"You only get better by playing" - Buddy Rich Had a conversation about this recently...so was Buddy right or wrong? I want to know what you think...Leave a comment and let me know!
I could likely debate about this for hours. If buddy had left out the word only, I would agree with this quote. You really do get better from listening, and even from talking with others. Heck, you can get better from just sleeping. The application part of being a musician is important, but practicing can be simply thought of the process of teaching your brain how to tell your body what to do. Practice can happen away from the instrument and the best musicians know that. I’m not saying buddy was wrong, but buddy was ALMOST right.
Bruce Lee once said you can't learn to swim standing on the beach. I think the same is true of drumming. Intellectualize all you want, but one learns the drums by playing them.
Buddy uttered that phrase on more than one occasion and sometimes expounded on it, often in response to an interviewer questioning the concept that he never practiced. "You only get better by playing" was intended to mean in the context of playing in a band, as opposed to spending hours practicing rudiments, etc.
Welp, then why are they even students? I'd quit drums a long time ago if it wasn't fun. I've stopped taking lessons now, but i play a lot on my own cuz i feel like i learn more by playing by myself instead of having a teacher (that's not even a drummer himself) tell me to practice on this and this. I dont want to practice rudiments (or however it's spelled), i'd rather learn to use double bass pedals and blast-beats. i wanna chose what kinda drummer i am. but what do i know, im just a dumb 15-year old kid so i wouldn't really know
How bout this bit bit sage advice from a dumb old fart.... Enjoy your playing. But if your really serious. Practice, Practice, Practice. I stated somewhere else here on this tread I had to learn to all over again after having a stroke a number of years ago. So heres my take from learning to play the drums twice. I really don't like the strict rudiment method. I have slowly been relearning all of them but there are still a few I cannot play due to oddities i suffer from my stroke. So I mostly concentrate on whole kit exercises etc. I found Collin Bailey's Bass drum technique to be the best tool in the whole bunch, You master that you will be a death metal drummer deluxe!. My practice routine each day includes working on: a technique (1) a unique beat or rhythm (1-2) The above are always done with a metronome at speeds from 30-faster than I can play but the slow speeds are the most important. a song or riff that I am learning for work sometimes several. The last bit of advice is practice playing at lowing volume levels. Any drummer can bash. Playing quiet is where the real skill is learned and then when you need to play loud you are really load without working hard. Also I have never been fired for playing to quiet. Cheers and happy drumming
That is not true.the first time I played on Buddys kit and used his sticks...I swear i got 20% better with his sticks {real ones not his throw aways} and 10% better on the slings. Ask Steve peck or Dale Wise those sticks are great! I used them all up except a few.heavy and thin..just magnificent
Very true. However, I do believe that quality gear can inspire you to put more hours behind your instrument. But at the end of the day, you still have to put those hours in.
I've been drumming for 40 years....Teaching for 25 years, and .... in my opinion, it comes down to passion. Everyone is different. What may not work for you, will work for someone else. I use to practice for 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, when I was young. Never really felt I was improving. Once I learned to read music, it really opened up a door for me. I play many styles, have a lot of students from the past, who really enjoy reading music now. Comes down to the individual....Everybody is different.....and some people are just born, to be a gift to the world....like Buddy.
There is a lot to the idea that we learn by playing. Even if people think there's some "getting better" that doesn't involve playing directly on their instruments, what ever it is you're trying to learn or book up on, you learn it more thoroughly by playing with the information in what ever way you can. When I was learning harmony, my friends and I would name 2 chords and we'd have to answer with the keys they naturally occur in. We played with the info. Improvising with what ever we learn-- "playing with it" and not just "playing it" on the instruments the way we play with our food instead of just eat it-- is how we really learn it. I always teach people to not just practice their scales but play with them, play with dynamics and the various aspects of them, having fun in a playful manner. We PLAY our instruments and our music and anything we do on stage is PLAY.
James Hernandez I’m extremely surprised and grateful that no egotistic maniacs stayed underneath this comment something along the lines of ,”looks like I’m never getting any better.”
That's not true. Sometimes you see things better when you have to teach them. I've noticed that I got better at just about any job I've ever had by helping others do the job.
I feel that statement lies in a similar boat that Jojo Mayer delineating the difference between exercise and practice. Practice is musical, exercise is mechanical.
Jojo is good too.Check out a cat named Jake hanna in La .he is great but a dick..he flew in a super fast ride-walk and later i said.you have some great ride technique,,he says no you just wing it? Better was SHELLY MANNE at the lighthouse club near Malibu 1975 doing baroque classical songs with brushes.A true gentleman drummer LIKE STEVE GADD OR DAVE WECKLE.love em all
Love your videos Stephen! You're also quite a good drummer by the way! I met Buddy Rich years ago where he did an outdoor concert in the metropolitan Detroit area. I strategically positioned myself near the end of the stage and when they took a break, low and behold here he came off stage and was walking straight towards me with that towel around his neck. When he got close I said (I was 19) "Hey Buddy, incredible stuff! How do you play 32nd notes with your left hand like that"? He paused and looked me in the eyes and said "think about it"! That was it! And he walked into his trailer! Keep up the great work. Just finished the new solo video. I have a Starclassic too and love it. Birch Bubinga, Honey Amber. Speed Cobra double bass pedal. I may look into the heads you have on yours. Never used that brand but they sound great! Thanks again!
Steve S From what i have always heard is he was egotistical, elitist and rude. Tom Morello,however would probly have taken a few minutes with you to explain. Buddy isnt known as a teacher but a demonstrator. A large percentage of musicians dont really want to share knoweledge. I know u may look back on that encounter fondly but his attitude is offensive to me as a teacher and drum advocate. I admire his abilities but wouldnt want to spend even a minute with him! Thank you for the story and take care!
Yes...as a human, he was wrong about a lot. Right about a lot too. The key is knowing truth when you see it and being able to tell the difference between the two.
It applies to EVERYTHING in life, not just drumming. You don't become a millionaire by just sitting and learning how to make money. You have to go out and take action. However, it's not just taking action (playing the drums) on its own that will make you better. You have to copy others then combine everything you know to become a better hybrid of all the drummers before you.
I've been "playing" ;o) drums for over 35 years now. I come from a schooled background taking private lessons as a kid and then attending PIT later on. It is SO important to practice, actually practice on the instrument. I will say this about improvement though. Some people say you only get better playing with other musicians and I used to think "I'm already doing this with cd's when I play along with my favorite bands". I would say though I have found the most improvement I found in my playing "dynamically" was as recent as 5 years ago. PLAYING GIGS IN DIFFERENT SIZED ROOMS. It forced me to play quieter in smaller rooms yet make it feel just as good as when I played larger venues where I could really lay into the drums. My tip for the day for anyone who wants to take that and run with it. So without playing there's no way that would have happened. Thanks for the video Stephen :o)
My dad was a trumpet player on Buddy Rich’s big band in the late 70’s early’s. Not to sure on the exact time period. It’s so cool to see everyone’s conversation on him as well as getting a first person recollection of a legend.
I agree! also what you said a few weeks ago about the confidence in playing.. it's like it's 3/4 playing and 1/4 mentally planning and then executing. time on the kit is great but you still need that separation to help your brain be more attentive in order to learn and be better at the instrument. I find that when I take a day or two off the kit my body has time to recoup from touring and playing feels a little easier, my mind is fresh and ready to play. This puts learning progress at a stand still but just like any athlete you need to let your body rest so you can perform your best. obviously you wouldn't want take weeks or months off from playing because it's way too easy to get rusty. you never get any better as a player if you don't stay on top of playing. discipline is very important weather you're self taught or going to Berkley. even the kids at Berkley have to practice their asses off just to be good.. you arnt born with it. buddy played a lot and that's what made him awesome but he had to be inspired to do the things he did which means it wasn't all sitting behind the kit. buddy's setup worked for HIM. traditional grip worked for HIM. look at Thomas Lang, traditional grip most of his life and goes back and forth between matched and still played just as well.
