“To All The Drum Teachers I Had Before”

Paul Blood

Paul Blood

Junior Member
I thought it might be interesting to discuss our drum teachers, what we studied with, and the impact they had on us. I’m sure lots of us have studied with the same teachers too…. Maybe we could share memories about them.
I for one, would not be half the musician I am today without the aid of these instructors. Growing up in cultural wasteland before the internet even exited, drum lessons were a necessity for me. I am very fortunate that my parents were supportive for most of my studies. They didn’t help much with equipment though, I had to do paper routes, wash cars, and yard work to buy most of my gear which helped build a more solid work ethic.
I’m including private and group lessons/classes (PIT and University of North Texas) I’m not including clinics/master classes or one time lessons. I put in parenthesis a very brief description of content that I remember studying. Unfortunately, there are a few names of instructors that escape me now, and some are coming back to me as I write this list. My list is very long, and with all the studies I’ve done I’m still not any kind virtuoso or anything, but I’ve enjoyed the journey!

Jack Verga (hand technique, snare drum, reading, drum set)
Nick Vincent (Chart reading,)
Curt Anderson (hand technique, snare drum, drum set)
Wally Snow (hand technique, snare drum, vibes)
Wyne Smith (drum set applications of Louie Bellson’s Modern Reading Text, vibes)
Billy Dorn (marimba, timpani)
Casey Schurell (stickings, drum set applications of Ted Reed’s Syncopation)
Richard Wilson (hand technique, snare drum, foot technique)
Joe Brancato (hand technique, jazz drum set)
Jeanette Wrate (Melodic/compositional approach to drum set soloing, vibes)
Joe Pocoro, ( Drum set applications of rudiments)
Ralph Humphrey, (odd times)
Chuck Silverman (Latin Drum Set and Percussion)
Chuck Flores (Jazz drum set)
Steve Houghton (Chart Reading)
Gary Hess (Reading)
Efrian Toro (Latin drum set and percussion)
Debra Schwartz (marimba, orchestral percussion)
Ed Soph (hand technique, foot technique, chart reading, jazz drum set)
Dan Robinson (Garibaldi style funk)
Henry Okstel (chart reading, brushes)
Mike Drake (drum set)
Ron Fink (snare drum)
Robert Schietroma (marimba)
Mark Johnson (marimba)
Mike Noone (vibes)
David Romero (bongo, bongo bell, guiro)
Luis Conte (bongo)
Ricardo Bozas (congas, bongo, timbales, Brazilian pandeiro)
Brad Dutz (congas, multi percussion)
Brian Kilgore (congas)
 
I've had just a few private instructors:

Jim "Jimbo" McIntosh and Frank Sanchez (Phoenix, '60s)
Bill Annis and Bob Goldman (L.A., '70s)

But I had an unofficial mentor who was a well-respected working pro, plus a number of drummers who showed me a trick or two. And other musicians have suggested things done by a drummer they had worked with. Not to mention several classroom and orchestral conductors who instilled in me the importance of dynamics. Then there were the countless number of drummers whose parts I heard on record or live, and borrowed from them. And a bunch of books I've worked through and gleaned ideas.

So while my initial instruction focused on reading and basic technique, I definitely learned more apart from those formal lessons. At this point in my career - and my life - there's really not much I'm seeking to learn, with the possible exception of gospel/Motown tambourine. I keep promising myself to book a few lessons with one of the masters here in L.A., and I know they could guide me through the technique better than my trying to imitate what I see and hear some of those players do!

Bermuda
 
The guy who laughed at my kit because his tom-toms we're bigger than my floor tom. Thank you.

The guy who told me to de-tune my toms between practices. Many thanks for that.

The guy who told me to stand on my drum heads to stretch them out before tuning. Thank you sir.

To Steve Ulan who taught me that "sometimes it's the smallest things that have the biggest effect".

To my brother who told me when we were young "You're afraid to fail as yourself. That's why you copy others"
 
While I have all the books of the people on your list I've never studied with any of them.

I've never had a regular teacher.

What I've done is I've had one or two like 4 hour lessons with various people around Norway. Probably unknown to most of you, but some of the top players and educators we have here. Next on the list when I'm in Oslo and we find the time is Erik Smith and Marcus Lewin.

I've had one Skype Lesson with Gary Chaffee almost 2 months ago and will have some more as time and funds allow.
 
LikeToPlay said:
The guy who told me to stand on my drum heads to stretch them out before tuning. Thank you sir.
Click to expand...

Okay the other stuff you listed is questionable, but stretching the heads is a thing. You can stand on them, sit on them, tension them to failure, etc. I like to put my palms on center and apply all my weight for a bit. Not really sure why, but stretching the head alleviates tuning abnormalities.
 
MrInsanePolack said:
Okay the other stuff you listed is questionable, but stretching the heads is a thing. You can stand on them, sit on them, tension them to failure, etc. I like to put my palms on center and apply all my weight for a bit. Not really sure why, but stretching the head alleviates tuning abnormalities.
Click to expand...


He told me to stand on them.... to stand on them! He even showed me. It was worthless. I think its funny now. Stetch half the life out of them and in the end they still de-tune. Ha! The last two though are the real ones. They forced me to question the way i had previously approached my playing and in a bigger way my life. They're the best music lessons i ever got. And don't stand on your heads!
 
I've only had one drum teacher.
She was the school band teacher and also the president of the DAR.
She knew snare drum like a demon.
She was about a hundred years old about 40 years ago and completely commanding. She's still around and probably as intense as she was when she was born.
I learned to do a buzz roll with full force from her. There was no subtlety.
She was a damn eagle up in your maw.
 
