The Paradiddler

The Thing About the Neighbors

Omar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:09:25 +0000

"Rock-a-Bye Bear" by MGM

Since I love drums so much, I inevitably find instances, experiences in life that parallel, or even in the remotest sense, have something in common with drumming. The experiences may not only be related to the actual playing of the drums themselves, but also to the environments in which we play them. An experience early on in life may have an effect on our playing today.

When I was very young, my father used to work the night shift. This obviously meant that he had to sleep during the day. Unfortunately for him, he had four sons who always had the potential of making some noise: TV too loud, creaky floor, unintentional door-slamming, book dropping to the floor, etc. Unfortunately for us, he was a very light sleeper. And he was cranky. One peep out of us, one wood creaking of the floor, and all of a sudden you'd hear some screaming from the master bedroom, "Who's there? Who's there! Come here! Come here!" That caused all of us kids to get paranoid by even the slightest sound when he was sleeping.

On one occasion, I was headed for my bedroom to go to sleep, tip-toeing all the way. Right before I entered my room, the wood floor creaked just a little. I froze. All of a sudden I heard the screaming from my Dad's room, "Who's there? Who's that? Come here!" I rushed to my bed and pulled over the covers. My Dad actually got up and came to our room to see if he could tell who 'intentionally' roused him from his needed slumber, but I made as if I was fast asleep. He went away, and I dodged a bullet (or actually, his authoritative backhand).

Today, my brothers and I joke about that, and we crack up laughing when we mock how our father freaked out when he lost a minute of sleep (it's ok though, our father knows we kid about it; we even do in front of him now, and he just laughs ). It reminds me of one of the funniest cartoons ever, a classic called "Rock-a-Bye Bear" by MGM. It's about a bear (apparently a hibernating one) who hires a dog to make sure everything's quiet while he sleeps. Of course, he's yelling all of the instructions to the dog ("I hate NOISE! Can't stand NOISE!"), yells goodnight as he's stomping away, and slams the door behind him. In a little soft voice, the hired dog says, "Goodnight," only to have the bear come back screaming at the dog, "SHUT UP! QUIET! I SAID QUIET! What's the matter? You DEAF or somethin'?" Hm, reminds me a little of my Dad!

Well that episode in our lives left me and my brothers somewhat traumatized. We laugh about it now, but if anyone is sleeping in the house we're in, be it our own or visiting, even if it's a baby, we hear a noise and we freeze. It's almost comical, but we just can't be at ease, ever, if someone's asleep in the house.

But since we love music, what is the instrument of choice for someone who 'can't stand noise'? The drums, of course! How comically tragic. What's a drum lover to do?

This 'traumatization' has affected me to this day, and it's taking a lot of effort on my part to overcome it. I'm still working on it. Take, for instance, my first drum cover I posted on YouTube, "Crawl Away" by Tool. Now there were a few circumstances surrounding this cover. I was testing a camera, I was testing out the drum tuning, and I was playing the first full song on the newly acquired kit without ever having practiced it before. The synchronization of the audio with the video was not, well, in sync, and you can tell that I'm playing very tentatively. The latter could have been because I hadn't played the song before, or I had just started playing drums in earnest - finally (check my story to see what I mean). But the real reason I'll attribute my tentative playing to is what I call the 'neighbor syndrome'.

Ok, I'm pretty sure I didn't coin that phrase, but I'm applying it in this case to a drummer with neighbors, which I would say are most drummers (if you live in your own house with no neighbors close by, then you don't suffer from the 'neighbor syndrome', but keep reading anyway!). I cringe when I feel like I'm bothering someone with noise; it's just in my blood. I've tried very hard to overcome this, and I've made strides.

Just for comparison's sake, check out the latest drum cover that I recorded, Van Halen's "Girl Gone Bad". You can tell that I'm playing much more forcefully, beating those drums and slamming those cymbals. You'd figure that for a song like "Crawl Away" I'd play with at least as much force, being that Tool is at least a hard rock band. But I had not gotten over the 'neighbor syndrome' yet. Even for "Girl Gone Bad", I could've played it even harder, but by then I had gotten over most of my 'neighbor syndrome'. How did I do this?

For starters, I still don't want to bother the neighbors! So I always ensured that I never played after dark. My usual cutoff was 5:00 or 6:00pm at the latest. This enabled me to respect the right of my neighbors to have peace and quiet.

Next, I took the initiative and spoke with my neighbors and let them know what I was up to. I let them know that I played drums and recorded myself, and that I would be posting these recordings online. One neighbor actually said that she now lived next door to a celebrity! Flattering, yes - I'll take that compliment! I let them know when I would be playing (generally, not specifically). You never know if you have a neighbor who works the graveyard shift, and you don't want to intrude on their rest. Letting your neighbors know beforehand when you would be playing gives them warning so they know what to expect, and they'll more likely respect that you took the initiative.

Yet another step you can take for dealing with the 'neighbor syndrome' is to take measures to soundproof your playing room as much as possible. Where you play could influence what type of soundproofing material you use, or if you need sound absorption vs. sound blocking. Some may use corrugated foam or fiberglass rigid boards for soundproofing, but this isn't always the best solution. Audimute, whose slogan is "We Make Soundproofing Simple", has many solutions specifically tailored for drum rooms, garage bands, professional studios, and more. For example, their Absorption Sheets are, well, sheets, made of sound-absorbing materials that you can hang on the walls. They have videos with testimonials and customer profiles with applications that may give you ideas as to how you could soundproof your playing room. You can also call them at 866-505-MUTE (6883) for more specific inquiries. Of course, Audimute isn't the only company that sells this type of product, but they're a great place to start.*

Yet another option we have to combat the 'neighbor syndrome' is to have muting pads, or silencers. These can be placed on the drum heads depending on their size, and even on the cymbals. An example of this is Vic Firth's Drum Mutes. More ideal for practicing than for performance, these mute the sound of your drums (and cymbals!) so you don't drive your neighbors and family members nuts while you practice your rudiments. And unless they give you a totally unexpected sound that you like, take them off for the show!

If all else fails, you can always get electronic drums. This is the ultimate in silence: just plug in the headphones and you're good to go. They are very flexible as far as play-alongs and playing to and recording to songs and sequences. You can also program the pads to almost any sound you want, if you really want to put on a show. But these may sacrifice the feel of an acoustic kit, and for those that refuse to give in to 'the dark side', you may, if you can afford it, just incorporate the electronic triggers to your acoustic kit.

Of course, you may not care about the neighbors, you don't have 'neighbor syndrome', and you're just going to bang away to a Slipknot or Metallica cover no matter what anyone says. In that case, then maybe the above is not for you! But your life (and your neighbor's) won't be easy. But you can have your cake and eat it too. If you follow some of the suggestions herein, you and those near you will even enjoy your playing, and maybe even become fans! If you have more suggestions on how to deal with 'neighbor syndrome', by all means, they are welcome!

Oh, you didn't think I wouldn't include the "Rock-a-Bye Bear" cartoon, did you? Well here it is. It's so funny I still quote it to this day, that's how funny it is. Enjoy!

