|
Man this thread makes me nostalgic for the days learning those goldberg exercises. The absolute bane of mallet players everywhere.  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
|
#
¿
May 6, 2013 04:50
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 20:01 |
|
|
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 :\ 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 |
|
#
¿
May 9, 2013 08:11
|
|
|
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. ooo, thanks for the video links. Also links to an excellent version of 'Guantanamera': http://youtu.be/W777MIR8-ko
|
|
#
¿
May 10, 2013 07:44
|
|
|
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.
|
|
#
¿
May 19, 2013 03:36
|
|
|
Jazz Marimba posted:I just 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 |
|
#
¿
May 31, 2013 10:54
|
|
|
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. 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: 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.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 1, 2013 10:16
|
|
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.
|
RandomCheese posted:Also have a look into the Moeller method, it teaches specific motions and techniques that results in a very relaxed but powerful playing style, and is less stressful on the body resulting in less injuries developing over time. Much as Moeller's idea is attractive, there doesn't seem to be much explanation when it comes to understanding it. There always seems to be a vague cloud surrounding it, talk of whipping wrists and that it's something that you just naturally fall into as you get better as a player; but all of this isn't particularly helpful if you're just starting out or looking for something more concrete. I really like Joe Morello's technique and his approach to stick control, as he had a strong explanation for his technique and the results are very similar to what Moeller was trying to explain, if not the same. He does borrow some ideas from Moeller/Chapin (mainly the grip) but tweaks a few things to remove extraneous motions. In the absence of an instructor, here's a video of him explaining it and offers a lot of useful ideas. There's another series with Danny Gottlieb where they basically take you through the first five lessons. Recommended. Joe Morello solo interspersed with instances of the 'one-handed roll' that something like the moeller method promises to develop (essentially one-handed repeating triplets, check out 1:40 mark): http://youtu.be/Qh-nGxqo1N4 Jojo Mayer vid utilizing moeller method. Same idea here - staying relaxed and getting as many bounces out of the stroke as possible: http://youtu.be/oCdb3_TPnQ4 Kodo fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Jul 18, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Jul 18, 2013 03:46
|
|
|
Ericadia posted:Hello Drums and Percussion thread. My band has been using glockenspiel samples for a song and well, we really want to replace the computer with a real instrument. Have a look at these beautiful babies. I'm going to bet they are all completely out of your price range, except maybe the 2.5 yamaha concert band bells. All of these are, obviously, of high quality. You can get away with using child glockenspiels (because it's all, you know, precious and cute). I've seen performers use individual notes so that they only have the bells they use for performance (not sure where to get those). You might try looking for orff instrument bells - but those come in a box configuration and might not be compact enough. As for mounting? Better just to get a tray, those things are heavy; but then again I'm a traditionalist. I'm sure there's a way to mount a glockenspiel but it'll require some DIY. If there's a will there's a way. Kodo fucked around with this message at 19:28 on Aug 24, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 24, 2013 19:17
|
|
|
organburner posted:I used to drum a bit like 7-8 years ago or so, and I'm kinda thinking about getting some digital drums to try it out again. The local music guy sells Yamaha and I was kind of looking at getting the DTX450K set since it seems like an affordable piece of kit (Not in the best financial situation right now so it's gonna take months of saving to get extra money) I don't anything about electronic kits, only had a chance to play on them a few times. I'd recommend the 502 over the 450 simply because the rubber pads of the 450 are poo. Of course, YMMV. If you can go to the shop and try them out; otherwise it's difficult to gauge what would be right for you. Just be aware that no matter how good the electric kit is, it will never replicate the sound and feel of acoustic. If you're thinking about moving over to acoustic it might be better to find a space to play or at least plan a way to start practicing on acoustic (building a soundproof booth  ). That said electrics are great for practice and useful for particular styles so be open to that.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 26, 2013 01:10
|
|
|
organburner posted:Thanks, my buddy might be able to hook me up with a place to play on weekends if the stars align, so I might actually get access to an acoustic set. Crossing my fingers here. Seems to work out for Tom Lang: Blastbeat demonstration on roland electric kit Some of Tom Lang's thoughts on acoustic v. electronic: thoughts It's great if you can use your buddy's place to practice on the weekend, but it's only a stop gap measure. You will have to eventually be able to practice every day (especially if you will be playing metal) and finding a place let's you do that will be one of your first priorities. As for any advice on metal drumming, I'm not a metal drummer so I don't know but something something something rudiments. But best of luck and happy drumming!  (I'm saddened this is the only drumming emoticon available)
