Be sure to pick up the April issue of Modern Drummer Magazine for a complete look at the Product Close-Up!

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Visit ModernDrummer.com/books to check out this book and many more.

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Congratulations to the following winners!

• Robert Klieger – Prize level 1
• Aaron Apaza – Prize level 2
• Andrew Michael – Prize level 3
• Stéphane David – Prize level 4
• Marcus Whitfield – Prize level 5

This contest would not have been possible without the wonderful support of Modern Drummer Magazine, Dixon Drums and Hardware, BOSO Drumsticks, and World’s Fastest Drummer Organization.

The drum set is unique in that it is a collection of individual percussion instruments that must achieve a unified voice.  It’s like a combo with four musicians; it has to sound unified, not scattered or disconnected. If one member of the band is out of sync, the whole band sounds bad; this same principle applies to our time feel.

The first thing we must master at the drums is that all four limbs are unified by a common pulse or beat. We also have to make sure that there is a sonic balance among all four limbs. By balance, I do not mean equal volume.  Today, most drummers prefer the ride cymbal to be more dominant than the bass drum but this was not always the case. In the Swing era, the bass drum was played much louder. Use your best judgment or ask your teacher for advice or just listen to your favorite drummer to get a better idea.

Set your metronome to a comfortable quarter note pulse, somewhere between 100-120.  If this is too fast for you, slow it down as needed.

1.) Now start with the ride cymbal playing quarter notes to match the click from the metronome.

2.) Once this is feeling good, add hi hat on 2 and 4 and make sure they line up with the metronome. I strongly recommend heel down with on the hi hat pedal but you may prefer heel up. Try both ways.

With just these two parts of the kit, we should be able to generate a good time feel.

3.) Next add a slight accent on 2 and 4 on your ride cymbal by raising your arm up after beats 1 and 3 in preparation for the strokes on 2 and 4. Think Moeller: upstroke after 1/downstroke on 2/upstroke after  3/downstroke on 4. (See photos 1 and 2). Your right elbow should move slightly away from your torso as you prepare for the downstrokes.

4.) We can now add the “skip” beat or dotted 8^th/16^th note feel to beats 2 and 4. Again, make sure the ride cymbal and the hi hat line up with the metronome click.

5.) Next we can add the bass drum playing a feathered (quiet) four to the bar or “four on the floor”. This technique is often misunderstood as being old fashioned but Alan Dawson straightened me out on it back in 1966 when, as a student of his, I had the same misconception about its use. The idea is to underscore the pulse played by the bass, not cover it up. It is essential in big band drumming but also very effective at certain tempos in small group drumming as well.  When Alan told me that Tony Williams used this technique, which he learned from Max Roach, I was sold. However, as the tempo increases, you can change the 4 beat bass drum to syncopated beats.

We now have 3 separate limbs working together on the same common beat and we should be trying to make the metronome “swing”. This “swing” feel is achieved by finding a balance between the mechanical click of the metronome and where you place your beat. You have probably heard the terms “on the center of the beat, on top of the beat and in back of or behind the beat”.  The center of the beat means right on the click so that the click practically disappears. On top of the beat would be slightly ahead of the click but not rushing (bassist Ray Brown was a very good example of this feel). Back of the beat is slightly behind the click without slowing down (The feeling of the Count Basie Band best exemplifies this feeling). When you are comfortable with the center of the beat, experiment with the metronome by laying back a bit so that it feels like the metronome is pulling you along; then try getting on top of the metronome so that you are pulling it along. Hopefully, this will help you to understand these different time feels.

Once we have these 3 limbs happening, we can add some easy comps from the snare drum. Try the upbeat or “and” of 1 at first then add the upbeat of 3 as well. Experiment with the left hand by playing all the available beats in a measure of 4/4, one beat at a time. There are many books that deal with the subject of coordinated independence at the drums so choose the one you like and practice with the metronome.

O.K., so now back to the issue of playing up tempo (fast) without tiring. One major reason I have discovered over the years for fatigue is a lack of relaxation when playing. You may have seen some drummers who look like they are working very hard when they play fast while others achieve the same thing seemingly effortlessly.  One thing that has served me well over the years is the ability to stay relaxed at the drums. A very famous jazz pianist once described me as looking like a Gazelle when I play because of the motion in my arms!

