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5
Mistakes that Musicians Make
1.
Not having backup gear - I'm amazed at the number
of musicians that don't keep backup gear on hand. Guitar
players need extra strings, drummers need extra heads...
and so on. Make sure you keep a backup supply on hand
for emergencies. When you forget, and something goes
wrong, it hurts everybody.
2. Not knowing the songs for rehearsal - There's
nothing more frustrating when one of the band members
shows up to rehearsal unprepared. It holds things up
for everyone and wastes time. Learn your part of the
music so that your band mates don't suffer.
3. Showing up late - Musicians are notorious
for showing up late. As self-employers, we often get
lackadaisical and forget that when we show up late,
it affects everyone, even our audience who is counting
on you to be ready at the announced time. If you struggle
with this, set your leave time back 15 or 20 minutes
so you always have a cushion.
4. Attitude - Musicians have a tendency to be
a little self-centered at times. The pride in their
music combined with an ego that often gets propped up
by their fans creates a sometimes, holier-than-thou
attitude. The best thing you can do for yourself and
your band mates is come back down to earth and check
your ego at the door.
5. Lack of professionalism - Music is a business.
But many musicians think it's a just a party. Those
that never learn the difference will find themselves
at 40 years old with little income and little to show
for their careers. If you change your attitude toward
your music and approach it like a business, you will
see great results.
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Got the Winter Blues?
Sometimes rain, clouds in the sky, cold weather
or even just having a bad day will get us in a terrible
mood where we don't feel like practicing. One little
trick of the trade that will help get you out of this
blah mood is to laugh. Find a joke book or a funny
website that makes you laugh. Or you can look up
funny videos on You Tube. When we're in a good mood,
we will feel motivated to practice and of course practicing
gets us where we want to be.
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It
works great to make your own fills out of a few fills
from some of your fave songs. I'm not saying rip 'em off,
but take some of this, some of that... and you'll have
your own unique style. - Daniyal Khan
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Make
sure that you can hear the rest of the band! Turn
up the monitors so that they are just louder than your
drums and cymbals. - FishFinger
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Don't drum with the technicalities in mind...
play with your heart, not your brain. You will enjoy
it far more and people will notice the difference. -
Joe
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READ
EVERYTHING! Learn everything and dont take anything
for granted! You will become the best if you can just
read those black dots on a bit of paper! - Marcus Holloway
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There are great musician resources online including
AnyGig.com which helps you find work for your band,
HitMeOneTime.com which has musician marketing tips and
BandMix.com which helps to connect local musicians.
To
the Top
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5 Ideas to Spark your Creativity
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Pro
drummer, Johnny Rabb uses what he calls a "drumble"
to get really cool sounds out of the snare. It's a
mini splash cymbal with a little handle on it. He
sets it on top of the snare drum and lifts it up and
down with his left hand while he plays cool rhythms
with his right hand in and around the snare and on
the cymbal itself. Can you think of a way you could
do something similar by creating your own percussive
device?
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Right-handed
drummers will often play left-handed to become more
ambidextrous and to spark new ideas. They will also
sometimes switch their hi-hat to the reverse side.
What are some other ways that you can "trick"
yourself into thinking differently on the drums?
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How
deep is your groove? You would be amazed at the length
some drummers go to to achieve an ultra-deep groove.
They work with metronomes intensively. They record
themselves playing in the pocket and listen back.
They study famous drummers that are known for their
deep grooves. They even use body motion to "rock"
with the rhythm while they play. What other ways can
you think of to enhance your feel on the drumkit?
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Remember
when Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez shocked
the drum world with his blazing left-foot clave? No
one had ever seen anything like this! Can you come
up with your own signature technique?
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In
the 1800's Peruvian slaves developed drums from wooden
drawers and crates. Today, this instrument is referred
to as the Cajon. Recently, manufacturers are stretching
the limits of the cajon by installing snare-like mechanisms,
changing the shapes to resemble bongos and experimenting
with port hole placement. I believe we've only scratched
the surface on what this simple drum has to offer
percussionists. How can you use this wonderful invention
to enhance your performance on stage?
