Playing Music
Quiet Verse plus Loud Chorus equals Dynamic Drums
What comes to mind when you hear that something or someone is “dynamic”? I think of someone with a dynamic personality as being interesting, outgoing and always having something to offer. I also think of the weather in Seattle, where I live, as being dynamic. A sunny sky can turn to rain and back to […]
The Parts of a Song and What They Mean To a Drummer
Every drummer eventually hears the joke about how many people in a band: 3 musicians and a drummer. Or how to confuse a drummer: Put a sheet of music in front of them. Our goal as drummers should be to play as musically as possible so we can laugh at these jokes knowing that we […]
Clap To The Music – 2 and 4 is Hip
Have you ever attended a gospel music church service? The closest I’ve come is on three separate occasions: two gospel brunches at the House of Blues in Las Vegas and Los Angeles (“Praise the Lord and pass the biscuits!”) and a performance of the Black Nativity in Seattle. We’re following a plan to play drums in 4 […]
Play Your First Song with Drumsticks
You are now ready to play your first song using drumsticks on a real or close-to-real drum set using what you’ve learned in previous lessons! Let’s quickly review what you know and how you can use it. You’ve learned how to sit at a drum set (see “A Time, A Place and The Parts Of […]
Move Before You Groove
Playing the drums is often described as “Layin’ down a groove.” This means playing a song’s drum beat at a consistent speed (“layin’ it down”) and with a good feeling (“a groove”). The speed of a songneeds to stay steady but it also must “flow” and not feel “stiff.” The best way that I’ve found […]