The Most Game-Changing Thing I Ever Learned on the Drums

I was playing a church gig years ago with a bass player I’d played with a bunch. He was one of those guys who was a lot of fun to play with, and he had a keen interest in my personal growth on the drums, skill-wise and career-wise. That day he happened to mention a drummer friend of his he’d like me to meet…

Now this drummer-friend wasn’t just any drummer. He was a monster-player who was currently touring with a major act, and who had toured with several nationally-renowned bands in the past few years. He had played on several records I listened to a bunch in high school, so I felt like I already knew him. The realization that I could meet him had the introvert inside of me very nervous. But of course, I couldn’t resist.

I was able to get in touch with this drummer, and we set up a time to just hang out and chat. It’s amazing the power of a mutual friend!

As we conversed and got to know each other, I got the feeling that this guy already knew my playing. Maybe my bass-player buddy had relayed to him all the details about what he thought I needed work on! Maybe he’d sent over a board mix…who knows. Regardless, I asked a lot of questions and this drummer seemed to know the exact answer that I needed to hear. We talked music and playing songs. I asked him questions about how he approached groove and how he created fills. I asked him about dynamics and how hard you ought to hit a snare drum or a cymbal. I had somewhat of a mental list of other things to ask him as well, but I quickly realized he was spilling out all of the key points I REALLY needed to know at that moment.

There were a whole bunch of other things I could have asked about and probably learned something about, but he was instead giving me key points that were the absolute core essentials that would completely turn my playing around instantly.

Here are the 3 biggest, most powerful things he told me that day:

1. “The fills are what separate the men from the boys.”
2. “The most powerful thing you have is your ear.”
3. “Strive to get great sounds out of your drums and cymbals every time you hit them.”

If you’re thinking, “Man, these things sound vague. What was he talking about?” …then let me break them down a little more. He didn’t leave me hanging on these statements alone. We dug deep into these topics, and here’s what I learned:

#1: Fills need to be thoughtful and intentional, and you need to play them from your ear - not from your hands. It’s easy to just launch into a fill not thinking about how you’re sticking it or what drums you’re hitting. Don’t do that. Know exactly what rhythm you’re playing, and orchestrate it intentionally to fit the music. Know what sticking you’re using, and make everything clear and deliberate. Intentionality is everything here.

#2: This drummer told me about another player he knew in town who could “play circles around him,” as he put it. (Ironically, I now know this other drummer, and I can concur that he’s an amazing player.) “I may not be able to play what this other guy can play,” my new friend continued, “but I still have a powerful tool at my disposal. My ear.” We went on to talk further about this, and I learned all about how to play songs well and “tell a story” with your playing. This completely changed my trajectory in that I was now thinking more about the song and music and how my parts might better support the big picture.

#3: He went on to describe this third point a little more to me… “Every time you hit a tom, hit it in the center and get a great sound. Every time you hit your snare, play a consistent backbeat that feels the same every time.” This tied into the whole “intentionality” thing. I needed to clean up my playing by striking drums and cymbals deliberately so that I got better sounds. I immediately shifted my practice from playing fast licks to playing slow, deliberate patterns that sounded and felt clean, polished, and professional. Check out this past weekend's video on the channel that’s all about this very topic.

This drummer went on to briefly become somewhat of a “drumming mentor” to me. He came and listened to me play at a rehearsal, and all of the feedback and advice he offered was invaluable. I don’t think I fully realized what he had taught me until a year or so later, when I began having tons of “ahah” moments that proved what he taught me. Fellow musicians were complimenting my playing, telling me that my dynamics were so much better, my parts were much better, and I sounded more professional as a whole.

I realized he had shown me how to separate my rock playing from my jazz playing. He had essentially taught me how to properly mix a drum kit (also discussed in last week's video), and therefore how to record. He had taught me how to approach a song, from groove to fills - which is essential for sounding like a pro and supporting and leading a band. He had taught me how to play powerful, compelling, musical parts that weren’t just a bunch of notes. This was because he taught me how to really use my ears when playing.

Now if all of this sounds like an information overload, I get it. Let me simplify this into a few simple action steps that you can take right now...

ACTION STEPS:

Any time you play a fill, ask yourself “why?” Why are you playing that fill? Does it fit? If not, go back and listen to the record and ask yourself why the one on the record DOES fit. Most of the time, less is more. Don’t play more notes. Instead, get creative with where you place those notes around your kit. As a matter of fact, have a WHY behind everything you ever play. This forces you to use your ears and play strategically.

Strive to get great sounds out of your drums by striking them precisely and consistently. This is a hugely underrated difference between an amateur and a pro. Watch this video lesson to learn 3 surprising ways to immediately improve your sound - without tuning or replacing heads!

Listen to music. Really listen to music, and let the melody determine what you play. Your groove should fit the melody, and your fills should especially fit the melody and the phrasing. Your parts should support the big picture of the song, and your dynamics and fills should tell the story of the song. Your job is to make a song better - not to distract from it.

I hope this discussion helps you out and helps to direct your practicing! If you have questions about any of these specific points, feel free to ask. I’m happy to jot down more specific ideas for upcoming videos.

Thanks for reading, and God bless.

Stephen