I agree with you 100% And with Buddy I've been a professional drummer and made my soul living at playing drums for over 25 years years and I am a teacher. I have struggled my whole life with conversations with drummers who seem to know a lot but in practice cannot play what they preach I was the guy who kept my mouth shut and just played and I'm the one who got the gig. So many people talk talk talk but most people don't put the time and effort in that it takes to become great
I’ve only touched the drums twice, and I practiced without them over many occasions. I would tap my desk and my feet to be able to keep that coordination. As soon as I touched the kit, it took me only a minute to play what I practiced. So you don’t really need to play the kit to get better but it sure as hell does help with the feel and the sound of the cymbals and drums so you know what you’re doing
I totally agree! Ive been with a lot of young musicians (mainly because i am one) as well as professionals. The difference i see between the two (aside from the experience) is that younger musicians talk so much about the gear they have or the gear they wished they had to "sound better". Meanwhile, professionals are so tired about talking about gear (tho im sure many still like to talk of gear) their conversations have (for lack of a better term) more reality and assessment to it. This not only applies to drumming but in any region music or production wise.
Also practicing what you already good at won’t make you better, you have to practice what you cant do to progress. You don’t need drum set to get better either a practice pad for hands and feet will work as well. Also buying big drum set and whole bunch cymbals when you first learn can confuse you because you don’t know were to begin. Also learn every technique you can even if it doesn’t work for you it’s always good to learn, but at the same time some tricks other drummers use may not work for you. Also everyone makes mistakes even the best, one of hardest things to learn first starting out is if you make a mistake don’t stop keep playing the exercise or beat all the way, you can always practice the part you messed up on later. Last thing is to have fun it’s not that serious, it’s good to allow yourself to have some free play and fun no exercises or beats just get on the drums and play what comes to you.
I used to think you did more talking than playing, but you won me over with this story. You don't get muscle memory from reading or picking out your next cymbal! Keep up all the hard truths comin our way.....we appreciate ya!
I’ve been a drummer for years. I’ve never learned rudiments, just playing what I needed to get by on Sunday. After years of bad habits and no chops, I’ve decided to start over. I’m trying to learn basic stuff and I’m so discouraged with it. I’m trying to learn double stroke rolls and I can barely do them correctly. Any advice for starting over after many years of bad habits and never learning properly in the beginning?
George Johnson Hey George...you will most likely need the help of a teacher. Online, offline, Skype, membership program, in person...whatever works best for you. But it will most likely take that interaction with a solid teacher to turn the boat. If I can help at all let me know. You can email me directly at stephen@stephensdrumshed.com
good on you George ! learn the basics paras/ double/para diddle diddles etc and you have tools to play anything remember one thing ALL music is mathematics either written or buskin,( square peg wont fit in a round hole) give each note its full value and you wont go far wrong
Well I’m kind of late in here but the thing is I want to talk about something that happened to me that I found it to be a bit weird , I started drumming like a year ago , maybe a bit more , and I was really bad with the bass drum , like awful , I would lose control and get confused , so the following weeks I just wanted to have fun and played without the bass drum and never really practiced it , but I would imagine myself playing those parts , those bass drum patterns , a few weeks later I go and sit on my drum set and decide to play with the bass , and somehow I had gained control on my feet just by thinking about me playing , not practicing ( I’m sorry for that horrible explanation , the thing is I never actually practiced with my bass drum and just thought about and somehow I got progress on it )
You can apply that statement to just about anything.....I am retired now (68) next month. I practice between 2-4 hours a day. I am done playing out, although I miss it terribly......however my hands, my feet, my sync is better than it has ever been......Playing, playing, playing.....forgot to mention I started at 16....
Jo I am 65 and had sticks in my hands since 6 play better now than ever, youtube is a great place to see what other drummers think and pick up tips from some of the best, keep playing Jo has Buddy Rich once said "its a great way to wake yourself up in a morning!"
Someone like Buddy Rich had literally had played the drums and had been in an artistic environment ever since he was born. It was like a mother tongue for him: he had acquired much of what you have to acquire to improve your drumming during early childhood. As a consequence, he probably felt he never had to practise and that he had got better only by playing during shows and with other people. While it is true you definitely have to play to get better, I think you also have to learn to improve your playing. Learning (about music, theory, styles, and even gear) will help you in knowing what to play, practice will help you playing it properly. For example, listening to music and watching other people play made me discover rythms, fills or techniques I could or should practise that I would have never discovered by myself. In the same manner, when you study a foreign language, you can't only acquire linguistic skills, you need to discover the culture associated with it. My considered opinion is that learning and practicing are two sides of the same coin. Thanks for all the great videos you make, Stephen.
Maybe it'd be better to say "You only get better by playing, but you don't get best by only playing". Then again, Buddy Rich did also say matched grip was "Wrong", so maybe best not to listen too much to Buddy.
I learned using traditional grip in a drum and bugle corps. Went to matched when I started playing a kit and never looked back. Traditional grip worked great on a slanted marching snare, but not needed on a drum kit. If holding a stick one way for one hand, there is no reason both hands should'nt use the same grip and be equally good.
I had a hard time "disconnecting" my limbs from each other but I started to visualise me doing it in my head and after that I was just able to play it without practicing it on a drumset ever before
I'm very late but I do have to say, I have been carrying my drumsticks around everywhere I go, and I have to say, in three months time, mind you I dont even have a drum set right now, but my hand have improved tremendously, my left hand, as most people's was very weak, but now, I can lead fast beats with my left hand just as well as I can with my right, I play open grip, as of everything I play, I can play leading with either hand, o personally think its the lack of a pad or kit that has helped, it forced my hands to do all of the work and in doing so strengthened my muscles and allowed me to develop muscle memory faster, that is a physical improvement, I am currently working on doing traditional grip leading with either hand to keep my open grip within my style, again, I leaned traditional grip left handed, so my left hand is currently struggling on that, but in 1 weeks time, it has improved exponentially
Agreed, after 40+ on guitar, decided to learn to play my drum set. (about 4 mo. now). Do a lot on my practice pad, which has been invaluable, but nothing takes the place of developing the coordination for moving around the drum set. I think it's all helpfull.
Stephen, Love your videos. I am 64 years old. Got my 1st set at 11 years old. I have never been a Good Drummer and, at my age never will be. I have a 2017 Masters Complete 6 Piece kit with Zildjian Cymbals. I tell you that to tell you this. Even though I am no good, I Love the Drums. Sometimes I think people need to know that they can enjoy something without being good at it. Once again I really enjoy your videos. Bet your a great teacher. Keep it up
At 66yrs old, I came back to drum playing after stopping since the late 70's. When I put a pair of sticks in my hands, I quickly found out how disconnected my brain was from my hands. Since then, I've learned, and practiced over and over, even basic motions that I had forgotten. I began playing in open jams, and have made videos. I can actually see and hear the difference as time goes by. Now I play at least 3 times a week in open jams, plus I have a band, not professionally, but for fun. Buddy was right. You only get better by playing. And, playing includes all the actual time you devote to do the physical work, either on a kit, or a practice pad. And I have to agree 100% with @James Hernandez "You only get better by playing with musicians better than You." Disclaimer: Buddy was (and still is) one of my drum heroes!
I stopped for only 7 years (84 to 91), and had lost 80% of my right hand ability. It was very difficult to relearn, since I wasn't 15 again, but instead almost 30. But what I did have (from listening, even if not playing) was a much better knowledge of rhythms, especially syncopations and polyrhythms. I just couldn't play (then) what was in my head.
My take on that Buddy's quote is that you got better by playing like real deal playing - playing gigs, playing with people, "driving" the band and so on...From my experience I realized that nothing compares with real time playing with band and in front of people. You can play along with a song in your basement and be phenomenal, but when you get on the stage with other people - that's a whole different story. Only when I can really "drive" the band with all the power, energy, chops, groove and most of all self-confidence then I can say that I got better. I think that was the thing with "you get better only by playing".
