If you don't play out, what do you play?

[Texdrumr]

I'm not good at fills. I can keep good time with several different beats but I haven't figured out the fills yet.

Are most fills usually about 4 beats long? I would really like to get some of them down so I can jazz my playing up a bit.

Fills can be as short as one note, or as long as you want them. Start small and grow from there. An easy way to get going is to set your metronome to say 100 bpm on a 4/4 time signature. Think of each quarter note as it's own 'phrase'.

Soooo, maybe try this. Play the first three quarter notes as a standard beat of some kind, when you get to the fourth - play your little homemade 'phrase'.

Once you have that one down, you can grow from there.

Not sure if any of that makes sense.

Tex

[jgraham798]

Fills can be as short as one note, or as long as you want them. Start small and grow from there. An easy way to get going is to set your metronome to say 100 bpm on a 4/4 time signature. Think of each quarter note as it's own 'phrase'.

Soooo, maybe try this. Play the first three quarter notes as a standard beat of some kind, when you get to the fourth - play your little homemade 'phrase'.

Once you have that one down, you can grow from there.

Not sure if any of that makes sense.

Tex

So, you're saying to play a beat say like 1 and 3 on the bass and 2 and 4 on the snare and then on one of the bars do the 1 and 3 on the bass and the 2 on the snare and the 4 beat maybe on a tom ?

Thanks for the reply!

[Texdrumr]

So, you're saying to play a beat say like 1 and 3 on the bass and 2 and 4 on the snare and then on one of the bars do the 1 and 3 on the bass and the 2 on the snare and the 4 beat maybe on a tom ?

Thanks for the reply!

Yes! Perfect way to start. Once you have that down you can a second tom to the 'and' of 4.

[gonefishin]

I haven't played out in a very long time. I have recently just a time or two. I mainly play along to the ipod or radio.I do get together maybe once a month with a few guys to record some original stuff.Blues / rock.

[makeemsing]

Ah yes, the fun question. I think that a lot of drummers like to play the things that they find fun while at home. Though that can change depending if they want to practice rather than jam. I find myself playing a lot of Frank Sinatra. Very simple but a lot of fun and oddly enough some Gospel and rap tunes. Heck, if the mood is right I will even crank up some punk rock like the Exploited and rock out like I did in my youth.

As for bands I make my living primarily from playing with Big Bands and combos. So that's my bread and butter. The combos I play in are based off the Kansas City Midwestern type of Jazz (Count Basie) so the drumming can be somewhat aggressive.

but aside from I've participated in multiple forms of music. It's however wants to hire me or work with me basically.

[signia fan]

So Jim, you seem a little hard on yourself for the stuff you don't know or have trouble playing. Don't let it get you down because no matter how much you learn and how good you get, there will always be the stuff you still can't do. There are so many roads to explore and some drummers pick a narrow path and beat the hell out of it literally and become a leader in that style, but I bet you they sit at home and watch some one else and say to themselves, man I wish I could play like that.
Playing drums is never arriving at a destination, it is always the fun of getting there. And most things in life are this way if we allow ourselves to step back and really look at the big picture.

Take a look at drummer Pete Zeldman. He is not the most well known player, he did work with Steve Vai. He has taken the concept of time and polyrhythms to a level 99% of drummers will never get close to. He sits with a click and hones in so hard on his concentration that he can play 34 beats over a 35 beat count, evenly. Crazy over the top in depth learning. I particularly don't care much for his playing and think he has the worst kit tuning I have ever heard. But here is a guy who got on the path of a concept and took it as far as he could take it and he is still trying to learn more.
I still beat myself up a lot and think of the number of years I have been playing, I think I should be so much better than I am. I am 51, and like you, I put 150 years of abuse into my 51 year old body. But I know there will always be someone faster, someone tougher, someone who seems to get everything easier. I still carry on and run my own race, and I will be happy with what I end up with when I die, because I enjoyed the ride, the fun of getting there. I think that is one of those secrets to life, recognizing that.

[Ricardo]

Signia..................good post.

[jgraham798]

So Jim, you seem a little hard on yourself for the stuff you don't know or have trouble playing. Don't let it get you down because no matter how much you learn and how good you get, there will always be the stuff you still can't do.

Yes, I am my worst critic. I expect to be able to do everything perfectly and after 60 years I still haven't realised that it's impossible to do. I think that's what drives me to succeed at everything I do.

I know that I will never be as good as a lot of people here, but I want to be good enough for me to enjoy myself and have fun!

Playing drums is never arriving at a destination, it is always the fun of getting there. And most things in life are this way if we allow ourselves to step back and really look at the big picture.

You're absolutely correct, Sig, I just have times where I forget that.


Take care!

I still beat myself up a lot and think of the number of years I have been playing, I think I should be so much better than I am. I am 51, and like you, I put 150 years of abuse into my 51 year old body. But I know there will always be someone faster, someone tougher, someone who seems to get everything easier. I still carry on and run my own race, and I will be happy with what I end up with when I die, because I enjoyed the ride, the fun of getting there. I think that is one of those secrets to life, recognizing that.

I think a lot of my frustration comes from me playing for a good while and getting better at my playing only to have a health issue of some type come up and knock my feet out from under me. I'm a doer and I can't just sit down and relax. It just isn't in my makeup I guess.

Thanks for the great comment. That gave me a lot to chew on!!!

[NPYYZ]

One thing I've discovered in my old age is if a drum set sounds good, that's all I need. I have my kick drum mic'ed and I use two over heads for the rest of the kit. I run them into a small mixer and I use over the ear studio monitor headphones. This allows me to add EQ to my kit and to be honest they sound incredible in the headphones. So I just love to sit down there in the basement and play whatever pops into my head. Just the drums, no music. Its fun just play whatever you feel like.

[jgziegler]

This is something that sometimes bothers me on drums at my lower intermediate level: what is fun/cool/interesting by yourself on drums doesn't really go so well with other instruments (especially for rock).

Conversely, what usually does sound good (especially for rock) are the same tried, true and slightly tired quarters and eighths, with some accenting and ghosts thrown in here and there.

Of course, you can be unconventional, the drummer for the black keys is that way (and he's not all that good either), but as much as I like their music, I can't say im a big fan of his drumming, it's a bit too all over the place and not in an amazing, Mitch Mitchell kinda way...