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Author Topic: Drumming Tips  (Read 15084 times)

Jimcando

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Drumming Tips
« on: 06 Oct 2005, 14:04 »

I've been learning the drums for a few months now and you all seem like people who might know their music, so I thought I might as well ask you for any drumming tips anyone might have?
Also, how the hell do I spin drumsticks on my hands?
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Thrillho

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #1 on: 06 Oct 2005, 16:02 »

Here's a tip - learn to play drums before you learn the stupid showmanship. As a drummer, you will be holding a band together, and it's more important to be able to play competently and keep perfect time than it is to spin a drumstick round your finger. If spinning the stick causes you to mess up your rhythm, everything screws up.
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Jarne

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #2 on: 06 Oct 2005, 17:31 »

Don't spin the drum in your hand. It looks stupid if you mess up and it looks stupid if you do it right. If you've got time to spin a drumstick during a song, your song obviously isn't hard enough.
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Radiowar

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #3 on: 06 Oct 2005, 18:49 »

I am one of 4 percussionists in my jazz class, except the only percussion the other 3 know is kit. Basically their idea of jazz is rock beats except with more ride cymbal and when they aren't doing that, they are spinning their sticks around wondering what the hell a "buzz roll" is.

Tips? Don't be them.

Ernest

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« Reply #4 on: 06 Oct 2005, 19:40 »

Keeping the beat is the absolute most important thing.  Screwing up as a drummer can cause the whole band to screw up.  BIG HINT: Don't do fills while performing unless you know what you're going to do and you're sure you can do it.  If you're a beginner, only stick to the most basic of fills or no fills at all.
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sjbrot

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #5 on: 06 Oct 2005, 21:23 »

Quote from: Jarne
Don't spin the drum in your hand.


Don't listen to them.

If you are able to spin the drum in your hand, by all means, do it.
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Drumming Tips
« Reply #6 on: 06 Oct 2005, 21:53 »

Quote from: sjbrot

Don't listen to them.

If you are able to spin the drum in your hand, by all means, do it.

But it's gotta be the bass drum...
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Quote from: Jimmy the Squid
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SpacemanSpiff

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #7 on: 07 Oct 2005, 04:36 »

Here's something: I've had drum lessons for 8 years or something now and I guess I'm not that bad and I still can't spin drumsticks. Stick control is extremely important, but spinning isn't part of good stick control as far as I'm concerned.
I say: Focus on the important things instead, like keeping time and playing precisely. Spinning the stick actually looks pretty stupid too, if you ask me. Learn some independency instead (or whatever the hell it's called when you play 4 different rhythms with each limb*), that's a lot more impressive.
If you want to show off, learn how to play a good rock rhythm using only one arm and use the spare arm to drink beer while playing. You have to make up for the rather easy hand parts with complicated foot work in order to show off properly though.

*= In German, it's called "Unabhängigkeit" which translates to independency. I'm guessing here.
Quote from: Radiowar
I am one of 4 percussionists in my jazz class, except the only percussion the other 3 know is kit. Basically their idea of jazz is rock beats except with more ride cymbal and when they aren't doing that, they are spinning their sticks around wondering what the hell a "buzz roll" is.

Tips? Don't be them.

Definitely.
Here's another thing: Drums are all about variety. Even if you would never play that music yourself, learn latin and jazz rhythms. Especially jazz stuff can be easily incorporated into rock things and it sounds good. It works with latin rhythms too of course, but it's harder.

I can't say that often enough though: Learn stick control, improve your drumming technique. This is what counts. Practice drum rolls until you can play them flawlessly at every speed and volume, practice easy rhythms and try to play them as precisely as possible, this kind of stuff. It's boring but it will eventually pay off.
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Jimcando

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #8 on: 07 Oct 2005, 08:49 »

Hey, thanks for all the tips!
I was never gonna start spinning the sticks in the middle of a song, I was just trying to do it at school today and couldn't :P
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Trollstormur

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #9 on: 07 Oct 2005, 11:47 »

check out some pen tricks websites for help with th' drumstick spinning, but I never learned how. I'm too busy training my legs to do 750bpm bass kicking.