I'm with you for the most part. I agree that we need to get the music "under the hands" if we want to be able to apply it in real life. But, I think real growth happens when you play with a plan, or "functional practice." Kenny Aronoff touches on this a lot. If you don't think about the areas you want to improve on before you play, you end up just wailing and not really accomplishing anything. Drumming is a mix of the mechanical, the emotional and the psychological. Our frame of mind has a lot to do with how we play at any given moment. Personally I think the most growth comes from listening away from the kit (whether it's other players or recordings of yourself), deciding where you want to improve, making a plan, and then applying those ideas when you play. If any of those things are missing from the equation, I think you'll plateau. Just my 2 cents! Great video.
Michael Porter And a great 2 cents it is. Absolutely. Practicing with no plan is not practicing. It’s just wandering and jamming. Real practice is planned, thought out, and purposeful. Great read on this is The Role Of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition Of Expert Performance.
I really like your gear-oriented videos, but these discussion videos about drummers and drumming theories are so interesting and just plain awesome! :') I'm inspired to start making them myself, thank you and have a great day, sir 🙏
honestly i think its something very important and very wise, as simple and as obvious as it might seem to realize that in ANY skill outside drumming, you only get better by doing it. Its crazy but sometimes due to certain circumstances you forget to get off your ass and actually do it, way more than you should.
I believe he said playing with other musicians, like Bruce Lee said they only way to really learn how to fight is in a real fight when you are scared and right in it with your nerves kicked in, you know the real deal situation.
Cheers! There's out there in the internet a learning pyramid where you can observe, exercise, listen, teach, each with their own levels of apprehension. I think you can make a parallel of that one picture that's usually applied for general learning (school) to whatever you like. When you play, exercise and then teach exactly how you played, when you think through your creative process, that's when you're going into the good part.
I'd say a close second is recording yourself and listening. Amazing how our imperfections can be excused while at the kit but exposed while in listener mode. A 95 - 5 percent mixture of those 2 things would probably top 100% playing. As they say, "Practice makes permanent!"
I think that's right in saying that. I'm definitely guilty for being a glutton for knowledge, and I noticed that when trying to apply it to the drum set. It's very easy to get mixed up by learning too much and never applying it into musical context. Very good topic of discussion!
This whole thing got me thinking...I don't have a lot of time to sit and practice on my own - most of my time behind the kit is with my bandmates working on new songs and ideas - I've found that as I've gotten older, and developed a better ear for musical situations my playing has gotten better. Per what Buddy was talking about, that is what is most important...playing in a musical situation. I did a bit of searching and for anyone that hasn't read the MD article, here is the passage so we can all try to understand what he was trying to say. The only thing I don't really agree with is his last statement about not being able to learn something within an hour vs four. *This is taken from Modern Drummer interview from January 1977 MD - Did you practice much? BR - Well, I never really practiced because I never had the opportunity to practice. I've been working all my life ... I've been playing drums all my life, and now, I'm to lazy to bother with it. I have other things that I have to do - practice my martial arts , take care of my cars. I don't put too much emphasis on practice anyhow. MD - Would you mind elaborating on that a bit. BR - I think it's a fallacy that the harder you practice the better you get. You only get better by playing. You could sit around in a room, in a base-ment with a set of drums all day long and practice rudiments, and try to develop speed, but until you start playing with a band, you can't learn technique, you can't learn taste, you can't learn how to play with a band and for a band until you actually play. So, practice, particularly after you've attained a job, any kind of job, like playing with a four piece band, that's ...... an opportunity to develop. And practice, besides that, is boring. You know, I know teachers who tell their students to practice four hours a day, eight hours a day. If you can't accomplish what you want in an hour, you 're not gonna get it in four days.
I think listening is as important or even more important than playing. For example ive found my self not sticking to the original recording while playing the same song countless times over the years. Then i listen to the record and realise "wow is the song that fast on the record" or "damn i forgot about that fill".
Absolutely!! I've never improved "much" by just thinking about it. Not until I sat behind the kit and worked on it. And played it. And played it again..... and again.
I can't count the times I've been disappointed when I practice something by finger/foot tapping, get behind the kit and the moment of truth hits me like a small nuclear explosion. Half time shuffle is one prime example. I can tap the snot out of it using fingers and feet. Get behind the drums and it's as if I never tried...
I am. Practicing fast doubles for now. Once I get the hang of that I think it'll be much easier to manage the bass notes, at least on Bonham's style of shuffle, which I'm shooting for right now...
I agree. I certainly "know" more things than I can play. A lot of my practice time is in fact trying to get better at PLAYING the things I know (or even just playing them at all) My first drum teacher when I was 14 - when he taught me grooves and beats, he would always make me play them for two or three minutes. He said I had to play it for that long because I needed to internalize it and get good at it, and also because in any real situation that's how long I would be playing a single groove or beat. That stuck with me, and I've always known that having the knowledge of the music doesn't count for much until you've given it the time it needs.
I had a recent thing where I tried to add my left foot on the hi-hat in to the chorus of one of my band's newer songs. Couldn't do it. went home and thought about it. Next jam I could do it just fine. So it feels like somewhere in between, I got better. You could argue that I wasn't actually better until I sat on the kit the second time and played it for real, but I don't see how my improvement could be so instant, and it discounts the thought process in between that led to me being able to do it. So I can only SHOW that I'm better by playing, but somewhere in between not being able to play it, and being able to play it, I got better.
Bretton M If you’re wanting the nerdy answer to that...you’re brain was busy trying to catch up. It does that while you’re away from the instrument. So when you work on something, leave without being able to do it, and the. Come back able to do it...it was simply the brain needing the time to process the info and create the neurological pathways and connections. But that never would have happened had you not sat down and made the brain confront the problem in the first place. The brain is really a fascinating machine. Extremely efficient and good at what it does.
buddy said in an interview regarding practicing at the kit that in does no good sitting in a basement all day working on something and that if you are not going to get it in an hour,it wont happen.he added that its better to take a break and walk away from the kit and come back later when you can take a fresh approach.
I thought before I clicked on this that it was going to be a debate on what Buddy said about matched vs. traditional grip, that traditional allows you to get around the drums more fluidly and faster.
I think we all know that one isn't true on a macro level. But, he had his reasons...and for him, no one can say it wasn't true. Because he was lightning fast with trad grip.
I completely agree. I fuss about what I am going to practice all the time, and then when I sit at the kit realize that everything I play needs practice. Hence the fussing over what to practice...more like trying to find a plan for discipline. But I think I actually fuss more about what I need to practice than actually prating until I achieve results. I play with musicians nearly every day and always find something I want to improve. I think that's from where the phrase was rooted. As you are playing music, you hear ideas and music that you want to play, but you might not be able to perform it yet. You have a word or sentence you want to speak, but cannot yet form them sounds in the right order at the right time yet. There is some true gold there. Go practice that idea and phrase. Make that your baby until it is fully grown and apply it in rehearsals and performance. Take those chances and bomb, in rehearsal of course. I think here is where one can become part of the inspiration in the group. Part of the solution to enhance the overall musical experience.
this kinda ties into a lesson my drum instructor told us. He said "Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect."
I have a little problem with the word "playing". Playing certainly makes you better but if you want to push your limits or learn something completely new you often have to do boring practise routines to reach your goals. And I wouldn't call that "playing". But if this is included in Buddy's definition of "playing" I completely agree with this quote.
Dude I totally agree with you but I learn all the time alway from my kit but I also learn during school when I tap on my legs playing rudiments everyday. I know that’s different than playing with sticks but it has actually helped me. I have gotten faster and better with some exercises.
Awesome. I'm new to the drumming scene & I'm always up for the challenge of learnimg. I hope drumming is something i get better at lol. Thanks for a great video. I like listening to people pick apart quotes & all lol
Depends on what you mean by "getting better". If it's only about technique, yes, that can only be learned by playing the instrument. But if it's for example about creativity, then you also need to spend time listening to other people's ideas and listening to your own ideas. Actually, sometimes it's easier to be creative when you are not playing the instrument, because then you are also free from your muscle memory and can focus on thinking more about what sounds you want to achieve. When you are playing the instrument, you usually let your muscle memory control your playing and it can be difficult to play something "fresh". For example if you want to play a new kind of drum fill or groove, maybe instead of trying to play something new it would make sense to first imagine the fill/groove in your head or maybe beatbox it, and only then figure out how to play it on the kit.
