Over the years and up to this day, I have been interested in learning the drums. What can the drum set do? What are the various styles that I may not be good at — yet? I purposefully buy drum books that cover techniques and ways of playing with...
Read moreBe Prepared
I recently subbed on a funk gig where I had to learn a fair amount of the group’s original material. They shared a dropbox folder with me that included the horn charts along with mp3’s of their songs. I took the time to listen to the songs and...
Read moreBeing Versatile
I enjoy listening and playing lots of different kinds of music. I grew up mainly around pop and rock, but gravitated toward the fusion music of the ’70’s. That music was my gateway into jazz. I was completely blown away by Billy Cobham with...
Read morePrepare For Your Next Drum Stroke
One thing that I find very useful is practicing drum strokes that will prepare me for what is coming next. E.g., if I need an accented note, then I don’t want to wait until the last moment to raise the arm that will be playing that note. Yes, I...
Read moreThrow and Catch While Drumming
I love the concept of throwing and catching a ball when it comes to the drum set. Buster Bailey introduced me to the idea of bouncing a ball many years ago, and it’s something I use all of the time. Please take a look at this short clip of me at...
Read moreKeep It Swingin’
I’ve been listening to some great players and their take on the Brazilian Bossa Nova. Besides the Brazilian drummers, the cats I really like best are the players that keep it swingin’ while playing “straight” 8th notes. Check out Jimmy Cobb with...
Read moreMaster Drummer
I recently watched Master Series — Antonio Sanchez. This is a great DVD from Hudson Music. One important concept Antonio talks about is learning the “language” of any musical genre. He said that he had worked on and had developed pretty good...
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 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 moreMore on Matched Grip vs. Traditional Grip
I’ve tried to become more in tune with my body over the years. This has included looking at and evaluating my drum grip (or hand position). One thing I like about both hands being “matched” is that I feel that I can experiment more with playing...
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