hitting the wall

[bgood]

After playing guitar for 30 years I decided to learn to play the drums. First it was just to help me understand what drummers are doing so I could write better midi tracks, then it was to improve my overall timing on guitar, then I decided that I really liked it and would commit to doing it right. I've been taking lessons weekly (1.5-2 hours a week) since March from a local pro with tons of teaching, recording and touring experience. We've worked with Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer, Rolls Rolls Rolls, through pretty much all of the rudiments and he's running me through Stick Control as of last week. We're also using Carmine Appice's book on modern rock grooves. I've been pretty rigid with my practice discipline and doing about 7-10 hours a week.

Recently I feel like I've really hit a wall. I'm doing OK with the reading, rudiments speed and technique(except I can't get my paradiddles going as fast as other rudiments) BUT here's the problem....... suddenly I just can't seem to play grooves. I feel like a month ago I was doing much better on the different grooves from Carmine's book. Now I'm just struggling and my lack of control with the bass drum pedal is making everything harder. Even fairly simple stuff. I've been concentrating on finer control and trying not to bury the beater in the head like I was but it's a slog. It's even worse when I switch from my kit to my teachers since his pedal is different.

I need to break through this rut. I'm starting to use Stick Control with my feet. Can anyone suggest some additional ways to get my feet going? We've spent virtually 100% of the training on my hands. My instructor doesn't seem to concerned about it because I think he feels it's still early days for me but I want to be able to do more on the kit now and start playing music VS just drilling on rudiments etc.

What do you guys suggest for better footwork? After 7 months should my feet be getting more specific work? thanks.

[slinglander]

If you've spent all your time training for your hands what did you do with Carmine's lessons? I would go back and revisit the fundamental Carmine groove lessons. You just haven't coordinated your hands with your feet, yet. I don't think Stick Control will help this aspect. Just work on basic grooves to get the coordination between hands and feet, fitting the simpler rudiments into the basic grooves. Grooves are footwork too.

It is difficult fitting rudiments into grooves until you achieve some coordination-it takes time figuring out roll durations, etc. with timing of a groove. Practice does help a lot!

Good Luck!

[jgziegler]

A couple of points from someone in a similar situation as you in some ways:

1. Remember, about 70% of drumming is in your hands, so don't feel like you've made a massive mistake, you just need to focus more on BD exercises.

2. One thing I was doing with stick control was using the patterns so the R was my right foot and the L was my left hand. I did 1/8ths on the ride and 1/4's with the left foot (you can skip the left foot part if it's too hard)

3. Really simple, classic BD exercise: LH RF LH RF (played to a metronome of course). Build up the speed gradually. The idea is the BD is always played on the off beat, so after 4 beats of time (the above pattern is typically played as 1/8ths) you use the RH instead of LH, and you keep switching between the two.

4. Get some easy music to play drums to (white stripes, black keys), and play along. Also, just play, make your own beats, approach it like you do guitar, relax, have fun and play!

5. Start having lessons ever 2 weeks. If you're playing to a metronome most of the time, you really don't need lessons every week. You should be able to tell when you are in time or not. You might find that the extra time between lessons will get you less focused on the technical side, and more on the musical one.

6. +1 on Sling's comment RE Appice, I'm pretty sure I sometimes use that book too, and it's all grooves, so if you're playing from that, you are playing grooves!

[crispycritters]

[QUOTE=jgziegler;661011]

One thing I was doing with stick control was using the patterns so the R was my right foot and the L was my left hand. I did 1/8ths on the ride and 1/4's with the left foot (you can skip the left foot part if it's too hard)

Really simple, classic BD exercise: LH RF LH RF (played to a metronome of course). Build up the speed gradually. The idea is the BD is always played on the off beat, so after 4 beats of time (the above pattern is typically played as 1/8ths) you use the RH instead of LH, and you keep switching between the two.

Get some easy music to play drums to (white stripes, black keys), and play along. Also, just play, make your own beats, approach it like you do guitar, relax, have fun and play!

^ This. The only thing I have to add is, try looking up drum tabs or learner style song books for easy music - initially, don't bother playing along to CDs or downloads - use a metronome instead but start off playing them SLOW (don't worry about the tempo the song is supposed to be played at). When you are comfortable playing at this reduced tempo and can play a solid groove without mistakes for 5 minutes, increase the metronome by small increments of 3 - 5 bpm.

Keep it slow simple at first, try playing a 4 - 8 bars of a simple groove and add 1 bar of rudiments as a fill.

Concentrate on playing accurately rather than speed. It will take some time and practice to improve your foot co-ordination but that is normal, 7 months isn't a particularly long time - especially as you have spent most of your time concentrating on stick control and rudiments.

[8beat]

BUT here's the problem....... suddenly I just can't seem to play grooves.

Personally what works for me is playing along with recordings.

[SpazApproved]

Here is a trick I do with some of my students.

All of those rudiments you've been learning and sticking...
Use your right foot instead of right hand. Keep your left hand on the snare.
Try these by themselves (just snare and bass)
Once you get it going add a simple 1/8 note or 1/4 note on the hi-hat on top of them creating a type of beat.

[bgood]

thanks for the suggestions. Will definitely give them a good tryout. The weekly ups and downs at this part of the learning curve swing pretty wide. Today was a good day. A good lesson, my open rolls were a bit of a wreck today but.... then had a nice hour on my kit when I got home. Foot felt more in control and comfortable. Stuff from the Carmine book that I struggled with 2 weeks ago felt pretty good...It's a roller coaster.