One thing that I’ve experienced is that when I’m at a gig and I attempt to play a “drum lick” that I’ve been practicing is that it feels different as compared to when I was at my drum studio all by myself. E.g., perhaps you’ve been working on...
Read moreThe Drumstick
Over the years, as I’ve tried to develop a more fluid way of approaching the drum set my main focus has been my arm motion. In conjunction with that is the thought that the drumstick is simply an extension of my arm. I put the stick into motion...
Read moreUnspoken Expectations
I have seen instances where a band leader is not happy about a certain action or non-action of one of his band mates (or the other way around). Unfortunately, all too often, the reason for the upset seems to come from an unspoken expectation that...
Read moreDrumming and Living Your Life
For most of us, living our day-to-day life and keeping those things together takes a fair amount of time. Making time for drumming and other healthy pursuits can sometimes take a back seat. I know that this can happen to me. I really do try to...
Read moreThe Business of Drumming
If I had to name one skill that has come in handy time and time again through the years, it is the ability of being organized. Yes, I’ve spent lots of time practicing the drums, learning different styles and tunes. However, I believe that the...
Read moreThe Rock Shuffle
Over the years, I’ve played my fair share of shuffle grooves on the drums. Lately, that has included mainly the blues shuffle in its various incarnations. I have also gotten back in touch with the rock shuffle, mainly due to a student wanting to...
Read moreMustang Sally and Other Song Requests
Many musicians play gigs where they are asked to perform songs that people love. This seems to happen on all sorts of gigs: rock; jazz; blues, etc. I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve played some tunes. This has never bothered me all...
Read moreMore on Patience
Previously, I have posted the importance of being patient. I find that it’s best for me if I can apply this to my entire life. The more I can implement the concept of giving something some time to gel outside of music and drumming, then the...
Read moreDrum Technique
Previously I have posted some thoughts on drum technique. To summarize, I believe that every drummer can benefit from good technique. Have command over your instrument instead of the other way around. I’m from the school of thought that a solid...
Read moreArm Motion & Drumming
One thing I take notice of when watching any great drummer is their arm motion. Many drum set players take this for granted, but I think that it’s the basis of almost everything. Even some great teachers will talk about how it’s mainly in the...
Read moreDrum Rudiments
I’m not the first drum instructor to recognize just how important the basics are when learning the drums. When I was first taking lessons, my drum teacher taught me the rudiments and instilled in me an appreciation of their importance. To this...
Read moreBrazilian Drumming
Over the years, I’ve tried to learn different styles of drumming. One in particular that speaks to me, is the drumming from Brazil. The Bossa nova and samba are two rhythms that are pretty much required for any serious drum student. Dig a bit...
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