I think years ago Bill Bruford made a similar statement. Where he emphasized to “just play”. I think I read it in a Modern Drummer interview or something years ago, definitely pre-Internet days.
Steven, great topic and I agree with you. Also I agree with another comment below, basically that you get better by playing with other musicians. I never read Buddy speaking much about practicing or playing alone. He always seemed to speak of playing in a band situation. So I would think that was his thinking when making that comment, and I can attest that he is EXACTLY CORRECT on that.
I played for about 5 years before having the guts to join our high school big band. I wanted to reach a certain level of proficiency. Imagine my surprise when even the most basic stuff suddenly became difficult because I had never had to play with anybody else! I got better REALLY fast. My relationship with the drums is on-again, off-again, but no matter what I'm practicing or studying, until I apply it in a band, it's just theory.
Great Einstein reference. ;) Really a fantastic video! We can all get great gear, learn slick chops and work to apply them and work to understand good musicianship, but that in my opinion and experience can only be done be grooving with mindful and aware musicians...it changes everything. I feel that a person can read about it, watch videos about it, but it does not really become understood until, as you said "practical application", very well said. Love your insight and experience that you bring to the table Stephen!
To me, our ability as drummers can be measured along two dimensions; technical and musical. In my opinion, we can get better at the musical part by doing all kinds of things. One of them being listening, and with that improving our ability to feel the music. Gavin Harrison talks about this in an interview (ruclips.net/video/DM6bDkP37wA/видео.html). Here he says that he improved a lot when he shifted his focus from the purely physical, technical stuff, to instead improving his ideas about what to play.
My drum teacher used to say this to me and in the 10 years since i think he was right. "Listening is 50% of your practice." - I've found that to mean that playing is 100% of your playing, but sometimes you can get stuck in a rut, comfort zones etc. Always listen to new music to get new ideas. I make extreme metal and my favourite music to listen to is jazz, cos its all about dem drumzzz haha. But like you said its really a combination of mental and physical. Keep up the good work dude!
You briefly mention this in the video, but the corollary to "you only get better by playing" is the "you only get better by playing with OTHER people" Music is a communicative art form, and I think (in my uninformed opinion) even soloists have to spend time playing with others to kind of learn how to phrase in a way that actually communicates an idea I feel like you could *maybe* learn how to do this from listening and playing along, but it's definitely not the same as someone like JoJo or Steve Jordan who have been playing with others, non stop their entire lives. It shows in their level of musicality Case in point I can *play* kind of, but stick me with a band and I sound like a 3 year old with MS. Mechanically and theoretically I can play the instrument, but the skill of communicating and not stepping on others toes and knowing when to speak just isn't there
Tracey D Yea, I believe this quote was stripped and has been quoted in isolation (which always skews the meaning). I believe the conversation he was having was about playing with and in a band. The internet can tell u for sure though ;^)
Stephen, you are exactly correct. I've been playing now for 52 years. I've come up with some licks that I've never seen another drummer do on the drums so I thought I'd put them in a book I'm writing. You only get better by playing and applying that which you've learned. David L. Saelens (drummer since 1967, Rock Island, Illinois) Posted 19 June 2019.
Buddy was 100% correct. I think Buddy's quote has a direct correlation to the biggest difference to the old generation vs the new generation. I'm only 22 so im by no means in that older generation, but its like this young generation believe that they'll somehow be better than the greats from watching youtube videos and studying with no practical input. You have to PLAY ! If i was a basketball player, watching a million dribbling videos wont make me a better ball handler. ( i can go on and on about this quote but its too much to type.)
Your point about gear is great, and disheartening. I tend to get obsessed with new gear whenever I'm stressed at work or in life, but buying the new stuff never resolves the underlying stress. However, putting in the time practicing and getting better at the drums does make me feel better.
You should probe the qoute from Buddy that blew my mind. "The world is run by a universal gamma of emotion and those who emote the most are the best" for me it means when the mastery, of ANYTHING, stops becoming a job and becomes the expression of ones self. Its not so much work anymore. You dont think about what your doing your only focused on how you feel when you play. Sometimes I watch his solos and say "Buddy is a technician, but is he trying to do a technical solo? Or is he tapping into something else? Is that "tapping" the 'other level' he is on?
I completely agree with you. It is fun to intellectually explore drums through listening, observation, and theoretical study; but it is absolutely essential to physically apply what you have learned or develop the muscle memory and coordination by playing drums. It is analog to a person who studies talk therapy and doesn't work in the field as a talk therapist (or vice versa), both are crucial.
I see it that way; as long as we see the topic of learning as we should...that practicing should be seen as playing as a joyfull thing not as working on the instrument. When i am practicing rudiments, reading or grooves i feel the joy of "playing"! It's the perspectiv which shifts working into playing. Just my 2 cents to it.
I love you. 3:21-22 was the most amazing thing I've seen. Maybe ever haha. Off topic...you should release a series on how to grow an epic beard. Instead of DBD you could call it DBB...Do Better Beards LOL!
Playing gets you technique period. I'm just getting back into playing again after 15 years layoff. Had been playing for 20 odd years before then. The only thing i'll be doing for the next 6 months or so will be sitting in a room with just a snare drum and getting all my rudiments and technique back up to speed, once i'm happy only then will I approach the drum set.
Gig (stage) is the place of learning. It is very funny that a music teacher has to warn grown-ups to practice,,,,as there is an alternative way of becoming more musical drummer. We all forget that whatever we do is about feel, time and musicality, to serve the music. Mature and responsible applications of all the aspects of musicianship. So the guideline shoud be: What would Vinnie do? What would Steve do? What would John Henry do? What would Manu and Omar do?,,,,,Still, plenty of room of our personal expression, plenty,,,,
One time I didn't touch my drums for 5 months and when I returned, I felt more creative. I know that's not right but the time off work for me. Sounds silly, I know.
Sure...time away from the instrument can definitely help refill the creative gas tank.Big correlation between successful practice sessions and amount of recovery time given in between each session.
Buddy’s parents were vaudeville performers. One question no one ever asked Buddy that I know of is what he did in the car on a 300 mile ride between venues? When his parents were rehearsing at the theater, they would sit Buddy down by the pit band. There he would be exposed to drummer after drummer after drummer gradually picking up their five dollar tricks. His father was a practical man. To keep 3 year old Buddy from getting restless on those long car rides, I’m sure he made sure his boy had a pair of sticks in his hands at all times. This was the year 1920. Radio stations were still few and far between. And I doubt the car Radio had even been invented yet. What can you remember from age 3? I’m pretty certain that buddy worked out most of the mechanical stuff on those car rides where there was nothing else to do. He probably didn’t even recall most of it because he was so young. He learned to play the drums right along with walking and talking at an age where new skills were absorbed very very quickly. By the time he had reached the age of reason, he was solely concerned with the music. The fundamentals were already solidly in place. Playing endless 16th notes in his left hand was as easy as walking across the room for him. The next 65 years were spent becoming a better musician.Gig after gig after gig…
I agree that you only get better by playing. I spend so much time watching videos about learning drum parts and techniques but then I notice improvement in my playing if I actually have consistent practice sessions with sticks in my hands. Learning the mental part of drumming only helps one to know what to do but it takes physical playing to train the body to do it.
Absolutly right. First i got slme doubts but overall its right what you said. For myself i should also play more and less watching great drum solos -> i get a better understanding but i dont get better on tge kit
Exactly, practice the application. There are also levels and layers of playing aspects. We have favorite things to play. Play all the other stuff to be more rounded.
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE 4 hours everyday, 365 days to be good 8 hours everyday, 365 days to be great greatness occurs when you become one with your instrument like breathing
I agree 98% with this! But there are also times I feel I have gotten better by giving it a break for about a week or two. But I also don't separate practice from any other "performance". Even when performing, it's practicing the live performance. No stopping to work on a lick that that wasn't performed "right", but reacting to "mistakes", "groove feel" etc... SUBSCRIBED, cause I thought I was before. Cheers.
