Drummers Inc

Why don’t people change? Because they don’t want to!
We can do many things, but we can’t make people change, and that is my biggest frustration at the moment.
You can tell me the world’s best stories, and make it sound so noble and that you are really making an effort, but what you don’t realize is that WE ALL SEE that you don’t change.

Victor wooten says in his book: “The music Lesson” if you can master a technique in 2 days when you sit for 8 hours a day, why do most people take a lifetime and never nail it? That is so true, and so lame at the same time. Why all the big talk, and the right words in the mix and acting all like you are part of that world, when once again WE ALL SEE you haven’t changed.

My biggest frustration with bands is that people seem content with getting up on a stage, and smacking themselves in the face with a plank, that seems fine to them, showing not just their band mates they don’t care to improve, but also the audience. And when I am involved, my name also gets connected to that event, and that is unacceptable!
If you want to destroy your own name, go ahead, but don’t be so selfish to take us with you!

Become the change you dream about! Or quit!

Most people have this crazy idea that when they pick a new exercise, no matter how tough or how easy, they always stop and carry on once they can do it.
Pick you worst nightmare independence exercise, how long did you go at it. Did you move on to the next one the moment you could do it?

That my friends are not the exercise, see most people stop before they actually did the exercise. The exercise is playing it hassle free, for weeks, not moving on once you can do it, the exercise wasn’t to be able to play it, the exercise was playing it for long periods of time. The time it takes you to be able to play it doesn’t count.

Be aware of this the next time you feel like moving on.

I often get the same question..how to set up a routine, and the simplest answer is that, it doesn’t realy matter what you do, as long as you do it consistenly for a couple of weeks. You will only start seeing results after a week or so, and then it will boom.
I approach it like a gym program, mondays chest and biceps, tuesday back and triceps etc.. so mondays I would do all my regular warm ups and rudiments, then some foot work and some grooves, tuesday I would do the warm ups again with the rudiments, but then maybe independence, and so on.
After some years I came to realize that I can only expect the desired results after some weeks, so I try to stick to the same routine for some months before I make changes.

I get a lot of questions on scoring drum notes, and what software is best.

I don’t know how many different applications are on the market today, but what I do know, is that Finale Notepad is free, although I use Sibelius 5, Finale is great for jotting down something in a hurry.
Sibelius takes more time getting to know, but once you got the hang of some shortcuts, you can get a couple of bars down in minutes.

Finale has some more advanced packages relatively cheap, but notepad will get the job done.

Many musicians don’t have substantial knowledge about the other instruments around them.
How does a rugby team become a good “TEAM”? My belief is that when every player has an exact understanding about his position/role in the team, and then also a substantial knowledge of the other role player supporting him.
The same I believe goes for musical intruments and musicians. When I understand what the main role of the Bass guitar and player is, it becomes easy to work with him, and not unconsciously working against him.

Unconscious incompetence is a leading factor in a song thet doesn’t work!
Get understanding, know what your “Team mates” purposes and rolls are as musicians.

I’ve learnt a trick a long time ago which can help everyone who wants to get a new drum kit, decide which one is best. When you have decided on the wood, color, sizes, and have narrowed it down to 2 or 3, go sit down and tune it. Tune every tom over and over, you’ll quickly see one popping out taking the lead, and that’s the one to choose. Tuning makes all the difference.

A Quick way out of being stuck, is to pick 1 linear exercise, do it for hours, expand on it, orchestrate it in as many ways as posiible, add some drags or kicks, and you’ll soon have some new tricks which will open some new doors. Don’t give up after one or two days, keep doing the same exercise for a week or 3. See how it goes..