Kodo fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Aug 29, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 29, 2013 02:32
|
|
|
organburner posted:Thanks guys, guess it's time to start saving up for dat DTX522K How poor is poor? At the least if you're willing to part with $40-50, get a practice pad, a stand, and some sticks. If not - well, there's always buckets. As for theory, what exactly are you referring to? Drum theory to me seems like a catch-all term for any number of topics, mostly in regards to reading. Kodo fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Aug 30, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 30, 2013 01:55
|
|
|
scuz posted:mmmmmmmmmff just got done doing double-stroke rolls at 120 for 4 straight minutes and man, do I feel awesome. What's your note base? 8th-notes? 16th? Not sure what your playing experience is, but for someone who's just starting to get a feel for double stroke hand motion, I don't think diving straight into 4-minute rolls is the way to go. If you're getting a clean, even sound while staying relaxed, that's great, then no worries. But just playing a double stroke roll for a long period of time doesn't help much with musicality. To me, a lot of drumming is about transitions between different tempos, rhythms, and sticking patterns - can you play those double stroke rolls for four minutes while going from piano to forte in one clean dynamic movement? See, that would be more impressive and more musical than straight double strokes. I can understand the idea of doing it for endurance, but I'm not a big fan of that school of thought as it implies that you need to have a certain 'toughness' in order to pull off a feat like that. One drumline used to do like iron man double strokes competitions, to see who can play double strokes the longest. It may be fun, but I don't think you can expect anything from that except maybe carpel tunnel. Relaxed playing and playing clean and with musicality to me is more important - tension ruins everything.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 11, 2013 05:26
|
|
|
scuz posted:
cool, wasn't sure how I should have phrased my post, so apologies for any misunderstanding. RandomCheese, do you have a source for that three-minute figure for muscle memory? It would be interesting to see the full scope of that particular argument.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 11, 2013 15:17
|
|
) pretty well.
|
Frazzbo posted:Stupid noob question ahoy! I want to start drumming and all the information and tips in this thread are just fantastically motivating and helpful. The question: I'm left-handed, so does this mean that I should set the kit up in a particular way? Is there a convention that dictates lefties put the hi-hat on the opposite side to right-handed drummers and if so, which side is that? Alternatively, do you just experiment and set things up whichever way works best for you. I guess I'm trying to find out if there is a way of setting up that encourages best practice and technique, plus enables faster learning. I still remember when I first started playing I had no idea how to setup a kit and just decided to place the hi-hat on the right side (I'm right-handed). A musician friend made fun of me so I switched the hi-hat to the left side  It's a comfort thing, but it's not only that - playing in an open position (no arm crossing) opens up the drum set to a wide array of possibilities. But that's not an argument you hear often unless you play jazz where some argue that moving the right arm over to the ride changed drumming forever because you weren't "hindered" by the cross-arm position and have more freedom with sticking (I think it was an interview with Jimmy Cobb or Billy Hart, can't remember). Anyway, it shouldn't be something you need to worry about. Putting your HH on the right side (pun not intended) will get you paid/laid 99% of the time. Kodo fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Oct 14, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 14, 2013 04:09
|
|
|
RandomCheese posted:One benefit of learning to play with hats on the left will be that it's easier to play someone elses kit, whether it be at lessons or shared equipment at a gig, without doing major adjustments before you sit down. yeah, that's an excellent point - unless you see yourself around your own kit, getting used to playing a right-handed setup will be useful.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 14, 2013 05:56
|
|
|
I Might Be Adam posted:After much searching, I finally took the plunge and upgraded my ride cymbal from a Zildjian 21" K Crash/Ride to a Zildjian 22" K Ride. I mostly play rock, jazzish stuff and americana so I was looking for a dryer cymbal with less wash. I love the tone and dynamic of this new ride but still dealing with a bit too much wash/decay on the cymbal. I did look at the K Custom Dry/Dark rides but felt that a lot of them just didn't have enough wash or they had an unpleasant hum once you got it going. Moon gel. Moon gel is manna from heaven. Easily removable and leaves zero residue. can be used to dampen anything.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 15, 2013 17:39