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*For a fantastic source of information on soundproofing subjects, go to SoundProofingPlus.com

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Enter the Skins, Revisited

Omar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:38:59 +0000

About a year ago, I embarked on a journey that I didn't know where it would lead.

In one of the first articles on TheParadiddler.com, "Enter the Skins", I entertained the notion that I was on a quest (well, it was more than a notion) to find me a drum set. I mentioned that at one point in my life, I had a drum set, but it was short-lived since my father grew tired of them very quickly (for the more extended version of the story, click here). I vowed someday to have a new set.

Well, many years later, I was finally in a position to buy me a kit. I did mention that I was on a strict budget, so I endeavored to find what I liked within my price range. There were a few directions I could have taken here. One, I could just buy a whole kit from a local music store. The plus there is that I could just buy it, take it home, put it together, and start playing. Also, if I had questions about the kit, I wouldn't feel so bad asking them anything about it, since I bought it there. On the minus side, usually this is not the cheapest route. Also, if you're new to playing, you may find that the kit doesn't sound like it did in the store, and you may need to invest in some education that will allow you set up the drums properly, tune them, and oh yeah: play them (something like Mike Michalkow's "Drumming System")! You may also find that those cymbals that came with the kit really don't sound very good, and you may end up buying cymbals of a different brand or quality anyway. More money spent that maybe could have been avoided.

Or you could order your kit online. You may be able to get a kit cheaper online than at the local store. You can look at the same kit and compare between different vendors, and even within different models within the same brand. The downer to this is that if you order drums, and you change your mind, it might be a pain to ship back because of their size. I know many people order drums this way, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. But imagine that the bass drum arrives damaged, or it's the wrong color, or whatever the case may be - shipping that bad boy back would be a pain in the... well, back.

There is another route you could go as well: you could buy you kit piece by piece. You would make a list of the things you want in your kit, and you would keep your eyes open for any opportunity that comes along. Your list might look like the following:

5pc kit (the shells)
ride cymbal
crash cymbal
hi-hats
bass pedal
hi-hat stand
two cymbal stands
throne
drumsticks

The above list constitutes a basic 5pc kit. You've hence listed exactly what you want, and now you look for deals regarding each piece of the kit separately. I believe that this is the buying option to pursue if you want to spend the least amount of money for good quality equipment (best bang for the buck, as they say). In fact, making a list and buying the kit piece by piece is how I bought my kit, and I'm very happy with it! There's really only one piece of my kit that I'm not crazy about, but it definitely was not a deal-breaker (you'll have to read "To Crash-Ride or Not to Crash-Ride" to figure that one out!).

To buy a kit in the aforementioned way, however, requires something that seems to be more and more scarce these days. It's patience. If you want the best deal on the equipment you really want, you might have to wait for a good deal to come up. This is especially true if you know what brands you want right off the bat. For example, as far as the drums went, I wanted a brand that my favorite artists either currently play or played in the past. This had some advantages, the main one being that I already liked the sound of those drums, and two, a recognized brand more likely will have better support (this applies to most industries and markets, by the way). Any of the following brands would work for me: DW, Tama, Ludwig, Yamaha, and Sonor. Same story with the cymbals: Zildjian, Sabian, Meinl, or Paiste. These are not all-inclusive lists by any means, but it would ensure that I would focus on obtaining very good quality drums, while keeping my eyes open for a great deal.

There are also several sources where you could search for and purchase your equipment, such as:

Again, the above is not an all-inclusive list. But it's good to have options, because the more you have, the better the deals you can find. Let's also not forget private sales, which are usually found in the aforementioned Craig's List, local newspaper listings, and the like. Great deals can be found here, but you have to have a plan. You have to know what your limits are (financially speaking), what you're looking for; this will ensure you get the best price, for the gear that you prefer, and for the most part, you won't have to settle.

In the end, I got some great deals. You can see a complete description of my kit in this video. (It's one of my older videos, but it does the job!) On the kit in the video, I saved over 40% off buying from various sources, instead of just from one. I saved over 65% off the retail cost! On one of the items on my kit, I saved over 50% off of normal online prices, and over 70% off of retail - and it was brand new, not used! I think that's pretty significant, considering how tight budgets are these days. As far as the Arts go, many times it is the first cut in a budget. What to do with all these budding drummers?

I think it's important to have hobbies, distractions, activities to entertain the mind. It's very refreshing to do something you love to do (after doing the things you have to do). It gives you energy to get back and get done things that need doing. Maybe if the items we wanted were just a little cheaper, we just might take the plunge (for ourselves or for our children).

Well I'm here to help! I'm working on a publication, a how-to, if you will, on how to obtain the equipment we want, at the price we want. Many times we just want the newest, but the newest doesn't always mean the best value. Sometimes we want the cheapest in price, but that doesn't always mean a good deal. I will try to dispel the difficulties in buying the equipment we want, and show how to get them for a great price. Some of the topics that will be covered will be:

The key to finding great deals
How to pick what brands to buy
Purchasing methods, and pros and cons of each
Detailed, step by step examples that you can follow on how to buy equipment at great prices
and more!

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything there is to know about saving money buying drums, but I will show you exactly how I did it, so you can copy me. Most of what you'll learn can also apply to buying anything, not just drums. If any of you have experiences you want to share as far as how you got a great deal and think others may benefit, please e-mail me at omar@theparadiddler.com. I may include it in the publication and give you full credit if I do!

Ultimately, my goal is to show the readers how they can save huge amounts of cash on the equipment they want. We may have put the purchase of our drumming equipment on hold due to the economy, but with potentially so much to save, we might just be able to make that purchase after all! You don't always have to settle; there are many, many deals out there to be had. You just need to have the right tools and know where and how to look. So stay tuned to The Paradiddler! If you know of others that my benefit from this information, by all means, steer them to this article, sign up for the free newsletter, and be on the lookout for news of when the publication is to come out. Till then, have fun with what you have!

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DVD Review – Mike Michalkow’s “Drumming System”

Omar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:36:13 +0000

In deciding how we want to learn our instrument of choice, we are faced with mainly two options. One, we can take lessons from a live person, one on one. One major advantage to this method is that you get instant feedback. Whatever wrong you're doing, it can be corrected right away. Bad habits can be nipped at the bud; good habits can be engrained in our subconscious early on. A disadvantage is price. If we're talking, say, $35.00 per ½ hr per week, that adds up to a little over $150.00 per month, or $1,820.00 per year! That's just an estimate. Some charge less, some charge more. It also doesn't mean that you'd be taking lessons forever. But it does add up.

And two, you could buy instructional media, be it books, CDs, or videos. Although previously I reviewed an excellent book, "Stick Technique" by Jim McCarthy, we'll limit our discussion to videos this time, specifically DVDs. One advantage to the DVD training method is that you always have it - at anytime you want a lesson, just pop it in the player, and there you go! There are several DVDs geared to all sorts of drumming levels, from absolute beginner to intermediate, and even for those advanced drummers who just want to touch up on technique. Yet another advantage is price. Say you buy an instructional DVD for $49.95. If that's all you want, you pay nothing else! If you wanted to be fully self-taught, there are many instructional DVDs out there, and you could pick and choose which ones you want. It most likely won't add up to $1,820.00! The biggest disadvantage to instructional DVDs is the advantage a live person has - immediate feedback. You can't get that from a DVD, but you most certainly will get that from your teacher!

