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Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012


Welcome to the Musician's Lounge Drum Set and Percussion Megathread. Here we discuss drums, but also the rest of percussion, which includes mallet percussion (glockenspiel, marimba, xylophone, etc.), and at some point hand percussion (djembe, bongos, etc.).



##010 DRUMS
##011 equipment
##012 practicing
##013 resources

##020 MALLET PERCUSSION
##021 keyboard percussion
##022 practicing
##023 tympani
##024 practicing
##025 resources

##030 RESERVED

##040 TEACHERS



##010
So you want to play drums? Congratulations on picking one of the most fun instruments out there! Here we're going to discuss what makes up a drum set, how you should practice, good techniques to learn, and list some resources to help you along.


##011

I want to play drums! What kit should I get?
Because drumming is so expensive, it's highly recommended that you start off with a used kit from craigslist. If you need help picking one out, ask here!

A basic drum set is made up of a bass drum, a snare drum, a mounted tom, a floor tom, a pair of hi hats, a crash cymbal, and a ride cymbal. This seems like a lot, but a lot of popular drummers use more (or less!).

Popular manufacturers include Ddrum, DW, Gretsch, Ludwig, Mapex, Pacific, Pearl, Sonor, and Yamaha. Just like with any other instrument, you should hear the kit before you buy it, so stop by a Guitar Center and see if you like how it sounds. You can spend hours researching how different kits sound, and how the heads on them sound, but nothing beats your own ears for knowing what you'll like.

Tuning
Tuning is one of those things that doesn't have a shortcut, and you just have to practice over and over again to get good at it. Subparr explains how it's done:

Subparr posted:

You adjust the pitch or ‘tune’ the drum by tightening the tension rods stretching the heads out larger for higher pitch, and smaller for a lower pitch. It’s generally accepted to ensure the tension is uniform so that the pitch is the same no matter where you hit the drum.

This video however, tells you everything you need to know about tuning, and makes you want a lazy susan.

Sometimes you're in a crunch and need your drums tuned fast. Duke Chin shares a great guide to quick-and-dirty tuning:

Duke Chin posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISdMNKb-hjc <-- I seriously had to do this at a show once super quick and it worked like a champ. I was skeptical but it actually worked out. … (also, snares and kicks are a different story)

Cymbals
Cymbals are circular sheets of metal and are generally used to keep the beat of a song. There are dozens of adjectives used to describe them, such as "fast", "brilliant", and "dark". Subparr gives a good explanation of what it all means:

Subparr posted:

You hear a lot of adjectives being tossed around by drummers when they talk about cymbals. I will address the more common ones. Feel free to ask for more detail. The most common ones deal with weight, such as light, medium, heavy, etc. Generally, the heavier the cymbal, the louder it is. Other adjectives are more poetic, like dark, bright, fast, etc. Darker cymbals have more lower tones (not to be confused with pitch), and brighter cymbals have more higher tones. Typically brighter cymbals cut through mixes easier. ‘Fast’ cymbals usually decay quickly. Any other questions feel free to ask.

grahm gives some good tips on buying cymbals:

grahm posted:

Along with the cymbal talk I would say never buy a cymbal without playing it first. Every cymbal is different, even within the same make/model. It's worth it to spend the extra money and play the exact cymbal you'll buy. Even online sound files don't give you the correct idea of how that cymbal will sound when match with your other cymbals, nor do they correctly depict the feel/dynamics of a cymbal.

I live in an apartment and don't have a lot of space/can't make noise!
Since we now live in the future, we can play electronic kits! I don't know very much about these, so I'll let Sups tell you about them:

Sups posted:

Roland makes the standard for e-drums, in my opinion. Their really high end stuff (td-20sx) is amazing and really sounds great. As we go lower, the quality obviously drops.

Yamaha also makes good products (particularly their high-end gear, I'm told). Other brands include, Alesis, etc.

There are two main components you are looking for in an edrum set.

1.) The Brain
2.) The Pads.

The Brain is important, it does all the obvious sound processing, etc. Lower quality brains are going to have significantly less features/customization/etc. For instance, all brains are probably going to have a metronome (with a few exceptions). Many will not be able to process things like cymbal muting, etc. I suggest getting a pretty nice brain.

The pads are also important. My first complaint about e-drums is the /feel/ is different, in a bad way. That said, they're great for practice and I really recommend them if you're leaning that way (for space/loudness reasons).

Mesh is preferred for most, it has crazy response (think bouncy) and it feels a bit more realistic. The rubber is what you'd expect, kinda feels like "dud" and doesn't have a very much response. I find rubber to be tolerable on the toms, but miserable for snare drums. I suggest testing in a Guitar Center or something similar to see what you think.

There are some great (expensive) cymbals I wish I had, Zildjian Gen16s. Look into those, they are fantastic feeling. Far superior to the rubber cymbals.

In a dorm/apartment, e-drums would be a good idea. Only thing sound-wise to worry about it the stomping w/ the bass drum.


Sticks
Sticks are primarily what you use to get sound out of your drums, and which one you pick is up to your preference. Choosing a stick is just as important as what kit you get! The most common stick is a 5A, and it's about average in size and weight. Here is an in-depth explanation of what the letters and numbers mean, but a quick and dirty summary is that lower number=bigger and heavier, higher number=lighter and thinner.

Nylon vs. wood tip
Nylon tips have a more defined sound on cymbals, and have a more consistent sound over time, but run the risk of falling off. Wood tips come in a wider variety of shapes, but wear down over time and have the possibility of chipping.

Brushes
Brushes are used to get a softer sound out of your kit, and are primarily used in a type of song called a "ballad". Ballads tend to be slower and mellower than your average tune, so they're a bit easier to play. John Riley's The Art of Bop Drumming has several different brush patterns in it. Better yet, here's some videos of Peter Erskine showing tons of brush stuff!

How do I hold my sticks?
There are two main grips for drumming, matched and traditional. Going a bit more in-depth, matched grip can be held either in either a German or French grip. German on the left, French on the right:





##012
What should I be practicing?

Suoinoleht posted:

You want to start with a pair of sticks, a pad, and a copy of Stick Control.

keyframe posted:

Practice your rudiments again and again and AGAIN is the only advice I can give to a beginner drummer.

JewBrown posted:

Practice with a metronome. Always. Use it while you're playing rudiments, or learning a new fill or something. Gradually increase the tempo to where you want to be, but try not to over-exert yourself.

Practice rudiments or whatever exercise you're working on while you're watching TV or something.
Rudiments are important, got it? VISMAL has some more advice on what to practice:

VISMAL posted:

You can do A LOT of work away from the set. Both in playing rudiments and in THINKING about possible beats, especially in odd meter/rhythmic exercises.

