It always amazed me at how relaxed I was when playing with the “right” guys/gals. That can all change when you’re thrown into a situation where there is no chemistry. From the first song, you know it’s going to be a long night and you’ve got to really get your head in the right place in order to stay loose. I’m an older player (67) and came out of a time where I worked 5 and 6 nights a week, sometimes doubles on weekends. Very often, I could be thrown on a date with guys I’d never played with before. It was great training, almost like musical boot camp because you had to constantly be on your toes, yet stay loose at the same time. I’m not sure how much of that type of exists today, the business has changed dramatically since my heyday in the 70’s and 80’s.
Yeah! I was taught to be relax in one of the first drum lessons I took, and now 13 years later, I still struggle to play in a fully relaxed manner. But thanks to Dave Elitch I'm beginning to get the sense of it. From learning his insights on Instagram, listening to his interviews, to watching videos like this (I know he has a great lesson package but I haven't been able to afford it yet). I think he's one of the most insightful modern drummer today. And learning from his insights has put me back to the path to be a better (feel good) drummer, to flow, and to express my musicality. Still a long way though. Such an effort to be effortless! 😅
Dave=Truth!!! This man is a wonderful teacher but not for the faint of heart. If your ego is easily crushed or bruised by constructive criticism then go to a different channel.
lot of mistakes i make are in how i perform a fill. thinking that it might work, but really i'm feeling it more than considering the rudimentary needs of the melody and note structure. this becomes a safety fill, or something you use over and over again, that same old drum beat you've heard everyone do. you can sometimes think, this is what i want to do right here whether it fits or not. which is a way to keep you developing without fitting into the comfort zone. its great to feel the music, shut off the brain, but thats more for masters. takes years to do that, and a natural talent that is rare. i quit drums for about 14 years to focus on guitar. i mastered drums at age 16, to where i could do anything i wanted, an so i needed more challenge. after i got to a point on guitar where i could just play and not think about it. i learned to think in notes rather than words to explain myself. i've had to teach myself drums again... forgetting so many things over the years. always able to play drums, but never at that level i once was. because you are teaching yourself how to evolve into the artist that defines you as a drummer instead of a copy cat. life itself becomes a rhythm you mold yourself to. everywhere you go, you see rhythm, you'll move to a beat and life is like being behind a drumset. you really need to analyze the song and mold yourself to the song individually. learning to do so, will make you versatile. you will then learn to let the song guide you. n you won't even need to practice the song to play through it. because this leads to the ability to anticipate the progressions, anticipate the solos, and licks, and this is how a drummer and guitarist really can build off of one another .
The breathing and relax is important. But also this will give u the flow to feel the beat. Very important lesson to take from this short vid to drums to life also. Thank you.
It's true - I seem to naturally hold my breath when playing something challenging. It's easy to forget to breeeaaathe, as crazy as it sounds! Great masterclass teaser, I'll look forward to checking out the rest.
When I was starting out I was inspired by drummers like Steve White (Paul Weller) and his brother Alan from oasis, Jeff Porcaro...I was way more into groove and feel. There was this one kid who had a kit and he thought playing as fast as he could was the thing to do and he couldnt keep time at all. Not at all.
no...cause then you are going to be focusing on breathing rather than the music... this guy doesn't really know how to teach people... sure he can play. but hes not telling you what you really need to do. if you focus on your breathing, you are ignoring the music. when you hold your breath, its because you are focusing on the song too much. you are trying to force yourself into an area you aren't really comfortable with... what he means by relax, or you should meditate and stuff. its to find that natural control without either of those conflicts happening. when i'd skateboard, i had a thing i'd tell myself everytime i was trying a dangerous trick. "don't think, just do" this is where you can shut off your mind, and let instinct take over. after a while you'll realize when you need to think, and to what extent thinking isn't hurting your playing. but at first. you just need to practice a drum beat so long that you don't even know you are doing it. just play a drum beat for an hour straight. i'm not joking. play it till you zone out. if you lose the tempo, then focus a little to get it back, then zone out. do that till you then start thinking about something else. till you realize you can think about food, conversations, homework, math, science...whatever you like thinking about. guitarists learn to sing and play. its similar to that. you should be able to have a conversation while drumming... chris adler talks about how when he is drumming he is thinking about physics... thats what us drummers do. drumming to a real drummer is second nature. if you aren't breathing, you are trying too hard. if you are thinking about breathing, you aren't thinking about how the song takes control. you'll figure out that patience is where the song tells you to apply a fill or change the feeling of the beat. you can't control the song. the song controls you...