|
|
|
I can't speak to a lot of what you ask as I have no experience with electric sets, but as a beginner starting off, stick control is important and can be done on a practice pad. But the transition I imagine will be difficult - going from electric pads to acoustic is a big jump. also about sound, I've heard from others that even in an apartment situation electric drums can be loud because of the thudding produced from hitting the pads and especially the kick pedal. Take that into consideration if you have paper thin walls. Lessons I feel are super important as bad habits early on lead to more time an frustration in the future trying to fix them. No one says you can't be successful without them, but having incredible self-motivation is a big factor. For me I took (proper) lessons once a week for three years straight - but this was for classical percussion, not drum set. Having that weekly routine was helpful to me and I could see progress. At the time I paid $15/half-hour, which was a crazy bargain and my teacher always complained he should be charging $20 (eventually he did). I still consider that a low fee, I'd imagine nowadays you're looking at $35-$50 for beginners? I'm just guessing - it's probably more expensive if you go through a music store than some joe on craigslist. Kodo fucked around with this message at 08:05 on Nov 5, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Nov 5, 2013 07:37
|
|
|
The most I ever paid for lessons was a drummer who once played with Sonny Rollins back in the 80s and was also a teacher at the NYC drum collective for a short while. I paid $100 for two hours PLUS studio rental time, which came out to a total of $180 per lesson. He'd smoke cigarettes during the lesson, show off his 'cool licks', and constantly go between his laptop and me, usually IMing people and once he skyped in Will Calhoun who was racing cars in Brazil at the time. Needless to say I took a total of three lessons and bailed. Higher prices don't usually equal quality lessons, and great players don't necessarily translate to great teachers. $20/half-hour is a phenomenal price for lessons - if you can find a good one. I'm amazed that is still the going rate, I would've thought inflation would've at least brought that figure up to $25 or $30.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 5, 2013 17:22
|
|
|
Sylink posted:Can anyone recommend me a free music notation program that outputs PDF? There's MuseScore, if you're willing to deal with the wonkiness of open-source software. When I do transcriptions, I like using 2-bar, 4-bar repeat symbols, but I've only found Sibelius handles those the best, musescore just can't handle more unusual requests.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 2, 2014 17:00
|
|
|
Ideally every stroke involves rebound as each stroke should prepare you for the next one. An exercise that's helpful for double strokes is to alternate between single and double strokes without a noticeable transition between the two, making sure they sound identical (4 bars, 2 bars, 1 bar, or whatever sequence you come up with). For paradiddles try eliminating the opposite hand and get a feel for the single-double-single feel, making sure it feels relaxed and unforced. Then try adding paradiddles to the exercise above and see how it matches up. You cannot play faster if you cannot control rebound. Addendum: double strokes (indeed, any multi-stroke) after a certain tempo is executed with a single down wrist motion that only returns to its original position after the strokes have been completed. Multiple bounces are controlled by the fingers and pressure (NOT squeezing, pressing too hard introduces tension and tension = death). Crush rolls operate on this principle. Double strokes are technically the easiest to produce. Bodhran players manage to produce three strokes using this motion (one on the down, one on the wrist 'pop', one on the up stroke from the opposite beater) and Steve Smith does the same thing with his kick pedal technique. Granted these sound better as triplets, but the principle of utilizing rebounds for multiple strokes still applies. Kodo fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Jan 5, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Jan 5, 2014 18:30
|
|
|
RandomCheese posted:Don't exclusively rely on bounce though especially if you do a lot of practice pad work, you can train yourself to become used to a specific rebound and this will cause issues when you move to other surfaces because the stick will be responding differently to what your hands expect. I have bits of foam and moongel on my practice pad to vary up the bounce of the playing surface, these areas absorb almost all the bounce so they are great for working on your wrists specifically, but if you practice your bouncing technique on these heavily reduced bouncing surfaces you will find your overall control goes up significantly as you are able to manage the bounce in pretty much the worst-case rebound scenario. This is great for getting solid doublestroke technique on larger drums like the floor tom. I use an electric kit at home so the surfaces are all basically identical but I have no problem handling the looser skins on an acoustic drum kit do to my bounceless practicing. if you do go this route I highly recommend paying attention to your wrists and more importantly pain. I'd first recommend using heavier sticks with a practice pad to help with endurance than utilizing a pillow. For me, depending on how loose the floor tom is, I'll sometimes go for a more open single stroke ruff instead of double strokes. I like the definition I get from that, since it doesn't use as much energy as double stroking on a very loose surface. This a preference, of course - at the end of the day, use your ears.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 5, 2014 19:07
