DRUMS
THREE APPROACHES TO A SONG | Carl Albrecht
I was thinking of different ways I practice songs . It ’ s important and fun to work different routines to stay fresh in your playing and breakout of any boredom that might try to creep in . Still … becoming a “ musical drummer ” is the most important goal for every player . Never forget that . So remember that as you have fun stretching your musical muscle as a drummer to expand your skill , at the end of the day always remember to “ honor the song !” Some of these exercises are strictly for the practice room . But doing this routine can prepare you for moments when someone one asks you to rearrange a song .
1 . PLAY THE SONG AS A COMPOSITION . Yes , you have heard me say this before . But I say it often , even to my private students , because it seems like players forget this principle . Or maybe it seems boring to them … OR maybe it ’ s harder than they think . But , simply … Just COPY the song the way you hear it on the recording . This is ALWAYS my first approach to practicing songs even if I don ’ t get to the next two concepts because this is usually the first job of a drummer . Playing songs ! After years of touring with many artists I can assure you this skill will bring you much appreciation from the people you work for … And will usually mean your phone will ring again … if you catch my meaning .
I will first just listen through the song , not playing along , and immediately take notes . I ’ ll mark the tempo , the style , and maybe another song reference to get the feel of the song in my head as soon as possible . Doing a chart or roadmap of the song is very helpful too . Write out basic notes for each section . I would start each section like this - Intro ; Verse 1 ; Chorus 1 ; Intro 2 ; Verse 2 ; Chorus 2 ; Bridge … etc . etc ., then filling in how many bars are in each section and writing out any specific ideas to help me remember the song without actually doing a complete transcription .
Then I will play through the song until I get it perfect . How well you can remember the parts will determine how much time you must practice each song .
2 . IMMEDIATELY PLAY THE SONG JUST TO GROOVE ALONG . This approach can feel like musical skydiving . You ’ re just going to quickly play along with no chart and no idea where it ’ s going . You can do this with any song you like . Even with songs you are already familiar . I recommend working more on songs you ’ ve never played before or at least you have not played in a while .
This is an exercise in keeping solid time when you may not know a song . You might have to sit in with a band sometime or get a last minute call to fill in for a drummer who can ’ t make the gig . With no time to prep … what would you do ? This type of exercise is to help you “ listen hard .” You want to try to anticipate where a song is going . Even try to do some fills when you feel the music is moving into another section . But the main goal is to get the groove to feel great right from the beginning . Don ’ t stop playing to figure something out . Play with confidence . Keep the time rock solid through the whole song . IF you really enjoy the song you can come back later and work through the details .
I recommend playing a variety of styles when you do this so that your drumming vocabulary increases . Learning lots of different drum concepts is important even for a worship drummer . You can pick a style playlist from any of the streaming platforms and just play for an hour with songs you ’ ve never played before . That will definitely expand your drumming palette . Have fun .
3 . PLAYING SOLOS OVER A SONG . Yes , that ’ s right ! You ’ re going to solo over a song ! I heard Keith Carlock talk about this as a way to practice soloing while thinking of a song form . It sort of relates to Dave Weckl ’ s comment on always practicing something new … not something he already knows how to do . Anyway … I would do this with songs you already know . Start playing the song groove , but then break away into playing a solo over the song . Let ideas flow smoothly . Again … DO NOT STOP ! Don ’ t break the flow of time even if you get a bit lost in the song . Don ’ t over think what you will play . Even if you think you ’ re making mistakes … DON ’ T stop .
This may feel really weird at first . And … in a way … it is . But it will expand your ability to create new ideas when you are working
on new music . Sure … our first job is to play songs and get the arrangements right . That ’ s absolutely necessary . But this exercise is the total opposite approach . It will be a great workout both mentally and physically . Enjoy the adventure .
Keep growing ! Keep learning ! Keep worshipping !
Blessings .
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