But seriously, start off with a simple 4/4 time to gain competency, and go from there. Also get a pad a freaking practice your rolls.
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also israel

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #10 on: 07 Oct 2005, 12:07 »

Quote from: Trollstormur


But seriously, start off with a simple 4/4 time to gain competency, and go from there. Also get a pad a freaking practice your rolls.


Yeah. Also, learn how to tell the difference between time signatures. Learn how to feel a song out. And what I think to be the most important, play with a good amount of flexability. Don't hammer down a part so hard that it becomes difficult to do anything different from it. If you become a good flexable player, you'll be able to adapt quickly to any situation that may pop up, and it also helps you write your own parts faster.

And for christs sake, have fun, and play for the love of playing. I'm sick of seeing so many drummers take themselves so seriously that they forget to have fun, and it ends up hurting their playing.

As far as stick spins go, can't really help you. I'm a student of the "you're a drummer, they hear you, not see you," school of playing, so I never bother learning
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Patrick

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #11 on: 07 Oct 2005, 16:22 »

Listen to Led Zeppelin and aspire to be half the badass that John Bonham (rest his soul) was.
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Everest

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #12 on: 07 Oct 2005, 16:56 »

Don't give up!
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Patrick

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #13 on: 07 Oct 2005, 17:01 »

And shag lots of groupies! Shagging groupies makes all drummers better.
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Rizzo

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #14 on: 07 Oct 2005, 20:41 »

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Quote from: Jimmy the Squid
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Patrick

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« Reply #15 on: 08 Oct 2005, 07:06 »

Wot, wot's wrong with shaggin' groupies? You know you would if you had any groupies.
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Cpt.Fantastic

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Drumming Tips
« Reply #16 on: 08 Oct 2005, 08:21 »

What about crabs, and the other ones that I can't be arsed to spell?!?!
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Trollstormur

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« Reply #17 on: 08 Oct 2005, 23:01 »

rule #1: don't take no shit from no guitar fags. mo'fuckers who want to jam and then come over to my house and say "okay, I'm gonna give you a riff and you try to play to it."

DRUMS DON'T PLAY TO SHIT, SHIT PLAYS TO DRUMS!
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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #18 on: 13 Oct 2007, 11:19 »

rule #1: don't take no shit from no guitar fags. mo'fuckers who want to jam and then come over to my house and say "okay, I'm gonna give you a riff and you try to play to it."

DRUMS DON'T PLAY TO SHIT, SHIT PLAYS TO DRUMS!

I'm sorry for the necro-posting but I couldn't resist.

Fuck yes. Fuck yes indeed.
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muteKi

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #19 on: 13 Oct 2007, 11:39 »

I prefer more complex beats. Just playing loudly with bass on beats one and three and snare on two and four is what makes so much "hard rock" boring for me, when it's done at 80 bpm or something. Please, for the love of all things holy do SOMETHING to mix it up some of the time, if all the rest of the band is doing is just droning.

Alternately, for some more avant-garde songs, do something like DEVO and sound like a freaking machine in your precision of beats. It makes the whole thing that much more awesome.
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Ernest

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #20 on: 13 Oct 2007, 12:53 »

no, you're wrong

please be quiet
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Johnny C

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #21 on: 13 Oct 2007, 13:34 »

4/4 TIME IS THE KING OF ALL BEATS
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Patrick

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #22 on: 13 Oct 2007, 14:13 »

This thread's revival should have never been brought about, as it reminds everybody how much of an asshat I was two years ago, and probably how much of an asshat I still am.

Although, today was the first time I've *actually played drums* in 2 years. I haven't forgotten to do that John Bonham "lol dubbel bass on a single pedal" thing with my right foot, but my diddles are shit and my general playing is a lot more childish than it used to be.

I think this means I really should consider investing in a kit. Pearl Export 5 piece, Zildjian cymbal set, and an extra floor tom, anyone? Not to mention all Ludwig pedals (SPEEDKING FUCK YEAH), ignore the shit that came with that Pearl set.
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Hat

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #23 on: 13 Oct 2007, 22:28 »

This is the oldest thread there has ever been.