It's OK to play tense *if*, and only if, that tension is an intentional choice. See Nate Smith or Dave King, both of whom will sometimes add in limb tension while playing into the head or cymbal to evoke a less refined sound. Of course, playing loose needs to be the default, but there is a time and place for tension too.
@@theHumanBryno cool that would explain it. Seems to make this video title misleading then. Cuz if this video is a teaser _for_ the 5 Common Mistakes, then this video isn't the 5 Common Mistakes _as_ a teaser. Small but important difference. Regardless, Dave Elitch is teaching wisdom and knows his stuff!
@@davetoms1 Hi Dave- as it states in the description, the full one-hour masterclass is available on DrumChannel.com: www.drumchannel.com/masterclasspost/the-5-most-common-mistakes-drummers-make/
The biggest mistake a drummer makes is not taking some sort of instruction or lessons by a teacher in their years. In community college I took an elective with a professor and I learned alot during that course. Of course I can't go into some Joe Morello solo or jazz odyssey but it made me think about drums differently. I learned that finesse and using cymbals for color goes a long way. To this day I remember he would properly correct my wrists when holding my sticks.
Is this the same guy that said the flying-finger and push-pull techniques are useless? If so, I'd rather keep doing what I've been doing over the last 15 years than listen to him. Yeah, you drum for Justin Timberlake and Marz Volta. Big deal.
Not useless, just flawed in many ways. He’ll incorporate certain techniques like those to help accommodate but his point is that people focus on minutia and lose sight of the big picture and it hurts them down the road. He literally says at the beginning that you don’t have to be perfect in technique, it’s how you’re using it.
@@1dudecrush pretty sure he said the techniques are useless though. Which is a pretty bold blanket statement and kind of just insults the entire metal drummer community
![Lethal Company Music Video 🎵 "Follow The Orders" [VERSION A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeooZB4Z7RA/mqdefault.jpg)
I always love the way Dave connects meditation and breathing with drumming. It’s truly game changing, not only for your playing but for your body.
Definitely a huge game changer!!
It always amazed me at how relaxed I was when playing with the “right” guys/gals. That can all change when you’re thrown into a situation where there is no chemistry. From the first song, you know it’s going to be a long night and you’ve got to really get your head in the right place in order to stay loose. I’m an older player (67) and came out of a time where I worked 5 and 6 nights a week, sometimes doubles on weekends. Very often, I could be thrown on a date with guys I’d never played with before. It was great training, almost like musical boot camp because you had to constantly be on your toes, yet stay loose at the same time. I’m not sure how much of that type of exists today, the business has changed dramatically since my heyday in the 70’s and 80’s.
This guy always has quality insight on drumming, & life too.
I took a lesson with him recently and it totally changed the way I play and I feel so much better
@@kg_drums i am going to book a lesson soon myself and i can’t wait! was it in person or virtual? if virtual what were your challenges?
Very good advise. I just started taking deep breaths about a year ago. I'm 65 yrs old.
Yeah! I was taught to be relax in one of the first drum lessons I took, and now 13 years later, I still struggle to play in a fully relaxed manner. But thanks to Dave Elitch I'm beginning to get the sense of it. From learning his insights on Instagram, listening to his interviews, to watching videos like this (I know he has a great lesson package but I haven't been able to afford it yet). I think he's one of the most insightful modern drummer today. And learning from his insights has put me back to the path to be a better (feel good) drummer, to flow, and to express my musicality. Still a long way though. Such an effort to be effortless! 😅
Elitch is a Beast!! What a drummer!!! True legend and inspiration!!
Dave is a wise man. Killer drummer and teacher too!
Dave=Truth!!! This man is a wonderful teacher but not for the faint of heart. If your ego is easily crushed or bruised by constructive criticism then go to a different channel.
