Musicial drumming?

As a self taught player I can offer a recent, non-technical insight that has helped me, even though I've played on and off for almost 40 years.

My drums are a feature in my lounge room like someone might have a piano. A couple of months ago I sat down at the drums and started playing a few beats and licks ... and it struck me that I was just making a bloody din, a kind of ugly din too. Then I imagined someone with a piano at home sitting at the instrument and immediately just making a sustained racket - maybe whacking down some ff chords with aimless licks.

When most piano players sit down at their instrument they actually play music. So that's what I'm trying to do on drums (within the instrument's context of course).

Love the idea of a drumkit in the lounge, Anon :)



(Mentally reorganises lounge.... :)
 
As a self taught player I can offer a recent, non-technical insight that has helped me, even though I've played on and off for almost 40 years.

My drums are a feature in my lounge room like someone might have a piano. A couple of months ago I sat down at the drums and started playing a few beats and licks ... and it struck me that I was just making a bloody din, a kind of ugly din too. Then I imagined someone with a piano at home sitting at the instrument and immediately just making a sustained racket - maybe whacking down some ff chords with aimless licks.

When most piano players sit down at their instrument they actually play music. So that's what I'm trying to do on drums (within the instrument's context of course).

Insight, yes but everybodies diffrent.I have to work on this.Thanks for the answer.
 
Listen and play off what the others are playing. During their solos, support (means give them a solid beat to rely on) and compliment them. Listen for their spaces and play little stuff in their spaces. Little tasteful stuff, nothing over the top. More like under the radar. Don't hog the spotlight at all unless you're doing a drum solo. The drums are so powerful, there's no denying their presence, even without the spotlight. Listen and react, don't go in with an agenda of things you want to do no matter what.

Listen and react. The quarter note pulse is your bestest friend in the world. Provide that for everyone to latch onto and you will be very popular indeed. The other guys are thinking, FINALLY, a guy who understands what the rest of the band NEEDS.



Awesome advice couldn't of put it better myself. It takes discipline and experience to play like this but in time you can achieve it. You have to give the singer some air when he is singing. It has to come from somewhere but if the drummer doesn't conceid the rest of the band will not follow. So it starts from the drummer, give a little air and your mates will follow. This allows the singer to be heard better and provides a dynamic to the band. Be smart and aware of where you are in the song and trust your insticts. Someone advised you to record and listen to yourself playing, golden advice. good luck.
 
Listen and play off what the others are playing. During their solos, support (means give them a solid beat to rely on) and compliment them. Listen for their spaces and play little stuff in their spaces. Little tasteful stuff, nothing over the top. More like under the radar. Don't hog the spotlight at all unless you're doing a drum solo. The drums are so powerful, there's no denying their presence, even without the spotlight. Listen and react, don't go in with an agenda of things you want to do no matter what.

Listen and react. The quarter note pulse is your bestest friend in the world. Provide that for everyone to latch onto and you will be very popular indeed. The other guys are thinking, FINALLY, a guy who understands what the rest of the band NEEDS.

I usually like to stay out of these subjective gray area threads where someone is looking for black and white.....but this answer is so damn right on that I couldn't control myself

carry on
 
It's interesting, the different approaches that people employ in the pursuit of musicality. The approach....is a make or break thing. Like if you approach a song with the attitude that you want to play really loud and put in some really fast fill figures....and the song is a tender ballad...OK a little extreme but it makes the point. Being appropriate for the music belongs at the top of the list. General rule of thumb with many exceptions.

The music dictates what you can and probably shouldn't do. Music is like a conversation. It's rude to step on or interrupt someone's "story". But the drummer can help the storyteller along by sensitive listening, trying to understand where the person is going with this solo,encouraging that person along, and also BEING GENUINELY INTERESTED in what is being said (played).,

Compare that attitude with this one. OK the guitarist is taking a solo here. He gets to solo all night long, and I don't, so I don't care what he thinks, I'm going to put this 32nd note triplet ascending tom roll that I have been trying to do lately. I could fit it right here. I mean after all, I need to express myself too, right?

The biggest things I see that I don't like are drummers who have the latter attitude instead of the former attitude. WHY you play something is easily as important as WHAT you choose to play. What you choose to play is directly related to why you are choosing to play it. Drumming goes so much deeper that what's on the surface.
 
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Hey,

In my humble opinion, musical drumming is about playing for the song and making your drum parts fit the music best you can.

I'm no expert, but I highly recommend the drumming of Gavin Harisson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Benny Greb and Dave Grohl for some great examples of musical drum parts.

Hope that helps, ol' boy! :)

Rob
 
Drumming is a massive responsibility. You "Drive" the band. If you push to hard, in the wrong place, the band will follow. The dynamics of the band are up to you. Most of the audience can put up with one of the band being off during a gig, most wont even notice, but if the drummer is off everyone will feel it.

Be proud, if a gig feels great it's usually down to the drummer. Not necessarily "being great" but playing for the song and keeping the band dynamics right.
 
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