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There
are lots of drummer magazines on the market where
you can keep up on the latest drum gear, famous drummers
and access free drum lessons and tips. Check out Modern
Drummer, DRUM! magazine, Drummer magazine (UK), Rhythm
magazine (UK), Drumhead magazine, Classic Drummer magazine,
Drums and Percussion (Germany), Sticks magazine (Germany)
and Drum Connexions (New Zealand).
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If
your iPad is constantly falling while you're playing
drums, consider buying a sturdy iPad mount and position
it just to your left where you can access it conveniently
and safely.
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If you're a professional, working drummer, you
need to have business cards and a professional-looking
website. Put your website address on your business card
and within one second you can get it in the hands of that
singer or guitar player that heard you play at a jam session.
Something like this makes a great impression on prospective
employers. It shows you're serious and prepared. - Mike
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Aside
from picking the color of your drumset and putting
a fancy drum head on the front, you can also personalize
and accessorize your drums with things like fancy bass
drum claws and cymbal toppers!
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Don't speed up during the chorus. Most people tend
to and it screws the whole band up newbies. - Tommy Deweese
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I got this from the great Carlos Santana: Listen
with your ears but play from your heart. - Joey Turrubiate
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Always
losing your drum key? Put it on your keychain! With
the new quick-release drum key all you have to do is pop
it off the ring, tune your drums and pop it back on. Voila!
Simple and easy!
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Always tell yourself you are the drummer. Never
give in to anyone else's negativity. And always practice
to learn new techniques, because you never stop progressing.
- Billy
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Get inside the head of non-drummers and non-musicians
to find inspiration. Whether it be Miles Davis's spacing
or your favorite movie or your wife's cooking, you can
get a urge to play the best music possible. Charlie
Haden said (and I'm probably getting it wrong) that
trying to become a better, happy, and more focused person
can help your playing greatly. Soak up as much music
as you can and get inside the music. Have Fun! - Nathan
Boucher
Free
Drum Lessons... at DRUM BUM!
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Trick
to marketing your band: Get your band's name imprinted
on cheap drumsticks. Don't play with them but pull
them out of your stick bag a few times a night and throw
'em into the crowd. You can also put them on your merch
table along with your T-shirts and CD's.
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Many
drummers will try to spark their creativity by playing
only with kick, snare and hi-hats. Try kick, toms and
cymbal only. Get rid of the snare drum! It's tough at
first (you'll see how reliant you are on the snare)
but you'll get used to it and it leads to all kinds
of creative ideas. - Piazz
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You
no longer have to go to a general music site to look
for certain specific items. For example, if you're looking
for a drumstick
bag, simply go to stickbags.com or if your looking
for drummer dvds, go to drummerdvds.com.
- Mike
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Turn
the music down just a notch or two. This will help
save your ears. - Bill B.
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Practice
the drums just a half hour longer. It adds up and
will make you a better player. - Inda
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Practice
double stroke (long roll
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Be just a tad kinder and more respectful to your
fellow musicians. It makes the working atmosphere so much
better and eases tension between bandmates. - Tom
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Start
everything off slow
and gradually speed up the tempo. it will maake it much
cleaner sounding - Tyler B
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Playing
double bass by both heels up,
you will get tired quicker. Practice with heels down
unless you have strong calf muscles. Yes, playing by
heels down will get your speed reduced slightly, but
this way, your bass kicks will be more accurate and
well-timed so by practicing you could get your to your
full speed. - Shayan
To
the Top
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Don't
let the guitar player
(any guitar player) tell you how to tune or how to play
your drums. If they knew what they were talking about,
they'd be the drummer. I had a guitar player explain that
the beat goes "like this. Blap...blap, blap, blap...
blap, blap." - Cliff Phillips
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Screw
up a beat or fill. Once... it's a mistake. Twice..
it's intentional. Three times is Jazz! - Juice
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For
all you singing drummers...
