Hitting The Ground Drumming (2)
Hi
guys! So, I didn’t realize that when I used to play the drums, I actually
learned most of the basics. Knowing the basics actually puts me a little bit
ahead of where I thought I would be by week two. This means that instead of
devoting the whole week to learning the basics, I actually got to begin to
learn to play!
This week I began learning to play
rifts and fills, and also began to learn my rudiments. For those of you who
aren’t acquainted with the drums, a rift or a fill is a part of the song where
the drummer strays from the normal beat. This means he makes up his own pattern
that is different from the pattern that he has been playing the whole song. These
can be used as transitions between different parts in a song. Rudiments on the
other hand are the very basics of playing the drums, or the most basic beats. A
rudiment, is used for stick work, but are also used in the smog as the basic
beat a drummer plays.
Not too complicated
right? Well, once I began learning these, I found that if I devoted a good bit
of time, I could get them down pretty easily. When I realized this, I decided
that I should test my coordination and knowledge thus far. I decided that I
would start learning a very basic drumming song in order to be able to pick up
on drumming in regular music. About four nights ago I began to learn the song,
“You Shook Me All Night Long” by ACDC. This is a song I have always loved and
am excited to have learned it. Keeping in mind I have not gotten to spend much
time on it, here is about thirty seconds of me playing the song:
Now, I know this isn’t amazing, but I hope to only improve
from here. I have been setting a lot of time aside each night to work on
different aspects of drumming that I realized needed work when I started
learning this song. As I was playing, I realized that the coordination with my
foot was a bit off. My foot controls the pedal that hits the base drum. So my
foot controls the beat of the base drum. This means that I need to start
playing beats that incorporate different bass drum patterns, to improve my foot
coordination. I also found out how hard it was to keep the beat, and keep track
of the measures, while playing a song. To practice this, I will definitely
start to attempt more songs. By finding these flaws, I realized a great way in
teaching yourself how to do anything. The only way you are going to realize the
areas you struggle in is by pushing yourself. So, whatever it is you are
learning now, I encourage you to push yourself
Besides the flaws I found in my drumming, I also created a
new attack plan for learning the drums. I have decided to dedicate my time at
home to learning to play, and my time in class to learning more specifically
about the drums. I think that class time will give me a good opportunity to
research the drums, their history, and their importance. I am excited to
continue playing. Hopefully I have another, harder, song for you guys next
week!
Michael, i like what you have done with your blog so far and i Can`t wait to hear you play. Knowing that you have previous experience, do you think that you can get further than you thought? do you already have a song in mind that you want to play at the end, or will you just see what happens? I find it cool that you chose a non-guitar related instrument- very unique.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I love the picture of Animal on your home page! He's my second favorite Muppet (next to Gonzo the Great). While you're looking into the significance of drums, I would suggest looking into some of the traditional African drums and their importance in society. I think that's where I would expect the strongest culture significance to be found, and it adds to the origin and history of the instrument.
ReplyDeleteAnd though I'm not a much of a musician, it sounds good to me!
I really love your blog, it is very entertaining. The pictures are very helpful and your tone makes it feel light and fun. I enjoy reading it, while still learning and understanding what you are talking about. I am excited to see your progress!
ReplyDelete