If you like to play with rock CDs at first that is cool. if rock is all you like thats cool. But learn EVERYTHING you can. When you get comfortable find a good teacher and learn some jazz, your independence will sky rocket. Mix styles up sometimes, do a latin bass drum pattern with a swinging jazz ride and straight 2 and 4 on snare. So in closing Experiment, don't lose yourself into ostinato one area of music.

Count out loud, not just in your head, count the beats you're not playing. If you're playing a sparse beat, like a slow 4/4 rock groove, count in 16th notes, you will be way more accurate this way.



If you can, record yourself to a metronome, it is a great way to see your timing and what gets you off beat. and than go back and fix what you did wrong until your happy with it.

Once you are comfortable enough around the kit, play with people as much as possible, if you can find people that are better than you, don't be intimidated just perform well. THIS will make you better. On that note put yourself in uncomfortable positions every once in a while so you can make them not so uncomfortable in the future!
All emphasis mine, "ostinato" just means a basic repeating pattern.

What's the drummer playing in this song?
Transcribing is the process of hearing a song, and writing out what's being played, and is an invaluable skill for any musician.

AJzer posted:

For transcribing, get good at reading first, and then just give it a go. If you can read, count, and then play, you can reverse the process and write down something you hear. At some point you should get good at not needing to play it first to get it on paper. Still, when stuff is really challenging you, try and play it first, slowing it down. I've also found that after you think you've got it down, it helps to put down the paper and the recording for a while, and come back and try to play your transcription exactly as you've written it. You'll notice when it doesn't sound right, and then you can correct it. Finally, don't buy musical notation paper. Print it from the internet.

Transcribing can be seriously frustrating, so don't give up if it seems difficult. There are a million ways to write the same piece of music, so do what is most clear to you, and keep trying it.
That being said, if ask here if you need help with a transcription you're working on! Some great programs to help you with transcribing are the aptly named Transcribe! and BPMinus[url].

Vannaroth has something important to add about protecting your hearing:

Vannaroth posted:

My contribution: Wear ear protection. Maybe not quite so important with something like a rhythm traveller, but to all you aspiring drummers with full-size kits - get yourself some earplugs or preferably some sound isolation headphones. Or you can cheat and save a lot of money by using ordinary earbud headphones and wearing cheap industrial earmuffs over them. But whatever you do, protect that hearing.



##013
Books


[url=http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Control-For-Snare-Drummer/dp/1892764040]Stick Control for the Snare Drummer

This is the book for drumming. It's very thin, but filled to the brim with different stickings you should practice.


New Breed
This book will help your limb independence like nothing else, and is really fun too!


Syncopation
I've personally never used this book, but a lot of people swear by it.


The Art of Bop Drumming and Beyond Bop Drumming
John Riley's book in bop drumming is a great introduction into jazz and great for learning triplet feel. In addition to accompanying (also known as "comping"), it also includes a section on how to solo and use brushes.

In Beyond Bop John Riley moves from bebop to post-bop, which incorporates your left foot on hi hat as a voice. Read Bop Drumming before you touch this!


Time Functioning Patterns
Some people love this book, but honestly I think it isn't that great except for the section where it gives you exercises on broken time, which John Riley doesn't cover in his books.


Double Bass Drumming
If you want to get into metal or learn how to play with double bass, this is the book for you!

Online
Spikeydrummer, while incessantly wearing a Tigger suit, has made dozens of the best videos you can find anywhere.

The Drum Tuning Bible

Transcribe!

BPMinus, helpful for transcribing songs.


Previous threads
Drums Megathread: There's a reason drummers are poor
Things you wished you knew when you first started playing drums…(archived)
Questions From A New Drummer (archived)

Jazz Marimba fucked around with this message at 01:29 on Nov 3, 2013

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Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012


##020
Welcome to the wonderful world of mallet percussion!




##021

Keyboard percussion includes several different instruments, that are similar in design: glockenspiel, marimba, vibraphone, and xylophone. While they are similar in shape, their timbre (sound) and method of playing varies drastically.

First, a role model. Everyone can name a dozen good drummers off the top of their head, but a good mallet percussionist is hard to come by. So I present to you, Evelyn Glennie. She's the world's first full-time solo percussionist. And she's profoundly deaf. Here's a documentary on her approach to music, and how sound is more than just something you hear with your ears.



There are so many mallets out there, which should I use?
Unlike with stick choice in drumming, mallet choice tends to be chosen for you by the music. Unfortunately, this means you'll probably need a pair or two of each hardness. However, medium is a good hardness to choose when first starting.

One thing you need to make sure of is that you are getting the right mallets for the instrument you'll be playing. You don't want to use xylophone mallets on a marimba because it will damage the instrument, and you don't want to use marimba marimba mallets on a xylophone because they'll wear down a lot quicker.

How should I hold my mallets?
For two mallets, you hold them in a matched grip, either French or German like a drummer would. Four mallets are a different story, however. There are currently two popular grips: Burton and Stevens.

Burton:


Stevens:




##022
What should I be practicing?
Theory, theory, theory. Sight reading and ear training. You can't get away with playing by feel here, so buckle down and have some fun with it at least! Theory will help you understand what why what you're playing works, and let you come up with your own stuff, and ear training is important for being able to listen to a song without the sheet music and doing the same.

Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone, or "The Goldenberg book" is one of the best resources for getting into keyboard percussion. It starts off with scales, rolls, arpeggios, and all of those mixed into melodies, which is everything that's great to practice.

While written from a pianist's perspective, CowOnCrack explains why scales are so important, and what to practice:

CowOnCrack posted:

The Purpose of Scales, and How to Practice Them:

Scales are complicated exercises that should be practiced a variety of ways to ensure success. To become very fluent with scales at high speeds, it isn't enough to repeat them over and over with no purpose in mind. It also goes without saying that this way of practicing them is soul-crushingly boring and tiresome. There are many difficulties in scales that need to be practiced in isolation before you can combine them together and play the whole scale. This is similar in analogy to a piano piece, which can't be learned from start to finish but instead has to be broken down into many smaller and more easily learned parts - then combined. The reason for this in scales and in anything else is that it is very difficult or impossible to focus on improving more than one task at a time, which is what one would have to do if repeating the scale from start to finish. Even when it is possible in some cases to focus on many things at once, and even if it sometimes gets results to do so, it is always much less efficient, and therefore inferior to breaking the tasks down to practice one at time, because our time to practice ... is not unlimited. The good news is scales are a great tool to practice all aspects of music, and it's with these purposes that we should create our philosophy of how to play scales.