While playing the previously outlined exercises, tune in to your body starting with your neck and shoulders. Ask yourself, “Do I feel tight in the shoulders? Do I feel tight in the arms or the wrists”? This relaxation should start at the neck and shoulders and continue to the tips of your fingers. This does not mean a loose grip or sloppy technique, but a controlled motion. Again, think Moeller in approach. The motion in your arms will assist you.

At slower tempos, the arm motion(upstroke/downstroke) is more exaggerated; as the tempo increases the motion condenses (gets smaller) but is still present and generated from the shoulders down to the fingers. The idea is to create a momentum that helps the arm achieve a perpetual motion.

Check out this video of Tony Williams on You Tube and watch his right arm flow. Most of the time he is altering the ride pattern but his motion is a very good example of what I am describing.

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What I sometimes see from students is a locked arm position in both hands, but particularly the ride cymbal arm which then requires the wrist to work harder while playing time. (Photo 3)

It is possible to play this way, of course and many drummers do.  For many of us, this would not be much of a problem at a medium tempo, but as we get faster it can be.

Compare the 2 approaches for yourself and decide if it is easier with a little more motion in the arm.

Now comes the hard part: you have to practice!

You should practice with a metronome but I also highly recommend playing along with recordings as I did as a kid.  Pick a track that is around half note=90 and should be at least 7-10 minutes in length. As your ability improves, you can find tracks that are faster. Pay attention to how the drummer on the track you are playing along with interacts with the rest of the band and learn from this as well.

Remember to check your relaxation along the way because it is very easy to revert back to old habits. Take your time each step of the way to achieve full benefit from each step.

Hopefully, this will help you to be able to play faster tempos for longer periods of time without feeling tired.

Free Instructional Drum Video:

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CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL CONTEST PAGE!

 In celebration of National Drum Month…

LouisvilleDrummer.com is pleased to announce our collaboration with World’s Fastest Drummer to bring you

“WFD The Game Contest.”

For the entire month of November gamers from all over the world will be competing for a chance to win one of five prizes packages.  All five prize levels include a shirt, sticks, stickers, and two dvd’s!  The top three participants will also have a chance to win a Dixon Bass Drum Pedal, a Vintage Collectors Dromometor with Offical Pad, or a One Year Subscription to Modern Drummer Magazine!

Click here to watch the promo video!

How to Play 

1. Subscribe to LouisvilleDrummer.com by email to be eligible to win!
2. Download WFD the game for iOS or Android
   1. iTunes
   2. Amazon
   3. Google Play
   4. Nook
3. Play WFD the game in Pro mode!
4. Email your name and high score screen shot* to LouisvilleDrummer@gmail.com
5. The top five scores will be selected for prizes listed bellow**

Prizes

Prize Level 1

• Dixon PP-9290 Single Bass Drum Pedal
• WFD Shirt
• WFD Drum Sticks
• WFD Stickers
• WFD The First Ten Years Documentary (DVD)
• Johnny Rabb “30 Days to Better Hands” (DVD)

Prize Level 2

• WFD Vintage Collectors Drumometer w/Official Pad
• WFD Shirt
• WFD Drum Sticks
• WFD Stickers
• WFD The First Ten Years Documentary (DVD)
• Johnny Rabb “30 Days to Better Hands” (DVD)
• LouisvilleDrummer.com Bumper Stickers

Prize Level 3

• 1 Year Subscription to Modern Drummer Magazine (U.S. Residents Only)
• WFD Shirt
• WFD Drum Sticks
• WFD Stickers
• WFD The First Ten Years Documentary (DVD)
• Johnny Rabb “30 Days to Better Hands” (DVD)
• LouisvilleDrummer.com Bumper Stickers

Prize Level 4

• 1 Brick of BOSO 100% Bamboo Drumsticks
• WFD Shirt
• WFD Drum Sticks
• WFD Stickers
• WFD The First Ten Years Documentary (DVD)
• Johnny Rabb “30 Days to Better Hands” (DVD)
• LouisvilleDrummer.com Bumper Stickers

Prize Level 5

• WFD Shirt
• WFD Drum Sticks
• WFD Stickers
• WFD The First Ten Years Documentary (DVD)
• Johnny Rabb “30 Days to Better Hands” (DVD)
• LouisvilleDrummer.com Bumper Stickers

Sponsors

*To take a screen shot on apple devices simply press and hold the power and home buttons.  Read this article for suggestions on how to take a screen shot of an android device.

