Drummer | Custom Drum Hardware Blog

Tag Archive for 'drummer'

Drummers Should Listen To Sight-Reading Wisdom

Published

on January 3, 2012

. 0 Comments

Although one great New Year’s resolution for drummers could be learning how to sight-read musical charts, the inevitable question always arises as to the time commitment involved and how that particular skill set would play out in the real world.

Luckily, I was taught to sight-read musical notation live as a young student in grammar school when I played trombone. That early Bass clef knowledge carried over to drums and continued on straight through my college jazz band years. But not everyone is a schooled musician, or even wants to be. The fact is drummers really don’t need to sight-read in most musical settings today, unlike wind, string, piano and brass musicians. After my college band experiences ended, I did not read a single note for more than a decade. I played everything by ear.

My point is not so much having to learn to sight read in order to play in a successful band – unless of course you plan to enter the music industry professionally and attend college where sight reading is a pre-requisite. For most part-time and hobbyist drummers out there – and many full-timers, too – you probably will never be asked to read a chart or define how a 5/4 time signature breaks down.

I stress with my own students that learning how to sight read has a lot more to do with opening up new avenues of musical expression across the entire drum set; discovering cool new rhythms and patterns you would never have played without sight reading them first; and providing yourself with an instant framework to focus yourself during practice. In my opinion, learning to sight-read is as important as playing along to your favorite bands and songs or performing live with other musicians. Your ears and eyes are intrinsically connected.

HOW TO LEARN SIGHT READING

The easiest and best way to learn to sight read, if you don’t want to go out and hire a private drum instructor, is to buy a good music theory and composition book or CD, and definitely check out national drum magazines such as DRUM! and Modern Drummer. Those publications always carry great how-to-read exercises and notation breakdowns in each edition.

Once you understand note and rest values and the mechanics of how they apply to measures, time, dynamics and all of your drum and cymbal “instruments”, the best way to master them is to use your ears. Take several of your favorite recordings and transcribe the drum parts for them on music staff paper (manuscript). Then, ask a musician friend who can sight-read well to grade them. Try to work drum chart transcription – or at least live sight reading – into your regular practice regimen. And if you get stuck when reading music, slow it down to a tempo that’s more manageable or seek help in an online drum forum.

Remember, it’s rare today for a rock band leader to hand you a drum chart at a gig or practice and ask you to sight read it verbatim. Beyond being prepared for something that rarely occurs for drummers outside of recording studios or at more intricate jazz and concert band gigs, learning to sight-read just makes you a more complete and smarter drummer. Happy New Year!

- Tim Kane is a freelance drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.

0 Comments

Getting The Biggest Bang Out Of Your Bass Drum Pedal

Published

Dennis

on November 17, 2011

in Accessories, Custom Hardware Setups and DIY

. 0 Comments

As a professional drum instructor, I’ve found one of the largest areas of confusion and need for improvement exists with my students’ feet and the techniques they use to power their bass drum pedals.

Younger drummers are playing louder and more intricate kick drum/pedal patterns than ever before in today’s age of speed metal-driven music. Even the older players are rediscovering the wanders of double kick playing versus the traditional bass drum-hi-hat pairings. First, though most of us should already know this, it is imperative that drummers never take their feet off the pedal board while playing. I recommend a heel-up on pedal board approach for younger players, using only the ball and toes of their feet to power pedal strikes. More advanced drummers tend to use both heel down and up methods to achieve a full range of different dynamic stylings. Heel up for younger drummers, at least in my opinion, allows for more volume and ability to develop long-term muscle memory.

I primarily play flat-footed, and go heel up for speed. But there are subtle differences to the heel up style that drummers should also understand. Heel up with leg thrust strikes creates maximum sound while pedal pivots powered by your ankles are more reserved for faster patterns. Generally, the after strike goal is to get a good bounce off of the bass drum head as the beater positions back to its original resting place – unless of course when you are going for that extra punch enabled by pushing the beater into the head with no initial rebound. A good tip I give my students is to play paradiddles with both their feet. They don’t like it because it’s hard to do RLRR-LRLL with only two feet for five minutes straight at 110 BPM tempo, but the reward is quicker development of bass drum pedal skills.