I highly recommend investing in in-ear monitors. You will
wonder how you ever performed without them! - Juice
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If a non musician,or Musician is Ragging on you
about your playing don't let negativety shake your confidence,
just focus on what you do well and build from their,and
always know, they were where you are at one time.KEEP
ON DRUMMING,!! - takesix
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I bought a well worn 3 drum marching tom set.(Pearl)
from a local drum shop.After a thorough cleaning and
polishing,I mounted them on a modified "rack"
next to my high hat.New heads and a little tighter setting
and I have an awesome 3 timbale set for under one hundred
dollars.Look and sound great - Steve Hlabse
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DON'T
PLAY HEEL DOWN!! You get far more power and speed
utilizing all leg and glute muscles as opposed to just
your shin muscles. With a little practice Control comes
later. Also, Your shins won't burn anymore because your
no longer over working them. - Neal
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When
you lose motivation
go to youtube and check out some solos. - someone
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Always
try to have 'emergency' drummers. in case you cant
make it a certain gig, they can come in handy - Ebo
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Show
some respect towards your band members even if u have
more links,you are the oldest and/or you play the most
important role in the band. - Ebo
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If
you're in a class room on the computer etc. practice
bass drum techniques. It really helps. When I was in
school i was bass drumming in school and then the day
before that i couldn't play the bass speed critical
acclaim or a little piece of heaven.(both by avenged
sevenfold)and in a few days i could play them. I use
heel-down - The Kong
To
the Top
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Not
"practice makes perfect" but rather, "perfect
practice makes perfect." Also, for those wanting
to reduce the noise level for practicing there is a product
out there by HQ and I think also Evans called, "Sound
Off." They are rubber pads that fit on the drums
and cymbals to reduce the sound levels. Don't sound very
good but certainly live up to it. - John
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Sit
a little higher than
you usually do. this will help getting a comfortable
position on the padels. - Maxx
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AUDACITY
wich is recording software
(free download) can import mp3 files and has the capability
to modify the tempo without changing the pitch. Great
to chart songs, figure out beats and practice at a slower
tempo until you get the song right. - J.P.
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Be
careful what "tips" you read on the Internet.
Anybody
can post anything about anything here. My rule of thumb,
if the poster can't spell or speak proper English it's
probably bad info... - Really Guyz?
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When
you're not around a drum set at all and your listening
to your music put your foot up like you would on your
pedals on the flat ground and just go along with the
song it works your muscles and it honestly works. I
did this while riding the bus to school *which was a
45 min drive* and i would practice songs I knew well
and had some fast parts I would struggle with after
doing this for awhile I could see an improvement with
my double bass. Hope this will help someone. - Double
Bass Help : Jeff A
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Every
tip I have read so far is tested and true. In my experience,
limited ofcourse, I have found that the best drummer does
not always get the gig. Sometimes the music calls for
simple and tight. With that said a mojority of the auditioners
can get the call. So there not looking for the best? there
looking for the best person, personality, someone whos
secure and confident and not arrogant. I learned the hard
way. I auditioned for a blues cover band, I talked like
I knew it all, Vinnie..Gadd..groove...pocket...OH brother!!!
- dave
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Felt
or cloth on drum skins. To
everyone who keeps saying to tape felt or a cloth to either
side of your drums; your stupid. With correct tuning of
drums that annoying ringing sound will go away. If this
ringing is still there, clearly you havent tuned your
drum correctly. Yes, snare drums will usually have a metallic
like ring and the best way to fix this, besides correct
tuning, is with a plastic studio ring placed (not taped)
on your drum; if that slight metallic sound is not what
your looking for. So, in conclusion, learn how to correctly
tune your drums. - Sam
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To
help with your balance on the throne get you as wide
a seat as posible.some people find it easier to sit out
a little farther toward the front of the throne.and remember
that getting there is half of the fun.good luck. - cheezee
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A
good way to increase bass drum speed (for me at least)
is to do triplets on the hihat and bass drum but dont
try and use methods like heel toe or slide, just practice
heel down and start slow and increase your speed. once
you feel youve gotten as fast as your foot will get then
apply your technique. and STAY RELAXED! when you play,play
the way you want to play and add your own style. Most
drummers that are well known is because they have their
own style and flare. john bonham,travis barker,keith moon.
all had their own style that made them great. - whitty
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You're
only as good as you want to be. Theres millions
of good drummers but it takes time and heart to be great.