The rest (including exercises) is here: http://cowoncrackpianoblog.blogspot.com/
Emphasis mine.

CowOnCrack also has great advice for learning to read music:

CowOnCrack posted:

The best way to get started is to learn where the pitches are - lines and spaces, then go from there. For some people like myself, sight reading can be painful. I just suck at focusing on space. A good approach is that instead of torturing yourself with sight reading all the time, also work on lots of broad areas of music (like theory, singing music, etc.) and your reading will improve on its own.


But Jazz Marimba, I don't own a marimba/vibraphone/xylophone!
A great way to practice at home if your parents aren't investment bankers is to take a sheet you don't use, and put strips of masking tape on it for the bars. While you won't get any rebound or sound feedback, it's an amazing way to practice if you can't get access to a marimba.

Classical is great and all, but I really like jazz…
Wonderful! Vibraphone is the keyboard of choice for jazz percussionists due to its portability and foot pedal that allows for sustaining notes. What's fun about jazz is the improvisational aspect, but that's not all jazz is about. Just like classical, jazz needs a good foundation in theory and knowledge of chords, so keep practicing all of that.

Comping
One of the major things you'll be doing as a vibes player is accompanying, also known as "comping". On charts for songs, there are chord progressions above the melody, which is what you'll need to play. Since in jazz the bassist plays the root of every chord, it's a good idea to play the other notes of the chord. This guide to chord voicings gives a great overview of how to do that.

Soloing
If you're coming from drumming, soloing on a melodic instrument is a lot different than on a kit. To start, you're going to want to memorize the chord changes and melody of the tune you want to solo over. Then practice the scale and every mode of it, chords, arpeggios, all with both straight and swing feel, etc. until you can play them in your sleep. Then play the tune three times through. The first time through, play the chords or melody. On the second…have fun! Play whatever you want, but keep it in the home key to start. Finally, bring it all together by going through the form of the song again, playing chords or the melody.

Or you can just play it by ear, whatevs.

:siren:Gary Burton is teaching a FREE online course on improvisation that just started!:siren:


##023

With tympani you only ever need two mallets. What graciousness! Instead you get to retune your instrument mid-song without getting a chance to hear it before striking it :magical:


Which mallets should I use?
As with keyboard percussion, you'll probably end up with a pair of each hardness, but starting with medium is a good idea.

How should I hold my mallets?
As you only use two mallets for tympani, you hold them in either a French or German grip. Many tympanists prefer French for its finesse.


##024
What should I be practicing?
Something unique to tympani that you need to practice is foot tuning; a great way to practice this is using a reference pitch from another instrument. Being primarily an orchestral instrument, sight reading is essential for you to practice.

But Jazz Marimba, I don't own tympani!
This one's a bit more expensive than a makeshift marimba, but still doable without dropping ten grand. If you have a drum set, simply stand at it and use the toms as tympani. While it isn't perfect, it lets you practice the motions.


##025
Books


The Goldenberg book as it's commonly called not only gives you many great things to practice, but also includes the sticking in parts that aren't immediately obvious. A must-have for every percussionist.


Marimba Duets
Got a friend that also plays mallet percussion? Pick up a copy of this and challenge each other! Comes with two copies in a folder, so you can each practice on your own.


Modern Method for Tympani
This book has everything you need to get started playing tympani.

Online

Music Theory.net is a very in-depth resource for, of course, music theory.
Here's an ear training exercise for identifying intervals.
Here's the same but for scales.
This is a general ear training game that also covers chords, note values, and rhythms.

Jazz Marimba fucked around with this message at 03:38 on May 4, 2013

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

##030

<reserved>

Jazz Marimba fucked around with this message at 17:37 on May 1, 2013

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012


##040

Help add to this list!


United States

Illinois
David Jennings-Chicago-everything from drums to theory
Richard Nash-Chicago (north suburbs)-drum set only

Jazz Marimba fucked around with this message at 01:38 on May 1, 2013

Weird BIAS
Jul 5, 2007

so... guess that's it, huh? just... don't say i didn't warn you.
As a word of warning, if any of you drummers ever use nylon tips while playing jazz I will swing into town and break them in half. :colbert:

Awesome thread, just want to note that brushes aren't entirely limited to ballad playing though it's certainly been the mainstream use for them.

Previa_fun
Nov 10, 2004

What's recommended for cleaning cymbals? There are a bunch of fingerprints and smudges on mine that I'd like to take out and I've read everything from Windex to toothpaste to ketchup...

Barn Door
Mar 6, 2007

shut the fuck up charles
Want to play Tympani? Better call Saul!

Previa_fun posted:

What's recommended for cleaning cymbals? There are a bunch of fingerprints and smudges on mine that I'd like to take out and I've read everything from Windex to toothpaste to ketchup...

I'm scared of ever cleaning cymbals since it can drastically change their sound.

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

Barn Door posted:

I'm scared of ever cleaning cymbals since it can drastically change their sound.

This is me exactly, but also I kinda like the way a cymbal looks when it's not brand new. But apparently every major cymbal maker sells bottles of cymbal cleaner for like 5-10$

In non-drum set news, I went to a local orchestra's rehearsal tonight, and now I have to play a show with them next Friday because they only have one other percussionist. Apparently I'm going to audition the rehearsal after that? x_x

Gym Leader Barack
Oct 31, 2005

Grimey Drawer
I use ArmourAll auto protectant to clean my cymbals, but that is because they are entirely rubber and plastic. Cleaning an e-kit is easy.


I'm confused about the cleaning (metal) cymbals thing making them sound different idea. Does it reset the sound back to how they were when the came out of the factory or does it provide previously unheard overtones due to the tarnish being removed? Or is it just a brighter sound like a fresh set of guitar strings?


On the topic of practice away from the kit, I am always counting note subdivisions when I walk to and from work. Get into a good stride and your steps provide a nice metronome with which to count against, you can even tap out rudiments on your thighs or pockets to get some hand action as well. This is great for locking in the feel of different subdivisions as well as keeping the running count in your head while you focus on other things.

killerllamaman
Mar 20, 2006
Glad this thread got made and it includes the non-kit parts of percussion, really solid job OP. Hope there's some activity all around.

Previa_fun posted:

What's recommended for cleaning cymbals? There are a bunch of fingerprints and smudges on mine that I'd like to take out and I've read everything from Windex to toothpaste to ketchup...

RandomCheese posted:

I use ArmourAll auto protectant to clean my cymbals, but that is because they are entirely rubber and plastic. Cleaning an e-kit is easy.


I'm confused about the cleaning (metal) cymbals thing making them sound different idea. Does it reset the sound back to how they were when the came out of the factory or does it provide previously unheard overtones due to the tarnish being removed? Or is it just a brighter sound like a fresh set of guitar strings?