The main three problems I see with bass drum pedal spring tensioning is my students want to position the beater too close to the head for some odd reason; turn the beater sideways for a heavier punch; and don’t have the beater’s height set in the most efficient location to realize the full tone and resonance of their bass drum. Here’s what I recommend as do most professionals: your beater should be about halfway between your leg shin and the bass drum head when the pedal is not pressed down; use only the front felt side of the beater or its back hard plastic end to strike the drum head – not the sides; and beaters when pressed against the bass drum should hit the exact center of the batter side head. Your pedal board also requires adjusting. Too low a height off the floor and you will lack agility; too high a setting and your beater will be too far back for any type of solid foot control.

A good trick to use when it comes to learning and further developing your bass drum technique is to use a pillow, blanket or damper system inside your shell or head so it is not too boomy and loud. That way, you can closely analyze all the above-mentioned tips on technique.

- Tim Kane is a freelance drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.

0 Comments

Fuel your drumming technique instead of failing it

Published

Dennis

on November 4, 2011

in Artist Profile, DIY and Gibraltar Owner Racks

. 2 Comments

I recently played a packed Halloween club gig in which I ate no real food of sustenance most of the day, employed no floor monitor or in-ear device, forgot to bring bottled water, drank too much free beer, allowed the sound guy to cram his PA speakers on either side of me so I had no way out, failed to fight for my rights when our lead guitarist set his large amp up directly in front of my kick drum, and skipped the pre-gig band warm-up. Suffice to say, I violated almost every rule when it comes to fueling your drumming technique.

So where did I go wrong? First of all, I should have known better than to not understand the gig logistics prior to actually showing up with my gear. Come to find out, this particular club didn’t even have a stage area. I helped the bar manager move tables and chairs to open up room. If I had taken just a little more time before the gig to analyze how many tables would actually have to be moved in order to comfortably accommodate a 5-piece band, many challenges that particular evening would have been erased. My bad.

Moreover, the band I was filling-in for on drums did no sound check prior to the first set. We just started playing. If one were held, I would have requested a monitor and more room to maneuver. As drummers, we have just as much right to ask for certain amenities at gigs as our fellow musicians do. My bad.

Getting muscle cramps like I did during the gig is never cool, either. Dehydration and lack of food to power your muscles are the primary causes of cramps. Given bottled water is usually hard to come by in bars, I should have brought five bottles and placed them behind my drum kit. I also should have arrived much earlier at the gig and ordered dinner there. If not, a couple of high-energy bars stuck in your stick bag will do the trick. My bad.

As for floor monitoring and getting proper levels, all I heard that evening was mush from other bandmates (and they actually played well). And with the lead guitarist’s amp placed directly in front of my kick drum, I am sure the audience had trouble hearing me, too. The band ended playing tight against two walls in an L-shape. It was one of the most maniacal stage set-ups I have ever experienced. I should have asked that question well before the gig and also allowed time for readjustment after the sound check that was never conducted. Again, my bad.

This all takes me back to bagging out on the pre-gig band practice (I was teaching drum lessons at the time and should have just rescheduled those students). That dress rehearsal would have been an ideal time to talk about the gig dynamic, my needs, stage set-up, sound levels, and overall expectations. You should have that group discussion well before the gig.

All of this combined into the perfect storm of a third set meltdown for me personally with near exhaustion and frustration. In the end, lack of advance preparation killed my drumming technique at that gig and I have no one else to blame but myself.

- Tim Kane is a freelance drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.

