Troubles.

[Guz2]

1. Drum covers. I just can't do them! I majorly struggle with AC/DC, for god's sake. I've been playing since April last year and the most technical song I've done is For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica. Also, it seems there is no way to learn a song without listening to it over and over again which ruins the song for me. Also I almost always get frustrated that I can't play hella easy stuff and it knocks my confidence badly. :-(

2. Solos. I'm really bad at improv, the thing is when I'm recording I'm really self-critical and just cos one beat sounds awquard or one bass drum hit is misplaced means I have to turn off the camera and start again.

Any help appreciated :-)

[Unevil]

1 Can't help much there, because I am not much better at it XD my advice is learn to learn drum music to the point where you can sight read it, then do just that. If it is complicated in a different way than being hard to decipher, such as a hard rhthym, just work on that. ex: Immigrant Song does constant eigth notes on the hi-hat and plays the main groove of the song on bass. For some reason when my bass foot is playing faster notes (ex constant sixteenth notes or a sixteenth note groove) I cannot seem to play straight eights on my hi-hat XD working on it tho.

2. As far as solo improv. goes, I used to have issues with that, but got much better at it. Just try becoming familiar with different rhythms and tie them together during solos. try thinking of as many different things you can do with just a snare, hi-hat, bass, and single tom (oh and a crash (and a ride if you eat your dinner)). Reduce your kit to pretty much that, and play all the stuff that comes to mind. When you enlarge your kit after a week or so of practicing this, you will find that (hopefully) you think of using some parts of your kit for things you never did before. Not sure how much this effects you depending on your kit (my friend plays on a jazz set so basically in the 'reduction mode' he was only missing a floor tom and a splash, however I was missing about...3 toms, my floor, 2 splashes, 2 crashes, my china, my other bass, and my beloved sacred cowbell) all this aside I hope I helped a little bit =P

[larryace]

Sounds to me that a major ingredient is missing, fun. If all drumming does for you is to reveal your weaknesses, that doesn't sound like too much fun. Take the pressure off yourself, try to enjoy it, bad notes and all and with time, it should fall together as long as you don't give up and try to enjoy yourself. It's a hard instrument to learn, and you've only been doing it less than a year. Pick something easy that you can do and build from your successes gradually. Play to easy music until you are confident with it, then increase the skill level in small increments. Gotta crawl before you can walk.

[Big_Philly]

Improv is something that needs to grow. The ability to improvise has a lot to do with your confidence in my experience. If you aren't confident about your playing it's gonna be tough to just break out a groove or a lick. It's also something that becomes easier as you get more skilled as you will now often lack some physical ability to make the music in your head come true on a real drum set.

Do you have a teacher?
Either way, just stick with it. It happened more than once in my learning process that I was getting angry, throwing sticks and other random objects across the room in frustration. That didn't help one bit.

Where is the problem, is it the grooving along or is it playing the fills and transitions to other song sections? First of all, just try to get the general groove going. Pay no attention to the fills and such, and don't worry if you switch between two grooves one bar too late.

And indeed: playing along to a song means listening to it over and over.

[Guz2]

Sounds to me that a major ingredient is missing, fun. If all drumming does for you is to reveal your weaknesses, that doesn't sound like too much fun. Take the pressure off yourself, try to enjoy it, bad notes and all and with time, it should fall together as long as you don't give up and try to enjoy yourself. It's a hard instrument to learn, and you've only been doing it less than a year. Pick something easy that you can do and build from your successes gradually. Play to easy music until you are confident with it, then increase the skill level in small increments. Gotta crawl before you can walk.Don't get me wrong, I have massive amount of fun when I'm drumming. I love it. And thanks for the help, guys :-)

Improv is something that needs to grow. The ability to improvise has a lot to do with your confidence in my experience. If you aren't confident about your playing it's gonna be tough to just break out a groove or a lick. It's also something that becomes easier as you get more skilled as you will now often lack some physical ability to make the music in your head come true on a real drum set.

Do you have a teacher?
Either way, just stick with it. It happened more than once in my learning process that I was getting angry, throwing sticks and other random objects across the room in frustration. That didn't help one bit.

Where is the problem, is it the grooving along or is it playing the fills and transitions to other song sections? First of all, just try to get the general groove going. Pay no attention to the fills and such, and don't worry if you switch between two grooves one bar too late.

And indeed: playing along to a song means listening to it over and over.Yes, I do have a teacher

[dairyairman]

sounds like you may be a bit of perfectionist. so am i, but i've learned not to get too upset when things don't go perfectly because they never do.

are you trying to learn these cover songs note for note? by that i mean to the point where you're playing every fill and every beat exactly like the original. to me that's too much trouble. it's hard to learn even an easy song absolutely note for note. i learn songs to the point where i've got the basic structure and some other key elements down, then i make up my own fills and other minor things.

[Guz2]

sounds like you may be a bit of perfectionist. so am i, but i've learned not to get too upset when things don't go perfectly because they never do.

are you trying to learn these cover songs note for note? by that i mean to the point where you're playing every fill and every beat exactly like the original. to me that's too much trouble. it's hard to learn even an easy song absolutely note for note. i learn songs to the point where i've got the basic structure and some other key elements down, then i make up my own fills and other minor things.Yes, I am. Maybe that's the problem

[dairyairman]

that explains some of your frustration. i mean it's good to practice what other drummers are doing and learn some new fills or grooves, but if you try to learn a song note for note, then it becomes more of memory exercise than a playing exercise. i think it distracts you from learning to play, which is the most important thing.

