The Importance of playing fast

[GunnerUK]

I've been playing 5 years now and am self taught. By my own admission, I'm not that good.

My problem is a complete lack of speed. From singles to doubles to paradiddles, I can play them all in a fashion, but only up to a point.

Now when I see other drummers and youtube teachers play a paradiddle slowly, I think "I can do that". But then they say "now lets play it up to speed" and i'm like ... [deleted]... how can it be physically possible to play it THAT fast.

So, I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm always gonna be a snail pace, my question is, "how important is it to be able to play fast'?

It sure looks cool, but is it really neccessary?

[late8]

Playing fast and accurate comes with lots practice. If metal is your genre, you learn to play 200+ bpm since most drummers in that genre require that fast speed but not all drumming is judged by speed alone. I'd rather listen to a drummer that has a solid tasty groove than one that can blip the metronome at 250 bpm.

[2slow]

playing fast and accurate comes with lots practice. If metal is your genre, you learn to play 200+ bpm since most drummers in that genre require that fast speed but not all drumming is judged by speed alone. I'd rather listen to a drummer that has a solid tasty groove than one that can blip the metronome at 250 bpm.

+1

[Cliff5550]

2slow - Sorry, I couldn't help but smile when I saw 2slow give a +1 on this. I agree with both you and late8 on fast vs. groove. (It just struck me funny.)

[ludwigkid]

Good groove + chops. Don't say you're never going to be that fast or you won't. Why does everyone use metal for the sole example for speed?

[GunnerUK]

Good groove + chops. Don't say you're never going to be that fast or you won't. Why does everyone use metal for the sole example for speed?

Well I'm certainly no metal head. I grew up on AC/DC.

Good job really 'cos thats about my tempo.

But I think modern metal bands have a rep for playing blindingly fast.

[late8]

Why does everyone use metal for the sole example for speed?

Because of these guys:

[GunnerUK]

Because of these guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHhSubN1--0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnxm1...eature=related

Honestly, for me this is utter ... that double bass drum just kills everything and there absolutely no groove, period.

[almostmatt1]

It depends on what you play. Speed can be integrated with a heck of a lot, not just metal. More speed opens more options, you don't HAVE to play faster but there's that option. If you don't see yourself using speed then i don't think its necessary to try to attain it. But if you want to get faster, say if there's something you want to play that requires you play faster than your current ability will allow, then practice it. Practice makes perfect.

[ZackPomerleau]

Check out Max Roach or Tony Williams for speed.

You just need to practice at a speed that you don't struggle with, then go up until you reach a point you struggle. There you must practice until you get it.

[Northern Redneck]

Speed is just noise without groove.

[Cliff5550]

speed is just noise without groove.

+1

[bluepear2000]

If the kind of music that youre wanting to play doesnt call for that kind of speed then dont worry about it. these fellas are right. most of the "speed players" play nothing but fast unmusical garbage. you dont in any shape form or fashion have to be a fast drummer to be a great drummer. dont ever guage your drumming ability on how fast you can play. my personal motto is to always play what's best for the song and not whats best for your ego

[Bish]

speed is just noise without groove.

+1

if the kind of music that youre wanting to play doesnt call for that kind of speed then dont worry about it. These fellas are right. Most of the "speed players" play nothing but fast unmusical garbage. You dont in any shape form or fashion have to be a fast drummer to be a great drummer. Dont ever guage your drumming ability on how fast you can play. My personal motto is to always play what's best for the song and not whats best for your ego

+1

+1

+1

[Aviator42009]

Speed is just noise without groove.

I hate to be an A-hole, but speed does not mean fast, it means the rate of movement, so technically it could mean anything from slow to fast. Also, if what you meant to say was worded correctly, you'd still be wrong. Although most people's vision of groove usually a slower beat, there are such things as fast grooves, not every song sounds good with a slow beat.

This isn't related to your post, but I'm sick of people always hating on speed and double bass. Sure, if that's your worried about, your music will probably.. well not be music, but there are proper applications for them. Not everyone who practices double bass is some brainless machine who strives for 500 BPM singles. Also just because a song has a fast double bass beat doesn't mean it isn't musical, it suits the song. The same thing goes for speed, for some people, its not really their thing, but for some songs it would just sound weird without a fast paced beat. Imagine what the Master Of Puppets album would sound like if Lars Ulrich played simple beats at 50 BPM?

There's two sides to every argument, some overuse things like speed and double bass and thats just un-musical, but at the same time, some people don't embrace it for what it is and it just doesn't sound right.

To answer the OP, speed is something that is critical to some genres/songs, so even if your not into that type of stuff, it would be a good idea to atleast be able proficient in being fast, in case the time arises. Also, the ability to play something faster and still clean will help your ability to play it slower.

[2slow]

Gotta say two of My favorite drummers are very fast !!


First and to Me the best drummer ever Buddy Rich

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR8l0koXCcM"]Buddy Rich Drum Solo 1970 - Best Drum Solos - YouTube[/ame]

Another of My faorite drummers lightning fast Dennis Chambers

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPJB-DLbRbQ"]Dennis Chambers solo with Tetsuo Sakurai and Greg Howe - YouTube[/ame]

[Northern Redneck]

Noise:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUeF8pbhj8A&feature=related"]Worlds Fastest Double Bass - 1530 in 60 seconds - YouTube[/ame]

Speed with a groove:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHE5zmJNL1I"]Dennis Chambers solo with Niacin - YouTube[/ame]

[Texdrumr]

I'm not fast either, but I can sure throw a drum stick with wicked velocity. No dry wall within 10 feet is safe when I'm playing.