For many, taking lessons from a teacher might be cost prohibitive. I myself have been searching for an instructional DVD that would be all-encompassing, from drum setup, to how to practice properly, to teaching specific hand and foot techniques, drum rudiment instruction, etc. This might be too much to ask from this type of instruction, but I believe I've found what many have been looking for. It is Railroad Media's "Drumming System", by Mike Michalkow.

Now when it says "Drumming System", that's exactly what it is. This is not just a few drum lessons strung together and put on a DVD. It's a step-by-step manual geared to help anyone start playing drums. It's somewhat of an encyclopedia of drum lessons, organized by topic. You get 20 DVDs, 15 audio CDs, and 5 workbooks. Many topics are covered, including:

How to practice efficiently
Drum theory and notation
Hand techniques
Foot techniques
Dynamic Drumming
How to build speed
Drum setup and tuning
and many more

The above list is very helpful especially for newbies, just starting off. Some topics that some more advanced users might appreciate are:

Live gig and studio drumming
Drum soloing

Of course, more advanced users will also benefit from another's point of view on dynamic drumming, hand and foot techniques, and how to build speed. But for the most part these drummers will already have a set way of doing things that is comfortable to them.

One thing I like about this system (among other things!) is that you can pick and choose what you want to start with. An absolute beginner might start at the first CD and just go straight through. Others (like myself) may have specific things they want to work on or get more information on, and start there. In my case, I was more interested in topics such as how to practice efficiently, hand and foot techniques, drum theory and notation, dynamic drumming, and drum setup and tuning. There's a DVD dedicated to all those subjects by themselves. And although you have a DVD dedicated to drum rudiments, I decided to watch that later rather than sooner.

In addition to the fundamentals, some of the DVDs are dedicated to specific genres of drumming. These DVDs teach about the following:

Heavy rock
Mixed rock
Grove rock
Jazz & Latin

Within those DVDs there are subsections. For example, the Groove Rock DVD teaches Blues, Funk, Reggae, and Shuffles. And within those sections, you have an introduction, and beginner, intermediate, and advanced sections. Some sections are more specific, such as the Shuffles, which are divided into the Half-Time, Jump, Texas, Purdie, and Kansas shuffles.

As I was perusing throughout the 'system' ('cause there's a lot to peruse!), I found that possibly the most useful DVD of the bunch is number 4: "Hand Techniques". Even though it's important to keep a beat with the bass drum, and we keep the hi-hat closed most of the time, it's mostly about the hands, right? What's the proper way to hold the sticks? Should I learn traditional or matched grip? How can I develop 'finger speed'? All of those issues are addressed on this DVD. I don't think we can get enough of this type of instruction. This is the foundation of drumming, along with the rudiments and drum notation. Although you could get away with not knowing rudiments and drum notation and still play well, getting the grip wrong might be painful in the long run. Mike goes into a fair amount of detail as to the proper holding of the sticks, how to determine the fulcrum, and the like. Very well done here.

The System also includes three DVDs of play-along songs. This is just to get you playing! I don't think it matters if you play them well or not, so as long as you have fun playing them. They're a way for you to practice what you're learning in the context of a song. In addition, there are 15 audio CDs that include the play-alongs with and without the metronome, and a CD just with metronome click tracks.

Workbook five of the System includes what's called the "Practice Generator". It's used in conjunction with the second DVD that talks about practicing efficiently. It is a guide on what to practice, depending on how much time each day you have for practicing. It's divided into three schedules:

Casual Practice Schedule (20 minutes)
Motivated Practice Schedule (40 minutes)
Dedicated Practice Schedule (60 minutes)

Now, the above are just names. You might only have 20 minutes a day, be motivated, and practice with dedication every single day. Those are just the names for the time schedules they came up with. Call them what you like!

I do have a few gripes about this System, though. The first DVD, which is called "How to Play Drums by Ear", might be misnamed. Mike doesn't talk very much about how to play drums by ear, but more about very general, basic stuff, like how he got started, drum grips, drum positioning, simple drum beats, and the like. It should be called "Getting Started", "Getting Started on Drums", "A Primer to the Drumming System", etc. This is all fine; that's what the first DVD (out of 20!) should talk about, but it could have been named more specifically.

Also, the camera angle changes when Mike was speaking drove me nuts. It may have been more bearable if Mike spoke a little faster. But between camera angle switches, he took too long to get started on what he was going to say next. It made his explanations sound too scripted at times, instead of sounding naturally. I'm not talking about the multiple angles while he was playing. This was done exceptionally well. Many examples he gave included multiple angles of his hands, his feet, the whole kit - all when necessary.

Some may question the value of an instructional DVD because mostly you're either watching or playing the drums, not both. Although not a novel idea, the simple solution is to have a TV and DVD player (with remote control) in your line of site, in front of the drums. If either the TV or the player have a headphone jack, you can connect your headphones there which will make following along with the exercises more practical. You can get extension cords for the headphones depending how far you're kit is from the TV. This suggestion will allow the student to get more of an immediate result from the DVDs.

I like the fact that as you watch Mike teach, he may expose things in your playing that you may not have noticed before. Some of your weaknesses may be exposed, or you may become privy to a habit (a bad one, usually) that you were not aware of, and now you're able to correct it. If you're a shy one, the only one who'll know will be you! I felt like Mike was genuinely interested in your playing, never talking down to you. Even though, obviously, this product was made to make a profit, I think it was done tactfully, not in your face, and there is a sincere interest in helping the student.

Sometimes we need another point of view, or a different type or style of instruction, to make us better players. Sometimes it takes an objective observer to look at our playing and show us where we can improve. It may not be someone better than us necessarily. It can be a peer, or even someone of lesser experience, but since we may not see it, it will help. Steve Smith and Neil Peart are great examples of this. Both of them sought the help of Freddie Gruber to look at their playing and show them where they could improve. Was Freddie necessarily a better player than either of them? Not really. But did he help them? Immeasurably!

Ok, I'm not saying that Mike Mikalchow is at the level of a Freddie Gruber (I'm sure he'd admit that readily!). All I'm saying is that there's value in different methods of teaching, that anyone who views these DVDs will find something they can use. In my opinion, this 'drumming system' is best suited for absolute beginners to intermediate drummers. For the former, it's a solid foundation to build on, which teaches the very basics, with the advantage that you have a library of topics to choose from, be it what you want to focus on, or just what interests you more. For the latter, it allows you to build on what you know and actually will make you an even better drummer. You will learn new drumming styles and how to execute them, and they may be easier for you since you have the basics down.

Does the course cover everything for you to be a better drummer? No. But then no course does. It is impossible for one course to cover everything a drummer needs as far as education goes. Even within the Drumming System course, at times Mike makes reference to other courses that talk more specifically about the topic at hand. For example, when talking about hand technique, he references another DVD he produced called "Moeller Method Secrets" that further discusses how to increase hand speed. Is it his own product? Yes. But he's already created a video that addresses this specific topic, so why not mention it?

