What's good?
I'm trying to focus on really learning my drum rudiments currently, and rather then requesting tips on technique or what-have-you, I'm looking for some ideas on how to practice rudiments in a way that promotes their musical significance. Any ideas? Not just for drilling them into my head, but for really digging deep into the rudiment itself and exploring it, and being able to use it effortlessly.
I have to admit, I've often been perplexed by the "learn some rudiments, then make music with them" method. Don't get me wrong, I get the value of rudiments for entraining particular movement patterns, etc. But the applicability of many of them to the vocabulary of modern drum set playing is not always immediately apparent. Of course, in other cases they ARE the vocabulary of modern drumset playing - e.g. where would we be without Steve Gadd's paradiddles and ratamacues? And many, many, many great players and teachers have utilised this method. It can work.
A fellow named Jim Blackley came up with a different solution a long while back. Jim surmised that in order to play the drum set well, it wasn't "rudiments"
per se that one needed but a system for teaching rhythm that would incorporate various rudiments along the way. Rhythm (music) first. Then the technique to execute the rhythm.
The result was
Syncopated Rolls for the Modern Drummer. http://jimblackley.com/?cat=7
The method is to start with a rhythm, say 4 quarter notes. Then, that rhythm becomes a series of accents in various subdivisions. The subdivisions and accents are then executed using various stickings (singles, doubles, paradiddles, flams, etc.) Effectively, your hand technique is developing as part of your rhythmic development.
Another good book for this sort of thing is Dave Stanoch's
Mastering The Tables of Time. There, he takes various stickings and hand/foot combinations through common subdivisions. The musical inspiration tends to take care of itself as you go through it, in my experience.