Return
to the beginning.
Enter by form.
Clean your dojo.
As you have everyday, tie on the white belt and empty your
cup.
Pick up your (drum), tune, then play.
-Philip
Toshio Sudo
Welcome to The Drum Dojo!
The Drum Dojo is a beginner’s drum school taught by Brian
whiskey. The lessons and this website is designed to
teach the newest of drummers the basics and fundamentals of
drumming and the drum kit. The courses can run as long as the
student wishes and covers the following:
-Stick holding, chair and drum position
-Drum function, tuning and set up
-Drum and hardware fundamentals
-Drum theory, "Zen drumming" and drumming history
-Single stroke, double stroke and more rudiments, with hands
and feet
-The Moeller technique
-Hand and feet coordination (independence)
-Basic drum grooves
-Time signatures such as 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 5/4
-Reading/writing music and sight reading
-Double bass
The lessons also cover musical styles such as:
Rock, shuffles, surf rock, rockin 50's, classic country,
contemporary country, country rock, gospel, R&B, Motown,
swing, basic jazz, blues, hard rock, alternative rock, funk
rock, metal, classic funk, funk rock, funk metal, disco,
New Orleans backbeat and street march, hip hop, Samba, Bossa
Nova, Mambo and the cha cha (whew).
Do not be intimidated though, you can do it. It's just not
going to be easy. But nothing good ever is...
In the future, there are plans to reinvest student tuition
back into the Dojo. Once a month, the Dojo will have a drum
clinic video night so you can watch the best of the best with
other drummers.
For more information contact Brian Whiskey at 314-216-1178 or
e-mail him at [email protected]
Or
check out some preforming videos on You Tube. Be
sure to click on Brianthedrummr to see all of his videos!
It
doesn't matter if your the greates guitar player in
the world. If
your not enlightned, then forget it.
-George
Harrison
Motivation
My first
experience with drums was my uncles' kit when I was about 5. He let me play on
it on a few occasions but
my memory of 1975 is poor at best. Over the years I remember
playing music with my mother and her piano. She loved
blues and funk, then in the 80's she
bought an organ and played everything she could find. She also had a vast
history of
playing the accordion since she was a small girl and I
remember playing around with her accordions when I was little. I
have even heard tales of my grandfather playing the guitar,
but I have never seen him with one. However, even when I
showed interest, I never learned or was taught how to play
anything.
Over the years I
have found that there are two types of people in this world. Those who are creative, and those who
are not. I have never been satisfied with what the commercial industry
has to offer, and always wanted to improve it with
my own original ideas. When I was 10 in 1980, the role playing
game Dungeons and Dragons was just becoming popular.
I was not allowed to play the game because my religious
stepmother heard rumors of it being demonic and persuaded my
ignorant father into not allowing it in the house. At the time
I cried because I had found something that was so interesting
that I felt compelled to be creative. My imagination soared.
But, I was never one to go behind my parents' back and do
what I as told not to do. So I did the next logical thing I
thought was legitimate, I created my own role playing game. Even
today I have my own web-site with over 20 miniature and role
playing games I have designed. But my creativity did not
stop there. I also have hundreds of drawings, paintings and
stories I have created over the years. I even have some
cartoon characters that have been copyrighted and I am
currently involved in their promotion with several products.
But even with my
successes and avenues of creativity, I was still not satisfied until my birthday
in 1998. It was then,
during my birthday party, that a friend of mine brought over
his 12-string guitar and played music. He encouraged me to
get my old conga that my uncle had given me when I was twelve.
I had never touched the thing until that night. Something
clicked within me. I found a certain pleasure in hand drumming
that night and wanted more. For the next year I casually
played around with the drum and also learned blues harp. I
then moved to
for a year and a half. During that time, while being satisfied
with music, I still wanted to play drums. I bought my first set in
2000.
After a year of
whacking around on them and playing music with some other guys I worked with, I
moved to
beaches of
several bands that broke up because of differences of opinion
and musical styles.