What a perfect drum configuration. Great advice.
lot of mistakes i make are in how i perform a fill. thinking that it might work, but really i'm feeling it more than considering the rudimentary needs of the melody and note structure. this becomes a safety fill, or something you use over and over again, that same old drum beat you've heard everyone do. you can sometimes think, this is what i want to do right here whether it fits or not. which is a way to keep you developing without fitting into the comfort zone. its great to feel the music, shut off the brain, but thats more for masters. takes years to do that, and a natural talent that is rare. i quit drums for about 14 years to focus on guitar. i mastered drums at age 16, to where i could do anything i wanted, an so i needed more challenge. after i got to a point on guitar where i could just play and not think about it. i learned to think in notes rather than words to explain myself. i've had to teach myself drums again... forgetting so many things over the years. always able to play drums, but never at that level i once was. because you are teaching yourself how to evolve into the artist that defines you as a drummer instead of a copy cat. life itself becomes a rhythm you mold yourself to. everywhere you go, you see rhythm, you'll move to a beat and life is like being behind a drumset. you really need to analyze the song and mold yourself to the song individually. learning to do so, will make you versatile. you will then learn to let the song guide you. n you won't even need to practice the song to play through it. because this leads to the ability to anticipate the progressions, anticipate the solos, and licks, and this is how a drummer and guitarist really can build off of one another .
The breathing and relax is important. But also this will give u the flow to feel the beat. Very important lesson to take from this short vid to drums to life also. Thank you.
It's true - I seem to naturally hold my breath when playing something challenging. It's easy to forget to breeeaaathe, as crazy as it sounds! Great masterclass teaser, I'll look forward to checking out the rest.
Hey! I caught Lydian Collective at a festival a few years ago, loved the gig!!
Same. I've been trying breathing in deeply when playing fills, much better. Almost like the space between the notes needs to be filled with air :)
When I was starting out I was inspired by drummers like Steve White (Paul Weller) and his brother Alan from oasis, Jeff Porcaro...I was way more into groove and feel. There was this one kid who had a kit and he thought playing as fast as he could was the thing to do and he couldnt keep time at all. Not at all.
cavo quanto hai ragione... sei il primo che sento parlare di uesta cosa grazie
spot on, i have to remind myself of this once and a while. you need to really feel what your are playing, can't do that all stiff and not breathing.
Dave is a transmission from the drum god. Legendary stuff.
So true!
I think I play pretty relaxed with the exception of the breathing. Sometimes I realize I'm holding my breath, I'll try to be more conscious of that.
Same here..
Same here I tend to hold my breath during certain fills though
i'd guess most of us do but he's 100% when i'm loose, relaxed and breathing i feel i play my best.
@@shawnsdrumcave well said
no...cause then you are going to be focusing on breathing rather than the music... this guy doesn't really know how to teach people... sure he can play. but hes not telling you what you really need to do. if you focus on your breathing, you are ignoring the music. when you hold your breath, its because you are focusing on the song too much. you are trying to force yourself into an area you aren't really comfortable with... what he means by relax, or you should meditate and stuff. its to find that natural control without either of those conflicts happening. when i'd skateboard, i had a thing i'd tell myself everytime i was trying a dangerous trick. "don't think, just do" this is where you can shut off your mind, and let instinct take over. after a while you'll realize when you need to think, and to what extent thinking isn't hurting your playing. but at first. you just need to practice a drum beat so long that you don't even know you are doing it. just play a drum beat for an hour straight. i'm not joking. play it till you zone out. if you lose the tempo, then focus a little to get it back, then zone out. do that till you then start thinking about something else. till you realize you can think about food, conversations, homework, math, science...whatever you like thinking about. guitarists learn to sing and play. its similar to that. you should be able to have a conversation while drumming... chris adler talks about how when he is drumming he is thinking about physics... thats what us drummers do. drumming to a real drummer is second nature. if you aren't breathing, you are trying too hard. if you are thinking about breathing, you aren't thinking about how the song takes control. you'll figure out that patience is where the song tells you to apply a fill or change the feeling of the beat. you can't control the song. the song controls you...
