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BBEdrummerAK
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 4:05 pm
Posts: 99
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 12:53 am 
 

Shalk wrote:
caspian wrote:
good chops man!

On the subject of playing along to songs, is this a pretty much accepted way of practise? I've done nothing but play along with bands and my chops have improved a crazy amount just the last few weeks. Are lessons really that necessary?


Are a must. Most of begginers start to bash the kit just like they think it's ok, but there's a lot of technique and psychical posture/effort involved that's completely necessary to fix at first steps; there are tons of stuff that starters don't pay attention, like the close/open hi-hat stuff, snare rolls, ghost notes, etc.

Also, musical notation is something that any guy needs to know and to work with a metronome, especially at SLOW speed. To play really slow is much harder than most people think and it's a good way to measure how solid is your tempo. For more extreme metal drumming, you still need to be flawless in slow and mid paced stuff, so you can build speed and don't mess up everything - see the WTC debut for instance, where the drummer clearly can't keep some - if any - rythms and tempos consistently.



^^Couldn't agree more. I started doing band when I was in 6th grade (though I was wanting to play the drums since THIRD grade, there abouts, when Metallica's "Justice" album came out, and the video for 'One' showing a lot of Lars behind the kit...haha), and stuck with it all the way through high school. I was lucky enough to have band conductors that absolutely DRILLED keeping time, standing in front of you as a live metronome hammering out the time, making sure I was right there with them. We played to metronomes for tests. Thanks to all that, playing with a click for recording, though not always necessary, was not a frightening venture when I have been in the studio.
I'm always of the opinion that you can have your idols, and try to emulate them, but learn the basics first, LEARN TO KEEP TIME, AS THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A DRUMMER'S ROLE, and the extreme chops WILL come before you know it. Nothing aggravates me more at a show than when I see a band that practiced stage moves and stick tricks first before learning how to write and play a song, and keep that shit on point time wise. Drummers going off on fills and coming back a half measure (or more) behind their bandmates (I see it A LOT with the AK scene!!) is my biggest pet peeve at these shows. It's like everyone's in it for themselves, and just hope that everyone else is on board. LOL.

I might not have the craziest abilities or chops in the world, or even in the scene up here where I live, but I've gotten more offers to be in bands than the guy that fucking showboats all gig long! :-)

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BBEdrummerAK
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 4:05 pm
Posts: 99
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:17 am 
 

Nolan_B wrote:
I've always been a guitarist, but over the past year I've had to share some drum duties in my old band that was resurrected. I'm thinking about maybe getting lessons eventually to learn stuff other than caveman speed, punk, and thrash techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypPyu7CiMfg
Give me some feedback on this song. In particular, I'm curious as to how to improve my stamina during Slayer tempo beats (seen at 1:40). After a couple of songs live my right arm is shot during fast beats. Is this simply a practice/muscle building issue?


It is a practice/muscle building issue, to a certain extent. The biggest keys to playing drums, no matter what the genre or speed, is obviously good technique (proper grip, posture, etc), but even more importantly, is to RELAX. I have to tell myself that every show, be it the black metal I did with Bound By Entrails or the current surf rock thing I'm doing now, and despite playing the drums for around 20yrs now, as I still get amped up and sometimes run into some cramping issues. It's easier said than done.

Watching the video, it seems you have decent technique (enough so where a lesson with a private instructor or even the old school drum guy at the local instrument/drum store can polish it right up with some pointers!),but you might just try letting your fingers to do more of the work when you're doing ride patterns on the ride or hats, maybe not to where you are doing that so-called "floating finger" technique, but more like if you're gripping your sticks correctly most of the contact should be with your pointer finger and thumb, allowing the other fingers to help 'bounce' the stick. Here's a old video of an online friend of mine (and a guy I had to replace when Bound By Entrails relocated to Alaska) doing one of his solo songs (its a one man black metal band...but the dude shreds on all the instruments, ESPECIALLY the drums), and you'll see him doing a combo of wrist and finger techniques, which is what I more or less do. It'll help in the long run, IMO. Anyway:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-nRuAveAz4

Another thing that might help with the cramping is your drum set up. It seems you have to really reach to hit that mounted tom and your one crash. I get the thing now days where you want your stuff low and whatnot, but you have to be comfortable too. I liked the song though, there was some pretty sweet things happening throughout! :-)

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Pfuntner
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:33 pm
Posts: 1058
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 7:42 pm 
 

You guys should totally check this interview out. Really great thoughts on drumming in both jazz and metal. Damion Reid's an absolutely nasty player too.

http://www.heavymetalbebop.com/post/293 ... amion-reid
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BBEdrummerAK
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 4:05 pm
Posts: 99
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:47 pm 
 

That was an interesting read! I didn't make it through the whole thing, just skimmed it here at work, but he really did have some interesting things to say. I look forward to finishing that article up when I get home!