WallyY said:
I've only had one drum teacher.
She was the school band teacher and also the president of the DAR.
She knew snare drum like a demon.
She was about a hundred years old about 40 years ago and completely commanding. She's still around and probably as intense as she was when she was born.
I learned to do a buzz roll with full force from her. There was no subtlety.
She was a damn eagle up in your maw.
Click to expand...

How awesome! I picture like the "Church Lady" from SNL but with amazing drum chops! Hope to hear more about her!
 
LikeToPlay said:
To Steve Ulan who taught me that "sometimes it's the smallest things that have the biggest effect".

To my brother who told me when we were young "You're afraid to fail as yourself. That's why you copy others"
Click to expand...


Often times it's the conceptual stuff that can have the biggest impact on a student. Thanks for sharing!
 
Steve White
Gary Wallis
Charles Hayward

And another guy, who I won't name, but who used to have the most foul-mouthed, blasphemous arguments with his wife in front of me. She took me aside before one lesson and told me she was going to leave him and she'll make sure that he never sees their kids. I was just there to play the drums! It was like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf every week.
 
hawksmoor said:
Steve White
Gary Wallis
Charles Hayward

And another guy, who I won't name, but who used to have the most foul-mouthed, blasphemous arguments with his wife in front of me. She took me aside before one lesson and told me she was going to leave him and she'll make sure that he never sees their kids. I was just there to play the drums! It was like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf every week.
Click to expand...

Was he a good teacher, though? A few of my teachers were very foul-mouthed too, bad tempers, and had chaotic personal lives. Ever seen the movie "Whiplash"?
The band director in the movie was sort of a composite of a few of my teachers.
 
Paul Blood said:
Jack Verga (hand technique, snare drum, reading, drum set)
Nick Vincent (Chart reading,)
Curt Anderson (hand technique, snare drum, drum set)
Wally Snow (hand technique, snare drum, vibes)
Wyne Smith (drum set applications of Louie Bellson’s Modern Reading Text, vibes)
Billy Dorn (marimba, timpani)
Casey Schurell (stickings, drum set applications of Ted Reed’s Syncopation)
Richard Wilson (hand technique, snare drum, foot technique)
Joe Brancato (hand technique, jazz drum set)
Jeanette Wrate (Melodic/compositional approach to drum set soloing, vibes)
Joe Pocoro, ( Drum set applications of rudiments)
Ralph Humphrey, (odd times)
Chuck Silverman (Latin Drum Set and Percussion)
Chuck Flores (Jazz drum set)
Steve Houghton (Chart Reading)
Gary Hess (Reading)
Efrian Toro (Latin drum set and percussion)
Debra Schwartz (marimba, orchestral percussion)
Ed Soph (hand technique, foot technique, chart reading, jazz drum set)
Dan Robinson (Garibaldi style funk)
Henry Okstel (chart reading, brushes)
Mike Drake (drum set)
Ron Fink (snare drum)
Robert Schietroma (marimba)
Mark Johnson (marimba)
Mike Noone (vibes)
David Romero (bongo, bongo bell, guiro)
Luis Conte (bongo)
Ricardo Bozas (congas, bongo, timbales, Brazilian pandeiro)
Brad Dutz (congas, multi percussion)
Brian Kilgore (congas)
Click to expand...


Congratulations, very great and interesting list!
 
Paul Blood said:
Was he a good teacher, though? A few of my teachers were very foul-mouthed too, bad tempers, and had chaotic personal lives. Ever seen the movie "Whiplash"?
The band director in the movie was sort of a composite of a few of my teachers.
Click to expand...

Whoah! But this guy who argued with his wife, I can't recall a single thing I took from those lessons. I wouldn't be offended by bad language if I was learning and improving.

I attended a weekly workshop doing Stevie Wonder tunes a few years ago, and the guy hosting it just wore all but six of us out. They other guys, including another drummer, couldn't handle his prickly manner and the fact that there was absolutely no hiding. If you got something wrong you had to work it out in front of everybody until it was right. He wouldn't have you saying, 'I'll get it right next week.' It was 'No, you get it right NOW!' But man, I learnt a lot from those workshops. And he gave the remaining guys a lot of respect for toughing it out till the end.
 
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I had a couple of teachers at school, I can't remember their names for the life of me. One guy taught me theory and rudiments and then some basic latin stuff. I used to love having an hour a week from classes just to play drums better.

I had some great teachers at uni:

Steve Palmer (Carls bro) his latin lessons were fantastic.

Malcolm Garratt - Mr Moeller/Fastest Hands in the West Midlands - two years of OCD technique lessons but not whiplash Hollywood bullshit. Highly respected, he sets you up to play drums ache free for the rest of your life. He'd studied with Jim Chapin, Joe Morello, worked with Buddy and lived to tell the tale. He'd been there seen it and done it gigging wise and had backed big touring artists.

Best thing for me was I was last on the list on a Friday for lessons having a surname starting with Y so I used to get a 2-3 hour lesson every week because he'd lose track of time. He was a fountain of knowledge for gear and had some very nice equipment.

The most humble guy I've ever met which is another really important overlooked lesson.

Jim Chapin - He was good mates with Mal so used to stay with him when he came to the UK. (worst kept secret ever!) So if you wanted a private lesson with Jim you just asked Mal. He was 84 when I met him, he sat down on a practice pad, pulled out the heaviest sticks I have ever seen then rolled 50 years off and put them all on me. I've never forgotten how to hold a pair of sticks since.

I saw Mal a couple years back and pretty much hugged him. It's only years after I had the lessons I realised that somebody set me up for life. I was shocked when he said my old uni still owed him money, the guy is golden!
 
I learned by watching and listening. I've never had a drum teacher in my life, but I sure could have benefited from one.
 
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