**High scores may need to be verified by WFD or LouisvilleDrummer.com.  A video of your phone with the high score may be requested to authenticate score.

Items

1. A Carry Crate

(Dimensions: 1’ 6.5” x 1’.75” x 4”)

This is the base for the entire project.

2. Nuts, Bolts, and Washers

• Long Bolts are 2” x .25” in diameter
• Spur Bolts are 1.5”x.25”
• Large Washers are 1”OD w/ ½” ID
• Small Washers are ½”OD w/ ¼” ID)

I used 6 total Large bolts to attach the board to the crate plus 2 more to act as spurs, or feet. I used two different washers for this part, the Large Washer set (middle right bottom) were large enough in the center ( ½”) so that the bolt head rested flush against it. The other washer set (middle left bottom) was just small enough so only the shaft of the bolt fit through and the nut rested on it.

3. Three Cuboid pieces of foam

• 1’.25” x  4.25”x 4” for the larger pieces
• 1’.25” x  4.25” x 1” for the smaller one

The foam is firm enough that the drum does not completely crush it, but it also has enough give that it will hold the drum in place.

4. A plank of wood

3’6.5”x 3.25”x .75”

The length of the crate is about 1’½”, so the board needs to be longer than that. You can always remove the extra length. As you see in the picture, I drilled six holes parallel to each other, which, you will see shortly how they fit with the crate.

5. Two Bungee Cords

 1’6” in length, roughly

6. Cloth of some sort.

1’8.5” x 1’1.5”

This helps to keep the drum finish looking nice

  Tools

1. Hacksaw
2. Wrench
3. Drill

Assembly

Step 1

Using a hacksaw (or other appropriate cutting device), saw off one of the handles to allow easy access of the beaters to the drumhead.

Step 2

Place the cubiods in the crate in such a way that it will allow the plank of wood to sit firmly in the middle.

Step 3

Make a mark on the handle and the plank to show where exactly the plank needs to sit when it is bolted on. You can do this on the front side (i.e. the resonant side of the drum) of the Conversion kit so it might make it easier for sawing off the extra length of the plank should you have some.

Step 4

Place the plank in the crate with the excess wood going out of the crate on the side that the handle was cut off.

Step 5

Flip the kit over to mark where the holes need to be drilled. I opted for the center six spaces for the bolt holes.

Step 6

Insert bolts with the head on the underside of the crate.

Step 7

Cover the exposed bolts on the inside of the crate with the remaining piece of foam to protect the finish of the drum.

Step 8

As previously mentioned, I used the smaller bolt and washer sets to make spurs, which enabled me to position the bass drum at the appropriate height. I spaced them as far as I could to the sides so that the stability is optimal. I additionally added 1 nut to each spur-bolt so that the intense movement of playing does not shake the nuts loose and create any problems.

Step 9

I spread a cloth perpendicular with the crate so that the extra length can be tucked down into the sides. The reason I am using the cloth is that the HR Foam can be somewhat abrasive, which could rough up the drum finish over time.

Step 10

Attach the drum to the conversion kit using bungee cords.  For my particular floor tom I hooked the bungee cord around the floor tom leg clamp, on both sides of the drum. Doing this kept the drum attached to the kit and helps maintain proper distance from the pedal for best stroke attack and rebound.

Floor Tom to Bass Drum Conversion Complete!

Re-purposed, and ready to rock!

Well image this… a world filled with well-rounded drummers and percussionists that are able to contribute more than just grooves and rhythm to the creative process of music.  I once had the privilege to interview Rich Redmond for LouisvilleDrummer.com.  He had a great point that professional drummers should be very aware of.  As session drummers, you only gets paid one time when you record a drum track for a number one hit.  However, if you help write the number one hit, it’s a much better story entirely! With that idea in mind, along with the desire to help musicians become well-rounded and equipped for any musical situation, we proudly offer free resources on some of the fundamental rules that musicians rely on to create music.  We hope this can be a great resource to the world and we wish you all the best on your musical endeavors!

Blues Scales

Pentatonic Scales

• Clave Patterns

• Drum Lessons

• Drum Set Grooves

• PAS International Drum Rudiments