|
|
|
Ericadia posted:Don't blast your amp louder than the drums and don't randomly change rhythm This. Since you will be playing with a loop that's good since it's basically a metronome. If you drag behind my tempo I will kill you.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 28, 2014 15:53
|
|
|
timp posted:I encounter a lot more guitarists/non percussionist who rush everything and can't slow the gently caress down than ones who drag the tempo. It takes maturity and patience to play in time when the tempo is slow to moderate. That's not to say that amateur drummers won't rush everything, too, but since drummers are usually playing more syncopated notes there's less space in between each one for them to close down. Moving your head or body to the beat and waiting just a teensy bit longer to play each note than you think you should tends to train you not to rush Clarification/Addendum: If you try to move outside of my pocket you're dead to me. Also, the bassist and I can be your lifelong friends or your mortal enemies. Don't let tempo ruin a good thing.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 29, 2014 01:19
|
|
|
Jazz Marimba posted:So I have an audition (on kit) for a school on Thursday and oh god help me not freak out D: Sorry man, you're just gonna have to deal with it (or eat a bunch of bananas). Auditioning is hard and the only thing that will get you through it is preparation. Take comfort in that fact - it's supposed to be hard, so the feelings you're going through aren't unique or surprising. It might provide some solace. That said, best of luck. The more auditions you do, the more you get used to it. But do the best drat job you can every time - you never know who's listening.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2014 16:47
|
|
|
scuz posted:A question: What kind of music do you play or intend to play?
|
|
#
¿
Mar 5, 2014 07:46
|
|
|
Popcorn posted:I'm not a drummer. Do common rock patterns have names? For example, I've heard the pattern at 2:05 in this video in lots of songs (snare on every quarter-beat, kicks after the third and fourth): I love how consistent the drummer is with his beat placement. It's practically a perfect circle. I guess that's the reason most people just tell the drummer to do whatever. I find it helpful if a non-drummer can specify a piece of music or drum fill where they like the drums. Anyway, even though it's basic, I found Tommy Igoe's groove essentials poster to be at least somewhat helpful back when I didn't know poo poo about drums. Maybe it can help you. If you can't read pick out the ones that you're curious about and I can try to find examples, or you can google it. http://www.vicfirth.com/education/drumset/groove_essentials/GrooveEssentials1.pdf http://www.vicfirth.com/education/drumset/groove_essentials/GrooveEssentials2.pdf http://www.vicfirth.com/education/drumset/groove_essentials/GrooveEssentials3.pdf http://www.vicfirth.com/education/drumset/groove_essentials/GrooveEssentials4.pdf http://www.vicfirth.com/education/drumset/groove_essentials/GrooveEssentials5.pdf maybe this one too: http://www.vater.com/education/Vater_BeatPoster.pdf Here's the purdie shuffle Kodo fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Mar 16, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Mar 16, 2014 20:39
|
|
|
Popcorn posted:Can you expand on this? Also, are you talking about the drumming in the original song or this guy's particular timing? It's in reference to his stick control - the tip of his stick lands on practically the same spot with every stroke and you can see it on the snare beater head. That's the kind of control that gets you money as a recording artist.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 18, 2014 02:11
|
|
|
Grump posted:You guys ever see this? I don't think I could play these. I need to feel something when playing, and this would totally throw my rhythm off. $100 says blue man group uses it in their next show
|
|
#
¿
Mar 18, 2014 08:10
|
|
|
Required viewing for beginners, intermediates, advanced, pros: http://youtu.be/_fiPB3pjkk4 I am forever grateful for discovering AdventureDrums
|
|
#
¿
Mar 18, 2014 18:04
|
|
|