Obviously, he's not the only one who talks about stick control and technique. I recommend Jim McCarthy's "Stick Technique" (referenced above) as an excellent book for learning how to better control the drumsticks for better all-around drumming. This book goes into much greater detail on this one topic than does the Drumming System. So it's good to have several educational sources and see what works best for you.

If you take the Drumming System for what it is, it is a great product. It's a complete drumming system for a complete beginner to play drums at a respectable level, with practical practice suggestions that will allow them to grow in their art. It is also for the intermediate player who can have a reference to go by, brush up on current skills, and learn new styles of play with plenty of examples. In my opinion, it's not so much for the advanced drummer except for grasping new ideas from a peer. But that's never a bad thing, so even the advanced drummer can benefit.

The regular price for the "Drumming System" is $397.00, which, compared to a year of lessons, might be a bargain, but still a steep price for some. You do get a lot for your money, however. And payment plans are available as well. If you're considering, for yourself or a gift to an aspiring drummer, a teaching system that can provide a solid foundation and years of fun drumming, this just might be the place to start. A strong eight out of ten paradiddles for Mike Michalkow's "Drumming System"!

For even more information on this product, and purchasing pricing and options, click here. Interesting? Then pass it along!

DVD Review – Drum Gear Buyers Guide

Omar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:13:50 +0000

In this edition of The Paradiddler we're going to review a drumming resource published by Railroad Media. It's the DVD titled "Drum Gear Buyers Guide", and it's hosted by Mike Michalkow & Dean "Schroeder" Reimer. It's purpose is to give practical tips on what to look for when buying drum gear, specifically drums and accessories, drumsticks, drum heads, and cymbals.

In my article "Brute Force Learning", I mentioned that one of the instructional tools I'm using to better myself as a drummer is "The Drumming System" by Mike Michalkow. I will be reviewing that course sometime in the future, but suffice it to say that it is a plethora of drumming knowledge, not easily digested quickly. It is also produced by Railroad Media, just as this DVD we'll be discussing here. I'm starting to grow great respect for Railroad Media, since from what I've seen, they produce high-quality content, easy to understand, and reasonably priced. This DVD is no exception.

A little bit about the speakers of this presentation. Mike Michalkow is a world reknown drum instructor from the Vancouver area (that's Canada, eh?). He has several instructional DVDs under his belt, such as "Moeller Method Secrets", "Jazz Drumming System", and the above-referenced "Drumming System". He is also a huge Rush fan, which, as you may know, is very fine by me! Dean "Schroeder" Reimer is the 'gear specialist' at the Long & McQuade music store in Langley, British Columbia. As you'll see, Dean knows his stuff.

The video is more of a conversational piece between the two, where Mike basically walks into the store and starts blasting away questions, with Dean fielding them with aplomb. The subjects touched upon are questions that some of us may have wanted to ask, but not know quite how to ask them. The topics covered include:

Drums & Accessories
Drumsticks
Drum Heads
Cymbals

The subject matter is not so much price, but tips on what to look for when buying these items, so we don't go into the buying process blindly. For example, the guys recommend not buying the cheapest brand of drums. This is due to the fact that they may not be built to a high enough standard to prevent early breakage, or if part of the kit needs to be replaced, it may be difficult due to the lack of market presence of the brand. One of the brands recommended was the Forum line from Pearl. Pearl is a great brand of drums to start off with, with great support. It may be more expensive (a little) than the cheapest brand, but oh so worth it! Very valuable advice.

Mike and Dean go on to talk about drumsticks, which even to me is a slightly confusing topic, since, well, there are so many brands and so many sizes! Dean goes on to explain the similarities between the same size among the different brands. Mike boils it down to, basically, what feels right in your hands. There are extremes, of course, and they mention small sticks that are used primarily in Latin playing, all the way to the other extreme of big and beefy size sticks which are made to pulverize your drum heads (well, they're to play heavy rock, but that's the price to pay for loudness!).

The drum heads section is very educational, and there's no way I'm going into all the detail here ('cause this is just a teaser!). Dean explains the differences between the different thicknesses of the heads, between brands and within the brands themselves. The brands focused on were Remo and Evans, which are the more popular brands. It's amazing the variations within the brands and the uses for each head, be it for snares, toms, bass drums, batter side, resonant side - sheesh! They guys break it down nicely, and it serves as a very good reference for purchasing decisions.

The last section focuses on the cymbals, and there are a lot of factors that determine the quality and sound they produce. The main factors as discussed by Dean are the thinness (or thickness) of the cymbal, and if the cymbal is cut from a sheet, or cast individually. Different types of cymbals are sampled, such as crashes, rides, splashes, chinas, whether the cymbals are hammered or not, lathing, etc. This might be the most educational portion of the DVD, even though every section is worth reviewing.

There are many tidbits in the DVD that come up in conversation that we may not have known about. One of the more important ones, aside from the accessories mentioned, is that it would be a good idea to actually befriend some of the folks at the local music store (if there's one nearby) and ask questions - that's what they're there for! Play some of the equipment, test out those ride cymbals, see what sounds good to you. Also, you can use your favorite drummers as a guide. Find out what brands they use, and since you like them already, you can inquire about equipment specifically in those lines, and start from there. You already like their sound, so why not go from there?

Armed with this information, you are better equipped to make sound decisions as far as what equipment to buy. What the DVD doesn't delve into is how to get the best price for equipment you decide to buy. Although the local music store is a great place to get information and buy great gear, it may not always be the best price. I'll be addressing that issue specifically soon, so stay tuned to that.

At $27.00, I believe this DVD is a great value. It is a great resource to have in our libraries to help us make better purchasing decisions. A strong seven out of ten paradiddles!

For more information on the DVD, and to purchase, click here.

Interesting? Then pass it along!

Brute Force Learning

Omar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:02:55 +0000

Those of us who are X-Men fans may recall a particular scene in "The Last Stand" where there was a competition of opposites. On the one, you had Shadowcat. She had the mutant ability to phase or move through solid objects. Very graceful in execution, seamless. On the other, you had Juggernaut. He had the mutant ability of super-human strength and invulnerability, in addition to possessing a helmet which protected him from psychic attacks. Pure brute strength. Although opposite, they at one point had a single goal: to reach Leech, the mutant that could neutralize any mutant's ability that got near him. This was the mutant who's DNA was used for the 'mutant cure.' In any case, one mutant wanted to reach him to destroy him, the other to protect him.

Their methods to reach Leech were polar opposites. While Shadowcat whisked through the walls, leaving nary a trace of her passage, Juggernaut bulldozed his way through the walls, leaving ample traces of his passage! Eventually, both reached their destination. Shadowcat was first. She finessed her way through the walls, making the necessary adjustments to be able to reach Leech first. Juggernaut was just bumbling his way through, although he did eventually get there.

So how does the above relate to drumming? Yes, I know you were wondering! Some of us may have had an interest in drums, and at a young age (or even not so young) we had older ones who saw the advantage of providing structured lessons for us. With someone monitoring our progress directly, they could see whatever bad habits we may have been developing, and corrected them on the spot. They could also steer us towards proper technique, practice routines, and the like. If we continued with this structured learning, it would be possible to learn to play with some type of, well, finesse. Some of the nuances that our mentors mastered would be passed on to us. They would possibly even teach us to read sheet music, so potentially we could play a song after maybe hearing it once, then looking at the sheet music, and then pretty much know how to play it based on the music as it is written. Shadowcat.