Also try making your own drum solos when practicing.
get patterns in your head then play them out,then practice
the same patterns but in different ways when you get
the pattern down - pants-less
To
the Top
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Remember
the dimensions of each piece of kit, theres alot to
explore - new/different sticks can change the whole set
- heart can be heard - play like its your last! be patient
with yourself and your current experience but PUSH what
you know - Tim Brazzell
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Experiment
with your set. There is a ton you can do to a seemingly
stationary set. Look up Jon Karel for some examples.
-Dustin Avery
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Listen
to EVERYTHING! even
if you consider yourself a proper metalhead, you'l be
extreamly suprised at where the artists you hear today
got their influences from. Dont put all your eggs in one
basket and learn rock styles just because it looks good
to play. Some of the hardest things i've learnt, i've
found on 80's hiphop records or MEGA old soul records.
Seriously, technical beats improve you're playing so much
more and you'll be a million times better in the genre
you want to advance in! - Liam
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Want
to increase in speed with your double bass playing?
I'm a metal fan and enjoy playing songs from bands such
as Lamb Of God, Necrophagist, Decapitated and Opeth but
often find my kicking speed isn't quite up to par at first.
What I recommend doing is not just simply warming up with
generic beats and things but try to focus on different
skills that you require to play what you play. I build
a playlist of songs to warm up to that use a lot of doubles
over quads and doubles over doubles fills. Also things
with generic double bass spamming like Masters Apprentices
or Spheres Of Madness. I love playing songs by Opeth as
they are a progressive metal band and more often then
not, slow down the tempo two to three times during the
one song then speed back up again so you can "catch
your breath". The main thing that I'm trying to say
is just to pace yourself (especially if you play metal)
and build up to faster, more difficult songs so you don't
rush into them straight away, find that your unable to
play them and beat yourself up about how you think you
can't play very well. In the words of the great Chris
Adler: "Drumming is not worrying about what you can't
do. It's about having fun with what you can do."
- Benny Boy
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In
order to improve your soloing ability, sing a song
you enjoy, & practice that song on your pad &
kit. This is a tip learned from Bobby Rosengarden. It's
more challenging than repeating patterns from GL Stone's
Stick Control. - Woody
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Simplicity
is an art. I would rather trade 4's in a jazz trio
than play a long drum solo where the band leaves the stand
for 10 minutes during at which time I inevitably resort
to technical exercises or drum corp patterns. - Woody
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If
you play drums hoping to find fame, fortune or to
impress others, you will never become an exceptional player.
You must LOVE playing the drums. Once while he was still
emerging as a great, Jeff Hamilton sat in with a trio
with which I was playing. After blowing me away with his
performance, I began to praise him for his greatness.
Jeff's remarked twice,"I don't want to hear it".
It took me years to understand what he meant...if I,(Jeff),begin
to play for praise, I it might detract from his primary
purpose for playing; the joy of it alone. - Woody
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Save
some money and take a lesson from the best teacher you
can find. You might luck out using Craigslist, but
likely not. Look up someone like Tommy Igoe or Ed Soph
& travel where they are for a few lessons. If you
have the experience to know the difference between good
& outstanding drummers, google search one & email
them. I made a contact yesterday with Joe Tomino; upcoming
star. Didn't ask for a lesson, but got a personal response.
(2) Learn to read music. It's easier to read music than
this message. ALL outstanding players read with only a
few rare exceptions. (3) Great players are generally great
people. Steer clear from egotistical, self-promoting,
players. Egotists promote themselves as great, but truly
great players have the gift of humility to recognize limitations.
