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Thread: Practice routines?

  1. #1

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    My playing at the minute is getting pretty technical and pretty fast. But I'm finding it's also getting very sloppy (this is because I like playing funky groovy hi hat stuff in the higher tempos, around at least 160 bpm or something). Groove wise it's ok, it's just when I come to a fill, usually it all breaks down and I do something really boring with the toms. Single strokes, e.t.c. I want to use more doubles and accents.

    Anyway, having said that, is there any kind of routine that someone could suggest that I could do daily - on the kit, preferably, all the stuff I do off it is fine - that includes doubles and accents being applied to the kit? I really want something daily to do because I've been neglecting my drumming lately and annoyingly it's beginning to show.
    Today, on Ethel The Frog...

  2. #2

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    There's all sorts of things that you can do to cure this. You can find plenty of exercise books such as...When In Doubt, Roll...by Bill Bruford. Short of that, one of the best things you can do is to slow down. Playing fast and technical all the time doesn't leave a lot of room for anything else. Slow down when you play a groove...let it breathe. Listen to what you have going on. Keep it going until it is a part of you then let yourself go to explore some patterns at the slower speed. It's amazing what you can come up with by doing this. Give your mind a chance to create something as you move in and out of your groove. In his DVD, Drumset Technique, Steve Smith suggests that you sing something out loud, follow a 12 bars blues pattern and just make something up and play to it. With the big band, I have to play any number of charts that will move at 220bpm and faster. Consequently, I will practice a lot of crazy stuff at those tempos just to increase my stamina. I suffer from the same thing you described. When I do, I just go onto something entirely different...Funk beats just for a change of pace and fun. I also work out on some Samba patterns and other Latin beats. What works well for me is to play fast jazz tempo and morph that into a funk pattern...getting an entirely different feel within the same tempo. I worked this out last night and then got into changing from 4 beats per measure to 5 and 7 beats and bringing it all back to 4 beats. Interesting things begin to happen on the set when you let yourself go. You already know that you want to work doubles and accents...just do it; you'll be amazed by what you come up with and it will all revitalize your playing.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by fiacovaz View Post
    There's all sorts of things that you can do to cure this. You can find plenty of exercise books such as...When In Doubt, Roll...by Bill Bruford. Short of that, one of the best things you can do is to slow down. Playing fast and technical all the time doesn't leave a lot of room for anything else. Slow down when you play a groove...let it breathe. Listen to what you have going on. Keep it going until it is a part of you then let yourself go to explore some patterns at the slower speed. It's amazing what you can come up with by doing this. Give your mind a chance to create something as you move in and out of your groove. In his DVD, Drumset Technique, Steve Smith suggests that you sing something out loud, follow a 12 bars blues pattern and just make something up and play to it. With the big band, I have to play any number of charts that will move at 220bpm and faster. Consequently, I will practice a lot of crazy stuff at those tempos just to increase my stamina. I suffer from the same thing you described. When I do, I just go onto something entirely different...Funk beats just for a change of pace and fun. I also work out on some Samba patterns and other Latin beats. What works well for me is to play fast jazz tempo and morph that into a funk pattern...getting an entirely different feel within the same tempo. I worked this out last night and then got into changing from 4 beats per measure to 5 and 7 beats and bringing it all back to 4 beats. Interesting things begin to happen on the set when you let yourself go. You already know that you want to work doubles and accents...just do it; you'll be amazed by what you come up with and it will all revitalize your playing.
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  4. #4

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    Yeah, slowing down is what I'm aiming to do...I just find it fun blazing away at stupid speeds though :D
    Ta for the advice, will check it out.
    Today, on Ethel The Frog...

  5. #5

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    What I do since I do not take lessons is practice from songs I listen to. Yea working on Rudiments is all great but that can get boring and at times seem like your getting no where.