There's also a product called Groove Juice that may be identical to what all the other cymbal companies sell, but I remember being incredibly effective when I used it. The cymbals definitely got brighter in tone, but it wasn't a major change and it didn't particularly bother me with those cymbals. I don't think it's going to bring out any tones that weren't present when you bought it, you're just cleaning off whatever gunk has accumulated that affects the vibration of the cymbal, the shape and composition are still the same

RandomCheese posted:

On the topic of practice away from the kit, I am always counting note subdivisions when I walk to and from work. Get into a good stride and your steps provide a nice metronome with which to count against, you can even tap out rudiments on your thighs or pockets to get some hand action as well. This is great for locking in the feel of different subdivisions as well as keeping the running count in your head while you focus on other things.

I do this as much as I can, it's a really great way to maximize "useful" time. A crazy extension of this that one of my teachers and a few students did for a while was a daily run during which they counted out a thousand bars of 4/4 (each step is a quarter note) before starting over. I've never done that, but any exercise that develops your ability to count accurately for a long time while doing other poo poo is invaluable.

Kodo
Jul 20, 2003

THIS IS HOW YOUR CANDIDATE EATS CINNAMON ROLLS, KODO
Man this thread makes me nostalgic for the days learning those goldberg exercises. The absolute bane of mallet players everywhere. :allears:

I'd also like to add as a complement or even a replacement for stick control would be Jo Morello's Master Studies. The sticking patterns are less uniform, less predictable, and it really works your non-dominant hand. There's also great section on ostinatos worth checking out. Though to get the most out of the book you'll have to come up with your own exercises to fit with the music you play. The second book in the series has a lot of non-standard beat divisions, primarily quintuplets and septuplets but I find the material in the first book more useful.

In addition to always practicing with a metronome, there's a lot of ways to practice with it creatively to help improve time. The easiest is simply halving the metronome tempo while maintaining the same playing tempo, so if you have the metronome set to 120, reduce it to 60 (clicks on beats 1 and 3, 2 and 4, whatever). This is where a more advanced metronome than your typical quartz hand-held is useful. If you can keep time with only one click per bar, then you're getting closer to accurately spacing out your physical movements. This is especially useful for dynamic passages since we tend to speed up when things get louder and slow down for softer passages. Using this method will help you space your hits and help you focus on turning your crescendos into one nice long physical gesture.

I like to use this iphone app for all my metronome work as it's a Dr. Beat in your pocket without the stupid high price: http://www.frozenape.com/tempo.html

ATwoSlotToaster
Nov 6, 2004

You're toast!
Great stuff OP, possibly the best drum thread yet!

I just wanted to add the following link for anyone interested in building their own drums:

https://www.ghostnote.net

There is some amazing stuff there! I build my own kits if anyone has questions feel free to PM me. I'm not on SA a ton anymore so if you wanna go through my contact stuff check out my drum building website https://www.bmeson.com

Oh, and https://www.drumart.com is a no brainer for anyone looking for custom bass drum logo heads.

Anyone else into marching percussion? I'd love to see more of that in these threads! I've stumbled onto a GREAT tool for Long Rangers. Get a Bluetooth Receiver and plug it into the Long Ranger. You can then use a metronome app on your smartphone to play through the speaker. This allows you to control rehearsal much more fluidly without having to yell back to someone carrying the met. Only downside right now is the range is only about 30ft. It works pretty good at the back of the floor for WGI stuff but outdoors I can really only see using it in the arc or in close knit sections of drill. Anyone want to add thoughts to this I'd love to improve the range a bit, not sure if they make a bluetooth amplifier that would work properly.

[b]EDIT: Any marching tenor drummers should check out my book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1300607963/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Let me know what you think for future editions!

ATwoSlotToaster fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Feb 6, 2014

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

killerllamaman posted:

Glad this thread got made and it includes the non-kit parts of percussion, really solid job OP. Hope there's some activity all around.

ATwoSlotToaster posted:

Great stuff OP, possibly the best drum thread yet!

Anyone else into marching percussion? I'd love to see more of that in these threads!
Thanks a ton! I would love to add stuff on marching percussion, but I know absolutely nothing about it. Can you help me out? I'd also like to add a section on hand percussion, but I couldn't find...anything really. There aren't any go-to books or solid resources like there are for kit and orchestral stuff :\

Kodo posted:

Man this thread makes me nostalgic for the days learning those goldberg exercises. The absolute bane of mallet players everywhere. :allears:

I'd also like to add as a complement or even a replacement for stick control would be Jo Morello's Master Studies.
I'm learning a four mallet marimba solo right now, Ghost River. Still easier than...that book *shudder* I don't suppose you know of any neat mallet resources I missed/could use myself?

I'll add the Joe Morello book in a bit!

Kodo
Jul 20, 2003

THIS IS HOW YOUR CANDIDATE EATS CINNAMON ROLLS, KODO

Jazz Marimba posted:

Thanks a ton! I would love to add stuff on marching percussion, but I know absolutely nothing about it. Can you help me out? I'd also like to add a section on hand percussion, but I couldn't find...anything really. There aren't any go-to books or solid resources like there are for kit and orchestral stuff :\

I'm learning a four mallet marimba solo right now, Ghost River. Still easier than...that book *shudder* I don't suppose you know of any neat mallet resources I missed/could use myself?

I'll add the Joe Morello book in a bit!

Man, it's been so long since I've played mallets, can't even remember the book names anymore. For mallet resources I'd say it depends on whether you're doing two-mallet or four-mallet work.

For two mallets I used to practice out of this xylophone book, all I remember was the author's last name was 'Green' and it featured exercises designed for ragtimes and dances like the charleston. It's old but it's a beast. Really helps get a feel for playing scales and transposing. Essential for developing sight reading.

For Stevens grip, the obvious book is Method Of Movement, by Leigh Howard Stevens. Word of warning: the book goes in-depth about how to hold the sticks and at times it's better if you have a teacher watch or show you so that you don't develop tension. There's demonstrations on YouTube and people like Tom Burritt have some good advice too. Please note that Stevens grip is designed primarily for classical marimba lit. There's a good chance you already know all this if you are going the academic route.

Burton grip is more useful for vibes and some multi-percussion application. Mallets will generally be shorter for such applications. I'm not familiar with any resources specifically geared for Burton grip but Gary Burton is starting an online course for vibes, if I'm not mistaken. Wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't go over the technical aspects of his grip.

