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The first vintage & Custom Drum Magazine, since 1988
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.
Read moreAll Crotchety
The traditional grip fulcrum will always be in the crotch of the thumb and first finger. Hold out your left hand (unless you're a lefty) as if you were going to shake someone's hand and put your stick firmly in the above-mentioned crotch.
Buddy Rich said it well enough: "Be on time, wear a clean shirt and swing your ass off!” Despite Buddy's penchant for homely sweaters, his advice goes a long way toward spelling out the expectations (the basic requirements of the job) of being a pro, or at least desirable. I used to tell my business students something similar: Show up on time, wear the right clothes, and do what you were hired to do to the best of your ability.
Read moreI am a staunch disciple of renowned drum teacher Jim Blackley. His death in 2018 at the tender age of 86 silenced his voice, but it needn’t cut us off from his legacy and extraordinary teaching.
Read moreYes, we've preserved the traditional functions, but nowadays we prefer to do more with our instruments.
Read moreFaster 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.
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)
Read moreA 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.
Read more4-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.
My Top Dozen (or so) Drum Set Exercises
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The fifteen commandments of practicing
Of course there are no rules, other than just do it. But there are good ways to practice and not so good ways. My goal for practice time is that it will invariably lead to the development of sound playing and sound playing habits. And it has to be fun.
Read moreRecognition vs. Recall
The goal is not to memorize the entire tune and arrangement. We just need to be able to identify and recognize the various sections as they come along. As long as we can follow the tune, the rest is just a case of getting organized. I like to develop a good understanding of the 'landscape' and leave the details until later. If I were to focus on the drum breaks, for example, I’d miss a lot of important information.
One thing that I always admired about Buddy Rich was the way he set up figures. He had a way of announcing and drawing attention to horn lines that was absolutely beautiful.
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We’ve all at one time or another been advised to "just listen” and we would be told the answer to whatever it is that’s is confusing us..
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(editor’s note; It is clear from this image that William of Ockham invented the traditional grip 1000 years ago)
Micro Practice
We do ‘micro practice’ all the time. We work on a single thing: single strokes, double strokes, lines from Stick Control and the like. Why? Because it works. Reducing our focus to a single item reaps big rewards. When learning a new figure, I will often take a 2-beat or even a 1-beat section and work on it exclusively. Then, when I tackle the whole thing, I’ve got a good handle on each part.
It's always a good time to work on bass drum doubles. I find the first page helps with the timing and execution.
Read moreI thought I’d take some basic rock beats and render them in 5/4. I’m having fun with the result.
Read moreEditor’s Note: Richard Best sent me this thing he’s been working on for his students. He’s calling it variations on the classic 3+3+3+3+2+2 rhythm. There are two rudiments within these patterns.
Read moreSo, I have an invention. I wanted to get a prototype made from my sketches and got a quote of $250 to have a one 3D printed. I thought that was pretty good and I was all set to commission the work. Then I got talking to a friend who is a designer and mentioned the prototype and the cost. He said he’d just bought a 3D printer for $300. Well that was enough to send me off in a totally different direction.
Read moreI have a habit of ranting against the rudiments. Of course I'm referring to the classic rudiments of military origin. The point I usually try to press home is that many of the ‘standard’ rudiments are rather hard to apply to the drum set and others rarely fit modern music.
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