Can you read? Would make it infinitely easier if you can write out the rhythm and practice it slower than molasses. Also I don't fully understand what you're asking - whether it is learning to play both beats over each other or just the simple 4 over 3 pattern. If you can't, I suppose the vocalizations help but whether it's just me or how people interpret it, there can be a tendency to confuse the swing/straight subdivision (again, easier to illustrate through notation). Here are my suggestions: 1.) Find an audio example by someone demonstrating the 4 over 3 very slowly. I'm sure you can find those on YouTube easily. You could also ask your instructor to record an example for you. Modeling is always helpful. 2.) get a fancy metronome that let's you program polyrhythms. I have a .99$ one from the iTunes store that does everything a Dr. beat can do and then some. Very useful for practicing at a manageable tempo rather than trying to follow a pro who plays way too fast for your abilities. 3.) Ummm...profit? 4.) did I mention slow? These styles will not come easy and outside of what you would usually hear on modern pop radio. You're in it for the long game and to work on independence (or as Steve Smith would rather say, interdependence! gently caress you Steve, you're always right). Write it down however you can to ensure you're not playing mind games with yourself. Record yourself and verify. Kodo fucked around with this message at 08:31 on Apr 11, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Apr 11, 2014 07:56
|
|
|
I Might Be Adam posted:Normally that spring clips into a groove or "wheel" type piece on the pedal shaft but I guess that it can vary from pedal to pedal. Post a pic of it, maybe? Either that or when the foot pedal is depressed the spring tension is so low it slides off. You could try increasing tightening the spring tension to prevent slippage.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 15, 2014 04:36
|
|
|
Really not sure where to start with this question. If you're doing the mixed meter stuff, you just need to count and take note which numbered beat your snare lands on. Usually we break mixed meters into groups of two or three (5/8 -> 3+2 or 2+3, 7/8 -> 3+2+2 or 2+2+3, etc) with the snare beat coming in at the end of every grouping. Another way is to think of it as a truncated 4/4, so for instance in 7/8 the snare beats would be in the same place - it sounds like 4/4 but the downbeat sounds 'earlier' when the sequence repeats. But these examples are massive generalizations and really hard to describe purely through text and understanding of theory. Where the snare goes really depends on the music you are writing over. Can you provide an example? As for the programming bit, any modern drum machine or software sequencer should be able to program an odd-time sequence, but that question is better left up to the gear thread or to someone who is familiar with this stuff. I know that almost every DAW worth its salt can designate odd-timed measures.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 15, 2014 17:51
|
|
|
The butt of the stick is hitting the back of your middle finger? So your pinky and ring finger aren't touching the stick at all? I assume that is the case. There's nothing inherently wrong with that kind of grip per se, but you are not getting a lot of efficiency out of it. It might explain the bruising, as you are probably absorbing a lot of the shock from rim shots rather than letting the stick naturally reverberate (and giving a better sound overall). Placing the pivot point all the way back there does give you some mad power and volume but sacrifice control and rebound (I just did a quick self-test). And yeah, I can feel lots of force hitting my middle finger which might explain your bruising. Also that grip and the intensity you play at necessitates keeping your hands in shape. You can't slack off since at this point it is more of a health consideration than it is a musical one. Blisters and blood vessels are OK under certain circumstances (learning new grips, new stick weights, etc) but with time you just don't get them anymore unless you're Zach Hill. Bruising is an even more dangerous sign, as one bad rim shot could cause serious pain and injury. Like you said, slippage might be the culprit here. Sloppy hands will lead to choking up on the stick or the stick slipping out of your hand, thus forcing pressure on different parts of your hand that aren't necessarily geared towards dealing with these new pressures. Chop out on a pad some more and be relaxed. A stick flying out of your hand because it is relaxed is a better problem to have than a stick that never leaves because you are squeezing the life out of it. Addendum: I get calluses on the 2nd digit of my middle finger and at the base of my pinky, ring, and middle finger. I chalk that up to hand positioning as I move around the drum and the occasionally slipping into a french grip, particularly when striking crash cymbals or getting overzealous on the ride. Back when I didn't practice as much as I should have these were prime spots to get blood blisters and occasional shots of pain. The practicing made that go away, not the calluses. Analyzing how I move around the set and what my hands are doing when moving around the different parts helped as well. Kodo fucked around with this message at 04:16 on May 1, 2014 |
|
#
¿
May 1, 2014 03:50
|
|
|