I played with a
Church band for 3.5 years in the military. Not only did I improve, but I
learned hundred's of things I
would of never have learned outside of that place. I learned
control, dynamics, gospel 2 step, country and rock
shuffles,
stick control and gained the ability to play in front of
60-120 people on a weekly basis without fear or anxiety. I played
for an hour every Sunday and practiced 3 times a week. I
played with several guitarists, keyboard and bass players. I
worked with over 30 musicians, 10 of which were drummers
ranging from
Two of the most
important things I learned at that time, was a deep musical understanding and a
ridged productive
practice routine. I gathered with the other musicians for
years every Saturday morning for music class and shared our
resources at hand, books from companies and years of personal
experience. I ordered every book I could find with CD's
and diagrams and taught myself to read music, and learn the
bass guitar.
The practice routine
I developed, through trial and error, was based upon books I read and exercises
in magazines.
It soon developed into a daily practice routine with multiple
variations of lessons that developed my speed, accuracy and
independence. When I did not have a kit, I set up a desk and
chair, and used a belt strapped across my legs wrapped in
towels to beat on. I used old magazines and advertisements
from drums companies to make drumsticks held together with
rubber bands. I then set up my drum-kit at church with the
same height and distances as my desk and chairs. I made sure
that I played drums everyday. After a year it became natural
to practice and become comfortable with it as a natural part
of my routine.
I worked my way
through George Stones "Stick Control", Matt Savage's "Savage
Rudimental Workshop", "It's
About Time" by Fred Dinkens, "The New Breed I and
II" by Gary Chester, "Realistic Rock" By Carmine Appice,
"Speed and Thrash Drum Method" by Roy Stetina,
"Double Bass Drumming" by Joe Franco and "The Moeller
Book".
This does not include the many lessons in Modern Drummer or
Drum magazine!
While it is
difficult to get the same results as a drumstick from rolled up paper, I did
learn how to master the single
stroke roll and develop a deep independence. What I could not
do in my cell, I did at church practice. Can you' imagine
hearing "Celebrate Jesus" with a double bass pedal?
Thank you Joe Franco!
Overall the
developments and independence I learned showed on the kit week after week. I
was amazed that my
skills, stamina and speed improved dramatically over the
course of such a short time. I had always been regretful and
jealous of other drummers whom had been playing since they
were 5 and I thought I could never catch up. But I did, and
then some.
In late September of
2004,1 crushed my left pinkie between two 601bs
dumbbells while working out. After
spending a week in a splint, the Doctor decided to perform
surgery and install two stainless steel pins to hold the bone
place so it could heal. I spent another four weeks in splint
until the pins were removed. It took another 4 weeks before I
could close my hand and make a fist. I was devastated but not
once did I miss any band practice. Since I played right
hand lead, it was just a matter of playing everything with my
right hand. I was thankful it was not my left hand but then
again, if it was, I would be a master with my left! During the
last week with my pins, despite the pain (and much to the
disgust of the keyboard player), I was able to take of my cast
and play without a lot of pain. While I did use my left hand,
my pinkie was still useless and I had to worry about the pins
getting stuck on the kit. Ever seen a drummer throw down
devil horns with two steel pins sticking out f his finger?
After another 6 weeks of physical therapy and strength training, I
still suffered from a lot of pain and now, the damn thing is
crooked. The therapist asked me what my biggest concern was.
I said it was holding a drumstick.
Repeat
slowly, then go slower.
Continue for 15 minutes. Tomorrow, go sixteen.
-Philip
Toshio Sudo
Effective practicing
Why practice?
There are many
answers to this question, there is only one that I am
concerned with. One that I think sums it all up. Muscle memory.
Take a moment and think back to this morning. Do you remember
tying your shoes? Buttoning your pants? Using your turn signal? You know you
did it, your shoes are on, you pants
are still up and you did not get a ticket for not using your turn signals. I am
sure you can remember these
moments if you try, but at the time they came automatically,
without thinking. These are called habits.
Webster's dictionary
defines a habit as an action or behavior you do or perform without thinking
about it. Such as biting your nails, or smoking a
cigarette. Repeating a physical and mental behavior or action
over and over again creates a habit. If it works with the actions I mentioned
above (to a
very successful degree I might add), then why can't we have
good habits? And why can't it work for drumming? It can.
Developing a habit
of playing drums is the goal. Well not necessarily playing drums, but the
performance of certain things likes, triplets, fills
and rolls. From practicing everyday to playing rudiments to
doing a fill when sitting at your kit should be automatic. Most of the time
when I am
playing with my band, I have very little time to think about
what fill I am going to do or what my bass foot is doing. They usually run on
autopilot.