And then there's another group of drummers (we'll keep this at the amateur level for both examples) who either never took lessons, or started later in their lives to hit the skins (or both!). They may have been a fan of the instrument and of certain people who played them, and watched them in awe. It's possible that they were very into air drumming (see "The Emergence of Air Drumming"). Eventually, they get a drum set of their own. With all these favorite songs in their head, they start playing, and discover that, well, drumming is hard! The pro drummers, many times, either took some type of formal lessons, or went to a musical college, or the like. So they play with finesse. But this amateur may think he (or she) knows how to play, but they discover they don't know more than they do know. But they have a good idea how to play, so they try out some songs. After playing a few times, it doesn't sound bad at all! They get through the songs, beginning to end, and maybe even with good timing. It may not be totally pretty, but the job gets done. Juggernaut.

In both cases, the drummers can play the songs (the goal). But they get there via different methods. Neither one is bad; it just depends what you want to do with what you know. If you want to be worldly famous, you may want to take the route of the Shadowcat-type drummer, because that type of drummer will know better how to play certain styles, even heavy rock if necessary. The Juggernaut-type drummer may also play the same music, but they may take longer to get there. And on the way (and even when they arrive), it may not look pretty. But they get it done.

I've been scrutinizing my style of playing lately, and I've come to the realization that my style is more Juggernaut-like. I learned to play via a term I call brute force learning. Without taking any lessons, I grabbed a kit and started playing away, without any concern for reading music, rudiment knowledge, etc. Don't get me wrong: drumming is downright fun ('even if it sounds bad')! I could get to the end of songs, but only because I know what it sounds like. I may miss a few nuances, but I'll get there, and it can turn out to be a pretty good performance, if I do say so myself! But ultimately, I'm missing the nuances of Shadowcat.

We'll continue to use myself as an example. If you take a look at my YouTube channel, you'll notice several types of videos that I've produced over time. There are some promotional videos, how-to's (i.e. 'Rudiments In Action'), and drum covers.^* You're encouraged to watch them all if you like, but for the moment we'll focus on the drum covers. My first drum cover was "Crawl Away", by Tool. It's my favorite Tool song, and I had heard it several times already. I was testing out a video camera I was considering purchasing, so I decided, without practicing, to play to the song. I had never played it before, but I had heard it enough times that I thought I could play it. Plus, I had finally put my kit together, and I wanted to test it out! All in all, not bad for a first time playing a song through to the end. I was also testing the headphones, of which I determined quite hastily that I needed drummer-quality headphones (I got the Vic Firth headphones which you see in subsequent videos; they are excellent).⁺

Anyways, I was very rough around the edges. It was proof that air-drumming is not enough to play good drums - you actually have to play them to get any good! I was aware of that, of course, but this video session was what I needed to start growing as a drummer. It exposed my weaknesses, and showed me what I had to work on. It was invaluable in that sense, and I encourage anyone who has the equipment to record yourselves playing with a video camera. That way you can watch yourself play and notice what you do wrong (and right!), and turn around and just listen as well; sometimes the eyes can deceive you.

Fast-forward to my latest drum cover, "Girl Gone Bad" by Van Halen (well, after you've seen the other ones!), and there's noticeable improvement. I'm hitting the drums a little harder, I'm playing with more authority, I'm better aware of the placement of each piece of my kit - it just looks like I'm playing with more confidence. Of that I am proud, because it does show that if you play enough, you'll come around! I'm constantly trying to develop an ear for music, because I like the satisfaction of knowing that I can play a song just by hearing it a few times. But all of these videos have taught me something - I need more.

Way back when, I wrote an article called "Rudimentary, My Dear", where I talked about the importance of the drum rudiments. These drumming sessions have made me realize that I need to take a step back and start focusing on the vocabulary of drumming, the rudiments. Sure, I could play any song if I hear it enough times, and I'd be playing rudiments without even knowing it. But it's more satisfying if you know the language, the 'vocabulary', so to speak. So I've taken a somewhat drastic measure and broke down my kit (as in 'I took it apart'). The only thing I have set up currently is the practice pad on the snare stand. I want to scrutinize every aspect of my playing and how I can better it. I'll be examining my posture, how I relax, my stick technique - really fundamental stuff. Then, when I've done this for a little while, I'll start putting the kit back together little by little, at each step ensuring that I only progress, and not regress.

This move is not unprecedented. Many professional drummers, after many years of playing a certain way, take a step back and examine their style and see how they can improve. One noticeable example is Neil Peart, who after the Counterparts tour in the mid '90's determined that he took his style of play as far as he could take it, and basically re-invented himself, with the assistance of Freddie Gruber (you can read more about this in the article "Neil Peart Solo Number Two - Counterparts, 1994"). Even as recently as within this past year, Neil, under the tutelage of Peter Erskine, only played his hi-hat for a couple of months to work on his hi-hat technique. Steve Smith went through similar changes (although not as drastic, methinks). Take a look at the kit he used in the 80's vs. now - very different, but I think now he's a much better drummer.

Now am I putting myself on the same level as these drumming greats? Heck yes! Ahem, I mean, no. I'm just saying that sometimes you may need to take a step back and determine what it is you need to work on, and focus on it. Taking my kit apart was the only way I was going to focus on my fundamental play. Does this mean that if the situation comes up where my kit is needed that I won't put it together? No! Maybe I'll come to the conclusion that I really can play that song that I thought I couldn't play before, and I'll set it up again and play it (and record it!). But it just won't be the focus for now.

I'm using a couple of instructional materials to aid me in my 'rudimental discovery' section of my training. "Stick Technique", by Jim McCarthy, is an excellent book that covers the essentials of gripping your sticks properly, effective practicing methods, etc. You can read my review of the book - I highly recommend it. Another tool I'm using is Mike Michalkow's "Drumming System". This is a DVD/CD collection that is chock-full of tips and guidelines for better drumming, from hand and foot exercises and practice schedules, to sheet music lessons and learning different styles of beats, from jazz to rock to Latin. An absolute plethora of information that I'm still combing through. I'll be writing a full review in the near future, so watch for it (for a review of the "Drumming System", click here).

Till now, my method of learning (and playing, actually) has been by brute force. I bulldozed my way through the songs. I may have not known exactly how the drummer played the original, but dang it, I'm getting to the end! Even if I had to knock down some walls. Does it work? Yes. Is it pretty? Not always. But maybe I'm the only one who's noticing. The crowd may still love it! But in the end, I neither want to be Shadowcat nor Juggernaut. My goal? Easy: I want to be Wolverine.
________
^*One of my drum covers, "Future Times/Rejoice" by Yes, is not on YouTube due copyright issues with YouTube. You can read about it (and view it) via this link.

⁺For more on this experience, check out "Education of The Paradiddler"

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Book Review – “Stick Technique” by Jim McCarthy

Omar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:49:49 +0000

Welcome to another edition of The Paradiddler. Today we'll review a most excellent product that will assist drummers with their drumming technique. It is "Stick Technique", by Jim McCarthy.

