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| Teaching someone to play the drums is fun. Because it's physical, and because it seems most everyone at least thinks he has a pretty good idea of how to start. I approach this process very practically, teaching easily "do-able" things - especially at first - always encouraging without pressuring. And always keeping in mind that every person learns in his or her own way. Art is a mysterious thing, and if you try to put it in a box, you'll inevitably get out what you put in; a box full of stiff, uninspired sounds that no one will appreciate (except maybe other people in the box).
Private lessons in my studio are typically $20.00 per half hour. Exceptions are made for both group lessons, and for on site lessons.
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| PA Equipment for Hire |
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It's my opinion that there are certain things a drummer, or any musician can do to be productive musically. If you're working with other musicians, these things or "rules of etiquette" can determine the difference in whether you become successful and play for people, and make money, or whether you become kind of ... "ok" ... "but let's check out that other band down the street".
So, over the years I've come up with a few thoughts that I hope might help out someone new to the world of being a team player. And also to just being a better player. Scroll down.
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1) Be patient with yourself: This is the first, most important lesson to learn. Understand that learning takes time. Tip: Try to keep a running tab in your head (or better, record yourself), then go back to beats and fills you have worked on over a period of time and note your improvement. It’s usually inspirational.
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| 2) Play with control: When good drummers play what sounds chaotic you can bet it is very controlled, practiced, defined, and usually well within their range of capability.
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| 3) Anticipate your next move: Think ahead. Practice playing a groove (start with a simple one) and “hearing” your next fill in your mind before you actually execute it. By learning to divert your attention while playing something, your fills will be tighter and sound more intentional. So many drummers seem to be stuck playing the same fills all the time. Learning to anticipate will also help you to plan a coherent strategy in creating the right fills for the right song.
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4) Practice grooves and fills separately: This is probably something that is more a personal choice, but I find that treating a fill like a groove during practice - playing it over and over - helps me to delineate and categorize my approach to a song, thereby giving me more control. I can better anticipate my next fill if I have developed muscle memory for it ahead of time.
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5) Play within your capabilities when performing: Save your experimentation for your own practice time. You won’t learn much anyway if your mind is on learning songs and working with other players.
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6) Don’t play while other players are learning a tune: Again, save your practice time for when you’re alone. Good bands are disciplined when they practice - that’s why they’re good.
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7) Change your style: Work on breaking old habits. Good players can create many different sounds and styles, and the best way to do that is to practice sounding like many different drummers. This will make you a much more versatile player. I never heard someone say that having played in a cover band hurt his or her technique.
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8) Find your threshold of difficulty: This is probably the most critical element in getting better at any instrument. You must discover the point at which what you’re practicing is not too easy, nor is it too difficult. Playing a simple beat over and over will stifle your advancement into more intricate grooves and fills. Conversely, continuing to attempt a beat or fill that is way beyond your ability will only serve to frustrate you and will ultimately keep you from achieving exactly what you’re trying to achieve.
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9) Don’t shy away from tough stuff: You’ll never know if you can do something unless you at least try it a little. Trying very difficult rhythms also will help you identify your threshold of difficulty.
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10) Make your grooves and fills a habit: When you have stumbled onto something you like, work with it until it sounds smooth and becomes second nature to you. Visit and revisit it for a while each time you sit down to play. After a while it will become part of you and you’ll be able to call on it with ease.
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11) Slow down: I’ve discovered that if you pick apart a groove and play it at a fraction of its normal speed, it’s often difficult to play it with the same feel. Work on playing your most difficult groove – one that you typically play fast – much slower, but with the same feel as when you play it fast. This exercise may not reveal immediate results, but will help you to increase the control needed to sound like a pro in real life situations.
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12) Take a break: Don’t overdo playing a new thing you’re trying to learn. If you can’t quite get it, try it for a while and then move on to something else. When you revisit it, you’ll find that you probably learned it better than you’d thought.
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13) Keep focused on what you’re doing: Whether playing alone or practicing with a band, try not to bounce around with too many ideas at once.
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14) Work on rudiments: A large part of what people hear you play will be based around rudiments. If you can tastefully execute various rudimentary rolls and fills in your playing people will be impressed. Watch Buddy Rich or Dave Weckl.
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15) Listen carefully: One of the best ways to get good ideas is to listen to other drummer’s technique. You can (and should if you want to get better) listen any time possible. How you listen is a technique in itself. It comes with time. Learn to identify the different elements of a beat and compare that to your capabilities. You will inevitably hear things that you will want to incorporate into your own style.
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16) Be humble: No matter how good you think you are, there will always be someone better and more capable than you. A big ego can be valuable for a public “image”, but if it’s not kept in check at rehearsal it can only hold you back. Learn not to criticize other players unless you’re invited to and can do it constructively.
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17) Work on your weak side: We all have a lead limb. For most it’s the right hand. If it is, see how much of what you do with this hand can be done with the other. Do the same for your feet. Start slow and simply, and be patient and methodical. This is one I don’t personally like to work on (I do it anyway, though), but in forcing yourself to work your weak side, many new and more difficult techniques will soon be at your fingertips.
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