This is a great video by drummer Ari Hoenig about learning to sing the music that you play. The idea here is presented in relation to jazz songs but whatever music you’re playing, knowing the song is going to make you play like a real musician.
Check out the amazing Brian Blade playing with the Hamburg Radio Big Band. Blade’s touch, feel and musicality are just incredible. What a beautiful thing to watch and listen to.
I love the Sounds Like A Drum channel on YouTube. These guys really know their shit when it comes to making drums sound great. They explain everything from the way drumheads work, how to choose snare wires and fit them, how to tune for different sounds and styles, how to attain exotic sounds and so on. All of their videos are worth watching. Here’s a playlist featuring the essential tuning basics just to get you started. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYTmGAbCD30Mr1z_pgp3ypw
A student of mine wanted to learn how to play to Sunflower by a chap called Post Malone. It’s a hand-to-hand sixteenth note groove. I wrote a bunch of variations to help develop facility with these sorts of patterns. If you find it useful, enjoy. I recommend playing the hihat accents throughout but you may prefer not to. Download the PDF here.
This is my little video demonstrating Bill’s latest offering to the drum community – a little portable 4″ practice pad you can take anywhere. It’s weighted so it doesn’t bounce around and also helps to focus on your accuracy.
Here’s some interesting chitchat from Stewart Copeland where he compares the way classically trained or orchestral musicians play by the eye with the way we rock and jazz musicians play with the ear.
The kids who attended Ebony & Ivory’s half-term band workshop have turned in a stellar performance. The Songs Watermelon Man with Sami on drums Theme From The Good, Bad & The Ugly with Hristian on drums You Really Got Me with Sami on drums Misrilou with Hristian on drums Theme From The Good, Bad & The Ugly with Sami on drums Personnel Andre – Vocals and Lead Guitar Uzair – Guitar Cliffmark – Keyboard Hristian – Drums & Percussion Sami… Read More »Our October 2018 Half-Term Band Workshop Performance
The Bad Plus drummer Dave King gives a load of great insights about improvising on the drums including suggestions about ways you can practice improvising. An inspiring and informative video about a subject that can seem almost esoteric at times. You should definitely watch this.
This is an interesting informational animation about how practice works from TED. Go slow and practice your moves accurately. Concentrate and avoid distractions. Myelin sheaths…
I was extremely flattered to be contacted by the nice lady from Makers4Good the company that produces the Backbeater tempo measuring gadget. They offered to send me one that I could keep in return for me writing a review. Wow! I’ve really made it. Someone wants to know what I think. Of course I agreed to try it out. The Backbeater is fairly useful for measuring your tempo if you’re playing grooves with a steady two and four backbeat but… Read More »Review of The Backbeater – Musical Tempo Monitoring System