(4) Drummers are like roosters; there's only one per hen
house or band. Roosters fight other roosters. The moral
of this analogy; drummers may be like roosters, but they
aren't. Develop good relationships with other drummers.
- Woody
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When
playing the bass drum
if you are having trouble with speed try vibrating your
foot on the pad so that the mallet moves halfway towards
the drum; then when it is time for a hit simply complete
the foot press. - Sawyer
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Listen
to 2112 by rush, if you can play that you can play
anything. try alternative drum and stick techniques.
listen to your band mates. try playing in sync with
another drummer that you know. learn to read tableture;
it is much more useful for drumming than classical notes
are. find a style that works for you and stick with
it. don't be afraid to ask for help. admit that you
don't know certain things. - Sawyer Mifsud
Here's
a tip for ya: Buy bulk drumsticks for practicing so
you don't
have to chew up your good drumsticks. This saves you
money!
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If
your having trouble creating your own style try combineing
your three favourite and best drummers to get sort of
your own style. (mine is Charlie Benante, Lars Ulrich
and Tommy Lee BEST DRUMMERS!) - Tommy Thrax
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Hit
your drums hard like you mean it, the crowd feels
your energy. - Bassem
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Recently
I was given a 10x10 Tama Rockstar Rack tom. I wasn't
sure how to include it into my Starclassic set but...hey
it was free. First I tried to tune it as close as possible.
After using the usual techniques of duct tape and gel
I was ready to give up on this orphan when a flash of
brilliance appeared. I bought a roll of weather stripping
for windows and doors and applied it directly to the
inside of the shell at the edge of the bottom head.
Some was applied to the top just below the head as an
alternative. I retunned and what a difference!!!. You'll
have to experiment but you'll be surprized at the new
sound it produces for little money. - RudeDog
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Replace
your metal lug flatwashers
with nylon ones. This elimenates metal-to-metal friction,
and allows for smoother tuning, as the lug rod glides
freely over the smooth plasic, with less resistance. -
charles savarese
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WEAR
EAR PROTECTION!!
Inner ear plugs are alright, but work site protection
(i.e. big orange headphones) make your drums sound like
a studio recording. Plus, they're easier put on and take
off. - sammy d.
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If
you have trouble with your Hi Hat clutch unscrewing
itself while you are 'mid gig' get some PTFE tape from
a DIY store and wind some around the thread of the clutch,
this should stop it unscrewing.or at a push use a bit
of thin carrier bag! Sticks fly out of your hand? shove
one down the back of your pants for a quick replacement!!
- john van boolen
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Drum
pedal -
1. have a spare spring. 2. even a spare pedal. My pedal
spring broke once at a gig I had no spare, I got some
strong elastic bands from behind the bar joined them up,
fixed one end to the beater and one end to the drum stool...it
got me through the gig!! - john van boolen
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If
you have trouble with the odd 'flying stick' try
a tin of stick wax, a little rubbed on the stick just
at the grip point just gives it a little tackyness, but
I tend not to practise using it so I don't have to depend
on it - john van boolen
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One
basic fact about playing the drums is your ability
to bring together the basic and foundational knowledge
u've got about the drums... and if u want hint about your
double kicking,u av to do your frog jump excersice daily
immediately after waking up from bed... if u realy also
want to be on the professional side you must come up with
the ability of bringing together your strokes like your
singles, doubles, paradiddle, triplet and your accents.
- aderintoye ayodeji strokefreak
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Always
get the simple things down in a structured manner
but at the same time, try to push yourself ahead of
your current abilities.Remember that all the great virtuoso
drummers didn't become great by "keeping it simple"
Take chances and play for your life, but do so with
your mind and a great sense of dicipline. - Bjørn
To
the Top
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As
drummers we need to be fit so a Weight training
and core body exercises are a vital Part of a exercise
Program. These exercises should be done once a day for
30-60min and then repeated every 24 - 48 hours this allows
your muscles to recover. Using weights for upper body
and sit ups and pushups for a combination of core and
upper body strength. And a warm up before you practice
is essential as this will help reduce the injury to wrist,arms
and legs. Keep drumming. - Tommy
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If
you want to learn off beat drumming techniques,
look up Meshuggah. - nick v
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Don't
be afraid to air drum. Whenever your just sitting
just tap. Imagine your set up infront of you and "play"
just try not to look like a spas haha. This is also
a great way to learn how to use drums, cymbals and hardware
that you don't have. This is how I learned double pedal
and got better at clutching my hats.. - Littlelars15
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| Below
are some sticks that every drummer should have in his bag.