Yep, same, I had this just the other day... Daily practice, a month on bass drum independence etc. ...I made good progress but I think my groove, and musicality had gone a bit astray while I'd been so focused on those technical topics. I got a little despondent and had a break for a few of days. When I came back everything I know seemed to come forward in equal measure = more impulsive, musical and less technical. That might be what 'letting things sink in' actually is, on one level... Letting overly present, intellectual focuses sink back a little so they blend with the whole picture to become just another... musical proposition (?).
I started playing along to music and I "magically" got better. Then I started practicing with a metronome, and got so much better I still don't have a clue how it happened. Theory comes in the form of youtube and albums. Yet...the best sessions I had were when playing with other people. Always much more fun than just practicing alone all the time.
How many times did you see Buddy Rich perform live? Anybody that has never seen Buddy Rich perform live cannot even begin to comprehend what this guy was capable of doing with his Drumset. His live performance abilities have never been matched from what I have seen.
As a horn player, sometimes it makes me wonder if he ever had any regard for how his playing, no just in terms of pulse and groove, but tonally would enhance others players on his ensembles.
One gets better not just by playing but by taking risks: making mistakes, aiming for things that are beyond one's present abilities, &c. Play is the foundation of learning, & learning isn't possible without trial & error.
the first time I sat on a kit I had decent timing and could play various rhythms without ever practicing ( I guess some people naturally have rhythm) however, in order to advance, I definitely had to practice more on the kit
I have been the "gear guy" for the last couple of years...only because I can finally afford some nice stuff...LOL. Kids are all out of the house! YAY! Now I'm getting back to the basics and really working on honing my skills. Played drums for over 40 years. Really understanding now how much I didn't know before. Been "good enough" to play in several bands over the years but, never really got the basics down. So it's back to the practice pad mixed with fun (and some work) time on the kit. Just working on rudiments and sticking. It's like any sport or any activity that has to do with motion. You won't get better unless you put the theory into practice. You don't learn to throw a baseball just by watching youtube....you have to throw a baseball.
as a self-taught drummer I can say that I learned how to play, by playing. I started playing along to records and then got myself into a band. Interacting with other musicians is what its all about. Jam and learn to create on the spot. But above all, just play!!
Only way to be someone like Buddy Rich is the love man... might sound cheesy but he was consumed by the drums and music itself. His whole life was dedicated to the drums and he couldn't get away and it was like a curse cuz he couldn't just stop playing drums. We all tell ourselves that we can have that love but the type of dedication the greats put into their craft is unparalleled to regular people like me. People like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in the realm of basketball always practiced and were in the gym longer than anyone else in the NBA. Buddy was the same and when he says just play, that's extremely different to everyone else because everyone is different. Everyone improves at a different rate and for Buddy Rich, the drums just clicked for him perfectly. God or someone put him on this earth to create music with his drums. Most of us regular people do not have that talent so when he says something like that, it is hard for us to understand what he is saying. Drums to Buddy is like butter on toast same for Michael with Basketball, Michael Jackson with dance (and singing), Jimmy Page on guitar (along with all of the other greats), and the list goes on. Don't look too far into it is my opinion just play.
Great topic. I read that when Buddy was a kid he didn't have ANY toys except a snare drum and he played on it all day all the time. I think in addition to his obviously freakish talent, he got his 10,000 hours of practice in before most of us even learn to ride a bicycle. Of course in addition to that were all of his live performances before he was even potty trained (priceless experience). Not to mention his father taught him how to tap dance (rhythm studies) And then....add to that all the great pit drummers that he was seeing doing vaudeville etc combined with a totally self assured and dominant type personality, and you have the perfect storm to create a once in forever force of nature aka Buddy Rich. For him the ONLY way to improve was through playing live because he mastered every motion involving the drums, time, technique and rhythm. For the rest of us I think it's lots of practice to be best prepped to learn the lessons while playing. He was beyond practicing technique. The fact that he had EVERYTHING to such a level of excellence is absolutely astounding.
Totally agree, and this is a trap I constantly fall into, but Dafnis Prieto has quite a lot of insight on this in his book, If you carry the drums with you wherever you go (in your mind) and work on visualization and your internal sense of time, when it comes time to sit down and practice the things that you have been working on away from the drums, its going to come together much faster.
I saw a ted ed video about some studies on visualizing what you are gonna do, or play in this case, and according to the video the results can be really good. It has worked for me. Also dafnis is a beast!
When Neil Peart left town for two years he didn't play...towards the end of his journey he met with another drummer I recall, (couldn't have been Buddy Rich timeline doesn't work) but essentially they never touched a drum just talked drumming the spirit and nuance of it...I believe he spoke f this in the Rush documentary.
I agree that the only way to actually get better is by playing. But I also think that conceptualizing and thinking about playing while away from the drum set definitely helps. If I spend my free time listening to the songs I have to learn, and thinking about what I need to practice, then my actual practice time will be much more effective. Also I will spend way less time trying to figure out exactly what to play and how it should sound because I had been thinking about it for hours already
Absolutely...music related activities are #1 amongst professional musicians. Doing things that aren't necessarily "practice" but that are related to music to help grow understanding and knowledge while away from the instrument. Totally agree.
What if he meant "you ONLY get better by playing (never worse)" as in, playing can have only a positive effect on your abilities, that playing more will never be a detriment to your skills on the drum kit? Just another way to interpret those exact words in that exact order. Hard to say what Buddy meant by this quote, but that's how I interpret it and I certainly agree that (unless you're literally hurting yourself by playing too much or causing physical damage, of course) playing can only make you better.
"You only get better by playing" - Buddy Rich
Had a conversation about this recently...so was Buddy right or wrong? I want to know what you think...Leave a comment and let me know!
Stephen Taylor wait, so what you're saying is... instead of watching his video I should've gone and played for five minutes? XD
Nick Matthews 😜
If it's a choice between my video or playing...ALWAYS go play. Just sayin'
I could likely debate about this for hours. If buddy had left out the word only, I would agree with this quote. You really do get better from listening, and even from talking with others. Heck, you can get better from just sleeping. The application part of being a musician is important, but practicing can be simply thought of the process of teaching your brain how to tell your body what to do. Practice can happen away from the instrument and the best musicians know that. I’m not saying buddy was wrong, but buddy was ALMOST right.
Logan Scarbrough Love your insight Logan!
Bruce Lee once said you can't learn to swim standing on the beach. I think the same is true of drumming. Intellectualize all you want, but one learns the drums by playing them.
Marcus Lewis I love Bruce Lee so much. He was so deep
Geez Stephen....Does you wife know? :-}
EXACTLY. David L. Saelens (drummer since 1967, Rock Island, IL.) Posted on 19 June 2019.
Buddy uttered that phrase on more than one occasion and sometimes expounded on it, often in response to an interviewer questioning the concept that he never practiced. "You only get better by playing" was intended to mean in the context of playing in a band, as opposed to spending hours practicing rudiments, etc.
mobrules29 Correct, That is the original context of the quote as I’ve seen it.
In that sense, which I think you're right about, Buddy is wrong.
@@SuperGogetem he's not your Buddy, guy.
You only get better by learning. and you learn by playing
you can learn by watching and listening though too
kinda, but you cant get good if you dont try the stuff out on a kit
see my above comment. Which is why I refuse to teach drums....
Getting students to actually practice is really problematic.
Welp, then why are they even students? I'd quit drums a long time ago if it wasn't fun. I've stopped taking lessons now, but i play a lot on my own cuz i feel like i learn more by playing by myself instead of having a teacher (that's not even a drummer himself) tell me to practice on this and this. I dont want to practice rudiments (or however it's spelled), i'd rather learn to use double bass pedals and blast-beats. i wanna chose what kinda drummer i am. but what do i know, im just a dumb 15-year old kid so i wouldn't really know
How bout this bit bit sage advice from a dumb old fart....
Enjoy your playing. But if your really serious. Practice, Practice, Practice.
I stated somewhere else here on this tread I had to learn to all over again after having a stroke a number of years ago.
So heres my take from learning to play the drums twice.
I really don't like the strict rudiment method.
