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Thread: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

  1. #1

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    Default Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    I started out with my congas, and they still are my first best love. But then I added a djembe for more portability. The techniques for those two drums are so similar that it was easy to practice either and still make good progress.

    But then I started adding other things like bongos, djunn-djunn, cajon, dumbek, and panderio. The techniques for these drums (except maybe the cajon) are quite different from the conga/djembe.

    Right now I am practicing regularly on the congas/djembe several times a week, and the dumbek 1~2 times a week. Then have been filling in with the others in a catch-as-catch-can fashion.

    So, I am wondering what approach you guys take? How do you prioritize your practice times when you have multiple percussion instruments that interest you? Is trying to learn multiple drums hurting or helping?
    ---- If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum. - chinese proverb

  2. #2

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    I am a drumset player but I've always thought that the most diverse you can be, the better. I chose to be diverse stylistically and it helps me get tons of work. But if I was a percussionist, I would learn all the percussion instruments that you mentioned. The music business is hard to make a living at. The more you have to offer, the better the chance of you getting the gig over the next guy.

  3. #3

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    Today drumming is only a hobby for me and I'm a drummer, not a percusionist. I think my style is pretty limited. I'm way too much a metal drummer, and I wish I could have a bit more variation. Of course I try, but I think I'm not doing it hard enough!

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    Midgard, that seems to be a personal choice based on your direction. When I worked as a percussionist it was necessary to have a broad range of skills, not just drums, but keyboards, gongs, timpani, etc and to be able to read. Now my focus is very conga/djembe and the other things as flavoring when needed. So the advice is what is your focus? go with that.

  5. #5

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    Cool Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    NO! While I prefer hand drums to set playing, it's good to know how to play as many different instruments as you wish. Just today, an associate at my job was telling me about a multi-ethnic percussion group he's wanting to start (he's originally from Peru and his main drum is the cajon), but he knows I play bongos, congas and djembe, and he's invited me to join in when he gets started.

    drummer, you nailed it, bro'...the more you have in your arsenal, the more you have to offer, and the more gigs you can get...
    keep the beat goin' ... Don't keep it to yourself!

    Charlie

    "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." --Henry David Thoreau, "Walden," 1854

    "There's a lot to be said for Time Honored tradition and value." --In memory of Frank "fiacovaz" Iacovazzi

    "Maybe your drums can be beat, but you can't."--Jack Keck

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    I say the more the better.

    all the best...

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    diversify

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    no not at all. in fact im looking to buy a turkish davul for my drumset along with african slit drums
    hai dere

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    Quote Originally Posted by drummer View Post
    I am a drumset player but I've always thought that the most diverse you can be, the better. I chose to be diverse stylistically and it helps me get tons of work. But if I was a percussionist, I would learn all the percussion instruments that you mentioned. The music business is hard to make a living at. The more you have to offer, the better the chance of you getting the gig over the next guy.
    I agree.

    Some people that I've talked to want to work in the music industry but they only want to play metal or jazz. I've talked to jazz players who don't want to play metal because it "takes no talent" and it's pointless. I've talked to metal drummers who don't want to play jazz or pop because it's "gay". I don't think they realize that the more versatile they are, the more work they get.

    Personally I try to embrace every genre to better myself as a drummer.

    @ Midgard, the more versatile a drummer is, they more work they'll get.
    - Zack

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    Diversity, flexibility, more experience and chops you can bring to a situation, everyone happy.
    Last edited by Tadman; 05-29-2010 at 06:09 AM.
    "I consider every drummer that ever played before me an influence, in every way." (Buddy Rich)

    "How do you keep 90 people together with one stick? I've got two sticks and i can't keep 5 people together." (Ian Paice)

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    I appreciate all the feedback. I was just starting to feel like I was taking time away from improving my conga chops by taking the time to practice and learn other drums and that maybe I was losing my focus.

    But, since this is not the way I make money, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Regardless of the type of drum, there are elements that transcend - time keeping, limb independence, dynamics, etc. So, I just need to not stress about it, have fun, and realize that the time on other percussion will ultimately help me in all of them.

    For example, the way I am learning the basic samba beat on the panderio has me moving and stepping in time. This is really helping me better feel the pulse of the music and that will help me everywhere else. But that kind of movement is something that I can't really do on the conga.

    Thanks!
    ---- If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum. - chinese proverb

  12. #12

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    Its great to have different areas of interest;but I find for myself you can only master one thing at a time.. If your attention is split among various instruments you wll lose some in some ways and gain in others. I have a full set of congas and a djembe. Since having the full set I rarely play the djembe.I play guitar also and do spend time guitar playing and drumming each day.But I still maintain that you can only master one instrument,the seconds will be second.

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    Its great to have different areas of interest;but I find for myself you can only master one thing at a time.. If your attention is split among various instruments you wll lose some in some ways and gain in others. I have a full set of congas and a djembe. Since having the full set I rarely play the djembe.I play guitar also and do spend time guitar playing and drumming each day.But I still maintain that you can only master one instrument,the seconds will be second It seems that becoming a multi-instrument player is a dream of most musicians..

  14. #14

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    Well as a drumset and percussion player, I agree that sometimes you can spread yourself out too thinly if you try to learn everything all at once. My start was the rudiments on marching snare (the absolute fundamentals of course), then we got introduced to drumset. It wasn't until years later I started collecting and learning various percussion items.

