Things you've not learned to do

moodman

Well-known Member
Brush playing, 59 years a drummer, and I have no brush chops other than traintime in Newgrass. Never had a gig that required it, turned down some that did (and paid well) rather than do it half As'd.
( I reviewed some vids, tried a few patterns and then saw Jeff Hamilton's concepts, saw what a rookie I was)
Same with hand percussion, sticks for me.
I worked on every combination of snare and kick figures against the spang-a-lang, love to listen to Jazz music.
Like the French I learned in high school and lost because I never actually spoke the language in the real world, I never really played Jazz (excepting dinner set 'fake' jazz like Satin Doll etc.) not speaking the language, I have no experience or authority.
Not putting myself, or any like me, down, I can kick some butt on the path I have followed.
Still, when I see a great brush player, as cool to watch as a dancer's movements, or listen to good Jazz, I just say "maybe in my next life"
 
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Playing double bass. In thirty-six years of drumming, I've never even sat down behind a double-bass setup. I have deep respect for double-bass players. It's just not a skill I've ever needed to foster. I've always been way too tied to my hi-hat to think about a second bass pedal. It would change my entire orientation behind a drum kit. I'm too set in my methods to dabble with it now.
 
I've never touched a brush for drumming. Never needed any. I don't feel like I'm missing anything, but than again can I miss something I've never done?

I've never learned correct trad grip. I can do it backwards, but why?

I've never learned to play in weirdo time signatures, like 11/4. I have no desire to delve that far into it. I'm sure if I wanted to I could, but I don't.
 
I've never touched a brush for drumming. Never needed any. I don't feel like I'm missing anything, but than again can I miss something I've never done?

I've never learned correct trad grip. I can do it backwards, but why?

I've never learned to play in weirdo time signatures, like 11/4. I have no desire to delve that far into it. I'm sure if I wanted to I could, but I don't.
This thread is turning into the weaknesses thread. If you're weak with something, then you should stay away from it - in a humorous perspective of course, since if we want to overcome something we must continue to try.

I think the OP was asking for things that apply to all drummers. Unless you're saying most drummers out there have a hard time playing brushes, which I would agree with. Hmmm

EDIT: I don't have a lot of brush experience, but I've convinced myself over the last year that brushes with a bossa nova tune tend to drive it forward better than sticks do. But again, that assessment was made before I started diving into the Brazilian jazz books, so.
 
Playing double bass. In thirty-six years of drumming, I've never even sat down behind a double-bass setup. I have deep respect for double-bass players. It's just not a skill I've ever needed to foster. I've always been way too tied to my hi-hat to think about a second bass pedal. It would change my entire orientation behind a drum kit. I'm too set in my methods to dabble with it now.
Yeah, me to, forgot about that. I can bounce a shuffle, do multiple 16ths but no dugga-dugga
 
Keeping time with the hi-hat pedal. It's on my must-learn list.
 
This thread is turning into the weaknesses thread. If you're weak with something, then you should stay away from it - in a humorous perspective of course, since if we want to overcome something we must continue to try.

I think the OP was asking for things that apply to all drummers. Unless you're saying most drummers out there have a hard time playing brushes, which I would agree with. Hmmm
I'm a 'specialist', you know, like doctors. The all-things-to-all-players drummers breathe 'rarified' air, good to know what you can and cannot do and do what you have a gift for.


(yes I know rarified air means low oxygen, technically, not my meaning)
 
Playing double bass. In thirty-six years of drumming, I've never even sat down behind a double-bass setup. I have deep respect for double-bass players. It's just not a skill I've ever needed to foster. I've always been way too tied to my hi-hat to think about a second bass pedal. It would change my entire orientation behind a drum kit. I'm too set in my methods to dabble with it now.


I've always been way too tied to my left bass drum. In music the first rule is there are no rules.
 
I'm a 'specialist', you know, like doctors. The all-things-to-all-players drummers breathe 'rarified' air, good to know what you can and cannot do and do what you have a gift for.


(yes I know rarified air means low oxygen, technically, not my meaning)

Never drop your hihat into the deep end of a swimming pool. That's a silly example, but then it led me to a real-world example of trying to lube a hihat pushrod - since you would need to do that once water got into the greased parts:

Never lube a hihat pushrod with cooking oil.

EDIT: I actually don't 100% recall what lubricant it was that I tried. Might have been mayonaise. But it didn't work a few days later. Ketchup? No...
 
Keeping time with the hi-hat pedal. It's on my must-learn list.

bud7h4, you've no idea what you've been missing, man. Get on it right away.

Really, I can't imagine not keeping time with my hi-hat pedal. A lot of what I do would crumble otherwise.
 
This thread is turning into the weaknesses thread. If you're weak with something, then you should stay away from it - in a humorous perspective of course, since if we want to overcome something we must continue to try.

I think the OP was asking for things that apply to all drummers. Unless you're saying most drummers out there have a hard time playing brushes, which I would agree with. Hmmm

EDIT: I don't have a lot of brush experience, but I've convinced myself over the last year that brushes with a bossa nova tune tend to drive it forward better than sticks do. But again, that assessment was made before I started diving into the Brazilian jazz books, so.
I was being literal, but now that you say this maybe so. Like things learned but never obtained. Train beat for me then, I'm still working on it. I can read with the slowest of them too. Definitely not good at it, but I have learned.
 
I'll bet you've played lots of obscure time signatures quite well without being conscious of them. Some are so awkward to count out that awareness is a waste of time. It's better to just let feel take over.

Can you please explain to people who teach today. What you just said.
 
Can you please explain to people who teach today. What you just said.
I've played lots of odd time signatures and wasn't aware of it. Some are so weird that counting them is pointless. Just play it by feel.
 
Can you please explain to people who teach today. What you just said.
It is good to know the rules, then you know better when to break them.
No rules? that should work til it doesn't.
Is your disdain for disciplined methods for acquiring technique born of you having better technique than those that follow those disciplines? Or, do you just find that you don't want to try.
 
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It is good to know the rules, then you know better when to break them.
No rules? that should work til it doesn't.

This is music not Law school. If you want to put your self in a box with all these rules. That should work til it doesn't.
 
I should have said, things you learned not to do
 
Oh my bad. This is not the "Things You Learned Not To Do" thread. Disregard my comments.
 
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