I have slowly been relearning all of them but there are still a few I cannot play due to oddities i suffer from my stroke. So I mostly concentrate on whole kit exercises etc. I found Collin Bailey's Bass drum technique to be the best tool in the whole bunch, You master that you will be a death metal drummer deluxe!.
My practice routine each day includes working on:
a technique (1)
a unique beat or rhythm (1-2)
The above are always done with a metronome at speeds from 30-faster than I can play but the slow speeds are the most important.
a song or riff that I am learning for work sometimes several.
The last bit of advice is practice playing at lowing volume levels. Any drummer can bash. Playing quiet is where the real skill is learned and then when you need to play loud you are really load without working hard.
Also I have never been fired for playing to quiet.
Cheers and happy drumming
"The gear isn't going to make you better." Best point made in this video.
Benzo Drum 👊🏻
That is not true.the first time I played on Buddys kit and used his sticks...I swear i got 20% better with his sticks {real ones not his throw aways} and 10% better on the slings. Ask Steve peck or Dale Wise those sticks are great! I used them all up except a few.heavy and thin..just magnificent
actually, I'll like you better if you upgrade that crap you call cymbals
Buddypoor Buddyrich yes it’s true you don’t need good gear to be good at drums ringo Starr only had 4 drums
Very true. However, I do believe that quality gear can inspire you to put more hours behind your instrument. But at the end of the day, you still have to put those hours in.
I've been drumming for 40 years....Teaching for 25 years, and .... in my opinion, it comes down to passion. Everyone is different. What may not work for you, will work for someone else. I use to practice for 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, when I was young. Never really felt I was improving. Once I learned to read music, it really opened up a door for me. I play many styles, have a lot of students from the past, who really enjoy reading music now.
Comes down to the individual....Everybody is different.....and some people are just born, to be a gift to the world....like Buddy.
There is a lot to the idea that we learn by playing. Even if people think there's some "getting better" that doesn't involve playing directly on their instruments, what ever it is you're trying to learn or book up on, you learn it more thoroughly by playing with the information in what ever way you can. When I was learning harmony, my friends and I would name 2 chords and we'd have to answer with the keys they naturally occur in. We played with the info. Improvising with what ever we learn-- "playing with it" and not just "playing it" on the instruments the way we play with our food instead of just eat it-- is how we really learn it. I always teach people to not just practice their scales but play with them, play with dynamics and the various aspects of them, having fun in a playful manner. We PLAY our instruments and our music and anything we do on stage is PLAY.
you only get better by playing with musicians better than you
James Hernandez I’m extremely surprised and grateful that no egotistic maniacs stayed underneath this comment something along the lines of ,”looks like I’m never getting any better.”
That's not true. Sometimes you see things better when you have to teach them. I've noticed that I got better at just about any job I've ever had by helping others do the job.
@@drumisfum8284 I don't think they would be egotistical, I think they would just be trying to make a joke
I feel that statement lies in a similar boat that Jojo Mayer delineating the difference between exercise and practice. Practice is musical, exercise is mechanical.
Will Bennett I agree. They’re both really concise statements but extremely deep when you think on them. Which is exactly what I want people to do.
Jojo is good too.Check out a cat named Jake hanna in La .he is great but a dick..he flew in a super fast ride-walk and later i said.you have some great ride technique,,he says no you just wing it? Better was SHELLY MANNE at the lighthouse club near Malibu 1975 doing baroque classical songs with brushes.A true gentleman drummer LIKE STEVE GADD OR DAVE WECKLE.love em all
Love your videos Stephen! You're also quite a good drummer by the way! I met Buddy Rich years ago where he did an outdoor concert in the metropolitan Detroit area. I strategically positioned myself near the end of the stage and when they took a break, low and behold here he came off stage and was walking straight towards me with that towel around his neck. When he got close I said (I was 19) "Hey Buddy, incredible stuff! How do you play 32nd notes with your left hand like that"? He paused and looked me in the eyes and said "think about it"! That was it! And he walked into his trailer! Keep up the great work. Just finished the new solo video. I have a Starclassic too and love it. Birch Bubinga, Honey Amber. Speed Cobra double bass pedal. I may look into the heads you have on yours. Never used that brand but they sound great! Thanks again!
Steve S That’s such a great story Steve. And yea, big fan of the Tama stuff as well as the Aquarian coated heads
Steve S yes
Steve S From what i have always heard is he was egotistical, elitist and rude. Tom Morello,however would probly have taken a few minutes with you to explain. Buddy isnt known as a teacher but a demonstrator. A large percentage of musicians dont really want to share knoweledge. I know u may look back on that encounter fondly but his attitude is offensive to me as a teacher and drum advocate. I admire his abilities but wouldnt want to spend even a minute with him! Thank you for the story and take care!
an awful lot of drummers prove he was wrong about matched grip.
I was hoping that's what the actual video was about. I don't think Buddy Rich is god tier untouchable and i get annoyed when people find him to be so.
Oh, I don't think that at all. I think he was human. But he was also right on a lot of things. But absolutely wrong about others.
Yes...as a human, he was wrong about a lot. Right about a lot too. The key is knowing truth when you see it and being able to tell the difference between the two.
Idk 🙄 Virgil Donati ya know hahahahaha never seen anybody more Technical and Faster!
then you havent seen many.
Buddy never practised at home, his practise was out on the road doing concerts.
It applies to EVERYTHING in life, not just drumming. You don't become a millionaire by just sitting and learning how to make money. You have to go out and take action. However, it's not just taking action (playing the drums) on its own that will make you better. You have to copy others then combine everything you know to become a better hybrid of all the drummers before you.
I've been "playing" ;o) drums for over 35 years now. I come from a schooled background taking private lessons as a kid and then attending PIT later on. It is SO important to practice, actually practice on the instrument. I will say this about improvement though. Some people say you only get better playing with other musicians and I used to think "I'm already doing this with cd's when I play along with my favorite bands". I would say though I have found the most improvement I found in my playing "dynamically" was as recent as 5 years ago. PLAYING GIGS IN DIFFERENT SIZED ROOMS. It forced me to play quieter in smaller rooms yet make it feel just as good as when I played larger venues where I could really lay into the drums. My tip for the day for anyone who wants to take that and run with it. So without playing there's no way that would have happened. Thanks for the video Stephen :o)
My dad was a trumpet player on Buddy Rich’s big band in the late 70’s early’s. Not to sure on the exact time period. It’s so cool to see everyone’s conversation on him as well as getting a first person recollection of a legend.
Chase Manhart Ok Chase...I’m officially jealous of you. That’s incredible.
I feel bad for your dad lol
I agree! also what you said a few weeks ago about the confidence in playing.. it's like it's 3/4 playing and 1/4 mentally planning and then executing. time on the kit is great but you still need that separation to help your brain be more attentive in order to learn and be better at the instrument. I find that when I take a day or two off the kit my body has time to recoup from touring and playing feels a little easier, my mind is fresh and ready to play. This puts learning progress at a stand still but just like any athlete you need to let your body rest so you can perform your best. obviously you wouldn't want take weeks or months off from playing because it's way too easy to get rusty. you never get any better as a player if you don't stay on top of playing. discipline is very important weather you're self taught or going to Berkley. even the kids at Berkley have to practice their asses off just to be good.. you arnt born with it. buddy played a lot and that's what made him awesome but he had to be inspired to do the things he did which means it wasn't all sitting behind the kit. buddy's setup worked for HIM. traditional grip worked for HIM. look at Thomas Lang, traditional grip most of his life and goes back and forth between matched and still played just as well.
I agree with you 100% And with Buddy I've been a professional drummer and made my soul living at playing drums for over 25 years years and I am a teacher. I have struggled my whole life with conversations with drummers who seem to know a lot but in practice cannot play what they preach I was the guy who kept my mouth shut and just played and I'm the one who got the gig. So many people talk talk talk but most people don't put the time and effort in that it takes to become great
I am going to link this video at 4:01 the next 1000 times I read this conversation online. Nails it pretty much.
