DrumEatDrum
Platinum Member
I don't think "expressing yourself" and "playing for the song" are an "either-or" situation.
Even if you're dealing with a prog or fusion piece, that has several time signature changes, shredding guitar solos and screams for your best chops, you still pick the fills and phrases that are appropriate for the phasing and subdivisions of the song, you don't just start a free form drum solo at bar one and go over the whole piece. You should still remain sensitive to the dynamics of the song, and pick your spots where they make the most sense to the flow of the song.
And even in a chop filled piece, it's nice to leave space, or time in between chops so each idea sticks out more, and doesn't become a jumbled mess. Listen to "Tom Sawyer" by Rush, and even though that song features Neil Peart's fills, Neil doesn't start the song with a drum fill.
On the flip side, listen to Stan Lynch when he was with Tom Petty. Sure, more of his parts were simple and served the song, but he was still expressive. Listen to "American Girl" or "Breakdown" or "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and you can feel his expression just in the way he places the notes. John Bonham on "When the Levee Breaks" is over flowing with expression without a complex part. Dennis Diken on The Smithereens "Blood and Roses" is straight forward, but he makes it feel just so right that can feel his expression.
If you play the song with heart and feel, you can be expressive no matter if you're soloing in 21/16 or just playing "1,2,3,4."
Even if you're dealing with a prog or fusion piece, that has several time signature changes, shredding guitar solos and screams for your best chops, you still pick the fills and phrases that are appropriate for the phasing and subdivisions of the song, you don't just start a free form drum solo at bar one and go over the whole piece. You should still remain sensitive to the dynamics of the song, and pick your spots where they make the most sense to the flow of the song.
And even in a chop filled piece, it's nice to leave space, or time in between chops so each idea sticks out more, and doesn't become a jumbled mess. Listen to "Tom Sawyer" by Rush, and even though that song features Neil Peart's fills, Neil doesn't start the song with a drum fill.
On the flip side, listen to Stan Lynch when he was with Tom Petty. Sure, more of his parts were simple and served the song, but he was still expressive. Listen to "American Girl" or "Breakdown" or "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and you can feel his expression just in the way he places the notes. John Bonham on "When the Levee Breaks" is over flowing with expression without a complex part. Dennis Diken on The Smithereens "Blood and Roses" is straight forward, but he makes it feel just so right that can feel his expression.
If you play the song with heart and feel, you can be expressive no matter if you're soloing in 21/16 or just playing "1,2,3,4."