What is it that we want, fundamentally, as drummers? That differs from drummer to drummer, as we each have different goals we want to reach. Some of us want to play in a band and play cover songs. Others might want to go all the way and write their own songs and maybe make it big someday. Still others are content with just playing for themselves, playing covers and what not, for the challenge of nailing the song. In any of these scenarios, we want to play as best as possible. We want to look (and feel!) like we know what we're doing. We want to feel comfortable 'in the pocket', have nice groove, and not feel forced. We want our movements to be fluid, and to be able to easily reach any of the pieces of our kit.

To achieve this, we look for ways to improve ourselves through education. Many of us take drum lessons with a teacher. In addition to this (or instead of this), some may also look to DVDs, books, CDs, and the like, that teach specific techniques. We may find that our hands are not as fast as we'd like them to be. Or maybe we want to better our double-bass skills. Whatever the case, we want to learn more and get better.

In my case, I have a lot to learn all around! If you've read my story, you saw that I'm a self-taught drummer. Most of what I know was from air drumming. Of course, that can only take you so far. And that 'so far' is where I found myself. My hand speed was dismal. I had difficulty moving around the kit fluidly. I was never sure about throne height (something I'm still trying to figure out). So I decided to try and search for some instruction, a program, that could help me improve.

Among all the things I knew I needed to improve, I decided to focus on my hands. That seems like the obvious place to start; after all, we're drummers, right? It's mostly about the hands, isn't it? Surprisingly, not everyone feels that way. Many will take up the sticks and just start banging away, regardless of technique. Many newbies want to start double-bassing like Thomas Lang right off the bat. But I knew that if I wanted to be fast and fluid, I had to develop good hand technique first.

So I started scouring the Internet. This in itself is a daunting task. I didn't want to obtain a program focusing on drum rudiments, because, even if I learned them, would my 'stick technique' be correct? I wanted to go all the way back to basics, even as far back as how to hold the sticks properly, be it traditional or matched grip. After much searching, I came across Jim McCarthy's "Stick Technique" ebook. And I have to say, I am very impressed.

First a little bit about Jim McCarthy. He's been teaching drumming and stick technique to students of all ages for about 20 years. He was awarded a Master's degree in music performance from the University of Adelaide in 1996. What's interesting about his approach is that he not only explains in copious detail the proper way to hold the sticks (the 'how'), he also explains the why. This is very important, because later on in his career he chose to switch from traditional to matched grip, explaining that this is the better grip overall. He goes on to explain the physiological reasons why it makes more sense to emphasize learning matched grip for greater control. But don't let the 'physiological' scare you - Jim's writing style is very easy to follow.

The foundation of Jim's book is basically that if you hold and control your sticks correctly, the rest will follow. The 'technique' that Jim is emphasizing is the actual control of the sticks. Basically, if you get this down, you can make the sticks do whatever you want. And folks, that's what it's all about!

Many of us may take for granted how we hold the sticks, and how much a profound effect this has on our overall drumming. Jim goes on to explain aspects of the fulcrum, and helps determine where on the stick the optimum fulcrum point is. The gist of it is that you want to hold the stick at the spot where it will rebound most easily, thereby resulting in less effort on your part to play the drum. He goes on to explain how to determine the optimum fulcrum point using either traditional or matched grip. As I found out, I had no idea how to determine the optimum fulcrum point - now it's very clear.

Another aspect of optimum stick technique is your position behind the drums. Positioning your snare when standing (or sitting behind your kit) too high or too low can drastically affect your ability to efficiently manipulate your sticks. Jim goes on to explain how to determine what is the best position for optimum and efficient movement around the kit.

There is a very important section of the book which goes on to explain the merits of emphasizing matched grip over traditional grip. In my article "Traditional vs. Matched Grip - The Paradiddler's Take" I explained the history of the grips and why in the end the matched grip is more effective overall. Jim takes it a step further and goes on to explain in convincing fashion not only why matched grip is more effective overall, but also gives logical and physiological reasons why it's better! One excellent rationale given is that, and I quote:

"A drummer spends so much time working on making the hands sound even. Surely it has to be easier to make both hands sound the same, if they are both doing the same thing!"

The logic is undeniable. Conversely then, if your hands are holding the sticks totally differently, it is unlikely they can be developed the same way, hence more difficult to make them play evenly.

The author goes on to explain a very unique form of practicing that will greatly improve your control and dynamic range on the kit. It has to do with four particular types of strokes that incorporate the natural rebound of the stick and the pivot points in your arms that create the strokes, namely your fingers, wrists, and elbows. Combining these strokes comprises the exercises Jim explains will enable better stick control and be able to more efficiently and fluidly traverse the drums on your kit. This is the cornerstone of the course and practicing these exercises will bring about the desired improvement in stick control.

Mr. McCarthy also shows how to incorporate these practice routines in different combinations to apply them to the drum rudiments, which as we know, are the vocabulary of a drummer. The more 'vocabulary' you know, the more you can 'speak' drums, per se. And learning and mastering these sticking techniques is like working on drum 'diction' - the pronunciation of that vocabulary.

Another section of the course I liked is 'The Drum Kit' section. Here Jim goes into detail regarding the optimum setup of your kit for maximum speed and control. The positioning of the drums, and your position behind the kit, are intertwined as far as your efficiency around the kit goes. Not only is the positioning of the arms, linear vs. independence, and sticking patterns discussed in relation to the kit, but foot techniques are discussed as well. He goes into very useful detail regarding bass pedals and hi-hat positioning.

And for those of you who already have good stick technique (or plan to have it someday!), there's a section dedicated to maximizing sound and showmanship. Playing near the edge, rimshots, rimclicks, playing stick on stick, and the like are discussed in detail. The Moose Call is also discussed (you'll just have to buy the course to know what that's all about!). Visual effects are also discussed in great detail such as:

Twirling
Spinning
"Windscreen Wiper"
The "Flip" and "Toss"
The "Flip-Across" and "Toss-Across"
and much more

The author also goes on to mention hints on effective practicing routines and practicing and preparing for a performance. It's not just about practicing - you want to show off! If your goal is to play for show, these tips will help you. As far as practice goes, Jim stresses strongly that it's all about quality, not quantity. If you try to play fast just for the sake of playing fast, it most likely will sound very choppy. The focus is to practice slowly, mastering the techniques at the slower speed. Once perfected, speed it up! This will ensure smoother rolls, and greater speed around the kit.

Included with the course is a free critique from Jim McCarthy himself! After practicing the techniques he teaches, when you feel like you've done as much as you can but still think you could do better, you can send him a video of your playing, and he'll let you know where you can improve. That right there can very much justify the price of admission! He also includes four videos explaining some of the techniques he teaches in the course, especially the 'cornerstone' practice strokes.

If I had to pick a negative about the course, I would prefer that the author include some more videos about some of the concepts he teaches. I would like to see him demonstrate some of the more specific concepts he describes in greater detail. I think also the video quality of the included videos can be improved a little to make them look more professionally done. One video I would really like to see is of Jim playing a drum solo, with multiple camera angles, showcasing how his method for stick technique has made him the chops master that he is. This would give even more credibility to an already credible course. However, the book does have many pictures and illustrations to help with the explanations, which definitely is a plus.