Edit: the xylophone book is by George Hamilton Green and it's called Instruction Course For Xylophone

Kodo fucked around with this message at 08:33 on May 9, 2013

killerllamaman
Mar 20, 2006

Jazz Marimba posted:

Thanks a ton! I would love to add stuff on marching percussion, but I know absolutely nothing about it. Can you help me out? I'd also like to add a section on hand percussion, but I couldn't find...anything really. There aren't any go-to books or solid resources like there are for kit and orchestral stuff :\

I'd be happy to put some info together about hand drums if you like, I'm not really an authority on the subject but I've been playing the congas for a several years and studied with some really great teachers. In finals in my last semester of "jazz school" right now so pretty busy but in the coming week or so I should have a chance to get something up. Is there a particular area/instrument/application of hand drums that the goon percussion collective wants information on? If left to my own devices I'll try to cover the differences between the most common instruments, choosing an instrument, tuning, basic technique & patterns, as well as the history behind the instruments and the music they're used in. I've found some really great resources online, but they tend to be kind of scattered and difficult to evaluate, I'll dig up some of what I've found and post it when I find it.

In the mean time here's some good hand (and other!) percussing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXN-_asIaYs
Celia Cruz does guaguancó.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4q22h_clave-y-guaguanco-from-y-tenemos-sa_news#.UYxO67W23pI
Clave Y Guauguancó does guaguancó.

Kodo
Jul 20, 2003

THIS IS HOW YOUR CANDIDATE EATS CINNAMON ROLLS, KODO

killerllamaman posted:

I'd be happy to put some info together about hand drums if you like, I'm not really an authority on the subject but I've been playing the congas for a several years and studied with some really great teachers. In finals in my last semester of "jazz school" right now so pretty busy but in the coming week or so I should have a chance to get something up. Is there a particular area/instrument/application of hand drums that the goon percussion collective wants information on? If left to my own devices I'll try to cover the differences between the most common instruments, choosing an instrument, tuning, basic technique & patterns, as well as the history behind the instruments and the music they're used in. I've found some really great resources online, but they tend to be kind of scattered and difficult to evaluate, I'll dig up some of what I've found and post it when I find it.

In the mean time here's some good hand (and other!) percussing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXN-_asIaYs
Celia Cruz does guaguancó.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4q22h_clave-y-guaguanco-from-y-tenemos-sa_news#.UYxO67W23pI
Clave Y Guauguancó does guaguancó.

ooo, thanks for the video links. Also links to an excellent version of 'Guantanamera': http://youtu.be/W777MIR8-ko

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

killerllamaman posted:

I'd be happy to put some info together about hand drums if you like,

Yeah! Could you send me a PM?

killerllamaman
Mar 20, 2006

Jazz Marimba posted:

Yeah! Could you send me a PM?

Just sent you some poo poo!

Kodo posted:

ooo, thanks for the video links. Also links to an excellent version of 'Guantanamera': http://youtu.be/W777MIR8-ko

Didn't see that, that's awesome too. She's incredible. Vaguely related, just found this, the style of music is Changui, sort of a precursor to a lot of the most prominent styles of Cuban music (particularly son montuno). Bass is insane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N53o9rFn0EU




Every time someone quotes me I realize how long overdue I am for a name change. God I hope no one I play with recognizes me.

Previa_fun
Nov 10, 2004

Does anyone know anything about identifying cymbals?

I have an old 20" Sabian cymbal with the logos worn off. It has the hammer marks like the HH series of cymbals but the circumferential lathe grooves are not nearly as pronounced as any pictures I'm seeing. The bell is fairly small and shallow.

Either way, I'm guessing it is some sort of light/jazz ride but I use it as a crash and it has a great dark and "smoky" sound and compliments my A Custom crash perfectly.

Edit: This is the closest match I've found:

I'll get a picture of my cymbal in question up here later.

Previa_fun fucked around with this message at 16:32 on May 14, 2013

killerllamaman
Mar 20, 2006
A picture will help for sure - are the grooves less pronounced and the bell shallower even than the one you posted? Have you ruled out HHX and Vault cymbals? They both have the hammering marks (usually they're pretty distinct but there are some that are closer to the HH stuff) but much less prominent grooves. If the bell is way shallower, particularly if the cymbal is really light, it might be Vault ride (I've noticed a lot of "pure" jazz cymbals have bells so small you can barely use them as bells, and I don't think I've seen any non-Vault Sabian cymbals with bells that small).

Previa_fun
Nov 10, 2004

Here's a photo of my cymbal:



Edit: Weight wise it's much lighter than a Sabian AA Rock Ride (I think they used these on ironside ships during the Civil War) and maybe barely heavier than 20" A Custom Crash.

Previa_fun fucked around with this message at 18:04 on May 15, 2013

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

I have a question for jazz vibraphone players. When you're using the Burton grip, what advantages does using the outside right mallet as the primary have over using the inside right? My teacher said that's how it's done, but couldn't really explain :\

Kodo
Jul 20, 2003

THIS IS HOW YOUR CANDIDATE EATS CINNAMON ROLLS, KODO
The way I understand it is the vertical motion in striking with the outside mallet has greater power and control than playing with the inside mallet, which requires an awkward 'doorknob' rotary motion in order to get any vertical power. My friend feels you can develop the inside mallet to perform just as well as the outside mallet, and I'm inclined to agree with him to a point. It will be necessary anyway to be able to play melodic lines using any combination of inside and outside mallet (1 and 4, 1, and 3, 2 and 3, etc).

It's harder than it sounds, however. My friend used to try and prove the versatility of the burton grip by doing one-handed rolls, but it wasn't entirely convincing. The grip doesn't lend itself well to those kinds of rolling motions, but it also isn't something you encounter a lot while playing jazz vibes.

killerllamaman
Mar 20, 2006

Previa_fun posted:

Here's a photo of my cymbal:



Edit: Weight wise it's much lighter than a Sabian AA Rock Ride (I think they used these on ironside ships during the Civil War) and maybe barely heavier than 20" A Custom Crash.
Does this look like it might be a match? I can't quite see what the hammering pattering looks like in the picture, and I'm also not quite sure what the lathing on the bell looks like, but maybe this is it. (edit: this is a HH Manhattan Jazz ride)


Jazz Marimba, I've got a little bit more time now, I'll send you more things soon. Do you actually play jazz marimba?

