Drum Blog
Thomas Lang On Foot Technique – No Drums Required
A million years ago I attended an intensive drumming course that Mike Dolbear put on. It was five days of study with a bunch of big name drummers including Billy Ward, Ash Soan, Thomas Lang and Phil Gould. There were also a swing class with Ralph Salmins that led to an amazing opportunity to study with Ralph one on one. I was not that enthusiastic about the Thomas Lang classes as my perception of him was of one of those… Read More »Thomas Lang On Foot Technique – No Drums Required
Ari Hoenig on How To Work With Songs
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.
Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band
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.
Sounds Like A Drum – Tuning Essentials
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
Sunflower Groove – Sixteenth Note Variations
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.
Some Tips For Playing Drums Softly
I am spending an increasing amount of time on my jazz playing and developing the ability to play softly. My rocknroll side is appalled at this but my inner Brian Blade is egging me on. One approach is learning to play with proper French grip which I just started working on with my teacher. The beginning of the journey is a bunch of odd exercises that came from Freddie Gruber. I’ve also been working on holding my sticks further up… Read More »Some Tips For Playing Drums Softly
The Bill Sanders Button Pad – A Portable Practice Pad
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.
Blues Gig Last Night
I had a great time playing with The Black Diamonds at Ain’t Nothin But last night. Here’s a little clip:
Free Introduction to Konnakol Course from Asaf Sirkis
Asaf Sirkis has released a free course called Mastering Rhythm With Konnakol which is an easy, step-by-step introduction to using Konnakol in a way that is useful to Western musicians.