But the above are really minor issues. There's so much more included in the course that I could not possibly go over all of it here. I hope this is enough to wet your appetite to go ahead and purchase the course, because I highly recommend it. At $37.00, I believe it's a steal for the wealth of information included in its 106 pages. Jim not only gives you the how of his technique, but the why, in great detail. It shows that he knows what he's talking about, with how much he himself has studied the subject, coupled with the many years he's spent teaching it.

I personally have benefited from the information contained in the course. It has made me go back and analyze how I view the kit in relation to my body, and to pay strict attention to the details of how I hold the stick. I have a ways to go yet before I'm flying all over my kit. I'm an eternal student, as many of us are. Sometimes we don't know the way. But now I have a path, a direction, to better stick control, and hence to better drumming, that I can follow. I give "Stick Technique" by Jim McCarthy eight out of ten paradiddles . Highly recommended!

To go to Jim McCarthy's web page for more details and to purchase, click here.

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Girl Gone Bad by Van Halen, Drum Cover

Omar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:51:21 +0000

The Paradiddler coming at you with another drum cover! This time, it's "Girl Gone Bad" from Van Halen's 1984.

This is my favorite Van Halen song. In fact, I believe this is Alex Van Halen's best recording. Although he was always one of the most powerful drummers around, I don't think his drumming stood out sound-wise from Van Halen's debut album all the way to Diver Down. HOWEVER, what a difference an album makes! It seems like Alex re-invented himself for the 1984 album. The drums were way more pronounced and up front; and those bass drums! What power. Those Ludwigs never sounded so good!

There are some things going on in this song that, at my developmental stage, I can't quite reproduce yet. For example, the triplet ride pattern he plays at the beginning and after the band jams halfway through the song, was just too much for my forearm to take. So I compensated by changing the pattern to two singles plus a triple ride pattern. 'The bar remains the same', so to speak, so I think it works out ok. I think it's a pretty creative alternative, actually (as I pat myself on the back)! Also, at the end of the song when everybody's jamming out, Alex alternates his left foot between the hi-hat and the left bass pedal. I stayed clear of that (for now) because it would just throw me off. But with all the cymbal noise, I think I could get away with it .

Van Halen is in my top five favorite bands of all time (hmm, I smell another article in my near future!). And Alex Van Halen is definitely one of my favorite drummers. I am very glad I could play some semblance of this song, because it just rocks!

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“Exquisite Torture”

Omar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:05:18 +0000

Do you remember the first time you were absolutely blown away by the ability of a drummer? Maybe you were a wee little lad (like me) who saw Peter Criss' monstrous kit (at least to me it was) and watched how seemingly gracefully he handled the whole thing. Or maybe you heard a song for the first time on the radio who's drumming sounded just amazing, really fast hands, great technique, who made you beg the question, "Who the heck was that?!" Or maybe you watched Buddy Rich vs. Animal on "The Muppet Show", and after picking your jaw up off the floor you exclaimed, "No way! How can anyone be better than Animal?" (Ok, this was also me ).

Of course, this type of experience is not limited to drums. My alter-ego favorite instrument, the piano (no I can't play it - yet) has on several occasions made me just watch in awe as the keyboardist painted a most wondrous story. Rick Wakeman is my favorite keyboardist, as he not only has just 'sick' chops, but as I hear his playing I not only see (or hear) his technical ability, but I also hear how he crafts and phrases the notes and chords, and how he interplays between the different keyboards - an absolute master.

We can go on and on! We may have read story after story about how, when seeing certain guitarists for the first time, the observer immediately wanted to play the instrument. Seeing or hearing Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eddie Van Halen, among others, influenced entire generations of artists with their wizardry of the strings.

So we see our favorite drummer, or keyboardist, or guitarist, and what do we do? We air-play, of course! We want to imitate our favorite musician. Next, if we're so fortunate, our parents afford us our instruments of choice (or we work for it, which is even sweeter). So we go about learning to play, either via lessons from someone else, or self-teaching ourselves with CDs, DVDs, or other self-instruction media. We're so excited as we embark on our journey towards becoming 'monsters' of our instruments, just like our 'idols'.

Well what happens? For many of us, we never achieve Neil Peart or Eddie Van Halen status. Some lose interest, and others, because of more pressing obligations, stop lessons entirely. Still others, if their goal was to play in a band and become rich and famous, are for the most part disillusioned with the competition and the cruel reality that the music industry can be. Some of these, still for the love of the music, end up playing in local bands ("not that there's anything wrong with that!"), hoping maybe one day to be discovered.

During all of this time, we may go back and revisit our first jaw-dropping experience. We may even have been fortunate enough to see these players live. We may also have picked up on other favorites, and tried to learn their style of play. Alas, but we just can't do it! These players make it seem so easy, so fluid, so effortless. And after much effort ourselves, we come to the realization that we just can't play like these guys (or gals, i.e. Sheila E.)!

But all in all, these scenarios aren't necessarily bad. We may delight in the virtuosity of our favorite players, and be content with that. I've discovered a wonderful phrase that captures the essence of our amazement of these players: 'exquisite torture'.

I'd like to say that I came up with that phrase, but it was not I. It came from one of the special features on the DVD "Nights In Rodanthe", a fantastic movie adapted from the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. Some of us may know of Mr. Sparks' penchant for writing stories of romantic tragedies (i.e. "A Walk to Remember", "The Notebook", etc.). Drumming aside, this is a movie that should be watched with a loved one, so you can appreciate what you have while you have it, because you never know when that special someone won't be there anymore. I haven't given anything away because Mr. Sparks' novels follow this theme for the most part.

In the movie, one of the main characters is actually the house where most of the movie takes place. It's a spectacularly beautiful house on the beach, a survivor of many natural disasters. In this house there is a particular room that has many mystical artifacts: statues, pictures, and the like. In one of the special features of the DVD, Diane Lane, who plays one of the main characters, states that her character goes to this room and sees all of these artifacts, and it reminds the character of something (or things) that are elusive to her, as if the things she wants to embrace are within reach, but she just can't quite reach them. To the character, it's like 'exquisite torture'. There is beauty, there is elegance, and she's always drawn there, knowing that these items represent to her things that are just beyond reach - 'exquisite torture'.

When she used that term, a light switch went off in my head. This is exactly what happens to us admirers of specially gifted players! We love what we see, we want to play like them, we practice long hours, but it's just quite not reachable. We cover our favorite drummer, or guitarist, but as many times as we play it, something's always just barely missing. We know the notes, we know the groove, but it's just not the same. But we keep watching! But we keep listening! Why? Because we're masochists! We'll watch these players over and over again, knowing we'll never play like that! Oh but we just love it anyway!

So really, 'exquisite torture' is more of a positive thing. Some of us actually attain a level of play that is very satisfying, and if we play in local bands and the crowd reacts in a positive way, that may be good enough for us. Many of us continue to wish we played like our favorites, but we're content with either just watching (or listening), or playing to a level that we're at peace with.