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

killerllamaman posted:

Jazz Marimba, I've got a little bit more time now, I'll send you more things soon. Do you actually play jazz marimba?
Awesome! Unfortunately no, I can't improv in the least so I'm taking that Gary Burton class right now. And while I love the sound of a marimba, you can't sustain notes on it like you can on a vibraphone, so blah :(

reversefungi
Nov 27, 2003

Master of the high hat!
Question for all you metal drummers out there. Now that I have some space in my parent's basement, I can practice drums again whenever I'm home, so I've decided to try to clean up my playing over the summer. I am a fairly decent albeit messy player, so I'm going back to the basics and just working on rudiments with a metronome, instead of just trying to bang out songs while listening to my iPod. I know the single stroke roll is pretty huge for metal, but I'm wondering how often you find other kinds of rolls as well? Like, I'm having trouble figuring out how drummers manage to do those super fast fills that bounce from snare to different toms. Take for example, the first 20 seconds of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65BvhDrbmLA. Is he just playing single stroke rolls and has developed the dexterity to jump between the different drums that fast, or is it feasible that he might doing something like playing double stroke rolls in order to afford him more time to jump between snare and toms?

killerllamaman
Mar 20, 2006

The Dark Wind posted:

Question for all you metal drummers out there. Now that I have some space in my parent's basement, I can practice drums again whenever I'm home, so I've decided to try to clean up my playing over the summer. I am a fairly decent albeit messy player, so I'm going back to the basics and just working on rudiments with a metronome, instead of just trying to bang out songs while listening to my iPod. I know the single stroke roll is pretty huge for metal, but I'm wondering how often you find other kinds of rolls as well? Like, I'm having trouble figuring out how drummers manage to do those super fast fills that bounce from snare to different toms. Take for example, the first 20 seconds of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65BvhDrbmLA. Is he just playing single stroke rolls and has developed the dexterity to jump between the different drums that fast, or is it feasible that he might doing something like playing double stroke rolls in order to afford him more time to jump between snare and toms?

Both methods are viable and have their benefits and drawbacks, but in that intro he's definitely just playing fast singles. You could play it with doubles but it'll be less intense unless you have totally perfect doubles, it's just hard to be both consistent and loud for both strokes at that speed. There are tons of places where you could play doubles in metal, you just have to decide if it's worth trading power for efficiency (or whatever other concerns arise) in the particular situation you're in.

He's actually playing the fills exactly as fast as the weird blast-beat thing he's playing, so his left hand is basically at the same speed all the time, always at 8th note rate, sometimes on the downbeats during the groove but usually on the upbeat 16th notes (and the right hand takes over the on-beat 8th notes, making it a single-stroke roll). Getting your chops to that point is like developing an athletic skill as much as a musical one. It just requires a lot of endurance sessions, stretching, and technique refinement. But mostly just time at a practice pad or drumset. Once you can play single strokes cleanly at that speed it won't be as much of a leap as it seems to play them all around the kit (it'll take some practice, but not as much as getting your hands up to speed in the first place). None of this is to say it has to take 10 years to play that fast - if you practice every day for a good chunk of time and work up the speed of your singles gradually, but keep pushing yourself a little bit at a time, you can make incredibly fast progress - just make sure you're always double checking your technique and you're not tensing up to get more speed. Faster playing is more relaxed playing(sorry if this is obvious but it's important to remember).It's also much more important to be able to play with consistency and control for a long period of time at a slower tempo than try to play faster in short bursts, which can end up teaching you to tense up for bursts of speed which is dangerous and will slow down your progress.

Jazz Marimba posted:

Awesome! Unfortunately no, I can't improv in the least so I'm taking that Gary Burton class right now. And while I love the sound of a marimba, you can't sustain notes on it like you can on a vibraphone, so blah :(

Cool - Looked up the Gary Burton class, looks like a good thing he's doing. Welcome to the totally bizarre world of being a jazz musician in the 21st century!

reversefungi
Nov 27, 2003

Master of the high hat!

killerllamaman posted:

Both methods are viable and have their benefits and drawbacks, but in that intro he's definitely just playing fast singles. You could play it with doubles but it'll be less intense unless you have totally perfect doubles, it's just hard to be both consistent and loud for both strokes at that speed. There are tons of places where you could play doubles in metal, you just have to decide if it's worth trading power for efficiency (or whatever other concerns arise) in the particular situation you're in.

He's actually playing the fills exactly as fast as the weird blast-beat thing he's playing, so his left hand is basically at the same speed all the time, always at 8th note rate, sometimes on the downbeats during the groove but usually on the upbeat 16th notes (and the right hand takes over the on-beat 8th notes, making it a single-stroke roll). Getting your chops to that point is like developing an athletic skill as much as a musical one. It just requires a lot of endurance sessions, stretching, and technique refinement. But mostly just time at a practice pad or drumset. Once you can play single strokes cleanly at that speed it won't be as much of a leap as it seems to play them all around the kit (it'll take some practice, but not as much as getting your hands up to speed in the first place). None of this is to say it has to take 10 years to play that fast - if you practice every day for a good chunk of time and work up the speed of your singles gradually, but keep pushing yourself a little bit at a time, you can make incredibly fast progress - just make sure you're always double checking your technique and you're not tensing up to get more speed. Faster playing is more relaxed playing(sorry if this is obvious but it's important to remember).It's also much more important to be able to play with consistency and control for a long period of time at a slower tempo than try to play faster in short bursts, which can end up teaching you to tense up for bursts of speed which is dangerous and will slow down your progress.

Thanks man! I could not have possibly asked for a better response. Looks like I'll start working on my single strokes more with the metronome.

Aeader
Dec 20, 2004

Custom Title
Does anyone have any experience with the Yamaha DTX e-drum line, specifically the DTX502 and up? The foam pads of the DTX felt pretty good, but I'm worried about durability.

I've screwed around with them a bit in music stores and they seemed to feel better than mesh pads, but that could just be because they weren't tensioned the way I would like. Mesh just seemed too bouncy.

I've played acoustic drums for the last 16 years and e-drums just don't feel quite right yet. I'm sure that's something you get used to. I'm living in an apartment now, so my acoustics are in storage for the time being :(.
I looked at the Pearl E-Pro when it first came out but I think general consensus was that they weren't worth the cost.


Man I miss my acoustic set.

e: I've been researching this stuff and the thing that still worries me is pad noise. Mesh pads such as those on Roland sets would be quietest, but I'd hate to pick up a set only to have it be too loud, especially the bass pedal. Maybe I just need an electronic practice pad or something along those lines.

Aeader fucked around with this message at 16:47 on May 27, 2013

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

I just joined a taiko group e: started taking taiko lessons, so look forward to a section on that, in addition to latin and hand percussion!

e: language barriers sure are a thing

Jazz Marimba fucked around with this message at 05:51 on May 29, 2013

wtfnecron!
Apr 28, 2008

Aeader posted:

Does anyone have any experience with the Yamaha DTX e-drum line, specifically the DTX502 and up? The foam pads of the DTX felt pretty good, but I'm worried about durability.