But, I still can change anything as I see fit, and am aware of
what I am playing. I don't want to be a robot and play without feeling. But I
do know
that I can focus on where to put in a 5-stroke roll, not how
well or even to play the five stoke roll.
Developing
habits takes time, and lots of repetition. This is why we practice everyday.
This is the only way to develop skill, speed and good
drumming habits. Along with the habits come other benefits.
-Speed and endurance
-Confidence- Knowing that you can play what you want to,
anytime. You don't have a fear of your shoes falling off because you didn't tie
them
right, do you?
-Comfort- There is a comfortable feeling we all have when we
do something everyday. Be it smoking, wearing the same shoes or hitting the
turn
single with the same hand your
steering with.
-Security- Along with confidence comes
a security knowing that you have played any particular rhythm or beat a hundred
times.
And this time won't be any different. This reduces nerves,
stress and anxiety especially when playing at gigs. Knowing you have played
this beat a
hundred times allows you to relax and enjoy yourself, only
then can you play with feeling and emotion.
Proper technique and learning these basics can be found in the
most simple of places.
1. Taking instructions- The best way is by
taking instruction from an experienced teacher or another drummer, you will
gain perfect technique.
2. Reading- By purchasing books on stick
holding or playing the drum set, you can learn by using the pictures and
charts. While not a bad way,
you might always misinterpret something and still create bad
habits. Also, these books can be costly and may not show you what you want.
3. Contact manufacturers- you would be
surprised at how much you can learn by having drum companies send you
advertisements and catalogues.
For example, Zildjian sends a 12 page booklet that comes in
the mail with their main catalogue, and has a plethora of cymbal information.
It tells you
how to setup your cymbal, prevent breakage and how to strike
it with your drumstick. Paiste even shows you how to test symbols before you
buy
them, all for free!
Being Productive
It
is important not only to develop a good practice routine, but also knowing what
to practice and for how long. I frequently found myself
asking, how can I tell if what I am practicing is productive?
First, I give
everything a chance. I have a rule of thumb that I will work through any lesson
for at least one practice day. If it is too easy and I
feel that I am not pushing myself, then I will move on. This
gives me peace of mind knowing that I went over the material and if anything, I
reinforced something I already knew. Often I can see things
from a different perspective as the lessons are from two different teachers.
I can tell when I need to work on something, or when the
lesson is doing me some good. It's when I feel frustrated when playing. When I
have the
feeling that I just can't get it or that I cannot get my arm
or leg to move at the right time or something doesn't sound right. Then I am
having a good
practice. This is probably the most critical lesson some
people never learn. Some people are just lazy or hate difficult things. Most
quit when coming
across something that is difficult. But this is the feeling of
learning. Pushing yourself past the limitations and straining is what learning
is about.
I knew a guitar player that quit every time he tried something
that he could not play. If he came across a song or a difficult chord, he
simply went on
to something that was easier, or something he already knew that
he could play. After several years of playing, he wonders why he can only play
the
50 greatest licks of all time.
I knew a drummer
that could play a bad ass 2 + 4 rock rhythm at any speed. This guy was fast and
smooth. But after listening to him play the
same thing for 15 minutes, I asked him what else he could do.
He said "Nothing, that's it!" That's all he knew how to play because
he was not willing
to learn anything else because he got easily frustrated and
angry.
Pushing yourself beyond your limits is the only way to self
improve. Imagine a weight lifter if he only stopped when the weight got heavy.
He
would not put on any muscle. By applying stress beyond his
muscle limits, his body compensates and builds new muscle to deal with the
stress.
Drumming is no different. The hard part is to tell when you're
stressing yourself too little or not enough. It is easy to be come disappointed
and
frustrated.
Below is a suggested
practice schedule for the next 3 years, it is designed to take advantage of the
most popular publications on the market.
While 3 years may seem like a long time, time is irrelevant.
It may take a moment to learn how to play something on a drum, but a lifetime
to master.
Tommy Lee said that even after 20 years of drumming, he still
has a lot to learn.
I have set up the
practice schedule with two things in mind. First, not wasting your time on
things you already know and second, not becoming
frustrated with something with something you're not ready for.
By keeping a daily log of what you practiced, you can review it and take note
of the
progress you making. If you notice a lesson that has been
constantly easy or difficult, move on or skip it. Always give a lesson a day of
practice time
if it seems easy, or a week if it's difficult. It may take a
few months to determine what is difficult for you. For me, any pattern that I
hesitate on or
doesn't feel smooth and throws my tempo off needs more work.