Remember, these are just the essential.
*5A
Drumsticks (Round Tip)
*7A
Drumsticks (Nylon tip)
*2B
Drumsticks
*Brushes
- Telescopic, with the metal circle at the end for cymbal
work.
*Timbale
sticks (whether you use timbales or not)
*Hard,
timpani mallets.
*Rute
(Promark Hotrods, Vater Splashsticks, etc.)
-David
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| When
playing a gig, be sure to put your drums together (toms
on mounts, cymbals on stands, etc...) so that you'll be
able to set everything up quickly. there's nothing worse
than a band that takes forever to set up their equipment.
also be sure to get your stuff off stage before you start
breaking it down, this goes for everyone else in the band
as well. - Austin |
| To
keep a hold on your sticks, use gaffer's tape. It gives
you a good grip and doesn't leave sticky residue like duct
tape. - AyJay |
| Know
when to keep it simple. It's much better to keep a steady
rhythm and simple beat than to try a new fill, slip up,
and throw the rest of the band off. - Anonymous |
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Don't
go right into the fast stuff, start slow, then
build your speed as you progress. Work on alternating
between your hands and feet. What you can do with your
hands, you can do with your feet. - Jake
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| Use
a click or click track as often as possible when practicing
and playing live. Before you realize it, you will have built
a steady meter for those gigs where a click is not practical.
- Clay |
| The
tip regarding wet hands caught my attention. There are
only 2 things that make your hands wet. Temperature and
emotion. - Dave Haynes |
Tuning
drums is about getting to the desirable sound to a drummers
ear and importantly how the drum head feels when the drum
is struck.. start by tightening the top head of the drum
first and use the traditional cross method with the lugs.
Tighten this head concentrating on feel (bounce)how the
stick is striking and coming off the drumhead. For the sound,
then proceed to the bottom head of the drum. First loosen
the head completely. Now start to tighten the head using
the cross method and as you tighten the head, the tone and
pitch will change. occasionally hit the top head until you
reach the achieved sound. good luck - david cournoyer
|
|
|
| Try
to play a short musical solo with nothing but your bass
drum. You will see how this forces you to be creative with
less drums. A great exercise! - Leon M. |
| A
recording mistake I see so many drummers make is not mic'ing
their hi-hats. The hats so often get lost in the mix and
the recording comes out unbalanced. Even drummers that record
their drums for a You Tube video more often than not underestimate
this. If you don't mic your hats (and all your cymbals),
they might not be heard! - Milburn |
| If
you get some old classic or Latin style music and try to
fuse it in with your playing or fills, it sounds really
cool. Also, with some of these beats you can speed up or
slow down to where it sounds out of time when it really
isn't. - Brad |
| Take
a look at your hands when you play, if you put one on top
of the other, and it looks like you're holding a sword,
you're killing your wrists. TO SAVE YOUR WRISTS from carpel
tunnel, place your hand on a desk or whatever is available,
palm down. Now raise you hand and point your index finger
out and tuck your other fingers in. Now tuck in your index
finger so that only the first knuckle is visible to you
and slide your thumb along side of it like you were pinching
someone. Slide a stick in between your thumb and index finger.
Practice this way and WATCH YOURSELF. It is hard to learn,
but it will help. - Trent C. |
| Try
playing a whole night with very few drum fills. You'll see
that it makes you concentrate on the groove more. - Weezil
|
| No
matter how experienced you are in drumming and percussion,
there's always room to improve, even if you are a retired
legend. Always ask yourself, "What can I do to expand
my ability. - Andrew McNeill |
|
DRUMTIPS.com
Over 2000
Tips, Tricks, and Secrets for Drums!
