Scott
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« on: June 10, 2003, 12:24 PM » |
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What are you currently working on in your playing? Feel free to share something in particular that you are working on or even your current practice routine. Also, if you're working with any study materials (i.e. books, videos, other literature and instruction materials, etc.), feel free to list those as well.
The goal is to get insight into other Café members' playing/practicing in order to gain ideas and playing inspiration of your own.
I'm currently working out of the following texts (with an instructor):
- Wilcoxon's 'All American Drummer'
- Reed's Syncopation: currently the focus is on keeping a samba or songo ostinato with the feet while reading the rhythms on the snare line and applying them different ways with the hands and on different drums, etc. Also working on jazz independence by playing a jazz ride cymbal pattern and 2 &4 on the high hat while reading the syncopated rhythms and interpreting them as: (quarter notes and tied 8th notes played on bass drum, non-tied 8th notes played on snare with left hand)
- Houghton's 'Essential Styles' books 1 and 2: currently working on broken swing and various latin styles
- Thigpen's 'The Sound of Brushes'
I'm also working on my groove/feel by playing to a drum machine/metronome at various tempos. I do mostly rock gigs these days and am really working on strengthening my feel and time.
How about you guys?
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Gaddabout
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« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2003, 12:57 PM » |
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I'm working on dynamics. I want to play at pianissimo whatever I play at forte. I want more distinction between accents and grace notes, for example. To me, this is like practicing diction and drama for people who do a lot of public speaking. I want people to understand what I'm trying to say behind the drums.
No books, just a lot of experimentation with grips and techniques already in my toolbox.
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Odd meter isn't broken. It doesn't need to be fixed. - David Crigger
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Jon E
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This just in.....
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« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2003, 01:08 PM » |
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I'm mainly working on getting my rudimental chops back in to shape. They have taken a giant dump in the past few years. Especailly my left (weak) hand.
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psycht
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« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2003, 01:37 PM » |
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I'm mainly working on getting my rudimental chops back in to shape. They have taken a giant dump in the past few years. Especailly my left (weak) hand.
/|\ / | \ | I'm with this guy.  |
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563
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drum + hand
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« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2003, 02:23 PM » |
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my bass foot. always, and not often enough  no books, mostly trying to interpret hand drum riffs on kit. |
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Making bad art. Saying stupid things. Implimenting my master plan to be forgotten when I'm gone and forgettable while I'm here. The Luna MothmeTableland |
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MrDrums
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« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2003, 02:24 PM » |
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For the last couple of months I've been working mostly on my right foot technique. That's been my main focus, but I've also started last week working on my (unexistent) finger technique. I consider myself a "wrist-player", it's the way that feels more comfortable to me, but I think I've reached a point where I can't go much faster using wrists so it's time to study different approaches.
I've also been practicing some flam rudiments off of Michael Lauren's "Rudiments and Variations for Drummers", after attending one of his workshops!
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RelientKngOdrums
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« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2003, 02:47 PM » |
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Currectly, I'm working on my double bass chops on my homemade double bass drum pad.
Also, I'm working on my hand technique, both traditional, and matched. I'm adopting the mouler stroke in both my traditional and matched.
Finally, I've gone back to the basics of timing (which isn't really the basics). I'm playing along with a bunch of play-a-long CD's that give me 4, 8, and 16 bar breaks in the middle of a bass riff where I have to keep perfect tempo until the bass player comes back in. Tricky stuff, but i'm getting used to it.
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Poopypants
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« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2003, 02:56 PM » |
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I'm working at not working, or better yet, not thinking and just trying to be in the moment, which is impossible to attain while telling yourself "don't think." SeewhatI'msayin'?
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stevedabiker
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« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2003, 12:14 AM » |
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Currectly, I'm working on my double bass chops on my homemade double bass drum pad. How did you make the pad? I was thinking of making one of my own. Thanks in Advanced |
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Nick
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“It’s because you touch yourself at night... ”
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« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2003, 12:30 AM » |
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‘This week I had been mostly- In true fast show style (how many Americans will get that I wonder…) working on ghosts notes, bass drum dynamics and my ever continuing battle to achieve better tonal variation and dynamic control on my cymbals… N |
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Carn
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« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2003, 12:34 AM » |
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mouler stroke in both my traditional and matched.
Finally, I've gone back to the basics of timing (which isn't really the basics). I'm playing along with a bunch of play-a-long CD's that give me 4, 8, and 16 bar breaks in the middle of a bass riff where I have to keep perfect tempo until the bass player comes back in. Tricky stuff, but i'm getting used to it.