    And the connections between rhythms and cultures run very deep (trying not to sound too New-Agey here, lol) but it's why I can not know someone's language yet communicate almost instantly sharing rhythms..you know....jamming. The West Africans after all call the djembe the "Telephone of Africa", for instance. And the clavé also pops up not only in Afro-Latin rhythms, but also in totally non-connected areas like in Middle Eastern bellydance rhythms and in simple Indian tabla and dholak rhythms from the villages (not the classical Indian tradition though).

    Every single type of drum/percussion object has a particular technique, especially if you want to sound authentic. However, it's that diversity that not only allows me to jump from group to group and style to style, but also gives me the extra edge in teaching, especially when there are school programs, where just "being a rock drummer" simply won't do. Bottom line is, the more you know, the more you realise there is more to know.

  15. #15

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    It depends how diverse your musical interests are: how broad or narrow you wish to be involved with music. I can empathize with feeling too scattered: since I was nine years old, I've been captivated with musical instruments. And not only their sound, but their tactile feeling as well. I've definitely become involved in way more styles and genres than I'd ever expected, but I've learned a lot and derived many interesting experiences playing with others in diverse environments. I've performed on guitars of all sorts--from classical and flamenco to pedal steel; fiddles, mandolins and banjos in folk music of all types--cajun to scandinavian, old-time to ragtime. My latest obsession is blues and zydeco on accordians and woodwinds.

    Currently, I'm playing drums in a blues-rock band, bass in a salsa band, bass in a bluegrass band, and keyboards and congas in a reggae band. It gets confusing at times, but the diversity keeps me stimulated.

  16. #16

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    Cool Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    Beautifully stated, Drumbledore--especially that last line!
    keep the beat goin' ... Don't keep it to yourself!

    Charlie

    "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." --Henry David Thoreau, "Walden," 1854

    "There's a lot to be said for Time Honored tradition and value." --In memory of Frank "fiacovaz" Iacovazzi

    "Maybe your drums can be beat, but you can't."--Jack Keck

  17. #17

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    Quote Originally Posted by drummer View Post
    I am a drumset player but I've always thought that the most diverse you can be, the better. I chose to be diverse stylistically and it helps me get tons of work. But if I was a percussionist, I would learn all the percussion instruments that you mentioned. The music business is hard to make a living at. The more you have to offer, the better the chance of you getting the gig over the next guy.
    I agree 100%

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by bongobro View Post
    Beautifully stated, Drumbledore--especially that last line!
    Thanks BongoBro.....I'm sure if I was over there, you would probably run circles around my puny bongo technique.....trying to get that "martillo" trill.....well, it drives me nuts...especially when a conga playing buddy just does it effortlessly.....and not bad for a gringo either.....he's an Aussie who's never been anywhere remotely near a Latin American country, but he's just been doing this for like forever.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

  19. #19

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    I don't really think you can be too diversified drumwise...

    I play acoustic guitar, bass drum, bass guitar, clarinet, cymbals (marching), drumset, electric guitar, piano, organ, quads, snare, vibraphone, and viola.

    If there's anyone too diversified musically, it's definitely me. I do work on electric guitar, piano, viola, quads, and snare the most, though. It's good to stick to a general area (which is in your case, percussion), and probably focus on only a few instruments. Always remember, it's better to be great at a few things than good at everything. However, I think you're fine with what you're doing, and I commend you for playing different instruments. That's always a good thing to know how to do. Keep working hard!

    Also, I keep practice charts. Believe it or not, that actually works. Brings back memories of middle school band, doesn't it? If you start logging how much you're practicing, you'll notice when you need to practice more and be motivated to do so. Set goals of how much time per day/week you want to practice, and of course, make them attainable. 100 minutes a week might be good for starting. That's about 15 minutes a day. Then again, with all the different instruments, you might want to do a little less for each instrument.
    Needham B. Broughton High School Drumline

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  20. #20

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    Default Re: Can you be too diversified drumwise?

    Quote Originally Posted by drummer View Post
    i am a drumset player but i've always thought that the most diverse you can be, the better. I chose to be diverse stylistically and it helps me get tons of work. But if i was a percussionist, i would learn all the percussion instruments that you mentioned. The music business is hard to make a living at. The more you have to offer, the better the chance of you getting the gig over the next guy.
    +1
    Pearl-Zildjian-Evans-Vater


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  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Caroline! View Post
    I don't really think you can be too diversified drumwise...

    I play acoustic guitar, bass drum, bass guitar, clarinet, cymbals (marching), drumset, electric guitar, piano, organ, quads, snare, vibraphone, and viola.

    If there's anyone too diversified musically, it's definitely me. I do work on electric guitar, piano, viola, quads, and snare the most, though. It's good to stick to a general area (which is in your case, percussion), and probably focus on only a few instruments. Always remember, it's better to be great at a few things than good at everything. However, I think you're fine with what you're doing, and I commend you for playing different instruments. That's always a good thing to know how to do. Keep working hard!

    Also, I keep practice charts. Believe it or not, that actually works. Brings back memories of middle school band, doesn't it? If you start logging how much you're practicing, you'll notice when you need to practice more and be motivated to do so. Set goals of how much time per day/week you want to practice, and of course, make them attainable. 100 minutes a week might be good for starting. That's about 15 minutes a day. Then again, with all the different instruments, you might want to do a little less for each instrument.
    +1 for sure!
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

  22. #22

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    To answer the original question, "NO, you can never be too diversified". You never know where the next gig will come from, and you want to feel comfortable in the audition. I don't think you need to feel like you always have to give them equal attention. All that will come of that is guilt, and music is supposed to be fun, so play whatever you feel like playing at the moment and be happy doing it.

    Now about this word "Percussionist"....if you create music by striking an instrument, you are a percussionist. We are ALL percussionists!
    When in doubt, leave it out
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