Of course, there's another extreme. In the article "The Emergence of Air Drumming", I wrote about those who may never even own a kit, but they sure feel like they can play! If you watch some of these air drummers, it looks like they would know what to do when placed behind a kit. But if they were to play for real, they'd soon realize they've been had! Let's just call that being tortured in an exquisite way, so to speak. I do believe air drumming is a good teaching tool, however.

But seriously, do we really need to play like our favorites to enjoy playing? Of course not! Everyone is different - we each have something to offer. We're all unique, and even though we may never achieve Thomas Lang or Mike Portnoy status, we'll sure have fun trying! 'Exquisite torture' - hmm, I think I can live with that!

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“Future Times/Rejoice” by Yes, Drum Cover

Omar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:44:38 +0000

Here's the latest drum cover from The Paradiddler: "Future Times/Rejoice" by Yes.

I haven't updated my 'Artists' page as of late, but one of the drummers I wanted to make sure made my initial list was Alan White. He's one of my favorite drummers, very unassuming, and to me, the best timekeeper in rock. At least earlier in his career, he played with so much power, but it was always controlled. I listen to such songs as "The Gates of Delirium" and "Sound Chaser", especially live, and I wonder how he had so much stamina. The guy was an animal - I love it!

I always thought that Tormato was one of Yes' most underrated LP's. It sounds somewhat unpolished, yet all members at the time (Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, and Alan White) were at such musical peaks during this period. There are some musical compositions so beautiful and complex that it might be the best 'prog rock' LP of all time, at least from a compositional aspect. Yes, I know others may disagree, maybe thinking that these guys were just way too self-indulgent, and as far as rock goes, this was way out to the side. To that I say: "Bravo for self-indulgence!" Songs like "Madrigal" and "Onward" have some of the most beautiful compositions in all of rock (if we could actually classify these songs as 'rock'). Some of the music on this LP (or CD) transcends rock - they are masterpieces of music.

Which brings me to "Future Times/Rejoice". This to me is a nightmare to master. There seem to be several time changes in the middle of a bar, and I'm very hard pressed to catch them even after several takes. At times I'm trying to count certain bars so I don't lose my place, and I almost lose it entirely a couple of times. But I held on, and I think, for the difficulty of this piece, although not perfect, I'm satisfied.

As I do more and more of these covers, I'm trying to vary the difficulty and style of song. My favorite band of all is Rush, and I could cover a bunch of their songs. But that route is too obvious (I will cover more of their songs, of course, but it has to be somewhat spectacular). Yes is my second favorite band, and I may do a couple more covers from them eventually. But I may venture into Spanish rock, heavy metal (nothing offensive though, I promise!), and even jazz. Gotta make it interesting!

Let me know what you think!
Interesting? Then pass it along!

The Emergence of Air Drumming

Omar — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:07:41 +0000

If we look around in the drumming landscape, we'll notice that air drumming is garnering a little bit of attention lately.

For example, the movie "Adventures of Power" glorifies wannabe drummers and shine the spotlight on the guilty pleasure of thinking we know what the real drummer is doing! Recently as well, DrumChannel.com hosted an air drumming contest with Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chickenfoot) where you could submit via video your air drumming prowess in hopes of winning a prize for the most views.

So what's the deal? Is air drumming for real? Are those who are pretty accurate in their renditions able to seamlessly transfer their skill to the drum kit? Transfer, yes! Seamlessly, well, no. But it's a great place to start.

Much can be said about the power of visualization. There have been studies conducted that have shown that if you visualize a specific task repeatedly, you are more likely to execute it successfully (notice I said more likely - I didn't say definitely; but visualization helps!).

Here's something you can try to test for yourself if you like (or you can take my word for it and not try it, but it works!). Now, this is an example - it could be any activity you want, but this is simple enough. Say you absolutely stink at shooting free throws (if you don't know what a free throw is, then you really stink! ). Or maybe you just want to shoot a higher percentage of them to impress others on the court.

As you go to sleep at night, picture yourself (that's a moving picture) shooting free throws. Don't picture yourself missing. Picture yourself making the shot every time. Remember yourself standing at the free throw line, you're bouncing the ball, you look up at the hoop. You figure out more or less how far the hoop is. You process that you have to toss the ball at a certain arc so that it's not shot like a bullet, so that it doesn't ram the front or back of the rim. You then bring the ball up, properly holding it, so you push up and forward at the arc required for the ball to travel the allotted distance, and then swoosh!

You can visualize layups, shooting from three-point range, whatever. But the point is you make a strong visualization of success. What happens after a while? You've visualized successful free throws so much in your head that when you actually get to the free throw line, you're better prepared! Will you make the shot every time? Of course not! Not even the pros can do that. But your likelihood of success will increase because you've familiarized yourself with the process.

Back to air drumming (finally!). What has the air drummer been doing all that time? They've visualized the drum set, where the hi-hat is, snare, bass drum, cymbals - the whole kit. They most likely have watched, at least in video, their favorite drummer, what the kit looks like, and how the drummer plays. What happens when you sit that air drummer behind a real kit?

Ok, they won't be as good as the original (obviously!), but at least they have a good frame of reference. Air drumming - actually, visualization - will have been a valuable tool in learning how to play. This does not negate the fact that, if you want to play well, you have to practice. Regular practice is what will make you a better player (or a better anything). Air drumming is just a tool you can use to improve your playing, especially since you may not always have access to the real thing. Of course, if all you want to do is air drum and nothing else, then by all means, just do that, and have fun!

In my case, for many years I did not have access to a kit. So my method of learning was almost exclusively air drumming. I did other things too, like watching videos of drummers (especially my favorite ones) when I could, observing them, then just copying them. I'd then, when I had drum sticks, just bang on pillows trying to see how fast I could drum roll. Yes, I did get access to a kit for a very short time when I was a teenager, and actually, I was pretty good right off the bat! I didn't have time to develop the real skills until later, though.

The hugest disadvantage of air drumming in regards to transferring your skills to the kit is that, obviously, you're not learning a sense of feel, or rebounding. You're just bouncing off the air. You're not really hitting that tom in exactly the same area every time. There's no way to practice dynamics with air drumming. That can only be learned when you're actually hitting something! This was (and is!) one of my biggest challenges as I now do have access to a kit. Dynamics are one of the tools that makes your drumming not only about timekeeping, but about being musical. You could say that, the shells and skins are the beat, the cymbals are the voice, but the dynamics are the music.

In any case, I'm a huge fan of air drumming (the jury's out on the "Adventures of Power" movie). It was one of the biggest tools of mine to learning how to play. In addition to watching instructional videos, going to concerts, listening to drummers, practicing rudiments, etc., air drumming can be one of the tools to use to help visualize what you will be doing at the real kit.

All that being said, air drumming can be just for goofing off! This article has more of a serious slant, extolling the virtues of air drumming and how it could be used as a practice tool. But it's loads of fun. What's more fun that air drumming a song from Rush, Van Halen, or Metallica? Maybe nothing! So air drum on, drumming fans! Don't let anyone take our fun away! And after our sister, Mom, Dad, or wife (or husband!) tells us how crazy we are, we just say "Yup, you're right - ridiculous! Who air drums? Please!", we close the door, and we just keep on air drumming!

Drum on.

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