I Might Be Adam posted:I'll take a pic the next time I'm in my rehearsal space. It's a basic rack/floor/kick set up with a crash on the hi hat side, ride over the kick, and a crash to the right of the floor tom. I'm really tall so I've found myself usually playing over the kit instead of sitting low to the floor. I had some issues with my new ride and I'm still trying to find the right height. I had a problem before where my right hand was sometimes hitting my right knee while playing the ride but now I feel like the ride is too high. It's been frustrating to say the least. I also noticed that switching to ride I sometimes default to french grip. Maybe the angle of the ride, the weight of the ride, the grip and the stick type is causing this. Maybe I'm just getting really terrible at drums Nah, it's just about setting up familiarity. Sticking with a consistent setup is important because you will find yourself sitting at someone else's drums, or experience that weird sensation of unfamiliarity with your own kit at a gig; and in those situations you'll want to be able to adjust things quickly to suit your body's preferences. I liked having my ride flat and crashing it every so often, but would end up smashing my hand against the floor tom rim. Aside from angling the floor tom a little lower, just time and practice helped make me more aware of how my hands move in relation to the drums' spatial position so that I could continue smashing away without making any major adjustments to the setup I desire. I think it's called proprioception or at least related to it? Anyway it's cool because it makes you feel like you're in the matrix or whatever. Did you play a show recently? I have anxiety issues so I always end up really overdoing it at gigs due to stage freight, sometimes generating soreness that doesn't happen in the practice room. Only thing I can really do is compensate by playing much more relaxed in rehearsal than I would on stage. Prep and good practice habits, all I can really do at this stage. Anyway if you're finger is as bruised as you say it is, no amount of adjustment is going to make that pain dissipate. You need to rest those hands and let them heal. Unfortunately that may not be practical or possible, in which case check google for how to take care of injuries like that (sprains, sore muscles, etc). Use ice, it helped me with my shoulders, but YMMV. Check with your health care professional.
|
|
#
¿
May 9, 2014 19:38
|
|
|
http://youtu.be/osFBNLA7woY ride the waves sexier video: http://youtu.be/kpoanOlb3-w Kodo fucked around with this message at 04:48 on May 28, 2014 |
|
#
¿
May 28, 2014 02:09
|
|
|
Jazz Marimba posted:I was wondering what all of your practice routines look like, and if you could give me tips on how to organize mine? I usually do a combination of different exercises, but generally try to focus on those things I feel are lacking in my playing (time, tempo, foot technique, EVERYTHING I SUCK AT EVERYTHING). 1.) I'll often start with Alan Dawson's rudimental ritual. I found it a bitch to figure out at first, but gets easier over time. I like to change up the hi-hat/kick pattern to suit whatever music I'm playing. I'll also play around with the dynamics and just repeat those lines I have trouble with. 2.) I like to take individuals grooves from songs I'm working on as individual exercises. Usually straight repeats for 5 min per groove, adjusting tempo as needed or to recalibrate. Works better if you're doing covers, so you can play beats you may not necessarily be comfortable with. 3.) Wing it. I know this isn't recommended but sometimes I'll come up with an exercise on the fly. Sometimes it works, but I find it works better when you're trying to figure out a particularly difficult groove and you break it down into it's constituent parts and use those parts as individual exercises as you build your way up to the full exercise. But, YMMV. Stick control exercises I do all on practice pad, I'd rather work on the pad rather than spend that time on the set so that I can focus more on independence exercises/song learning. Whatever exercise I'm doing though, I try to make sure that it is really pushing me in some direction, not just doing warm-ups for an hour.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 25, 2014 03:57
|
|
|
killerllamaman posted:I can't imagine why someone wouldn't recommend it - this is the best poo poo. If you want to play any improvised music (and jazz definitely involves a lot of improvisation), free-form practice and consciously shedding "pure" improvisation are pretty important. Books and exercises are really useful for getting your chops up and getting the common "vocabulary" of whatever style you're learning under your belt, but listening, playing along with records, and just playing (by yourself and especially with others) are really important to learning how to improvise confidently & find a "voice" or whatever it is that's makes good improvisers not boring. I agree with what you say, I suppose I mean to say that 'winging it' or coming up with ideas naturally is a subconscious decision so you can't actively do it unless you're already playing something else. Ideas pop up at any given time, but to just sit there and jam until one does discover something is just one tool in the toolshed when trying to come up with ideas; and while fun it may not be the most effective practicing strategy under certain time constraints or playing levels. I feel like this topic can easily go on a lot of philosophical tangents about the music making process, so I'd like to leave that argument elsewhere and just reiterate that from my own experience and from the few teachers I had that jamming was not the most constructive use of my time for these reasons. My whole bent is if you aren't working on something you can't do, then it wholly eliminates the point of practicing. Exercises are easy to define and you can build off them as you work on them, whereas jamming and exploring should also have specific parameters even if they aren't well defined so that they don't end up reinforcing pre-existing habits i.e. "Today I'm going to play everything on rims" as opposed to "I'm going to jam for two hours." Hence my disclaimer of not recommended, UNLESS you do it properly and not just rock out on some cool jamz for a couple hours.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2014 01:33
