DRUMS
MAKE DRUMMING EXCELLENCE YOUR TARGET | Carl Albrecht
We are designed by God to give our best offerings to Him . This doesn ’ t mean to be a stressed out perfectionist either . But it does mean we should always do our best and continue to strive to sharpen our skills . Being faithful to the talents the Lord has placed in us is a lifelong journey of growth and refining . So what does this look like in our daily lives ?
1 . A “ daily routine ” is one of the steps of growing in any skill . It is extremely important to maintain healthy life habits . Any work we do whether it ’ s health goals , business , or our artistic endeavors all require some daily scheduling to see the results we want . I always recommend at least an hour of focused discipline on your instrument . For my students and myself this is a must ! When I miss it , I feel it … but I don ’ t beat myself up about missing a day or two . I just jump back into the routine if I fall away from it . Stay positive and don ’ t allow discouragement to slow you down . Look for any musical inspiration to motivate the routine . This might be new music you ’ re hearing or an amazing video that inspired you . If none of that is happening … then you have to dig deeper into the discipline of “ just do it ” because it ’ s good for you .
2 . Within your scheduled practice time think about what you want to work on . Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and then make a plan . He really does help us in all things . My general approach is a combination of rudiments , reading , groove concepts , learning songs , and soloing . I mix these ideas up , as I feel inspired to do so . Sometimes I focus more on one thing , but in the course of several days or a week I will hit all of those topics .
3 . Working On Perfection . – This could be the most challenging aspect of a musician ’ s life . Yes , it is the goal , but you can ’ t let it become a hindrance . Maybe a better word is “ excellence .” No one is perfect . Either way , it is truly what we are trying to achieve in any performance . So when we practice we should focus on every detail of what we ’ re doing . Oddly enough , we also have to focus on being totally relaxed to achieve it … while we ’ re doing the work we have to “ keep cool .” Athletes call this “ putting on my game face .” When they are in the game they focus on the job and don ’ t let anything else steal their concentration . Extreme tension in the mind and body is not good for a perfect performance . So breathe and step into a realm of being hyper-focused when you play . Listen to every detail and nuance of what you are doing . How do your drums sound ? How consistently are you hitting each element of the kit ? Are you staying right on the click ? How is your posture ? Keeping breathing … How do the sticks feel in your hands ? How does your grip look ? Does your groove and feel stay consistent as you play for 4 bars , 8 bars , through every fill , and through the entire song or exercise you ’ re working on ? Oh … and watch out for that “ squirrel ” -- those distractions . Don ’ t let anything stop you or interfere with the music .
4 . Simplify your playing ! Don ’ t take on too much too soon . This is extremely vital to developing great performances . It ’ s better to play a perfect groove or fill than to make it more
technically challenging than you can execute well . I ’ ve watched good drummers in a band just trying to play too much . It almost always robbed them of a better performance . One of the best exercises I use to overcome this is to play the same pattern for at least 8 bars without changing it . No fills in the 4 th bar . Just the one idea for 8 measures ! Then … maybe a fill in the 8 th bar , and then go right back into the same groove . Make that feel great first and then create variations of the groove as you play the same feel for at least five minutes .
Perfection or excellence is a life long journey for every musician . It can be achieved to some degree if you apply these general concepts to your playing . Contact me if you want some coaching or private lessons either “ on-line ” or right here in Nashville . I hope to hear from you soon .
Peace , Carl
Carl Albrecht Professional drummer for 30 + years , playing with Paul Baloche , Don Moen , Ron Kenoly , Abe Laboriel , LeAnn Rimes and others . He ’ s also a clinician , author & pastor . Contact Carl for coaching , online lessons , producing , or sessions . I ’ m still growing too ... www . CarlAlbrecht . com LMAlbrecht @ aol . com
112 August 2023 Subscribe for Free ...