Drums - Drumset - Drummers
- Percussion
3
Products Drummers are Underestimating/Underutilizing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE GROMBAL - I don't think drummers truly get this product.
Although they're being advertised as "protecting
your cymbals", the convenience factor can't be underestimated.
When I tried these out, I was simply amazed at how much
time it saved me in setting up. With the Grombals on your
cymbals, you don't have to jack with the felt washers
anymore. Because the Grombals stay on the cymbals the
whole time, all you do is stick the cymbal on the stand,
throw the wingnut on and you're done! And if you use the
Quick Cymbal Fastener in conjunction with the Grombal,
you're sittin' high on a hog. Your set up time is reduced
even more.
THE KICKPORT - In my opinion, the Kickport is one of the
most innovative drum products to hit the market in years.
While we've sold quite a few of these, I think that many
drummers still don't fully appreciate it's value and just
how much it positively enhances your overall bass drum
sound. Certainly taste varies with regard to drum sound
but I think many drummers will like this product when
they try it. It's been one of the top selling drum accessories
of the decade.
EAR PLUGS - Ok, you know where I'm going with this one.
But I still need to say it. As someone with severe Tinnitus,
I hope to encourage other drummers to use ear plugs as
often as possible. If you keep a set of ear plugs with
you at all times, you'll have them when you're practicing,
playing in the band, or even at loud concerts. I can not
stress the importance of protecting your ears. You don't
want to end up where I am. My ears are ringing at this
very moment. I can not make it stop. Pardon my crude comment
but, "It sucks!" I would give anything to go
back and do it all over again... using earplugs more often.
To
the Top
|
| Weightlifters
often refer to the phrase, "No Pain, No Gain".
The premise is that unless you can break down the muscle
tissue by strenuous and often painful lifting, you won't
build the extra muscle needed to compete. Stop and think
for a moment how that might apply to us musicians. |
| Change
your focus from "What licks can I play in this song?"
to "How can I make this song sound the best?"
Many drummers have this backwards. Always play for the song
first. - DrumBum |
Need
to promote yourself as a drum teacher? Learn SEO and
social media. Knowing how to get at the top of the search
engine results can go a long way toward increasing the number
of students available to you. Visit this link for more tips
on social media. - DrumBum
|
| Do
you have your own website? This goes a long way in making
a good impression. When you can present a business card
with "JohnSmith.com" on it, the potential employer
can visit your site and quickly get an overview of your
qualifications. Make sure it is professionally designed.
- DrumBum |
|
As a supplement to the drum lessons you're handing your
students, give them a sheet with links to important
drum resources online like Pas.org (Percussive Arts Society),
DrumRudiments.com and DrumTips.com among others. As well,
point them to a large chat forum like DrumChat.com where
they can find thousands of pages of drumming information
as well as ask specific questions about drumming. - DrumBum |
| Everyone
has their favorite drummer but don't just listen to them
or you might start sounding exactly like them. While
that in and of itself might not be a bad thing, it's best
if you develop your own personal sound that musicians can
identify you with. This happens through varying your influences.
Listen to all drummers and work toward building your own
unique style. - DrumBum |
|
|
| Get
plenty of rest. Think about the things
we have to do to get our bodily exercise. We must rest in
order to perform well in the gym to get really good results.
And of course eating right and thing like that are important
as well. But the point here is rest. When you get enough
rest you tend to perform better on your gig. You will mentally
be there at your gig oppose to just physically being there
thinking about your bed and getting through the gig just
to make it. If you get rest, you will just in general enjoy
playing on your gig as well. When you are mentally and physically
rested, you will perform better, you will have more energy,
and you will execute better. If you're tired, sometimes
you may unintentionally and unconsciously drag the tempo
of the groove that you will be playing. - Rennard Stafford |
