Better With Music?

sapsec

Junior Member
Ok, I have a possibly stupid and silly question which will no doubt show my lack of playing prowess and experience. Do those of you learning to play and who haven't been playing for very long find that you play better with music on- playing to music or without it?

It seems to me that I play much better when jamming to my iPod and play the same damn thing over and over without. If I have music to listen to, I feel much more creative and advanced in my playing. Without it, everything seems to end up 1 2 3 and 4. Why is this?

And for those of you who have been playing for awhile, do you just wake up one day and "have" it, where you can play very well?

Thank you for your indulgence.
 
Music gives context and motivation to compliment it. One thing that can really help you sound better just playing alone is to imagine or hum a song while you play the groove. Even though only you can "hear" the song, those listening will appreciate the sense of structure and flow. That way it's not just a beat you're fooling with.
 
Thanks, great answers! Got irritated with my playing tonight and put the 1812 Overture on and played with that. Different.
 
Playing along to music is definitely more fun. Playing with other musicians is even more fun. Making music is what it's all about IMHO. Join a band mate....even a jam band just for fun. But there's nothing quite like creating something with others. It's also the fastest and most productive learning curve I know of. Lessons, books, lone practice and drills are all vital, but mixing it up with other musos is where the 'rubber meets the road'.

Got irritated with my playing tonight and put the 1812 Overture on and played with that. Different.

Here's some inspiration for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ioHnsdTVCg
 
And for those of you who have been playing for awhile, do you just wake up one day and "have" it, where you can play very well?

36 six years on and still waiting for that day :) I know I suck whenever I hear the playbacks I hear (almost) every damn sucky thing I did.

I'd said this before but we're like golfers in that search for perfection and we never, ever get there ... but it doesn't stop us trying. Like a dog chasing its tail, as we improve our standards increase. Our ears are always bit ahead of our limbs.

I think tempo is the most critical thing of all - finding the right tempo and maintaining it so it always feels right. Unless you have a click you have to do it yourself ... and while trying to rein in players who speed up with the minimum of disruption.

Get the tempo under control and the dynamics, sounds and arrangements tend to flow on from there.


But there's nothing quite like creating something with others. It's also the fastest and most productive learning curve I know of. Lessons, books, lone practice and drills are all vital, but mixing it up with other musos is where the 'rubber meets the road'.

And the rubber is tempo IMO. Playing with the iPod is fun but you always have the safety net of the recorded song and you can ride the pro band's beats to glory - but it's not real.

One of these days I'm going to work on Victor Wooten approach to developing good time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X1fhVLVF_4 instead of always playing along with the damn iPod :)
 
Playing along to music is definitely more fun. Playing with other musicians is even more fun. Making music is what it's all about IMHO. Join a band mate....even a jam band just for fun. But there's nothing quite like creating something with others. It's also the fastest and most productive learning curve I know of. Lessons, books, lone practice and drills are all vital, but mixing it up with other musos is where the 'rubber meets the road'.



Here's some inspiration for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ioHnsdTVCg

Now that was cool and if my wife weren't sleeping I would be terrorizing my drums! I really do love this forum and all the great people/advice on it. Yes, I would love to jam with some other people but want to work on my skills a little bit more first. I like playing to/with my iPod to work on my time keeping and for inspiration and to learn new techniques. I learn by studying and then doing so if I hear something in a track it's easy for me to quickly figure it out or realize it's something I want to learn.

I'm using Noteflight to compose drum tracks and then playing them on my drums. I'm finding my ear and music knowledge far exceed my physical and reading capabilities right now. Think I'll try the Victor Wooten approach tomorrow- looks good.
 
I never practice to music, that's not practice in my book. Playing to prerecorded music is like riding a bike with training wheels IMO. In my early years, I could play covers of some fairly complicated stuff, like Yes and a favorite band of mine, Kansas. All those hours spent doing covers meant nothing mind you, because when I started playing with live musicians, I was at square one. Had no concept of tempo, meter, and what was/was not appropriate.

I tell beginner drummers to play covers to learn how to get around a set, and get your "legs", but don't play to prerecorded music too long if you can help it. Play with live musicians just as soon as you can.

If you are just drumming for personal pleasure and aren't looking to be in a band then disregard what I said. Playing to recordings is a ton of fun for sure. But if you want to be in a band, you need to play with real live people ASAP.
 
I never practice to music, that's not practice in my book. Playing to prerecorded music is like riding a bike with training wheels IMO.
While I agree with you that playing with other people is the most important thing you can do, I have to disagree with the playing to whatever's on the iPod argument. I see as much benefit to playing along to prerecorded music as I do playing along with a click or sequencer.