-Randy

[Northern Redneck]

I'm not fast either, but I can sure throw a drum stick with wicked velocity. No dry wall within 10 feet is safe when I'm playing.

-Randy

Thats awesome!
Like the other day at band practice, I broke a stick at the neck on my bell, the tip flew across the room right into my guitar players custom built double neck Ernie Ball.

[Drumbledore]

Get the accuracy first. Then control your speed.

Every area of tempo from deathly slow (40 or less BPM) to deadly fast (168-200 and then beyond, where I swear your muscles go into molecular meltdown, lol), every tempo area will have it's own set of problems. An interesting thing I've read about bebop jazz is that part of the reason why those groups and artists wanted drummers to step on the speed is that in those times, sometimes you'd have these "Young Turks" who'd come in to jamming gigs thinking that they would 'show up' Charlie Parker or Miles Davis, they'd get up on stage, often uninvited, and start showing off, much to the annoyance of the rest of the band. So often, the guys would look at each other and go for a much faster tempo that they could handle but the gate crasher couldn't. So as a result, bebop departed from jazz swing because of things like fast tempos, intricate melodies and idiosyncratic phrasing. So a good bebop drummer had to work on speed, dexterity and endurance, and most definitely efficient wrist and finger movement.

So, tying that in with heavier stuff. Irrespective of the style that you play, control and execution of speed in as many tempo areas as you can possible learn in a lifetime should be as important as technique, in fact it is a technique to have. Sure, we all have our favourite areas and styles of drumming, and maybe a few of us may not appreciate lightening fast double kicks with heavy guitars and death growl vocals, and some of us who are fans of that stuff in turn may not exactly always flip over to styles of music that have sunny and melodic instrumentation (not generalising here at all, I said some, and I believe there is quite a number of very intellegent and dexterous players in the extreme end of metal, who may surprise all of us with their varied tastes, that is for sure). But if you really want to be an all-round player, a truly all-round player would push their limits of control, in all dynamic ranges, in a styles, and in all different tempo areas. So long as you can serve the music and serve the song, then your statement on the drums is as just valid as the next guy. You don't have to like the song or style, but you should at least take it for what it is and see if you can learn from it.

Shouldn't we all?

[kaosotis]

I hate to be an A-hole, but speed does not mean fast, it means the rate of movement, so technically it could mean anything from slow to fast. Also, if what you meant to say was worded correctly, you'd still be wrong. Although most people's vision of groove usually a slower beat, there are such things as fast grooves, not every song sounds good with a slow beat.

This isn't related to your post, but I'm sick of people always hating on speed and double bass. Sure, if that's your worried about, your music will probably.. well not be music, but there are proper applications for them. Not everyone who practices double bass is some brainless machine who strives for 500 BPM singles. Also just because a song has a fast double bass beat doesn't mean it isn't musical, it suits the song. The same thing goes for speed, for some people, its not really their thing, but for some songs it would just sound weird without a fast paced beat. Imagine what the Master Of Puppets album would sound like if Lars Ulrich played simple beats at 50 BPM?

There's two sides to every argument, some overuse things like speed and double bass and thats just un-musical, but at the same time, some people don't embrace it for what it is and it just doesn't sound right.

To answer the OP, speed is something that is critical to some genres/songs, so even if your not into that type of stuff, it would be a good idea to atleast be able proficient in being fast, in case the time arises. Also, the ability to play something faster and still clean will help your ability to play it slower.

I don't think people are hating on playing fast tempos or double bass, it's more the lack of melody that some genres have that turns people off. From my perspective there is a lot of modern metal that is more a demonstration of technical proficiency and speed than about "songs". A lot of punk that is fast still has melody songs, just sped up a lot (thank you Ramones).

Interesting that you use Lars and Master as your example, because if you go by the standards of some metal I hear now, it's not super fast. Also interesting because that's a great example of it not taking away from the songs. There's tons of melody in the guitar parts on that album (probably the most of any of their albums).

I think everyone here makes the solid point that there are different types of speed and being fast isn't a necessity. Work on being a good drummer, worry about speed later.

[rickthedrummer]

Because of these guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHhSubN1--0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnxm1...eature=related

Fast they are, no argument there. Inventive, not in the slightest.

I've watched several of their videos and all I have noticed is that they are like Legos. They are interchangeable, they play the same stuff.

[Aviator42009]

I don't think people are hating on playing fast tempos or double bass, it's more the lack of melody that some genres have that turns people off. From my perspective there is a lot of modern metal that is more a demonstration of technical proficiency and speed than about "songs". A lot of punk that is fast still has melody songs, just sped up a lot (thank you Ramones).

Interesting that you use Lars and Master as your example, because if you go by the standards of some metal I hear now, it's not super fast. Also interesting because that's a great example of it not taking away from the songs. There's tons of melody in the guitar parts on that album (probably the most of any of their albums).

I think everyone here makes the solid point that there are different types of speed and being fast isn't a necessity. Work on being a good drummer, worry about speed later.

Yea, I understand what people are saying, but alot of people take it a step further and portray double bass and fast song as music-less trash.

[kaosotis]

Everyone has their own tastes, just have to leave it at that.

[ZackPomerleau]

I'm sorry, but to bash playing fast probably either means you can't play fast or you can't play fast very well. Every good player there is I bet can play pretttyyyy fast. It's about using it during the correct times.