Duck Tape
Platinum Member
In the past, I often avoided playing things that I knew I couldn't execute well. I've just realized this can be a pretty bad thing.. So this is me thinking out loud for anyone that wants to contribute.
Tonight, I sat down to practice and I couldn't choose any music that I wanted to play along to, and I didn't want to do metronome stuff so I decided to play an open solo. I had the idea of playing a double stroke roll on the snare with some sort of Latin foot pattern (simple right?). Then I remembered I wasn't very good at starting off that way, I just like to come from a different angle and warm up to that type of thing. Something clicked and I just accepted that it might sound bad. It did, but then I got it 2nd go and went on to play and enjoy my solo.
It doesn't seem like a big deal but actually I think it is important to let yourself sound bad if that's the cost of trying something new. And somehow I'd forgotten that you have to start somewhere with each new idea, and often "somewhere" might be very mediocre. If I imagine each facet of my playing having a progress bar, I would see a few areas being quite developed, but also a whole bunch of others at very low levels, even 0%. I imagine I could speak more freely if those skills were distributed more evenly.
I saw Matt Halpern in a clinic a little while ago, and I really admired that he didn't sound perfect at all times, he didn't try to. All he had was kick, snare and hats, but he was free and musical and just really honest with himself and the audience. I think some other drummers out there would rely on everything feeling at least 99% or else they might not be able to create a good vibe.
So, my new policy is that if I think it, I will do it, or try to.
Tonight, I sat down to practice and I couldn't choose any music that I wanted to play along to, and I didn't want to do metronome stuff so I decided to play an open solo. I had the idea of playing a double stroke roll on the snare with some sort of Latin foot pattern (simple right?). Then I remembered I wasn't very good at starting off that way, I just like to come from a different angle and warm up to that type of thing. Something clicked and I just accepted that it might sound bad. It did, but then I got it 2nd go and went on to play and enjoy my solo.
It doesn't seem like a big deal but actually I think it is important to let yourself sound bad if that's the cost of trying something new. And somehow I'd forgotten that you have to start somewhere with each new idea, and often "somewhere" might be very mediocre. If I imagine each facet of my playing having a progress bar, I would see a few areas being quite developed, but also a whole bunch of others at very low levels, even 0%. I imagine I could speak more freely if those skills were distributed more evenly.
I saw Matt Halpern in a clinic a little while ago, and I really admired that he didn't sound perfect at all times, he didn't try to. All he had was kick, snare and hats, but he was free and musical and just really honest with himself and the audience. I think some other drummers out there would rely on everything feeling at least 99% or else they might not be able to create a good vibe.
So, my new policy is that if I think it, I will do it, or try to.