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Ancient_Sorrow
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:10 pm
Posts: 2336
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 3:59 pm 
 

While I am a drummer, I feel I'd rather use programmed drums on the demoing I'm doing, as I don't particularly enjoy doing studio drums from nothing when I'm not accompanied by other band members to reherse/record live-in-studio with. Hence, can anyone recommend me some drum-sequencing/programming software?

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Ricin
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:25 pm
Posts: 143
Location: The Crown of Sidley
PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:14 pm 
 

Why isn't this and a few other original sticky threads not sticky anymore?

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ShaolinLambKiller
King Asshole

Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:10 pm
Posts: 13320
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:15 am 
 

cause no one was really psoting in them and an executive decision was made to unsticky them since it was easier to navigate.

Just thought it was overkill, didn't want it looking like the recommendation forum... but those are at least updated daily or at least weekly. and not like 3 month lulls.
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Subrick
Metal Strongman

Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2010 7:27 pm
Posts: 10167
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 2:13 am 
 

Ancient_Sorrow wrote:
While I am a drummer, I feel I'd rather use programmed drums on the demoing I'm doing, as I don't particularly enjoy doing studio drums from nothing when I'm not accompanied by other band members to reherse/record live-in-studio with. Hence, can anyone recommend me some drum-sequencing/programming software?


EZdrummer and Superior Drummer by Toontrack.
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I'm just perpetually annoyed by Sean William Scott and he's never been in a movie where I wasn't rooting for his head to sever by strange means.

Blacksoul Seraphim Gothic Doom Metal
Autumn's Ashes Melodic Death/Doom Metal

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ShaolinLambKiller
King Asshole

Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:10 pm
Posts: 13320
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:37 am 
 

Subrick, I don't think he's going to care 3 months after the fact. If he hadn't figured it out by now I doubt he would've been waiting around for an answer here.
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Subrick
Metal Strongman

Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2010 7:27 pm
Posts: 10167
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 9:24 pm 
 

Eh, better than leaving it unanswered in case someone else comes in with the same question.
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Earthcubed wrote:
I'm just perpetually annoyed by Sean William Scott and he's never been in a movie where I wasn't rooting for his head to sever by strange means.

Blacksoul Seraphim Gothic Doom Metal
Autumn's Ashes Melodic Death/Doom Metal

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Goran
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2003 8:32 pm
Posts: 147
Location: Belgium
PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 4:55 am 
 

Ok guys, can someone answer these questions.
My drum setup includes 4 toms, and overheads: HH, ride, 2 crashes, china, splash.

1/ Why are even the most expensive electronic drum kits limited to either 3 toms and/or 4 overhead pieces (while I want 6).

2/ Even if I would expand with separate pads, how would I combine modules for MIDI or audio output?
I don't suppose any module has spare inputs left, from what I've seen.

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Voorvader
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:30 am
Posts: 41
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 11:47 am 
 

OptimusPrime wrote:
This might be kind of a stupid question, but I'll ask it anyway.

I've been drumming for about 4 years and consider myself fairly proficient. However, when I'm playing the bass drum I keep my heel pretty much planted on the ground and kind of move my foot up and down from the ankle to play the bass. But whenever I see footage of any drummers playing, it looks like they lift up their whole foot to play. Am I the only one who doesn't do this and is there any real advantage to doing any particular way?


You are most definitely not the only one! Many professionals use that method of playing too. I use heel-toe for 240+ bpm, and heel-up for everything else.

A disadvantage to playing "heel-down," which is what you're doing, is that you cannot hit high bpm, which most metal drummers prefer. If you get used to it, issues such as stamina should no longer be issues. Heel-toe is the best way to go for metal, but it's not for everyone. Try learning a few techniques, it's proven that the more you know, the better your main technique becomes as long as you constantly work on it.
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Tantalus
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:18 pm
Posts: 943
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 1:19 pm 
 

If it makes you feel any better, I've been playing for 16 years and still play heel down, including 290+ blasts etc.
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