You may feel like you're on a time limit to learn, but you're not. Everyone
learns at
there own pace. Some lessons might be more difficult for some.
And in the future, you'll find the lessons that are easier for you, and you'll
make up
for lost time.
It's important to remember
that practice time is not a waste of time, or some chore that you have to do.
Remember that with every stroke, every
fill and every song you're are developing and learning and
becoming better. When people first start to lose weight through diet and
exercise, they lose
massive amounts. 10 -15 pounds may be common in the first week
or two. But after that, the weight loss drops dramatically and for the next few
weeks, you may only lose a few pounds, if anything at all.
Drumming can be the same way. There have been times that I have felt like, even
though I
am practicing everyday, that I am not getting anywhere. I
think this stems from two problems. One, I progress in bursts, or two, I
progress in such
small increments, its not overly
noticeable. I must remember though, that I am improving for the simple fact
that I am practicing. If I start to lose
weight and I see no progress, I have to remember that I am
doing he right thing simply because I am trying to lose weight. I must remember
that gains
will show it just takes time.
Only perfect practice makes perfect
Bad habits
Bad habits are
things we may see or not see. A bad habit is something that we do while playing
that is detrimental to becoming a good drummer,
such as holding the sticks wrong, poor posture and so on.
Regardless, they are always things that prevent you from being the best you can
be. The
goal is to identify bad habits, and correct them before they
become automatic. The best way to identify bad habits is to have another drummer
watch
you and let you what he thinks. Or to have a
instructor make suggestions or give you tips. Unfortunately, another drummer
may not be available, or
may not have the knowledge to correct you (or worse, show you
his bad habits) and an instructor may cost money. But I am sure that there is
always someone at a local drum shop or online that can help.
For now, the best
way to identify bad habits is to read. By reading how to guides and books, you
and tell if you playing the right way or not.
More often than not, you can listen to your body and you music
to see if you have any bad habits or not. While this skill may take some time,
some
are blatantly
obvious and with a little common sense, they can be fixed.
Below is a problem
chart I have created in my past that followed some of the problems I have
encountered. Based on the following basics, I can
identify and correct these, and any future problems. If my
solutions don't work, then I can do more research or ask a professional.
Any one or more of the following identifies a problem or bad
habit:
-Having pain (not fatigue or the inability to play something,
but sharp, stabbing, unequal pain on one side)
-Dropping, breaking or knocking out of alignment, sticks,
drums or other equipment.
-Something that doesn't sound or feel right.
Training your ear
I can listen to
song 15 to 20 times in a row and hear something different. I have trained my
ear to hear everything, not just the bass drum or the
snare. More importantly, I can see how the drums relate to the
entire song. Below is a sample list of a basic formula I use when listening to
a song. It
may be hard to focus at first and pick out little things such
as torn differences or splash cymbals, but in time, you will.
If you're not familiar with the terms below, then you have
some homework to do then, huh?
General overall questions:
1. Band name / Song
title / CD/album title / year published
2. Song length
3. Time
signature (3/4, 4/4/ 6/8, 5/4, 7/4, 12/8, or polyrhythms like 3/2)
4. Song form (AABA, ABAC, AAB,
etc)
5. Special time signatures, time changes
6. Key
changes
7. Band members
names / positions / music history / style of play
8. How does the song
make you feel? Angry? Happy?
Like dancing? Sad? Wanting to make love?
Dissect the song:
9. Focus on the singer.
10. Focus on the lead guitar.
11. Focus on the rhythm guitar.
12. Focus on the Bass guitar.
13. Focus on the Drums.
14. What cymbal is he keeping time on and with what notes?
15. Does the drumming have an overall feel such as a shuffle,
rock beat or blues?
16. If you can, research the exact setup of the drummer
through magazines, drummers' sponsor or the bands web site.
17. Focus on the Bass drum.
18. Focus on the Snare drum.
19. Focus on the Toms.
20. Focus on the Crash/ splash cymbals.
21. Focus on the Hi hats and the ride cymbals.
22. How do the drums relate to the singer, guitar and bass
guitar?
23. What about the drumming stands out in this song? Fills,
solo?
