DRUMS
WHAT DO I DO NEXT ? / MAINTAINING THE ROUTINE | Carl Albrecht
For drummers and all musicians maintaining a routine is very important . You don ’ t have to practice eight hours a day to see results , but you have to do something . You can ’ t leave your instrument alone all week and hope that by the weekend you ’ ll magically gain new skill . Here are the five areas of a study I still use to maintain and grow in skill . Let ’ s say you have one hour each day to practice . Divide it into five even sections .
1 . RUDIMENTS / THEORY This is a warm-up time . I ’ m thinking strictly of hand and foot technique , posture , breathing , feet placement , etc . etc . It ’ s all about the mechanics of playing at this point . I set my metronome or drum machine to a random tempo and just start playing simple rudimental patterns on a pad . Use one tempo for at least 4 to 5 minutes , and then stop & pick another speed . So , in a 10-to-15 minute period you should play a slow , a medium , and a fast set . Also , be sure you start with “ your normal volume ” with no accents and then gradually work in variations as you make it happen . I often tell the students … “ Don ’ t let the sticks play you ”.
You can use the 40 International Rudiments starting with single stroke rolls , doubles , paradiddles , flams , drags , etc . etc . ( There ’ s a free download of the rudiments at www . pas . org ) Books such as “ Stick Control ” by George Stone or “ Master Studies ” by Joe Morello are great too . Focus on one idea or mix them up . It doesn ’ t matter . The goal is to be in control of the sticks & pedals . Be relaxed but deliberate about what you are doing . No tightness or tension should be felt in your body . After getting comfortable on a pad then try the patterns around the whole set . You can also add your feet by playing basic patterns such as counts 1 and 3 on the kick and 2 & 4 on the hi-hat , or anything else that helps develop your control and stamina .
2 . READING MUSIC Learning basic music skills will add to your ability to learn new musical ideas quickly . If you ’ re just beginning , get a teacher and start with a first level snare book . For this time slot I ’ ll work on a snare drum study and some set books that challenge my current level of playing . Always mix up your routine so that you feel inspired . I use a snare studies book to play rhythms not only on the snare , but to play them around the kit so I learn how to interpret patterns creatively . The set books are more “ part ” specific . Although I still create variations once I ’ ve got the written parts figured out . I ’ ll write the tempo I ’ ve set my click to at the top of the page so that when I come back to it I can try a different speed .
3 . LISTENING TO & COPYING NEW MUSIC This is probably how you started the learning process . You hear tunes that inspire you , and you want to do what that drummer was doing on the recording . But wait ,,,, there ’ s more !! Don ’ t get stuck only playing what you already know . Challenge yourself with new tunes ; lots of new tunes .
I will first listen to a song setting at the kit . Then I might play “ air drums ” along with it . Maybe take a few notes . The idea is to truly copy what you hear , not just “ jam ” along without concern for what the drummer played on the recording . Copy what you hear as if you have to reproduce it for that artist . And yes , I ’ ve had artists ask me to play what was on the recording many times . Once I ’ ve “ got it down ” then I might start incorporating my own ideas .
4 . GROOVE EXERCISES Play a variety of grooves in 8 bar phrases . Pick one from 4 types of grooves : 8th notes , 16th notes , triplets , or shuffles . Use one at a time for now . You could mix it up later . Set the click at one tempo for 5 minutes . Play a pattern for 7 bars without changing anything ; do a fill somewhere in bar 8 ; and then play variations on the idea in each 8 bar section . Your focus is on precision and the feel of the groove .
5 . SOLOING / IMPROVISATION Playing a solo can be frightening . If you ’ re rather new to your instrument I recommend working hard on the other four areas . Build your technique , stamina , and vocabulary first .
I think of solos in two ways . One is “ free style ,” the other is “ song form .” In free style soloing I think more in colors and emotions and less about groove or time keeping , although that may be part of it . I try to paint pictures and think as if I ’ m playing to a movie rather than trying to just play a pattern . I might get a new student to loosen up with this concept by just standing by the kit and throwing a hand full of sticks at the set . Then just start hitting things ! Soft or loud ; slow or fast ; it doesn ’ t matter just create ! Play the drums with your hands ; use a mallet & a brush ; a stick & a triangle beater ; etc . You got the idea .
Song form solos should be practiced with a machine . You could literally think of a song while you ’ re doing it , but the idea is to just use a fixed form . For instance , play a groove for 4 bars and then play a solo for 4 bars . Do that for three minutes or so ; just like a song . Then try 8 bars of a groove and 8 for the solo and so on . You could sing a song to yourself and then continue singing while you solo over the lyric phrases . This is a very interesting way to develop a musical approach to soloing . What you ’ ll find is that your fills in general will have a more musical flow . The primary rule in soloing is “ Don ’ t stop !” Don ’ t second-guess what ’ s happening . Just keep going .
So , there you have it . A way to maintain and grow in your musical skills .
Blessings to you and Happy Practicing !
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