You’ll go NOWHERE if you make this drumming mistake…

I learned the hard way that trying to impress other musicians with your playing will get you nowhere. That’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make, and I was making it constantly in high school and even into college.

When playing with other musicians, especially if they were well-experienced pros, my priority was constantly to “show them what I got” and make sure they could tell that I’m a “good drummer.” I felt like I needed to demonstrate at least a little of my technical ability every so often so that they knew I could play more than just groove and time. I needed to throw a 32nd note fill in there so they could see my facility around the kit. Most of all, I needed to look like I was working hard to make these things happen - because I was a “good drummer” with fast hands. Then after the gig I was pretty much just dying for feedback from the guys I’d played with. I wanted to hear anything - but especially some good feedback. Most of the time I got nothing. I realized years later why.

Now I know you’re probably laughing, and I know that we all know that chops aren’t the end all be all solution… but let’s be honest. We’ve all been in that place where we feel like we need to make sure that the folks we’re playing with “know how good we are.” This is especially true if we’re playing with them for the first time. And this is really hard to resist if the person you’re playing with for the first time is really good…and you really want to impress them!

The truth is, we DO need to demonstrate that we’re really good. But the first step to doing that is actually being good. Then the second step is to impress them indirectly, by not focusing your mind on whether or not you’re impressing them.

How do we do this? Well this is a huge discussion that can go one of about 137 directions. I’ll do my best to sum this up, because I want to give you some basic direction and practical advice for how to practice “REALLY impressing bandmates on the gig.”

First thing. Practice playing time and groove so well that you can take pride and confidence in your ability to play a simple groove really well for an extended period of time. If this is a new concept for you, check out this recent video. I teach an exercise you can use to improve your simple playing tremendously, and this has helped a bunch of drummers do this. Be able to play basic grooves really well. Have good dynamics that are appropriate for the room and for the song. Don’t hit your cymbals too hard. Make sure your kick and snare can be heard. Make sure your kick notes and snare backbeats (beats 2 & 4) are consistent so that the listener can relax. Between good dynamics and steady time, you’ll be impressing pro musicians big time! This is what those guys want to hear.

Practice playing singles. A lot. Like sit there and play 16ths (right-left-right-left) slowly at 60bpm, and make sure your sticks are bouncing smoothly and steadily. You want each note to sound identical. Both hands need to be even and consistent. Practice at fast tempos too, but always practice slowly as well. Not every song is fast, so why should we only practice hand exercises fast?

Practice playing along to your favorite records, playing what the drummer on the recording played - even if it’s simpler than what you want to play. First listen to that recording, and actually hear what’s being played in the first place. This is a step we often skip over. Take the time to listen! Then jump over to your kit, and practice playing conservatively for the song.

Ultimately, you need to develop your ear to “hear the right things to play” and to understand the song that you’re playing. But this isn’t some abstract, mystical thing. Just pay attention to the melody. Feel the dynamics of the song - the quiet parts, the loud parts. What’s the big story of the song? When’s the climax? Where is tension? Where is release? Listen for these things when you’re listening to music, and think about them on the gig. Do this well, and you’ll REALLY impress the musicians you’re playing with.

I hope you’ve gathered my big point here. Yes, we actually need to impress the folks we play with. But we don’t do that by trying to impress people. We do it indirectly by being good drummers. When we’re focused on sounding good and playing well, our playing suddenly speaks for itself naturally. We don’t have to keep trying and begging for compliments musically.

I hope this helps you out, guides you, and helps you stay on the right path toward being a musical drummer who sounds great and listens well. Go impress your bandmates the RIGHT way!

Stay Non Glamorous.

God Bless,

Stephen