And you would know, being the reanimated corpse charged with archiving the history of the forum.
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AngelofShadows

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #24 on: 14 Oct 2007, 09:56 »

I prefer more complex beats. Just playing loudly with bass on beats one and three and snare on two and four is what makes so much "hard rock" boring for me, when it's done at 80 bpm or something. Please, for the love of all things holy do SOMETHING to mix it up some of the time, if all the rest of the band is doing is just droning.

Alternately, for some more avant-garde songs, do something like DEVO and sound like a freaking machine in your precision of beats. It makes the whole thing that much more awesome.

Prog drumming WOO!

Be like Mike Portnoy.
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   2. Everyone else needs to GTFO.

Ernest

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #25 on: 14 Oct 2007, 14:45 »

or don't

fuck all prog
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Where I come from, we usually just shorten that to "yee-haw!"

öde

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #26 on: 14 Oct 2007, 14:52 »

But YYZ is so much fun on Guitar Hero.
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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #27 on: 14 Oct 2007, 14:56 »

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #28 on: 14 Oct 2007, 17:21 »

Y'know what? The original poster has 8 posts to his name, and the last one was two years ago. If he still needs drumming tips from anyone I doubt he's looking for them here any more. I'm gonna give you folks half a dozen posts in this thread to prove to me that it's worth keeping unlocked. Use them wisely.

(Hint: "(x) style of music rules/(x) style of music sucks" is not a wise use of your posts.)
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Patrick

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #29 on: 15 Oct 2007, 05:27 »

Why keep this thread around? Because I need to re-learn a lot of what I used to know. Keep in mind that I was still able to regularly access a drum kit when this thread was first started.
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AngelofShadows

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #30 on: 15 Oct 2007, 05:29 »

You could never get enough tips to help better yourself as a musician. If you think otherwise, you're probably so full of yourself, and therefore suck.
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There are some basic rules to remember when cosplaying.
   1. If you're a hot Asian chick you can wear whatever you want and say it's whatever you want. Lingerie and some Pikachu ears are totally a legitimate costume.
   2. Everyone else needs to GTFO.

Patrick

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #31 on: 15 Oct 2007, 05:36 »

Weak troll. Enjoy your b&
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Hat

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #32 on: 15 Oct 2007, 06:28 »



Oh no, he's using a Tiger Type Pokemon!

RONNIE JAMES DIO, I CHOOSE YOU



Jump on the Tiger, Dio!
« Last Edit: 15 Oct 2007, 06:31 by Hat »
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Quote from: Emilio
power metal set in the present is basically crunk

David_Dovey

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #33 on: 15 Oct 2007, 06:32 »



IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE!
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Johnny C

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #34 on: 15 Oct 2007, 09:13 »

oh my god best thread ever
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öde

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #35 on: 15 Oct 2007, 09:22 »

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Ernest

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #36 on: 15 Oct 2007, 10:17 »

This thread is now about Michael Gira
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Where I come from, we usually just shorten that to "yee-haw!"

Hat

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #37 on: 15 Oct 2007, 14:55 »

What sort of pokemon badge is he going to give me?
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Quote from: Emilio
power metal set in the present is basically crunk

Patrick

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #38 on: 15 Oct 2007, 15:24 »

You don't need no steeeeenking badges.
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muteKi

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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #39 on: 15 Oct 2007, 20:02 »

That's what I get for not looking closely at the post dates.
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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #40 on: 15 Oct 2007, 20:08 »

. . . And with that I think we're done here. Never say I don't give you guys a chance.

Thankyou!
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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #41 on: 15 Oct 2007, 20:15 »

Harry, although i don't disagree on the lock, i think you are being unfair because the last few posts were of Outstanding Quality.
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Re: Drumming Tips
« Reply #42 on: 15 Oct 2007, 20:32 »

Sometimes you've gotta go out on a high, Emilio.
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