|
|
|
timp posted:That's all well and good if you enjoy playing on a drumline like I do, but a lot of people in the studio looked down on drumline playing, specifically saying the technique used on marching drums lacks artistic merit and finesse. This goes double for folks who played in a marching band or indoor Front Ensemble since you play the exact same instrument in both. A marching snare is completely different than a concert snare, but an "outside vibraphone" is exactly the same as an "inside vibraphone" for all intents and purposes. What kind of experience or impression does everyone here have on drumlines? I never much enjoyed drumline, the culture or the music. I was one of those ed majors that ended up doing drumline for two semesters and I couldn't stand it. I wouldn't have minded too much were it not for the fact that it eats up an enormous amount of time I could've spent doing other more useful things. But, different strokes. Not all drumlines are the same and it really depends who's writing your charts. We had an average instructor who wrote parts for the main battery, but completely short shrifted cymbals and the pit music was always awful. The rudimental practice is great but the time commitment is excessive. I mean, you also have to remember how to walk around on a dumb field and it's not like you can apply that in any meaningful way unless you get into theatrical shows. You also see players develop a particular technique on marching snare that is often carried over to drum set. More of a personal preference thing but it can affect your sound if you approach drum set with that mindset. Kodo fucked around with this message at 02:15 on Dec 17, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Dec 17, 2014 02:12
|
|
|
timp posted:That's all well and good if you enjoy playing on a drumline like I do, but a lot of people in the studio looked down on drumline playing, specifically saying the technique used on marching drums lacks artistic merit and finesse. This goes double for folks who played in a marching band or indoor Front Ensemble since you play the exact same instrument in both. A marching snare is completely different than a concert snare, but an "outside vibraphone" is exactly the same as an "inside vibraphone" for all intents and purposes. What kind of experience or impression does everyone here have on drumlines? Oh, also wanted to address the auxiliary argument as well. I find a dramatic difference when it comes to four mallet playing. In DCI the name of the game is often simply volume, and these guys have insanely high stick heights and an incredibly tight grip. It also matters that most outdoor marimbas have fiberglass bars rather than wood. This poses a host of problems when moving indoors, namely tendonitis and breaking bars. Usually playing those kinds of volumes you'd want to utilize the Burton grip, but the crazy DCi people use Stevens. Anyone who practiced Stevens grip will be familiar with trying to hold the stick in the third and fourth finger being a somewhat painful experience. That is not to be trifled with. A good friend of mine lost almost a year's worth of playing overworking those fingers. DCi culture as far as I know encourages extreme practice situations (correct me if I'm wrong) and I wouldn't recommend rushing four mallet technique. Those guys also sounded really stiff and way too loud when playing marimba lit. Usually very fast playing and accurate, but lacking in any kind of subtlety or touch. Edit: I don't mean to bash drum line/marching, I made friends and enjoyed the benefits, but for it didn't suit my personality or the kind of music I wanted to do. Drum line earns the distinction of being the hardest working section and that's nothing to sneeze at. I've met fantastic players who credit their drum line experience for their abilities and motivation. Drum line just finds itself in w unique position among percussion careers in that "aging out" is a real thing and the only thing left to do is educate/write (unless you're poo poo hot and have endorsements). I would never tell anyone not to do drum corps/drum line, but a varied percussion diet should be considered. Kodo fucked around with this message at 11:49 on Dec 19, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Dec 19, 2014 11:32
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 20:01 |
|
|
tnimark posted:I have a pretty beat up old kit that I've been using for a long time (on and off for about 10 years), but it's still in reasonably good condition overall. I've been looking into methods of making old kits sound decent and I think the most important thing right now is replacing the heads. Batter and resonant heads don't really need to be the same brand to be effective. The condition matters more than anything, so if the resonant heads look fine you could probably keep them, but after 10 years you should probably check the resonant heads if they're warped. Batter heads should definitely be changed. Get a nice head for your snare (i.e. Remo coated Emperor) and similar line/model for the toms (i.e. coated Ambassador). Watch any youtube video on tuning and you should arrive at something sounding decent.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 20, 2015 01:09
|
|