I've screwed around with them a bit in music stores and they seemed to feel better than mesh pads, but that could just be because they weren't tensioned the way I would like. Mesh just seemed too bouncy.

I've played acoustic drums for the last 16 years and e-drums just don't feel quite right yet. I'm sure that's something you get used to. I'm living in an apartment now, so my acoustics are in storage for the time being :(.
I looked at the Pearl E-Pro when it first came out but I think general consensus was that they weren't worth the cost.


Man I miss my acoustic set.

e: I've been researching this stuff and the thing that still worries me is pad noise. Mesh pads such as those on Roland sets would be quietest, but I'd hate to pick up a set only to have it be too loud, especially the bass pedal. Maybe I just need an electronic practice pad or something along those lines.

I have a Yamaha DTX with the "membrane" pads and they are significantly louder than a Roland. The Roland will always be very bouncy but have the quietest pads. The Yamaha imo has the best feel and what you play on it is a lot more transferable to a real kit. Bass drum will always be the loudest part of the kit cause of the vibration, not so much the noise of the pad. The only thing that I've seen that can alleviate that at all is to build a special platform for the pad...also Roland pads are again..quieter even the bass drum. But the vibration will travel room to room.

The only solution I've seen really is made by Triggera called the Krigg. And even that appears to be the same as say tapping hard on the floor.

Also vibration will go through the entire drum rack too. If you're really light on hitting, or have the kit in a basement or other ground floor where theres nothing below its not a problem really. But again, the bass drum...it'll always be the biggest problem. I didn't expect it to be but once I got it I realized just how bad it was.

Theres also Jobeky drums, they basically make acoustic kits with pads in them, and from what I've heard/seen offer the most realistic electronic drum experience. Similar to the Pearl E-Pro, it actually uses I believe a very similar module/same but without the same cost the Pearl name brings and the module is about 80% of the edrum experience. Better module, better sounds, better sensitivity etc. I believe you can trigger it though from the module through say a laptop and use somthing like drum kit from hell to get even better sounds. Example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3q8X-pNs_6E

Kodo
Jul 20, 2003

THIS IS HOW YOUR CANDIDATE EATS CINNAMON ROLLS, KODO

Jazz Marimba posted:

I just joined a taiko group e: started taking taiko lessons, so look forward to a section on that, in addition to latin and hand percussion!

e: language barriers sure are a thing

Woah, are you playing with the real deal or the wine barrel taiko? Pro tip - start a workout routine cause taiko will fast track you to tendinitis and all manner of muscular problems

now that I think about it, a section on body health would be super helpful, but I don't know much. I've been suffering from shoulder strain for some time from drum set, and I thought my technique was well enough to avoid these problems. More consistent practice has helped, but the strain is particularly bad in my right shoulder. I don't do any metal or crazy fills, just a standard rock kit setup most of the time. I do dynamic stretches, try to eat better, and went to a physical therapist. Any other recommendations to reduce the pain and prevent any long-term damage?

Kodo fucked around with this message at 12:13 on May 31, 2013

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

Kodo posted:

Woah, are you playing with the real deal or the wine barrel taiko? Pro tip - start a workout routine cause taiko will fast track you to tendinitis and all manner of muscular problems
What's the difference? They seem pretty legit, but I don't know too much about the construction of them yet. Do you have any suggestions for a workout routine specific to taiko? All I do regularly is stretch everything, but I don't run/lift/etc.

Kodo posted:

now that I think about it, a section on body health would be super helpful, but I don't know much
Anything is helpful! I never even thought of a workout section, but I suppose drumming is a bit more physically intensive than playing a piano.

Rotten Cookies
Nov 11, 2008

gosh! i like both the islanders and the rangers!!! :^)

Jazz Marimba posted:

Anything is helpful! I never even thought of a workout section, but I suppose drumming is a bit more physically intensive than playing a piano.

Maybe for some lowly scrub pianists :smug:



For content:
Two friends of mine have had to give up their gear, or rather, they've let me hold on to it indefinitely while they can't fit it. So I've got a bunch of poo poo. It's really crappy no-name stuff, but I've got a lot of it. I've tried hilarious stuff like two kick drums, 3 rack toms, 2 floor toms, snares everywhere, and cymbals galore. This should be a dream situation right? I've got all the stuff. But, I'm still just starting out. I don't want to do a giant-rear end fill across a billion toms. I.... I don't like it. I like my small kit. Less options, less anxiety. Sure it was a novelty, but I found it overwhelming to have so much stuff. Does anybody else get like this? Am I a drum hipster? I'm just glad I didn't spend any actual money on this :v: Though I was tempted to just use like 4 snares, a kick, and cymbals, much like that one video that I think was in the last thread.


A question for y'all. Do you guys practice rudiments and then just go along and go back to your normal playing, going along with songs? Or is there some sort of intermediate step where you specifically try and put the rudiments into a beat? I don't know if I'm being clear, but I find myself practicing some rudiments, then going, "Well.... okay." And then just playing with my ipod. What do you guys and/or gals actively do to get better at hitting things?

Rotten Cookies fucked around with this message at 18:18 on May 31, 2013

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

Rotten Cookies posted:

A question for y'all. Do you guys practice rudiments and then just go along and go back to your normal playing, going along with songs? Or is there some sort of intermediate step where you specifically try and put the rudiments into a beat? I don't know if I'm being clear, but I find myself practicing some rudiments, then going, "Well.... okay." And then just playing with my ipod. What do you guys and/or gals actively do to get better at hitting things?

I think it depends on what you're listening to; if you just play along to most of what's on the radio, you don't even need rudiments because it's all variations on the basic rock beat. But if you listen to drum solos by Art Blakey et al., then they become a lot more important. There are some bands that have more rudiment-using stuff which tends to be a bit more melodic on the drums, but the only one I can think of off the top of my head is this band.

It is a good idea to take your rudiments and apply them on the kit, though. Take the paradiddle and play it around kit, with a bass drum pattern underneath, switch all the right strokes with your left foot, keep the left strokes on snare and play eighths on your ride cymbal, etc.., which makes it more fun than learning just another rudiment.

Kodo
Jul 20, 2003

THIS IS HOW YOUR CANDIDATE EATS CINNAMON ROLLS, KODO

Jazz Marimba posted:

What's the difference? They seem pretty legit, but I don't know too much about the construction of them yet. Do you have any suggestions for a workout routine specific to taiko? All I do regularly is stretch everything, but I don't run/lift/etc.

Anything is helpful! I never even thought of a workout section, but I suppose drumming is a bit more physically intensive than playing a piano.

