are some stickings that we want to commit to memory as solidly as we can. These are the workhorse stickings. They're the sounds and patterns we rely on day to day. Then there are stickings that are meant only as exercises
Read moreMaking Things Personal
It was an after-hours open stage club in the heart of the jazz district, and our budding jazz band had arranged to play a set -- our first venture outside the practice room. The resident drums were just awful.
Read moreLiving With Hearing Damage
Since I decided to come out about my hearing issues, a lot of people have asked me for some insight. It seems I’m not the only one who has paid a price for playing too loud, too long and too often.
Read moreCymbal Guarantees
Most companies will guarantee a newly purchased cymbal against certain types of breakage, but it ends there. If a player breaks a replacement cymbal, all love is lost and the cymbal will not be replaced. The rational is that the owner/player must be doing something wrong or just plain abusing their bronze.
Read moreEverything I Know About Bearing Edges
I'm So Confused
And so you should be. Options you may hear about bearing edges include: round-over, 30 degree, 45 degree, dual-45, reverse 45, 45 with round-over, bull-nose, baseball bat, vintage round-over. There are also different theories, applications, claims, boasts, and myths.
We’ve Got Something To Say
One night, while sitting at a club not far from where I lived, one of my favourite local players came off the stage and made his way to my table. He was not his usual smiling self, and as he sat down he said, “Some people just got nothin’ to say.”
Read moreA Brief History of the Butt Plate (plus some other stuff)
Photo © Christoph Hähnel (Dreamstime ID 18749883)
The coiled-steel snare wire is a wonderful invention, and a huge improvement over, uh, animal parts. But making it happen required the simultaneous invention of the snare End Plate and its introduction opened a can of worms.
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