DRUMS
[ USING VIDEO TO BECOME A BETTER DRUMMER | Daniel Hadaway ]
As a “drum coach” I have the unique 1. Inconsistently placing each hit on the drum pointing to a bigger problem: A lack of control
opportunity to work with many drummers one- changes the sound of the drum from hit to in our drumming. You see, as drummers, we
on-one. I’m a firm believer that every drummer, hit (unless you’ve added a lot of muffling to should all strive to be in complete control of
no matter their level of skill or experience, can the drum). This may not seem like such a big our playing. That means every single breath of
use some outside perspective on his or her deal if you’re just practicing alone, but the a note, 100% of the time. When I first starting
drumming. While we may not all have access more “polished” the musical situation, the work with my own “drum coach”, he helped me
to another drummer with the ability to coach us more important absolute consistency is in your discover that I actually couldn’t play a simple
in our drumming- we all have access to a smart drumming. Those little differences in sound drum pattern without playing a bunch of ghost
phone with a camera!
So, each of us has the chance to record
ourselves drumming, and then “watch the
notes. That’s a lack of control, and needed
While examining
to be addressed.
Beyond watching yourself drum, while you
tape!” your own I able to hit the center of the drum every
But what should you look for when you watch drumming, you’ll discover all kinds that’s a good first step... Start focusing on
of aspects of your practice sessions- and work to get to the
drumming that the drum 100% of the time, even when you
a video of yourself drumming?
It can be very tempting, when watching video of
our own drumming, to immediately jump to the
smallest details and “flaws” in our drumming.
But I want to encourage you to take a step
back to something much simpler at first (and
to make sure we aren’t too hard on ourselves!).
I suggest beginning by watching yourself play
a simple pattern. While examining your own
drumming, you’ll discover all kinds of aspects
of your drumming that you may not have
known existed… “I make that face every time I
hit the snare drum?”
are behind the drum kit, ask yourself “Am
you may not have
known existed...
“I make that face
every time I hit the
snare drum?”
single time, if I really focus and try?” If so,
that aspect of your playing in your upcoming
point where you are hitting the center of
don’t focus on hitting the center.
If not, start at the drumstick and work your
way “up your arm”- starting with your finger
tips and moving to your fingers, palms,
wrists, forearms, elbows, etc... Every step
in that “flow” is a chance for a variable to be
introduced- and should be examined. The
best way to do examine your own playing
objectively is to shoot video of yourself
playing the drums.
The very first thing I look for in my own drumming
is whether or not I am hitting the center of the that come from hitting different parts of the So that’s what you can do today: record a short
snare drum consistently. In fact, this is the very drum head are MUCH more pronounced in video of yourself drumming. Follow that “flow”
first thing I look at in every drummer I work any situation where the drums are mic’d. So up your arm to see where the inconsistency in
with. If he isn’t hitting the center of the drum those differences in snare sound will come out movement is, and start to address those issues
consistently, I look to see if he is hitting any in a church gathering space if the drums have that you discover.
one spot on the drum consistently. It may not microphones on them. But if you wait until you be the exact center, but maybe he’s hitting it find yourself in one of these situations, it’s too Remember- this isn’t about becoming machines
somewhere else consistently. In about 80% late. You can’t fix the problem with two minutes or robots in our drumming... It’s about keeping
of the drummers I’ve worked with, they aren’t of “trying to fix it”... You have to work for it... control of every note, all of the time! Control
hitting anywhere on the drum consistently. Which brings me to my second reason... allows us to be intentional in our drumming,
This can be a big problem for 2 reasons. 2. If we’re unable to consistently place our
and ultimately in leading others in worship!
Daniel Hadaway, Drum Coach
drumstick strikes on the drum head, it might be
December 2017
WorshipMusician.com
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