I only mention the wine barrel taiko because those are what amateur groups tend to build since actual taiko or often times prohibitively expensive just to get started (Pearl is starting to make their own taiko so this might change in coming years). I've tried a homemade wine barrel taiko before and the sound is radically different. It doesn't have that low, full bass tone that a real taiko has and it tends to have a higher pitch and a lot of ringing overtones that makes it sound closer to an oversized tom. But still, they're lighter and the big fat sound of a nagado drum is the best part of playing taiko. I've always enjoyed the Shime-daiko but most people get into it to play the big ones.

As far as an exercise routine, I never really had one either and that was one of the main reasons I had to stop playing. I just wasn't built to withstand the amount of force needed to wield those bachi without developing serious pain. There's a reason that groups like Kodo and Ondekoza get up everyday at 5 in the morning and run ten miles (Ondekoza were famous for running the Boston Marathon and then performing a full taiko show right at the finish line). Going to their shows is as much a bodybuilding exhibition as a music concert. Anyway, my instructor never really had a good sense of technique that would have prevent the pain, but regardless of that just developing core strength will go a long way and maybe I'd still be playing had I done some more exercise. W&W probably has some good advice on muscling up.

And in case it wasn't immediately obvious from my handle, Kodo was my favorite percussion group back in the day and one of the big reasons I got into playing drums so I have a special affinity for this topic. :)

Rotten Cookies posted:

For content:
Two friends of mine have had to give up their gear, or rather, they've let me hold on to it indefinitely while they can't fit it. So I've got a bunch of poo poo. It's really crappy no-name stuff, but I've got a lot of it. I've tried hilarious stuff like two kick drums, 3 rack toms, 2 floor toms, snares everywhere, and cymbals galore. This should be a dream situation right? I've got all the stuff. But, I'm still just starting out. I don't want to do a giant-rear end fill across a billion toms. I.... I don't like it. I like my small kit. Less options, less anxiety. Sure it was a novelty, but I found it overwhelming to have so much stuff. Does anybody else get like this? Am I a drum hipster? I'm just glad I didn't spend any actual money on this :v: Though I was tempted to just use like 4 snares, a kick, and cymbals, much like that one video that I think was in the last thread.


A question for y'all. Do you guys practice rudiments and then just go along and go back to your normal playing, going along with songs? Or is there some sort of intermediate step where you specifically try and put the rudiments into a beat? I don't know if I'm being clear, but I find myself practicing some rudiments, then going, "Well.... okay." And then just playing with my ipod. What do you guys and/or gals actively do to get better at hitting things?

1.) Everyone's got their own approach but I think the general assumption is if you can't play a standard kit (snare, hi-tom, floor tom, ride, crash, hi-hat), you can't play at all. Don't be like this. I know a lot of musicians like to make fun of Neil Peart for his mega set but he can play the poo poo out of that set and it works for him in that context.

That's not to say try new things out or rethink how to approach the traditional setup (like Glenn Kotche does) but technique and building experience is way more important for a beginner, imo.

2.) Rudiments and rudimental playing underlies almost everything you will do on drums, whether you realize it or not. But yeah, like everyone will say, it's not simply about playing them you also have to apply them, otherwise it's a waste of time. This is where exercise books come in handy as a lot of them have suggestions for how to apply the rudiments to drum set. The whole point of utilizing rudiments is to remove as many barriers as possible between the ideas in your head and the actual physical gestures required to perform those ideas. For better or worse this will give you more options to what you can play, and being flexible is something that other musicians really really really like in a drummer.

Anyway, try using various rudiments around the set (use a metronome, start slow, make sure it sounds even, etc), chain different rudiments together, compose a repeating line of three different rudiments. Use both hands on different toms, then use just your feet, then right foot/hand and left foot/hand, and then R hand L foot/ L hand R foot. Try singing the beats as you do it. There's a million things you could potentially do, and eventually you'll start feeling certain ones that you gravitate towards, ones that are more difficult and less enjoyable and require more time to iron out the kinks, and you'll discover patterns that remind you of a certain song, or maybe even ideas for your own song. Depending on what kind of music you're working on, they'll inevitably be a drum fill/solo that uses rudiments and can be used in your warm up routine. Pick up a snare solo book or two and work from those, though having an instructor facilitate your playing will make your life a whole lot easier.

Zandorv
Nov 22, 2011

Hello, fellow goons! I've got a question to drop by for you. I'm looking at selling my PDP M5 set. I love drumming, and I'd love to keep them and keep learning to play, but I simply don't have the time anymore after starting college, and I don't see that changing in the near future. Anyway, the set's a few years old but has been pretty lightly and infrequently used. With it I have DW 4000 double bass pedals, a 13" Sabian high hat, a 14" HHX crash, and a 20" Sabian ride. Everything in the kit is in pretty good condition, the only anomaly being that the 20" ride doesn't have the top of its stand (the part that is at an angle) and sits at the top of the vertical part of the stand. This is because it's heavy enough that my stand kept falling over with the angled part and I lost the top part of the stand in a move. My question is, how much should I be selling this for? Since all of the equipment new cost over $1500, I figured that $500 would be a reasonable price, so that's what I put in on eBay for (link here with pictures). But I'm not getting any bids, so I'm wondering if I've overpriced the item. Does it look more used than I'm imagining? Is the set just not worth that much? What should I do to improve my chances of getting this sold?

Fake edit: if you're wondering about the fact that I've made the "price" $100 and the shipping $430, that's because I didn't want eBay taking such a large percentage of my profits. I understand it's a relatively common eBay practice.

Zandorv fucked around with this message at 17:07 on Jun 7, 2013

ATwoSlotToaster
Nov 6, 2004

You're toast!
I thought I'd add a post to my marching tenor drum book if anyone is interested in a very specific type of drumming. It is aimed at more advanced drummers but some of you might find it interesting.

http://patrickrfblakley.com/publications/quadratics-the-multi-tom-focus/

I have a second edition in the works that fixes a few typos (I'm a much better drummer than writer). If anyone has any input it is truly appreciated!

Biaxident
Sep 4, 2003

GLOCK: Explosive Firepower!
I've been looking to pick up a djembe for jamming with friends, but being a set player I have no idea what the hell I'm looking at. Any suggestions on what I should get?

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Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

ATwoSlotToaster posted:

I thought I'd add a post to my marching tenor drum book if anyone is interested in a very specific type of drumming. It is aimed at more advanced drummers but some of you might find it interesting.

http://patrickrfblakley.com/publications/quadratics-the-multi-tom-focus/

I have a second edition in the works that fixes a few typos (I'm a much better drummer than writer). If anyone has any input it is truly appreciated!



I'm interested in this, but do you have a preview that isn't just the first bunch of pages on the physics of playing tenors?

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