    What I suggest is pick a song listen to it a couple times and pick a certain pattern/beat you hear the drummer do in that song. Then work on trying to duplicate the pattern not the actual sound. I have advanced my coordination this way at a decent clip. I have also found out by doing this I have been able to use parts of those patterns and twist them up a bit in other tunes to make the song my own.

  6. #6

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    My suggestion would be to go back to a slower speed, one where you feel comfortable and then work your way back up to 160. That's one of the many things my teacher has taught me, go back to your "comfort speed" the speed where you can do anything without thinking about it, the speed where you can do your rudiments or fills perfectly and hold a conversation at the same time...... That speed is kind of like an old friend, comfortable, always reliable, you can relax there and it will never let you down

  7. #7

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    thats good advice dc! my teacher always told me if i couldn`t nail something¸ lets slooooow it down, master it perfectly at a slower speed, then ratchet it up again....bit by bit. i love hearing drum solos where guys like chad smith will get into a syncopated roation, then begin slowing it down, while still keeping everything perfectly in time...the art of a pro.....so nice...
    My Kit - Mapex Saturn 6 Pc., Iron Cobra Double Pedal, 14 Sabian HHX Evolution HH, 20 Avedis Ping Ride, Zildjian 16 Vintage Crash, Zildjian K 17 Thin Dry Crash, Sabian HHX Evolution 16 Crash, Evans Heads, Sennheiser Mikes

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ethel_The_Frog View Post
    My playing at the minute is getting pretty technical and pretty fast. But I'm finding it's also getting very sloppy (this is because I like playing funky groovy hi hat stuff in the higher tempos, around at least 160 bpm or something). Groove wise it's ok, it's just when I come to a fill, usually it all breaks down and I do something really boring with the toms. Single strokes, e.t.c. I want to use more doubles and accents.

    Anyway, having said that, is there any kind of routine that someone could suggest that I could do daily - on the kit, preferably, all the stuff I do off it is fine - that includes doubles and accents being applied to the kit? I really want something daily to do because I've been neglecting my drumming lately and annoyingly it's beginning to show.
    Well, mate, I think you are approuching it all the wrong way. Usually you will find that the simplest stuff is what has the most effect. I good idea would be to think of doing simpler stuff with your fills, usually it is more effective.
    Hope that helps.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vinnysimmo mk:II View Post
    Well, mate, I think you are approuching it all the wrong way. Usually you will find that the simplest stuff is what has the most effect. I good idea would be to think of doing simpler stuff with your fills, usually it is more effective.
    Hope that helps.
    I aint going for simple stuff though. I'm wanting to do stuff that's both musical and sounds amazing. But yeah, if I put some simple stuff of what I'm wanting to learn into my fills, it'd help a lot more than messing about I guess.
    Today, on Ethel The Frog...

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ethel_The_Frog View Post
    But yeah, if I put some simple stuff of what I'm wanting to learn into my fills, it'd help a lot more than messing about I guess.
    Thats exactly what im getting at.

  11. #11

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    What i do when i get boged down is i either slow things down, and just have fun with drum fills, or even just picking a style of music you like and do improv on that style. also i have these sony headphones that i can hear the music well over my drumming, and just have fun with my favorite songs. one more thing i do, i do not take lessons from a teacher, but i have lesson books and that helps sometimes. anyway hoped this helps a little and good luck!
    MY drum kit so far:
    pdp ez series drums(14" snare, 12, 13,and 16" toms. 22" bass)
    pdp 10" mini timbale
    Zildjian zbt 18" crash/ride, 10" splash
    paiste 201 bronze 14" hi-hats, 16" crash, 20" ride
    sabian aax 16" ozone crash
    pearl primaro cowbell.

    I love my kit!!!!!

  12. #12

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    Well what i tend to do (after getting frustrated and probally going on a tangent lol) is to either break apart the sections your having probs with and practice it piece by piece. It also helps to take about a 5 or 10 min break when things really aren't coming together. For some reason that helps to clear my mind and i find i come back to the part after the break and bam! (like emeril) it comes together lol.

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