DRUMS
DRUMMING AND SINGING | Carl Albrecht
You may not be able sing well , but even a drummer should know the melody and lyrics to the songs they play . If you ’ ve read my previous articles you probably noticed how much I ’ ve talked about responding to the melody of a song , or the melodic ideas of other instruments . Even though drums can be just mechanical groove ideas , if that ’ s what the music requires , I believe better drum grooves and fills come from how well they relate to the other musical ideas of a song . The melodies matter !
So you say , “ But Carl , I can ’ t sing !” Well … That ’ s OK ! I ’ m not saying you have to sing with your band . I just want you to sing along with everything that you ’ re playing . Sure , when you ’ re performing you don ’ t want to be heard , but it should be going through your head . For the sake of becoming a more musical drummer I ’ m talking about a way to practice to make you become more aware of how drums fit into a song .
START WITH SONGS YOU KNOW REALLY WELL . In your practice time pick out your go to top 10 favorite songs . These should be ones that you ’ re doing at church all the time . It is the perfect place to start . Put on your headphones and play along with the recording and sing while you play . It ’ s that simple . If you ’ re not a great singer do this in your own private space . If you do this already , because you sing with your band then it ’ s probably not a big deal . But now as you play become aware of where all the drum parts land in the song . Where does your groove line up with the melody and where are the gaps ? Pay attention and feel how the song melody fits into the drums . There may be parts of a lead melody that feel a little loose or free around the drum groove . This can happen too . Not all vocal parts need to be strict to the time . But in general , you will notice a vocal line usually matches the groove . Just get use to playing through your top 10 songs focusing on this concept .
SING ALONG WITH OTHER INSTRUMENTS . The next step in this exercise is becoming aware of the melody in other instruments . For a drummer ( probably ) the next step is locking into the bass part . In most bands everyone agrees that the drums and bass are the foundation . So , start singing bass parts . More than likely you ’ ll feel this part in your kick drum pattern ( maybe ) but now you are also singing it ! You might focus on how a bass part changes through different sections of a song and how it overlaps with drum fills or even hi-hat and snare parts . It does not have to be isolated to the kick drum . I do realize this is a very analytical way to play but remember this is just for practicing . When I ’ m playing in worship or in any setting it becomes about feeling and emotion and less about mechanics .
I would also work on singing along with guitar lines , keyboards , and other parts of a song to see how the drums line up with the other pieces of the music . It ’ s very interesting to discover how grooves and fills seem to weave into every element of a song . Of course you may also discover the drums are just grooving along and some of the other elements just have their own space . This is also very valuable to discover . It helps you as a drummer become aware of how the drums leave space for the other musical pieces to find their place .
SING THE DRUM FILLS IN A SONG . What ?... That ’ s right ! Sing your drum fills as you play the song . I know the fills may not necessarily be a melody but think of high to low tones across your drum kit as if you were playing the fills from a keyboard . I usually try this while I ’ m singing the melody of the song and then break away from that to sing the drum fills as they happen throughout the song . Pay attention to the phrasing of the fill . In other words , is it matching some other instrument or
does it stand-alone ? Does the fill have its own space or is it in sync with other elements of the song ? Again … this is strictly a practice idea to become more aware of how your drumming fits into the other musical parts . Don ’ t get bogged down in this self-analysis while you are worshipping .
Remember this exercise is about becoming more aware of your drumming as being melodic , not just rhythmic . When you ’ re playing with your band just enjoy the music . It ’ s really like doing stretches before you run . Once you ’ re running , enjoy the scenery .
Have fun ! Blessings , 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