Thanks ;^)
I’ve only touched the drums twice, and I practiced without them over many occasions. I would tap my desk and my feet to be able to keep that coordination. As soon as I touched the kit, it took me only a minute to play what I practiced. So you don’t really need to play the kit to get better but it sure as hell does help with the feel and the sound of the cymbals and drums so you know what you’re doing
I totally agree! Ive been with a lot of young musicians (mainly because i am one) as well as professionals. The difference i see between the two (aside from the experience) is that younger musicians talk so much about the gear they have or the gear they wished they had to "sound better". Meanwhile, professionals are so tired about talking about gear (tho im sure many still like to talk of gear) their conversations have (for lack of a better term) more reality and assessment to it. This not only applies to drumming but in any region music or production wise.
"Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play." -Immanuel Kant
Be The Drum yes!
Also practicing what you already good at won’t make you better, you have to practice what you cant do to progress. You don’t need drum set to get better either a practice pad for hands and feet will work as well. Also buying big drum set and whole bunch cymbals when you first learn can confuse you because you don’t know were to begin. Also learn every technique you can even if it doesn’t work for you it’s always good to learn, but at the same time some tricks other drummers use may not work for you. Also everyone makes mistakes even the best, one of hardest things to learn first starting out is if you make a mistake don’t stop keep playing the exercise or beat all the way, you can always practice the part you messed up on later. Last thing is to have fun it’s not that serious, it’s good to allow yourself to have some free play and fun no exercises or beats just get on the drums and play what comes to you.
I used to think you did more talking than playing, but you won me over with this story. You don't get muscle memory from reading or picking out your next cymbal! Keep up all the hard truths comin our way.....we appreciate ya!
John Myers Not as much as I appreciate you all John!
I’ve been a drummer for years. I’ve never learned rudiments, just playing what I needed to get by on Sunday. After years of bad habits and no chops, I’ve decided to start over. I’m trying to learn basic stuff and I’m so discouraged with it. I’m trying to learn double stroke rolls and I can barely do them correctly. Any advice for starting over after many years of bad habits and never learning properly in the beginning?
George Johnson Hey George...you will most likely need the help of a teacher. Online, offline, Skype, membership program, in person...whatever works best for you. But it will most likely take that interaction with a solid teacher to turn the boat. If I can help at all let me know. You can email me directly at stephen@stephensdrumshed.com
good on you George ! learn the basics paras/ double/para diddle diddles etc and you have tools to play anything remember one thing ALL music is mathematics either written or buskin,( square peg wont fit in a round hole) give each note its full value and you wont go far wrong
Well I’m kind of late in here but the thing is I want to talk about something that happened to me that I found it to be a bit weird , I started drumming like a year ago , maybe a bit more , and I was really bad with the bass drum , like awful , I would lose control and get confused , so the following weeks I just wanted to have fun and played without the bass drum and never really practiced it , but I would imagine myself playing those parts , those bass drum patterns , a few weeks later I go and sit on my drum set and decide to play with the bass , and somehow I had gained control on my feet just by thinking about me playing , not practicing ( I’m sorry for that horrible explanation , the thing is I never actually practiced with my bass drum and just thought about and somehow I got progress on it )
You can apply that statement to just about anything.....I am retired now (68) next month. I practice between 2-4 hours a day. I am done playing out, although I miss it terribly......however my hands, my feet, my sync is better than it has ever been......Playing, playing, playing.....forgot to mention I started at 16....
You're an inspiration to me Joe!
Jo I am 65 and had sticks in my hands since 6 play better now than ever, youtube is a great place to see what other drummers think and pick up tips from some of the best, keep playing Jo has Buddy Rich once said "its a great way to wake yourself up in a morning!"
Thank you for mentioning Stephen....keep 'em coming, love it!!!
I agree Bob....keep it pumpin', is what the doc told me :-)
Someone like Buddy Rich had literally had played the drums and had been in an artistic environment ever since he was born. It was like a mother tongue for him: he had acquired much of what you have to acquire to improve your drumming during early childhood. As a consequence, he probably felt he never had to practise and that he had got better only by playing during shows and with other people. While it is true you definitely have to play to get better, I think you also have to learn to improve your playing. Learning (about music, theory, styles, and even gear) will help you in knowing what to play, practice will help you playing it properly. For example, listening to music and watching other people play made me discover rythms, fills or techniques I could or should practise that I would have never discovered by myself. In the same manner, when you study a foreign language, you can't only acquire linguistic skills, you need to discover the culture associated with it. My considered opinion is that learning and practicing are two sides of the same coin.
Thanks for all the great videos you make, Stephen.
THATS PRETTY CORRECT.. YES
Maybe it'd be better to say "You only get better by playing, but you don't get best by only playing".
Then again, Buddy Rich did also say matched grip was "Wrong", so maybe best not to listen too much to Buddy.
match grip is wrong
jgraz42 says who? Matched grip may wrong for Buddy but that’s only for him.
Kenneth, assuming you're a drummer, I dare you to retrain your brain in traditional, it will take a few months and I promise you'll never go back.
jgraz42 I don't think either is wrong but even I agree that traditional grip is better especially when you get used to it
I learned using traditional grip in a drum and bugle corps. Went to matched when I started playing a kit and never looked back. Traditional grip worked great on a slanted marching snare, but not needed on a drum kit. If holding a stick one way for one hand, there is no reason both hands should'nt use the same grip and be equally good.
I had a hard time "disconnecting" my limbs from each other but I started to visualise me doing it in my head and after that I was just able to play it without practicing it on a drumset ever before
I'm very late but I do have to say, I have been carrying my drumsticks around everywhere I go, and I have to say, in three months time, mind you I dont even have a drum set right now, but my hand have improved tremendously, my left hand, as most people's was very weak, but now, I can lead fast beats with my left hand just as well as I can with my right, I play open grip, as of everything I play, I can play leading with either hand, o personally think its the lack of a pad or kit that has helped, it forced my hands to do all of the work and in doing so strengthened my muscles and allowed me to develop muscle memory faster, that is a physical improvement, I am currently working on doing traditional grip leading with either hand to keep my open grip within my style, again, I leaned traditional grip left handed, so my left hand is currently struggling on that, but in 1 weeks time, it has improved exponentially
Agreed, after 40+ on guitar, decided to learn to play my drum set. (about 4 mo. now). Do a lot on my practice pad, which has been invaluable, but nothing takes the place of developing the coordination for moving around the drum set. I think it's all helpfull.
Stephen, Love your videos. I am 64 years old. Got my 1st set at 11 years old. I have never been a Good Drummer and, at my age never will be. I have a 2017 Masters Complete 6 Piece kit with Zildjian Cymbals. I tell you that to tell you this. Even though I am no good, I Love the Drums. Sometimes I think people need to know that they can enjoy something without being good at it.
Once again I really enjoy your videos. Bet your a great teacher. Keep it up
Thank you so much Ric 🙏🏼
At 66yrs old, I came back to drum playing after stopping since the late 70's. When I put a pair of sticks in my hands, I quickly found out how disconnected my brain was from my hands. Since then, I've learned, and practiced over and over, even basic motions that I had forgotten. I began playing in open jams, and have made videos. I can actually see and hear the difference as time goes by. Now I play at least 3 times a week in open jams, plus I have a band, not professionally, but for fun. Buddy was right. You only get better by playing. And, playing includes all the actual time you devote to do the physical work, either on a kit, or a practice pad. And I have to agree 100% with @James Hernandez "You only get better by playing with musicians better than You." Disclaimer: Buddy was (and still is) one of my drum heroes!
I stopped for only 7 years (84 to 91), and had lost 80% of my right hand ability. It was very difficult to relearn, since I wasn't 15 again, but instead almost 30.
But what I did have (from listening, even if not playing) was a much better knowledge of rhythms, especially syncopations and polyrhythms. I just couldn't play (then) what was in my head.
My take on that Buddy's quote is that you got better by playing like real deal playing - playing gigs, playing with people, "driving" the band and so on...From my experience I realized that nothing compares with real time playing with band and in front of people. You can play along with a song in your basement and be phenomenal, but when you get on the stage with other people - that's a whole different story. Only when I can really "drive" the band with all the power, energy, chops, groove and most of all self-confidence then I can say that I got better. I think that was the thing with "you get better only by playing".
