The Blueprint Method
Posted in Learn
In the last article, I outlined a style of learning that I call Polka-Dot Learning and explained how many drummers use it thinking that it’s effective but showed how it actually hinders their progress over time. Towards the end of the article, I mentioned a style of learning that is far more effective than Polka-Dot Read More »
The Secret of Single Surface Practice
Posted in Learn
Do you ever feel frustrated because no matter how much time or effort you put into practice, things just don’t seem to be improving for you? If you have, don’t worry: you’re not alone. But contrary to what most may think, the solution to improving your drumming isn’t always to just practice more. After all, Read More »
The 3 Essential Drum Stroke Rebounds
Posted in Learn
Most drummers don’t know what type of rebounds they use when they play. And while you shouldn’t be focused on the type of rebound you use for every single note you play as you play it, it’s important to have a deep understanding of what’s happening with the sticks when you drum. Why? Because as Read More »
Power Vs. Force: A Definitive Guide for Drumming
Posted in Learn
As drummers, we speak with our hands. This means that the tones and textures we create on our instruments are directly influenced by the way we move. If you move in a tight and rigid manner, you’re going to speak in a tight and rigid tone. If you move in a smooth and relaxed manner, Read More »
The Art of Perceiving Musical Patterns
Posted in Learn
When you refine music to its most basic foundation, it’s nothing but patterns of rhythms and pitches organized across time. The way you perceive these musical patterns is essential to the way you perform. The Big Picture of Musical Patterns Understanding music boils down to identifying different patterns and knowing what those patterns mean. The Read More »
5 Myths About Drum Technique
Posted in Learn
Beliefs inspire action and action creates results. But if your beliefs are misguided, you will take action on the wrong things and generate unwanted results. That’s why it’s important to make sure your drumming beliefs are based on solid ground and will guide you in the right direction. In this article, we’re going to go Read More »
The 4 Essential Building Blocks of Drumming
Posted in Learn
In previous articles, I talked about a popular style of learning that I call Polka-Dot Learning and explained why it’s detrimental to use for a long period of time and then explained what I call the Blueprint Method and showed why this method of learning is far more effective and yields greater results. But what Read More »
How to Conceptually Organize Rhythm
Posted in Learn
As explained in the Four Essential Building Blocks of Drumming, your rhythmic knowledge is the foundation of everything that you do as a drummer. Like the foundation of a physical structure, the larger, stronger, and more organized your rhythmic knowledge is, the more you will be able to build on top of it. A lot Read More »
What Every Drummer Needs to Know About Time
Posted in Learn
Rhythmic knowledge is the first and most fundamental building block of the 4 Essential Building Blocks of Drumming. It is the foundation of everything you do as a drummer because it is the base that all of your drumming knowledge is built on top of. If you build your rhythmic knowledge haphazardly without care, you Read More »
The Thing that Holds Most Drummers Back
Posted in Learn
Do you want to be a better drummer? Do you want to have the ability to play difficult passages with flawless technique, great tone quality, sensitive touch, and extraordinary accuracy? We all do. But many drummers and percussionists set out to obtain these things using a terrible method that actually holds them back from achieving Read More »