Moeller  What are those play-a-long cds? I still need to get my hands on some of those |
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TP
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« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2003, 09:01 AM » |
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These books are currently on my music stand:
Stone, G. L. "Accents and Rebounds"
Finn, Larry. "Beyond the Backbeat"
Morgenstein, Rod. "Drumset Warmups"
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hippie
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« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2003, 02:49 PM » |
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Currently working some latin stuff (mainly sambas right now) and also working out of Hippie's Daily Excercises. That's a great book, I'd recommend you all check it out, it has some top-secret excercises that you will ever see unless they use this book. Wait a minute.... I have the only copy because it's my book. MUAHAHA!!!! I will become the greatest drummer in the world because only I have a copy of this book!  |
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nudrum
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A man and his cymbalta
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« Reply #13 on: June 12, 2003, 03:06 PM » |
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Stick Control, trying to play the exercises as 5 eighths per bass drum beat e.g. rlrrl rllrl rrlrl lrlrr lrllr lrrlr etc, with the hihat with foot in between.
Future Sounds David Garbaldi, tough going!
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Enjoying a resurgence in jazz gigs.
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wombar
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« Reply #14 on: June 12, 2003, 03:12 PM » |
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I'm working on a few things right now. 1. Having just watched the Horacio Hernandez at MD 96' tape, I'm working getting a lot more independance in all of my limbs. To this end I've been working on doing a standard swing rhythm with my right while doing crotchet triplets with my left, while at the same time my left foot is coming down on 2 & 4. Still gotta get my right foot in there but it's coming. 2. My odd time signature playing isn't really up to par so I've been working out of "Drummers Guide to Odd meters". There's some nice ideas in this one. 3. I've made a deal with myself that if I can get my double bassing up to scratch then I'll buy myself a nice new DW 5002 or IC at the end of the month. So to that end I've actually started to use my double bass, just jamming with it really, nothing too formal. Of course there's a million and one other things that I've got on my "List". I think the secret is making sure that each exercise you do works as many areas as possible. Anyway that's a few of the bits and bobs that I'm working on at the moment. |
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stumpy-p
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« Reply #15 on: June 13, 2003, 01:00 PM » |
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I'm working on playing a Cascara on the ride cymbal (right hand) over a samba with the bd and hh. My goal is to be able to play accents on other surfaces (snare mostly) with my left hand.
So far I can play it well at slower tempos. Time to kick it up! Wooooo!
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tainteddrummer
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« Reply #16 on: June 14, 2003, 01:23 PM » |
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i am working on
1 progressive independance:rock by Ron Spagnardi very awesome book... my independance tripled .. i'm on the pg 125 now... i should be done with it in a few weeks
2 double bass drumming by joe franco.. just started this book.. but really not that hard
3 stick control, george stone .. this book is HELL
the 1st page of exercises is easy... i'm stuck on the 4th? exercise on the second page (not sure if it's the 4th 1 or not)..
4 workin on a neil peart type solo
5 ostinados/polyrythms
6 .. odd time (by attempting to play along to rush and dream theater songs)
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Scheming Demon
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« Reply #17 on: June 14, 2003, 04:38 PM » |
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Almost a year ago I became a student of Joe Stronsick. It has re-invigorated my playing and opened up many doors. It has given me something to strive for and made for intense practice sessions because I now have specific goals and can see measurable improvement.
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nudrum
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A man and his cymbalta
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« Reply #18 on: June 16, 2003, 01:52 PM » |
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i am working on
3 stick control, george stone .. this book is HELL
the 1st page of exercises is easy... i'm stuck on the 4th? exercise on the second page (not sure if it's the 4th 1 or not)..
Hey, You just convinced me to turn the page on my Stick Control! Cool Stuff over there, like the other side of my pillow . Put that over a samba beat (bass drum and hihat) with one hand on the ride cymbal and the other on the snare playing rim taps! |
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Enjoying a resurgence in jazz gigs.
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Carn
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« Reply #19 on: June 16, 2003, 02:09 PM » |
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Put that over a samba beat (bass drum and hihat) with one hand on the ride cymbal and the other on the snare playing rim taps!
hehe, thats always a good one to put under practically every snare exercise Im currently working on the Moeller book, and still fine tuning solos from Rick Lathams' Advanced Funk Studies |
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