Sacrificing concepts during practice.

Lots of “sticking” advice here but short on footwork. Don’t forget to tie in your basic foot groove patterns which makes for more interdependence and syncopation possibilities with your “handiwork.” You get to figure out the diff between playing 1-3 vs. 2-4, especially when ghosting notes or ending fills etc..

Hiya mrfingers.......yeah, I'm totally hearing you about that.

Frank Briggs had a drumeo lesson a while ago which had some great ideas for building a vocabulary.

He had this simple, amazing, useable and practical PDF download which I am now using.

I use the cybal rhythms while doing a simple single parradiddle between my right and left foot.

It really opens up the left foot.....and it's a lot harder than what I thought.

I also do linear stuff incorporating the feet into certain patterns.
 
Brentcn..........you have given me some real food for thought.

I'm a very lucky chap to be able to get advice from people on this wonderful forum.

Just a few things though

1) I am in a gigging band currently. I've played to some enormous crowds. But I think you are right about one thing. I need to get into a VARIETY of bands that play different styles.

2) I currently work out of the book of Groove Essentials and use the play along tracks. I'm on the Jazz section of the book and I refer to the poster to get the initial groove sorted, then I use the book and the play-along tracks to consolidate my learning.

3) I've just bought Todd Bishop's 13 Essential Sticking which has some fantastic rudiments and accents.

You have given me some real good advice.

Thank you to everyone.

Kindest regards Ben.

I’ve found over the years that whenever my mind is wandering in practice or I’m vague and noodling on random stuff and need to refocus, it’s always best to go back to using whatever music I’m playing to structure a practice routine.

For instance, if there’s a big band tune that I find tricky, I’ll base the majority of my routine around that one tune. If it’s, I don’t know, a samba tune for instance I’ll have a warm up with some basic stickings, subdivisions and functional rudiments over different samba foot patterns. Then some samba groove ideas that work on my samba coordination, time and feel in that style that will obviously fit with the tune and make it as hip and groovy in that style as possible, and work in different sections for a different vibe. Set ups/fills and sight reading exercises from the chart...essentially, using that one tune and functional practice ideas to work on making my playing as free, open and comfortable as possible in all facets for that tune and style. There’s a lot of very practical ideas that translates directly into playing better music and still goes over all the areas we need to push our playing.

I find this translates over to other things as well. General coordination, control, dynamics, reading, feel, time...all get worked on in the context of whatever music I need to be doing. I’ll often spend extra time, if I’ve got it, to open up some new doors and really stretch my playing over that tune once the main playing stuff is down. Soloing, working on much harder ideas for fills or time patterns, expanding those ideas to fit in with other similar tunes and get new ideas.

It’s about functional practice essentially, which is easy to overlook I think.
 
Back
Top