24. How does the drumming fit within the song: S
Dynamically
•S Accents S Fills ^
Solos
•S Bass guitar / singer / lead melody
25. Transcribe it.
26. Play it.
Some things to expect when practicing
Especially
during your fist few months, you'll notice some unpleasant things, like
blisters. You'll develop blister on the first finger and your
thumb in the first few weeks. While this is normal, it will
take time for them to turn into calluses. I suggest that for the first 2
months, you work each
lesson twice, one day with your hands and the next day with
just your feet. This will allow time for your blisters to heal.
Practicing without the set
You don't always
need a drum set to practice with. Several manufactures
sell a laptop or standalone practice pad. Some even sell putty that you
squish on a low table to practice on. With an extra pair of
sticks you can practice anywhere. At work, at home, and in
your car. They even make a
plastic double bass pedal that makes no sound so you can
practice at work.
Even without these
practice tools, you can still develop your independence and co-ordination.
Often, I found myself sitting around with nothing
to play on, but plenty of free time. I would practice
rudiments or drum beats with my hands and feet developing speed and burning the
rudiments
into my muscle memory. Sometimes, I would first learn entire
songs by using my hands and feet.
I once read of an
experiment done with an entire basketball team. One half of the team practiced
shooting free throws for an hour a day, for a
month. The other half practiced shooting mental free throws in
a quiet room for the same time. When brought together for a shootout, both
scored as
if they had been practicing on the same court. What does this
mean for drummers? Play air drums! When I listen to a song, not only do I
fantasize
about playing drums to it but also I'm on stage in front of a
huge audience. For me, it develops a sense of well being, timing and mental
stimulation,
not to mention excitement and motivation. I usually pick a
stage that I have preformed on before and imagine what it would be like to play
there again.
Having a good practice
For me, a good
practice is when I don't want to stop after an hour. It's when I feel great,
pumped up and excited about what I have been playing
and what I have learned. I feel like I accomplished something,
and that I am a better drummer and better person. Having a good practice is a
choice.
Having poor or "unfun" practices can lead to
constant disappointment and frustration. You learn better when your in a good mood. Drumming
(practicing) should be fun, not a chore. I can make every
practice a good practice by following these steps.
-I should remember that I am not practicing, I am drumming!
This is what I love to do.
-Listen to music that motivates you before and during set up.
-Have clear defined goals and a lesson plan, such as the one I
made out above
-Try something new such as different sticks, a new drum or
peace of equipment. Something so simple as hitting a
tambourine instead of the hi-hat
can bring life to an otherwise boring drumbeat.
-Everything is important, from every hit of the stick to every
moment behind the set.
-Practicing less than 3 times a week will get you nowhere.
Practicing 3 times a week is simply maintenance and reinforces what you already
know.
Practicing everyday is the only way for you to get better.
-Knowing that you play everyday means that you are improving,
regardless of what your progress chart shows, or what you see. Just as the
needle
on your gas gauge may not move, you know your burning fuel
simply because your engine is running.
-Have enough time- You should practice when you are sure you
can have a hour or so of uninterrupted time. I easily
get distracted or have a hard
time focusing if I am expecting someone at my door, the phone
to ring or need to be somewhere soon.
-Focus. Nothing matters but what you are playing.
-Don't worry about the mistakes you've made, and don't stop,
you'll get it right in the next measure.
-Every drummer has been where you are right now.
-If you're having a problem learning a drumbeat, focus on the
"opposite end" of the drum beat. For example, if you can hit the
snare between the bass
drum, then change your focus to the bass drum and hit before
and after the snare.
-When playing a new rhythm, start off by playing one thing at
a time. Such as Just the Hi-hat, then add in the next simplest such as the
snare, then
the bass drum.
-By using music software such as Cakewalk, Finale 2004-2005,
BFD, Groove Agent, G7, Allegro or Sibelius, you can enter a written drum
pattern
from a magazine or a book and hear what is supposed to sound
like or check out their own. Also, you can slow down the tempo to make it
easier to
play, and even take out certain things like the hi-hat to make
it easier to hear and focus on a particular part.
-Play with a metronome, the lesson CD or at least the radio or
music CD's. Find something that has a steady tempo and play to it. I think the
radio is
great as every song has a varied tempo and I can lay the drum
rhythm I am learning at several speeds (see developing your drum ear).
-Clinics, drum shops, exhibitions and videos are excellent
sources of inspiration and knowledge.
-Start a band. Playing with others teaches you invaluable
lessons.