THE DRUM ZONE!!

This list of drumming tips that were writted by various members of the Pear Drummers Forum. I compiled it into one list and edited it for spelling mistakes. I hope it proves as useful to you as it is to me. Here is the original link.

1. Drum carpet – Want to make setup a breeze? I bought a cheap, yet sturdy rug from Wal-Mart and took the time to set up my kit on it. Then I took one of the big sharpies and marked where the pedal, bass drum spurs, and various other things sat on it… During live shows, sometimes you don’t have a lot of time to set up… Set the carpet down and set up just like you do at home using the markers as “guides”. This is especially nice if you have someone helping you that doesn’t know how you set up. Tape works too if you change your setup often. A huge time-saver.

2. Be courteous to the other bands. Try to help other drummers get their equipment to the stage and help with getting it off as well. More than likely you’ll get help in return, and will get stage changeovers much more quickly, leaving more time for your set. If there are other bands behind you, then get your drums off the stage as quick as you can and THEN tear down. It’s a big time-saver and you’ll earn what I call “professionalism points” with the bar, soundman, and other bands.

3. Learn to play without monitors. Get to where you know your songs well enough to play them without hearing much guitar, vocals and bass. Most of the time clubs don’t put much thought into setting up proper monitor systems and much of the time they won’t push it loud enough for you to really hear everything if it’s a loud sound environment. I’ve played w/o monitors so much that it doesn’t affect me if I play without them, but it’s an nicely added bonus if we do get a good monitor sound.

4. Learn to appreciate all different styles of music and drumming. Listen to EVERYTHING and “borrow” a little from everyone. If you stay locked into one style or one band then of course you’ll sound like them. Stir the pot and bring something new to the table. Not only will this help you become a more versatile player, but it will help you keep your song ideas fresh without being limited or playing the same style over and over… Remember, diversity and dynamics are a good thing.

5. Become a cultured, classy and mature musician. Sure, there’s a TON of bands out there that you absolutely don’t like. But this doesn’t mean they suck. Have a professional attitude and point out little things like specific grooves, fills, stage presence, etc… that you might have liked! Talking bad about someone behind their back isn’t professional. You’ll be a much more respected musician in the community when you learn to appreciate all music and everyone (remember, this doesn’t mean you have to love it).

6. Take pride in your trade. Where else would you rather be than behind the drum kit? Remember to have fun!

7. Practice with a metronome if at all possible. But also practice without it. If people wanted machines instead of humans playing, they’d recruit drum machines to play.

8. Love metal? Want to play fast? Start slow, I don’t care how much it sucks. A lot of drummers try to fly before they can crawl. Build that house with the foundation and then work on the other stuff. RELAX – this is important. Guess what happens when you’re tense? Yep, you get tired faster. Relax, breathe, control the muscles and you’ll be much more comfortable playing faster speeds.

9. Auditioning or trying out for bands? Everyone’s a badass on paper and on the phone. Tips: the guys that say they’re great, or hype themselves up a lot have something to cover up. They’re usually not very good at their instruments. I’ve learned the guys that are humble are the real badasses that you’ll want to play with.

10. Comparing apples to oranges. This vs. That. People have a tendency to compare musicians and musical equipment. Music is an art form and people have their own way of doing things. Appreciate what they contribute. The best thing you can do is trust your ears with equipment. There is no best, only what sounds best to YOU. I can’t emphasize this enough.

11. CHEATING – How ridiculous. Music is not a sport; there is no “cheating”. A lot of the elitists think some ways of doing things are cheating. Again, music is an art form and you can express yourself ANY WAY you like. Disregard the people accusing people of how they do things as “cheating”, as they haven’t matured as artists yet.

12. Mistakes – Hey we all make them. Practice your songs and be prepared for anything. If you make a mistake, laugh about it, learn from it and keep on playing the song. ZZ Top has been doing it for decades and my buddy’s dad said one of the most memorable times was seeing the drummer screw up, laugh about it, then get right back on it! If you want perfection, listen to the CD. We’re all human.

13. Show up early as possible for shows. Get your gear loaded and take the time to relax while you set up your drums. What sucks is running late and only having 15 minutes to set up everything. You’re rushing your *** off and getting pissy. This is unnecessary stress. The best gigs you play are when you’re relaxed. Be professional, responsible and show up at a reasonable time.

14. Dealing with soundmen – They’re your ticket to what the audience is hearing from your band. Ask them respectfully to get more kick drum in the monitor or whatever else you may need. Afterwards always show your appreciation for what they do, which often times goes overlooked.

15. Warm up! Ok so the band is playing before you just got on, you have everything set up and ready to go. Take a quiet practice pad (I use the moongel one) and warm up. Not only will you get the blood circulating to those muscles, you won’t cramp up and play tense, you’ll be naturally relaxed when playing. This also prevents injury (carpal tunnel syndrome). Stretching helps too.

16. Technical Ability and Speed – Not everyone is Thomas Lang, Steve Smith or Dave Weckl. I noticed a LOT of you, especially you youngsters, place too much emphasis on technical ability and speed and forget other things drummers bring to the table. Groove, feel, stage presence, rock-solid timing, among others are ALL things you should learn to appreciate in music. Think from outside the box for a change.

