At a rehearsal recently, I was having trouble reading some music. This was due to the fact that the arranger had written some rhythms in a not-so-conventional manner. The notes were all there, however, there were bars on eighth notes where I...
Read moreBeing Flexible
I am fortunate enough to play with various musicians in many different groups. Sometimes I’m familiar with the group, but I haven’t done the gig with a particular bass player, e.g. We have both done this gig, but with other players. What can be...
Read moreMore on Open-Handed Drumming
My previous post discussed playing the drums in an open-handed position. This is when the arms do not cross over each other to play the hi-hat and snare drum. For right handed players, this means the left hand is on the hi-hat and the right is on...
Read moreOpen-Handed Drumming
Most right-handed drum set players have been taught to play the snare drum with their left hand while crossing their right arm over their left arm to play their hi-hat. This works quite well and I play like this — most of the time. For a...
Read moreCounting Out Loud – Part Four
This is the last part (for now) on my thoughts about counting and playing drum fills. Why play a drum fill anyway? It’s important to play for the music first and foremost. Drum fills are great when done musically. There should be a reason for...
Read moreCounting Out Loud – Part Three
If the drum fill doesn’t get played correctly, then that’s OK. Make sure to start slowly and try again. That’s what practice is about. The main goal is keep playing and counting without changing the counting. Once that is achieved, practice the...
Read moreCounting Out Loud – Part Two
My prior post talked about counting out loud – first on the snare drum and then moved on to talk about counting while playing the drum set. I left off talking about drum fills and counting. Please see that post and then continue here. At the end...
Read moreCounting Out Loud When Practicing
I have found that many students have trouble counting out loud while playing the drums. It is one more thing to think about, but at the same time, its benefits far outweigh the obstacles involved. I practice and use this technique to this day...
Read moreArm Position
I have recently started making a minute adjustment in my arm position, especially when playing the ride cymbal. This came about after watching Jack DeJohnette’s “Musical Expression On The Drum Set.” Jack references Tony Williams and Elvin Jones...
Read moreDrumming “Tricks”
Recently, I was describing and notating a 3/4 jazz drum pattern for a student. He completely understood it, but at one point he asked if there was a “trick” involved in playing in odd times such as 3/4. (We can talk about “odd” times at length in...
Read moreBeing Grateful
I play and teach drums for a living. I am grateful for that. I get the opportunity to play music with great musicians. When teaching, I am blessed to be able to pass on my experiences and knowledge in an effort to help other drummers/musicians...
Read moreStriking a Balance
I have found that it’s not always easy for me to find a balance in life: between the day-to-day stuff; staying healthy (working out); having fun; practicing the drums; teaching; gigging; and whatever else may come along. I always say that I’m...
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