[intheruff]

Welcome to the drums Gutz (or for that matter any instrument or skill that's infinite in nature). By the way, a few year of playing ain't squat, unless you happen to be a musical prodigy. Is that you? I've been playing since the big bang and occasionally still throw the sticks up against the wall. Frustration just happens to be one of the natures of the beast. To improve requires a life time of practice and focus, and it's gotta remain fun and intriguing. But fun always it isn't, especially when up against what might seem and insurmountable wall of disappointment.

The ONLY way to get where you need to be is to learn them rudiments, master them one at a time! The rest will come with time and experience. And, if you think you know them, forget about it, you really don't! Otherwise AC/DC would present no problem. Hang in...

What you present as being your problem happens to be common amoungst all. I responded to your thread because I've read previous posts by you and you seem to be trying to crack thru the egg... keep pecking... there are NO quick fixes! Sorry to sound lectorial.

[Guz2]

Thanks for the help :D

[Monica McCoy]

You don't have to play everything note-for-note. Do a different fill. Put the bass drum somewhere else. Just keep it in the pocket. It's all the same song.

[votard]

I found out after the first song that trying to play note for note isn't worth it, its only gonna continue your frustration. Instead, try to learn the fills of the song, and listen to the drummers general style. When I play black sabbath, I try to emulate bill ward( and its a lot of fun!) ; for AC DC, try to emulate phil rudd's style. Nobody notices if a drummer doesn't play note for note as long as you have the style of the song down.

[Wavelength]

I found out after the first song that trying to play note for note isn't worth it, its only gonna continue your frustration. Instead, try to learn the fills of the song, and listen to the drummers general style.

This is the true path to nirvana. Do memorise the essential signature grooves and fills (and unison rhythms, if any), and be absolutely sure about the song structure, then just play within that framework.

[Wavelength]

I'm really bad at improv, the thing is when I'm recording I'm really self-critical and just cos one beat sounds awquard or one bass drum hit is misplaced means I have to turn off the camera and start again.

I'll just quote myself from another thread...

Improvisation, for the most of the time, is taking the things that you know and combining them in new ways, hence creating new ideas. If you find that you can't play a fill while grooving, you don't know your fills. And conversely, if you find that you can't get back to the groove after a fill, you don't know your grooves.

To get started with improvisation, take teeny weeny baby steps first. One extra note in an interesting place is a plenty! Get comfortable with changing your groove in small increments and gradually start stepping off the tracks. Don't think in terms of groove versus fill, or groove versus solo -- everything should groove and create a time feel. So, start with a groove which feels nice and cozy, and twist it around but only as much as you can handle at the time.

Practice a lot of licks. Practice them to death. By this I mean that you should take one lick and really investigate its nature, its possibilites, its variations and permutations. Sooner or later you'll realise that the lick has transformed into a launch pad for your creativity. And just a bit later you'll realise that you have the ability to improvise using the lick and its variations... When that happens, start working on a new lick, and practice it to death, too.

Improvisation is all about knowing your stuff and putting it to use. It's not a magical activity of pulling utterly new ideas from your hiney. You most definitely have to think about it; otherwise you're just rambling or blowing chops. The thing is, the more you think about it and the more you practice, the more organic and automatic your improvisation will become. To become effortess in anything, you have to WORK.

Of course, sometimes magic does happen, and you play something you've never played before, or better yet, never heard anyone play before, and at that moment... you'd better be paying attention!

[intheruff]

Cheers to Wavelength... and that Gutz is THE bottomline. Now if we all memorized and practiced what the Wave said the use of this forum might be diminished greatly.

[Isaac Lee]

Its easier said than done, but its important to learn how to be critical of everything you play without denigrating yourself.

Heres an encouraging quote.

"Problems call forth our courage and wisdom. Infact, they create our courage and wisdom. Its for this reason that I think we should learn not to dread but actually welcome problems, especially in our playing, because we know they are going to be there."-Virgil Donati

I realize I may be taking this way beyond how to play along with songs, but the others covered that sensationally. Good luck and keep playing!

[Guz2]

Thanks loads, everyone! :-)

[Wavelength]

Problems call forth our courage and wisdom. Infact, they create our courage and wisdom. Its for this reason that I think we should learn not to dread but actually welcome problems, especially in our playing, because we know they are going to be there.

I like to practice the easiest things until I start making strange, totally unexpected mistakes. That's when I know I'm relaxing and letting my instincts take control instead of just trying to play "correct" and forcing the limbs to do their thing. Once you get past the mistakes in a relaxed non-intellectual state, you're starting to gain mastery over the material at hand.

[Unevil]

I have always wondered what people mean by 'time drumming' because I have had a drum set for maybe two years, but just started to pick it up last October (I had stopped playing out of frustration of only being able to do two fills and the basic rock groove) but since I started playing two years ago, would I be considered drumming for 2 years, 4 months, or how long I have been playing snare, which is 4 1/2 years? Never knew how to classify myself...I usually say 41/2 because during the time that I stopped doing drums I focused more on rudimentary stuff, like learning fun stuff like flam-taps, diddles, paradiddles, paradiddle-diddles---all the good stuff =D I still consider myself a good drummer right now (I am still in high school, but am the best drummer in my school out of 5) so I guess I am good.
-cheers

[grannydrums]

Why does everyone knock note for note playing????? Bands like Metallica produce note for note books for the drum part. Its good to see what the guy is doing and if you decide that you can achieve it its such a kick to get it right.


Obviously improvisation and interpretation have a huge place, but when playing covers there is a lot to be said for seeing what you are trying to achieve written down and then deciding wether it is worth practicing till you nail it or wether you should do somethink more simple.

Also having the score makes it quicker to learn. You dont have to sight read it-- you can write out simple maps to show the song structure and just note the complicated bits. Using the score to work out the structure saves so much time.

If you have a teacher he should be able to score the songs for you, the tab you get on the internet helps but it is usually innacurate.