I see this phrase again and again. I guess it’s not entirely wrong, maybe, but taken the wrong way, as things always are today, it results in some wrong thinking. Here’s what a random jive […]
Very occasional quote of the day: trust and magic
Experienced drummers have found that they’ve got a feeling inside them that they’ll follow through with. You’ve got to follow those feelings and trust yourself. If it’s wrong— and there isn’t any wrong, I don’t […]
Rudimental Reed: two methods
A whole lot of snare drum happening right now. Here are two pretty basic things to do with Syncopation on the practice pad, first with short rolls on the short notes and paradiddles on the […]
The vital flailing stage
This video might bother some people— there’s nothing horrible in it, it’s just the drums, not played well, by an enthusiastic young beginner: I’m always fascinated by people who have no idea of how to […]
Dahlgren & Fine – the sane way
UPDATE: I included an example practice sequence. And, having actually practiced it this way: it is the way. Yes. Do this. A little writing experiment, here is the shortest possible summary of the harmonic coordination […]
Lightning round: answers from Reddit
Present on Reddit lately, and finding, as social media goes, it’s not too bad. The regular drumming forums now seem to be about a dozen old guys without a lot of actual interest in music, […]
Chaffee stickings revisited
Gary Chaffee’s Patterns series of books was a thrilling discovery to me as a student— a new, very modern system of stuff, that fit my ideas of what I wanted to be doing at the […]
Switching leads
Quickly sketching an idea to be developed at the drums here. We do a lot with right hand lead type stickings here— the right hand playing a mixed rhythm, accented, with the left hand filling […]
CYMBALISTIC: Four budget cymbals
UPDATE: All right, John Candy has sold to one lucky guy. The special is going until the end of the month— or until some saavy individuals snap them all up— so get on the friends […]
The one true path to knowledge
I am referring to, of course, the autopsy. Obviously. This fascinating by which I mean abominable study has been brought to my attention, scientifically examining the “micro timing” of Charlie Watts’s drumming in the context […]
Paradiddlea
One of my stupidly-named rudiment variations from 2011 here, without the original superfluous hyphen. In this spelling it might entice some people to say para-DID-lee-ah, of which I approve. It’s a five note paradiddle, RLRRL. […]
Artists I have loved
Let’s write about some art I like, for a change. It’s easier to just tear some richly-deserving creep a new one than it is to do justice writing about something you love. I’ve spent a […]