17. Playing the drums to get noticed. The drums are the foundation for the entire band, and I don’t care what the vocalist and guitarists say. Without drums they have nothing. If you’re playing in a band to get girls or get status, then you’re in it for the wrong reasons.

18. Rudiments. <—-Click Link for rudiments. Learn them. By definition, they are the basics and you wouldn’t go do something else that requires the same amount of skills as drumming without knowing and understanding the basics. Learning the rudiments will increase your vocabulary and give you some great ideas.

19. Transcribe. Sit down and listen to a recording and write out what the drummer is playing. Start by figuring out the meter and the possible setup the drummer is using. Then start transcribing voice by voice (bass drum then snare and so on). This will help train your ear and, with practice, figure out almost exactly what a drummer is playing.

20. I’m not sure how true this is, but a long time ago there was a Gigs thread and JulianFC posted some great advice. The only I can remember really well was to buy packs of underwear before going on tour. As crazy as it sounds, he said that it saved a lot of trouble when clothes would be lost and band members were fighting, and having extra underwear was a huge help.

21. An easy household drum improvement if you have mid-grade drums is to put a few cotton balls in your floor toms. It really helps the sound and saves you the trouble of having to tune to perfection every time.

22. Another quote (Isaac Stern): “The worst crime of a musician is playing notes instead of making music.” In other words, this is meant as an addition to 16. 23. Learn to tune. A complete drummer is not only a good player, but also a good tuner. Learn how to tune for different purposes, like miced or unmiced shows, recording, rehearsal and different music styles like rock, metal, jazz, dance, country, whatever. A good drum sound will help you to simplify your style, because, if hitting a drum once makes you go “Aahhh!” you won’t feel the need to hit it twice. In other words, you can get along with less chops if you sound good!24. Learn how the location has impact on your sound. Retune if necessary. In unmiced situations this can make a big difference for your success.

25. Learn everything about your equipment, if you are not that successful to have an own drumtech. You may need to repair something VERY QUICKLY.

26) Have a “Play anywhere” attitude. Sure, not every job is going to pay a lot or give you a huge amount of exposure, but having a “play anywhere” attitude is important. Doing so serves 3 purposes. First, it gives you a reputation for dependability among other musicians. Secondly, it’s more practice playing in front of people and with others. (Don’t delude yourself. No matter how good you are, you will always benefit from this.) Thirdly, it gets you more exposure, no matter how little. You remember a little guy named Jeremy Colson? Well, he played a little tiny club that a certain Steve Vai just happened to be in. The rest is history.This attitude won me a gig over a band’s regular drummer who refused to play in places he considered beneath him. Even though he’s older and more experienced, I was willing to play anywhere and he wasn’t. Hence he ended up losing his gigs altogether to someone who would.

27) While music is an entertainment profession, it is still a profession, and if you work in the field, conduct yourself as such. Yes, it’s important to have fun while you’re working, but at the same time, it is also your job. Treat is at such. It may be more than just a job to you (and I certainly hope so since if you don’t enjoy it you’ll burn out in no time), but at the same token, you’re there to work and get paid, so it would benefit you to act like a mature professional.

28) Get your face known. At gigs, meet everyone and anyone that you can, whether or not they’re a musician. If people approach you (which they will) greet them cordially. The more people know you, the more work there’ll be for you in the future. People will associate your playing with your face and demand will skyrocket.

29) Be open to different kinds of sticks… different stick work well for certain applications. Don’t constrain yourself to only one pair.

30) When playing with an acoustic guitar sometimes Hot Rods can be great tools… try em!

32) Mallets are another great tool to have in the bag for cymbal swells. They provide a much smoother effect than sticks…

33. Learn to listen to things not just hear them. Listening involves some effort on your part: clear your head, focus and absorb. Once you become a proficient listener you will find you are better able to respond to, compliment, and establish the feel, intensity, and direction of the music.

34. Protect those ears of course!!!

35. Experiment with and develop different grips, strokes, movements and WHERE you grip your sticks. Subtle changes in these areas can often have a profound effect on your sound and feel.

36: songs are about repeats. Unless you are a strictly “jam” drummer, you need to work out patterns. Kick patterns, phrases (such as 2 bars / 4 bars) etc. When playing in a cover band make sure you get those things right, so many drummers say they can play a song but just ad-lib the kick or whatever… really not cool. When writing songs work out patterns for verses / choruses etc and fills that can be common throughout the song or are related in one way or another… this serves 2 purposes, one you sound much better… i honestly think the band sounds so much more pro if stuff is consistent from the drummer… and 2 in the studio you can record the tracks before your band does.. They will thank you later.

37: Have as many drum keys as humanly possible. Attach one to your keychain so that you have one handy even if you don’t have stick bags or other drum stuff with you. Since you always have your keys with you (I do at least) you always have one at your disposal. I also have some moongels in my car at all times. Even though I don’t like to use them much, they can be lifesavers (to stop soundmen from trying to kill you, for instance )

38) Make sure you put the seat on your throne before sitting…

39. Stop trying to play so dang fast.

40. Be different! Why would someone hire you when there is someone who does the same thing better?

41. Learn to be play with less and be more creative. Strip down your kit and learn to groove with bass snare and hats.

42. Always pee before you play…