2 Comments

Being a fill-in drummer requires patience, practice and persistence

Published

Dennis

on September 20, 2011

in Artist Profile, DIY and Uncategorized

. 0 Comments

Whether you play in a steady band and/or float as a freelancing gypsy, serving as a fill-in drummer comes with its fair share of rewards and challenges that you must be prepared to deal with.

The biggest perk of being a fill-in drummer is pure exposure to the larger music marketplace, assuming you do a good job at the practice or gig. Showing up early, not getting drunk, and keeping your drum parts basic but musically interesting will inevitably lead to more freelance work. The single biggest marketing plan for any musician is getting your name out there on the local scene, and developing a reputation for being able to play multiple styles of music. Being professional at all times builds upon those prerequisites. And being low key and cool with a fun attitude takes you a long way, especially since most other musicians expect drummers to act that way.

THE DOWNSIDES

The downsides of being labeled a fill-in drummer are as varied as the upsides. Being a regular freelancing drummer comes with the “tag” or “label” of serving in that capacity. If you expect to play in a permanent band of your own while moonlighting on the side, like I do, then you must be clear and up front with your bandmates from the start about your performance ambitions. If they are true friends, they will cut you the slack needed to achieve your dreams, but you also must reserve quality time for them as well. Don’t drop your upcoming band gig for an impromptu fill-in opportunity.

Filling in on drums also requires you to often play someone else’s drum kit, which you need to treat with kid gloves. Bring your own snare, throne, foot pedals, sticks and even select cymbals to fill-in practices and gigs. Otherwise, the money you earn filling in may be poured right back into the other drummer’s equipment repairs. If you break a drum head, offer to pay for it. And ask beforehand if you can adjust tom-tom and cymbal positions, as some drummers are very finicky about that.

Bands often seek fill-in drummers because they are not happy with their current regular skinner – a back door audition, if you will. Be wary of bands looking to throw their own drummer under the bus because you could be the easy replacement, and that could put you in a very awkward position. My best advice is to ask to have a conversation with that band’s regular drummer before accepting the freelance gig. If the band leader says no to your request or buffers it with criticism of him or her, then Houston we have a problem. Advance research is key to getting good fill-in jobs. Drummers don’t stab other drummers in the back. It’s a cardinal sin in our clan – or at least it should be.

HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF

The best way to market yourself as a fill-in drummer is by watching for ads in the trade magazines and online forums, checking the band postings at local music stores, perusing Craigslist, and also attending rock and blues jams, which are a prime time to get you chops ready for a more permanent fill-in gig and meet other freelancing musicians.

The other thing drummers can do is some good old-fashioned homework, including:
• Master as many rock and blues standards as you can
• Learn to read sheet music and know how to chart out your own drum parts
• If you possess vocal ability, nurture that talent by singing aloud while practicing
• Clean your drums and ensure everything is properly working
• Answer your phone or text messages on the first call

The real trick to being a fill-in drummer is your ability to adapt to adversity, and having a willingness to say thanks but no thanks. Choose your gigs and fellow musicians wisely.

- Tim Kane is an independent drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.

0 Comments

Radio Disney Says Gibraltar Artists Caitlin Kalafus’s Band Kicking Daisies Is the Next Big Thing

Published

admin

on December 9, 2010

in Artist Profile

. 0 Comments

Gibraltar artist and drummer Caitlin Kalafus, wins Disney’s “Next Big Thing” competition with her band, Kicking Daisies!

Caitlin’s father, Chris, had the following comment: “Thousands entered and only one came out on top. We are happy that Caitlin’s exposure is continuing to grow along with the band’s popularity. Thanks for all the support as we continue on this journey.”

The band recently released a 10 track EP titled “KD: The EP.” They will be in Los Angeles to join Radio Disney DJ Ernie D in-studio for a Take Over airing Friday, December 10th (6:00 p.m., ET/3:00 p.m., PT).

We are also excited about Caitlin’s win and look forward to her future with Gibraltar.

0 Comments