March 2000
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March 2000 |
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Developing A Good
Practice Routine.
Developing a good practice routine is fundamental in a drummer's development but it seems to be very difficult for the younger (sometimes older) player to have the discipline to construct an effective practice routine.
Too often, drummers practice what they can already do, ignoring their problem areas. Obviously, it is much harder to recognize your weaknesses and develop a game plan and probably a little discouraging at times. I feel that the player or teacher must setup goals and know exactly what needs to be worked on in the short and long term.
First of all, the player or his teacher must take a good look at the problem areas and come up with a logical plan to achieve success. Time allotment is critical with many students because they tend to 'goof around' too much or worse yet, stay on one thing (2 hours on the rudiments) far too long. Think about dividing the practice session into four different areas; Technique, Styles, Reading and Soloing. The trick is how to cover all of this material every time you practice. Wheat is the recipe for successful practice routine?
The following four areas of concentration should be addresses in every practice session with a different percentage of time being dedicated to each one in every session. These areas don't need to be practiced separately, as you will be addressing technique while working on style and soloing while working on reading. There are going to be weeks where Latin really needs work or reading needs a strong touch-up for an up-coming gig so be flexible with your routine, but do try and touch upon each of the areas in some fashion. With some thought, all four areas can be covered in certain exercises or charts given the right material. Some days, the player will only spend 15 minutes on soloing and on other days, maybe an hour. Within each area there are many variables to focus on, so it should never get repetitious. Practice should be inspirational not drudgery.
Tracks should be used whenever possible to ensure a musical approach at the same time, providing the player with a 'band' experience, always building the ears along with the hands and feet. It is also important that a 'performance mentality' be developed when practicing, using all of the intensity and focus that is needed in live performance.
Areas Of Concentration |
Snare Drum technique is an important element of practice with snare drum being the foundation of almost everything. There are plenty of good snare drum books available although, I recommend George Lawrence Stone's 'Stick Control" as the book that will get your hang technique pointed in the right direction.
Ride Cymbal technique is sometimes overlooked but must be addressed because it reflects the sound and the personality and sound of a drummer. The grip is fundamental in gaining speed and finesse and the stroke/stroke distance as well as the playing area determine what kind of sound you will get out of the cymbal.
I find that Bass Drum/Hi-Hat technique can best be addressed while working on styles. Too many drummers work on technique separately, never finding a way to integrate the new-found ideas into their playing. Again, there are many books and videos that concentrate on the feet.
Four-way independence is something that we all strive for but again, the more this independence goal is adapted to music, the more natural it will sound in performance. I like to suggest that players build their techniques to their ideas and not vice-versa and the ideas come, in large part, from interplay with other musicians.
Playing brushes is like another instrument with a set of different techniques and strokes. In addition, there are several different approaches to playing with brushes however, listening to great brush players is one of the quickest ways to gain concept and gather ideas.
It is safe to say that a player sounds like what he/she listens to, therefore, the importance of listening can't be underestimated. A good sense of style comes from having a broad concept for the music which comes in large part from listening to and studying the music in question. There are basically three stylistic areas which we deal with in contemporary music; Jazz, Latin and Rock. However, within each style, there are many sub-styles that must be investigated.
Jazz is a style that can be confusing to the beginning drummer because it demands some immediate coordination and musicality (phrasing). The quickest and easiest way to learn about jazz style is to listen to it:
Big Band
Small Group
Small Group with Singer
Dixieland
Rock/Fusion music is something most of us have grown up with but it is constantly evolving and changing. The radio will be a great source of information regarding contemporary rock styles so stay tuned.
Latin music is an extremely popular and important style in today's music scene. Listening to the different types of Latin music and seeing Latin groups in live performance will help build the foundation for this music. Initially, there are two performance areas that must be examined:
Afro-Cuban and Brazilian.
This is the most misunderstood yet one of the most beneficial areas of practice because it brings together all of the other areas into one setting. There are several different reading formats that must be explored:
Rhythmic Reading/Snare Drum
Lead Sheets
Master Rhythm Parts
Big Band Charts
Broadway (West end) Show Music
Studio Work
There are at least seven different solo formats to practice throughout the course of the week:
Melody
Form (AABA)
Transition Solo (jazz to rock)
Trading 4's, 8's, etc.
Vamps/Ostinados
Kicks/Figures
Open/Free
I hope these ideas will help you devise a suitable practice routine for yourself. Just remember to never forget why you started playing the drums in the first place, to have fun!
-Steve Houghton