Cool advice, i'll def start paying attention to that. Thank you!!
Relax, release tension, breath... check out Wim Hof method. It also helps to practice breathing while you are playing a groove.
It's OK to play tense *if*, and only if, that tension is an intentional choice. See Nate Smith or Dave King, both of whom will sometimes add in limb tension while playing into the head or cymbal to evoke a less refined sound. Of course, playing loose needs to be the default, but there is a time and place for tension too.
Yes but that's controlled tension. He's talking about involuntary from lack of diaphragmatic breathing.
im so sooo fan of this guy!!
Watched entire video...Didn't breathe once.
Did you die?
@@Havron yes
@@mjm5081 RIP
@@Havron 💐
From one Sebastopol dude to another, cheers!
"There are no mistakes in drumming, just happy accidents "
- Neil Peart-
I never make a mistake, I just experiment with polyrhythms in the middle of a song.
So cool ! Thanks !!
Very good drummer! 🤘👌
Much sense.
So true
One time I didn’t breathe for an entire solo while covering In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.
Great video, 👍👍👍
Oooohmmmmm oh ya I feel so much better. 😂
Hey, Drum Channel people! Speaking of relaxation and such, why don't you make a video on the Alexander Technique and how to apply it to drums?
Great video and solid advice but... what were the 5 Common Mistakes the title refers to?
1. Not breathing
2. Not relaxing / being tense
...?
It also says Teaser in the title, I'm guessing you have to pay to find out the rest.
@@theHumanBryno cool that would explain it.
Seems to make this video title misleading then.
Cuz if this video is a teaser _for_ the 5 Common Mistakes,
then this video isn't the 5 Common Mistakes _as_ a teaser.
Small but important difference. Regardless, Dave Elitch is teaching wisdom and knows his stuff!
I imagine there’s more to the lesson, this is just a preview of the full thing...
@@davetoms1 Hi Dave- as it states in the description, the full one-hour masterclass is available on DrumChannel.com: www.drumchannel.com/masterclasspost/the-5-most-common-mistakes-drummers-make/
Breeeeeeeth.....get that oxygen to the muscles. Good advise
The biggest mistake a drummer makes is not taking some sort of instruction or lessons by a teacher in their years. In community college I took an elective with a professor and I learned alot during that course. Of course I can't go into some Joe Morello solo or jazz odyssey but it made me think about drums differently. I learned that finesse and using cymbals for color goes a long way. To this day I remember he would properly correct my wrists when holding my sticks.
Have that same finish champagne glass on my DWs. Yeah breathing is important.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
So what were the 5 things?
Clickbait
Clickbait
Clickbait
Clickbait
aaaaaaaaand clickbait.
What hi-hats is he using?
They look like 14” Sabian artisans
Holy comb filtering batman
SLOW DOWN
DO IT AGAIN
Even when he tries to play sh*tty he plays good...
This video is long overdue
Is it just me or did I only hear 1?
This video is a teaser for the full masterclass, which includes all 5 mistakes!
That was 1 mistake listed lol. Clickbait
Unlike you. You're perfect- NOT!
good stuff but stop saying "like"
Found the boomer 😬
You’re either naturally good as a drummer or you’re not.
Is this the same guy that said the flying-finger and push-pull techniques are useless? If so, I'd rather keep doing what I've been doing over the last 15 years than listen to him. Yeah, you drum for Justin Timberlake and Marz Volta. Big deal.
Not useless, just flawed in many ways. He’ll incorporate certain techniques like those to help accommodate but his point is that people focus on minutia and lose sight of the big picture and it hurts them down the road. He literally says at the beginning that you don’t have to be perfect in technique, it’s how you’re using it.
@@1dudecrush pretty sure he said the techniques are useless though. Which is a pretty bold blanket statement and kind of just insults the entire metal drummer community
@@1dudecrush the only flaw those techniques have is the lack of dynamics but it has its place for sure.
@@1dudecrush also I'm referring to another video from his Instagram if he's the same person that I'm thinking of
@@1dudecrush okay yeah it is the same guy. Check this out. instagram.com/tv/CIjCpaCBbo-/?