Plateauing

[AlkaFeltser]

What's up fellas. First post here. I've been playing drums for about a year now. I can play along with most of my favorite songs. However, when I start jamming with my friends, everything that I'm doing sounds the same to me. It's funny, if I think about doing new stuff I always mess up (guess I think too much), but if I don't think, it all sounds the same. Maybe I've developed habits and my body is comfortable and getting lazy. I guess what I'm asking is, what is some advice on breaking through this. Any DVD's, clips on the web, or books anyone would recommend? Forgot to mention, I live in a small town and there arent any teachers worth a crap. I also dont feel like driving 2 hours to Nashville either. Thanks everyone.

[franklinj]

Im having the same problem dude, but ive been playing for 3 years, so its just that much more aggravating. Ive been working a lot with hand and foot speed lately, and im hoping that it will bring me out of my rut somewhat.

If I was you, I would pick up Adv. Funk Studies by Rick Latham. It may seem incredibly hard and complex at first, but once you start getting the excercises and beats down, its quite a rush.

On second thought, you might want to wait a while for that book. its pretty advanced lol. if you dont have a teacher, getting one will help a lot.

[Pearl Player]

Well a couple of things. Is the music you are jamming to with your friends like songs you guys wrote or play songs you like. And yes there is something to be said about playing with tracks.. Since there are drums on tracks well there are notes that you hear that your not playing. You have probably trained yourself to certain beats and patterns.. The inportant things about play to tracks is to mix it up. Different time sigs. Also play just by yourself and work on patterns and try to hold them and modify them. When I started playing again I did a lot of track playing and when playing with other live musicians I noticed the same thing. Get some drumless tracks. They are getting kinda hard to find for free by there are some on CD's. That way when you practice you, just you, and not you and the other drummer. So will start to notice gaps in your playing. Or that all you are playing is the same pattern... How do you feel about rudiments? I know a lot hate em but they force you to use different patterns so you dont train yourself into a rut. I play to tracks to warm up then I will shut the tracks down and work on patterns that I am trying to learn, or work on some drumless tracks. Or material I am working on.

Mike

[Styx]

Howzit AlkaFeltser.

I have a suggestion which I'm hoping you'll find interesting and helpful. You say you've only been playing for a year and the reason I think you're platueing is that you have not devolped dexterity between your hands and limbs to a sufficient level where you can begin to express your ideas without the fear of making a mistake. Funnily enough we need those mistakes to learn and progress in our chosen profession. I think we absorb information quicker than our bodies can keep up with if you know what I mean.You have this knowledge but can't get it out on the kit.

I'd suggest working on 3 important factors and putting alot of effort into focusing on these. Firstly we've got to work on those hands. I can bet you your left hand is way under par in relation to your right hand(assuming you're right handed). Practice and learn all your rudiments,there is a massive amount of fantastic exercises that the guys on this site have offered us freely, you just need to search. Work on your singles and doubles, rolls.rudiments etc. ie Work them hands till they bleed(firguatively ofcourse).Everything you do with the right do it on the left aswell.

Secondly I'd get into working on your independance. We want to be able to articulate as best we possibly can between our limbs to execute interesting patterns and fills etc. Getting our limbs to work as independantly as possible will help in all aspects of your drumming so I'd practice it daily. Also try and practice the things you can't do as apposed to things you can do pretty well.

Thirdly we need to look at grooving and trying to play as musically as possible.It's all fine and well we have great independance and hands but that would all be in vain if we couldn't make a beat groove. Listen to alot of different styles of music and really listen to the elements that make the song groove and try and bring that into your playing.

These are just a few suggestions but I'm hoping they'll help you out in some way.If you practice these daily I'm sure you'll begin to notice a difference in the near future, just stick with it.Guys\Girls, please feel free to add your comments.

Regards

Styx

[Wavelength]

Start actively listening to all kinds of music, like jazz, Afro-Cuban, ethnic, classical... You'll get inspiration and new ideas from it.

[zambizzi]

I think this is more common than you might have imagined.

My advice to you is; do what makes you uncomfortable.

By this, I don't mean I don't mean play w/ your sticks wedged between your toes or while standing on your head...what I'm saying is; do things that make you *mentally* uncomfortable. Play beats that *are not* natural to you. If your fills are the same all the time, pick an entirely different way of doing them, something that is completely unfamiliar to you....and do it until it is just as familiar to you as your old, tired beats & fills.

Listen to music that you're not familiar with, as others have said. Pick a beat that you know you can't play and *try* to play it over, and over, and over, and over again.

Each time you assimilate a new pattern into your brain...you'll begin to make a creative connection with it and add your own, improvisational edge to it. Each time you add a new, unfamiliar, uncomfortable pattern, fill, or any other drum-part to your "muscle-memory" you will have endless new creative combinations to play.

Be uncomfortable!!! :D

[Mapex589]

Try the Tommy Igoe Groove Essentials DVD http://www.hudsonmusic.com/products/igoe_gedvd.html This is a great DVD for different beats. I still think if you can find a teacher that would be your best option. Good luck to you!!!

[lstardrums]

for me its really hard to sit and practice new things without a teacher to help me, cause a lot of the time i'm not sure if i'm playing something correctly. you should really look into a teacher. just because a teacher isnt an amazing drummer or plays a different style than you doesnt mean they cant help you. i play experimental and metal in my two bands and while my teacher is mainly a pocket/latin drummer, i wouldnt be able to play either style if he wasnt there to help me.

[PreppieNerd]

Check out David Garibladi's Book Future Sounds. It has some good ideas.

Also Change your setup. Go outside your comfort zone. Some will suggest a smaller setup, but I would say reverse your setup. If you're a righty give your whole set a lefty flip. or vice-versa. This will force you to play differently and try new techniques. It will also improve the strength in your weaker limbs and improve your coordination.

[KLittle123]

I think this should go into greatest threads or sticky it or something because honestly, I think all drummers go through this and I don't think it'll be the first or last time that you'll go through it. LIke everyone else said, learn new music. If you're like me you probably are thinking "pssht, learn new styles, that's not me, I want to stick with ....blah..." blah being whatever your style is that you often listen to, but open it up, listen to new music. Like the other guy said work on rudiments. It's amazing how you can use those in drumset surprisingly, people won't know that you're doing a pataflafla or a paradiddle or what not, but some of those can be opened up and put entirely around the drumkit.

[AlkaFeltser]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I think I'm gonna start trying some jazz or funk. But alas, being a poor college kid I have a hard time affording just drumming, much less a teacher. I'm sure this is in another thread but just wondering if you guys have any suggestions on a book or DVD that will help with focusing my practicing methods as well. Although it's fun, just banging around won't really help me improve. Thanks everyone.

[bddrums9]

Start actively listening to all kinds of music, like jazz, Afro-Cuban, ethnic, classical... You'll get inspiration and new ideas from it.


I recommend this method too. I've been playing for just under a year and a half and I realized I'm having the same problem. First thing I did was go digging through some CDs and came across Dave Matthews Band, so tossed that in. Up until this point I had been use to drummers like Bonham and Ringo so hearing Carter Beauford's style was really eye opening. It's strange, even though I started listening to just one other artist, I noticed my style had begun to evolve. Now when I play, I incorporate things such as the hi hat into my grooves alot more and I've been trying out different tempos. You did say you were on a budget so if you can't afford any CDs you can always just go onto iTunes and browse through the various stations. Just a suggestions, hope it works and good luck