When you're playing to mp3s (if that's your format), you don't need to stick to "the script" and can safely experiment with new fills and beats without fear of screwing anyone else up. Also, you can tell right away when you've fallen off the beat; as opposed to when you're playing with humans when you don't always get that feedback when you're rushing or dragging.
 
I never practice to music, that's not practice in my book. Playing to prerecorded music is like riding a bike with training wheels IMO. In my early years, I could play covers of some fairly complicated stuff, like Yes and a favorite band of mine, Kansas. All those hours spent doing covers meant nothing mind you, because when I started playing with live musicians, I was at square one. Had no concept of tempo, meter, and what was/was not appropriate.

I tell beginner drummers to play covers to learn how to get around a set, and get your "legs", but don't play to prerecorded music too long if you can help it. Play with live musicians just as soon as you can.

If you are just drumming for personal pleasure and aren't looking to be in a band then disregard what I said. Playing to recordings is a ton of fun for sure. But if you want to be in a band, you need to play with real live people ASAP.

I think often it's a bit misleading. Setting up a recording device in the room and then listening back can open eyes pretty quick. When you've got the recorded drummer backing you up, it gives a false sense of how awesome your playing is or is not.
 
Mike I hear you. I guess what I'm trying to say that if you can do covers that doesn't mean you can keep a band together. I also consider trying to learn a song better not tantamount to improving yourself, 2 different things, but that's just me. Both are pleasureable, but one is more work.
 
While I agree with you that playing with other people is the most important thing you can do, I have to disagree with the playing to whatever's on the iPod argument. I see as much benefit to playing along to prerecorded music as I do playing along with a click or sequencer.

When you're playing to mp3s (if that's your format), you don't need to stick to "the script" and can safely experiment with new fills and beats without fear of screwing anyone else up. Also, you can tell right away when you've fallen off the beat; as opposed to when you're playing with humans when you don't always get that feedback when you're rushing or dragging.

I agree with this. I think when trying to play musically jamming with a song is second to playing with actual people. It's hard to be musical when playing with a click track or playing excersizes out of a book. I have learn some things about feel by playing with tunes as well.
 
It's hard to be musical when playing with a click track or playing excersizes out of a book. I have learn some things about feel by playing with tunes as well.

I feel similarly. You're playing the right notes but it doesn't sound right and you have to work on the internal dynamics to get the groove sitting right.

I have the patience of a gnat and the maturity of a foetus ... so if I didn't play along with music I'd do very little practice, maybe none. Definitely better than nothing. I do think there's a headspace you can get into where you can play along as though it's a band without faking it.

The upshot? It's better than nuttin.

However, the Wootten exercises are great and I've had a go at it, playing songs in my head with one beat per bar. As he says, the idea is to minimise the click so the tempo is coming from within. A way to go yet before I get my tempo where I want it, but I'm getting there slowly.
 
Ok, I have a possibly stupid and silly question which will no doubt show my lack of playing prowess and experience. Do those of you learning to play and who haven't been playing for very long find that you play better with music on- playing to music or without it?

It seems to me that I play much better when jamming to my iPod and play the same damn thing over and over without. If I have music to listen to, I feel much more creative and advanced in my playing. Without it, everything seems to end up 1 2 3 and 4. Why is this?

And for those of you who have been playing for awhile, do you just wake up one day and "have" it, where you can play very well?

Thank you for your indulgence.

Very good post topic. I was just thinking about this the other day. I do think I play better when I am jamming to music. I don't know why it is.
 
I feel similarly. You're playing the right notes but it doesn't sound right and you have to work on the internal dynamics to get the groove sitting right.

I have the patience of a gnat and the maturity of a foetus ... so if I didn't play along with music I'd do very little practice, maybe none. Definitely better than nothing. I do think there's a headspace you can get into where you can play along as though it's a band without faking it.

The upshot? It's better than nuttin.

However, the Wootten exercises are great and I've had a go at it, playing songs in my head with one beat per bar. As he says, the idea is to minimise the click so the tempo is coming from within. A way to go yet before I get my tempo where I want it, but I'm getting there slowly.

Wait, what do you mean " one beat per bar"? Do you mean treating a quarter note click as 16th notes?
 
Wait, what do you mean " one beat per bar"? Do you mean treating a quarter note click as 16th notes?

Sorry, I wasn't clear - I meant one click per bar - a semibreve or whole note. Just fewer clicks, as per the Victor Wooten vid. It depends on the tempo and how slow your metronome goes (my one goes down to 40bpm).
 
Back
Top