I'm with you for the most part. I agree that we need to get the music "under the hands" if we want to be able to apply it in real life. But, I think real growth happens when you play with a plan, or "functional practice." Kenny Aronoff touches on this a lot. If you don't think about the areas you want to improve on before you play, you end up just wailing and not really accomplishing anything. Drumming is a mix of the mechanical, the emotional and the psychological. Our frame of mind has a lot to do with how we play at any given moment. Personally I think the most growth comes from listening away from the kit (whether it's other players or recordings of yourself), deciding where you want to improve, making a plan, and then applying those ideas when you play. If any of those things are missing from the equation, I think you'll plateau. Just my 2 cents! Great video.
Michael Porter And a great 2 cents it is. Absolutely. Practicing with no plan is not practicing. It’s just wandering and jamming. Real practice is planned, thought out, and purposeful. Great read on this is The Role Of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition Of Expert Performance.
I really like your gear-oriented videos, but these discussion videos about drummers and drumming theories are so interesting and just plain awesome! :')
I'm inspired to start making them myself, thank you and have a great day, sir 🙏
honestly i think its something very important and very wise, as simple and as obvious as it might seem to realize that in ANY skill outside drumming, you only get better by doing it. Its crazy but sometimes due to certain circumstances you forget to get off your ass and actually do it, way more than you should.
I believe he said playing with other musicians, like Bruce Lee said they only way to really learn how to fight is in a real fight when you are scared and right in it with your nerves kicked in, you know the real deal situation.
Monsterdrumma Yea, the context this quote was pulled from was him talking specifically about playing with other musicians.
Stephen Taylor Ah my bad then, cool video though I will check out more of your stuff!
Cheers! There's out there in the internet a learning pyramid where you can observe, exercise, listen, teach, each with their own levels of apprehension. I think you can make a parallel of that one picture that's usually applied for general learning (school) to whatever you like. When you play, exercise and then teach exactly how you played, when you think through your creative process, that's when you're going into the good part.
I'd say a close second is recording yourself and listening. Amazing how our imperfections can be excused while at the kit but exposed while in listener mode. A 95 - 5 percent mixture of those 2 things would probably top 100% playing. As they say, "Practice makes permanent!"
I think that's right in saying that. I'm definitely guilty for being a glutton for knowledge, and I noticed that when trying to apply it to the drum set. It's very easy to get mixed up by learning too much and never applying it into musical context. Very good topic of discussion!
This whole thing got me thinking...I don't have a lot of time to sit and practice on my own - most of my time behind the kit is with my bandmates working on new songs and ideas - I've found that as I've gotten older, and developed a better ear for musical situations my playing has gotten better. Per what Buddy was talking about, that is what is most important...playing in a musical situation. I did a bit of searching and for anyone that hasn't read the MD article, here is the passage so we can all try to understand what he was trying to say. The only thing I don't really agree with is his last statement about not being able to learn something within an hour vs four.
*This is taken from Modern Drummer interview from January 1977
MD - Did you practice much?
BR - Well, I never really practiced because I never had the opportunity to practice. I've been working all my life ... I've been playing drums all my life, and now, I'm to lazy to bother with it. I have other things that I have to do - practice my martial arts , take care of my cars. I don't put too much emphasis on practice anyhow.
MD - Would you mind elaborating on that a bit.
BR - I think it's a fallacy that the harder you practice the better you get. You only get better by playing. You could sit around in a room, in a base-ment with a set of drums all day long and practice rudiments, and try to develop speed, but until you start playing with a band, you can't learn technique, you can't learn taste, you can't learn how to play with a band and for a band until you actually play. So, practice, particularly after you've attained a job, any kind of job, like playing with a four piece band, that's ...... an opportunity to develop. And practice, besides that, is boring. You know, I know teachers who tell their students to practice four hours a day, eight hours a day. If you can't accomplish what you want in an hour, you 're not gonna get it in four days.
so true, and it applies for so many fields, thanks so much Stephen for your words!!!!! I'll get better not only at drumming, but also in life...!!
You bet Stan
I think listening is as important or even more important than playing.
For example ive found my self not sticking to the original recording while playing the same song countless times over the years.
Then i listen to the record and realise "wow is the song that fast on the record" or "damn i forgot about that fill".
Absolutely!! I've never improved "much" by just thinking about it. Not until I sat behind the kit and worked on it. And played it. And played it again..... and again.
I can't count the times I've been disappointed when I practice something by finger/foot tapping, get behind the kit and the moment of truth hits me like a small nuclear explosion. Half time shuffle is one prime example. I can tap the snot out of it using fingers and feet. Get behind the drums and it's as if I never tried...
Gotta get on the field and put the theory to practice. Only way to make it happen
I am. Practicing fast doubles for now. Once I get the hang of that I think it'll be much easier to manage the bass notes, at least on Bonham's style of shuffle, which I'm shooting for right now...
brian96597 SAME
I agree. I certainly "know" more things than I can play. A lot of my practice time is in fact trying to get better at PLAYING the things I know (or even just playing them at all)
My first drum teacher when I was 14 - when he taught me grooves and beats, he would always make me play them for two or three minutes. He said I had to play it for that long because I needed to internalize it and get good at it, and also because in any real situation that's how long I would be playing a single groove or beat. That stuck with me, and I've always known that having the knowledge of the music doesn't count for much until you've given it the time it needs.
Eoin Hayes So true...we have to put in the hours
I had a recent thing where I tried to add my left foot on the hi-hat in to the chorus of one of my band's newer songs. Couldn't do it. went home and thought about it. Next jam I could do it just fine. So it feels like somewhere in between, I got better. You could argue that I wasn't actually better until I sat on the kit the second time and played it for real, but I don't see how my improvement could be so instant, and it discounts the thought process in between that led to me being able to do it. So I can only SHOW that I'm better by playing, but somewhere in between not being able to play it, and being able to play it, I got better.
Bretton M If you’re wanting the nerdy answer to that...you’re brain was busy trying to catch up. It does that while you’re away from the instrument. So when you work on something, leave without being able to do it, and the. Come back able to do it...it was simply the brain needing the time to process the info and create the neurological pathways and connections. But that never would have happened had you not sat down and made the brain confront the problem in the first place. The brain is really a fascinating machine. Extremely efficient and good at what it does.
buddy said in an interview regarding practicing at the kit that in does no good sitting in a basement all day working on something and that if you are not going to get it in an hour,it wont happen.he added that its better to take a break and walk away from the kit and come back later when you can take a fresh approach.
I thought before I clicked on this that it was going to be a debate on what Buddy said about matched vs. traditional grip, that traditional allows you to get around the drums more fluidly and faster.
I think we all know that one isn't true on a macro level. But, he had his reasons...and for him, no one can say it wasn't true. Because he was lightning fast with trad grip.
I was thinking the same thing :) I just watched the video a couple days ago where he "made fun" of matched grip for the drum kit
I completely agree. I fuss about what I am going to practice all the time, and then when I sit at the kit realize that everything I play needs practice. Hence the fussing over what to practice...more like trying to find a plan for discipline. But I think I actually fuss more about what I need to practice than actually prating until I achieve results. I play with musicians nearly every day and always find something I want to improve. I think that's from where the phrase was rooted. As you are playing music, you hear ideas and music that you want to play, but you might not be able to perform it yet. You have a word or sentence you want to speak, but cannot yet form them sounds in the right order at the right time yet. There is some true gold there. Go practice that idea and phrase. Make that your baby until it is fully grown and apply it in rehearsals and performance. Take those chances and bomb, in rehearsal of course. I think here is where one can become part of the inspiration in the group. Part of the solution to enhance the overall musical experience.
Jon Norris So true Jon
this kinda ties into a lesson my drum instructor told us. He said "Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect."
I have a little problem with the word "playing". Playing certainly makes you better but if you want to push your limits or learn something completely new you often have to do boring practise routines to reach your goals. And I wouldn't call that "playing". But if this is included in Buddy's definition of "playing" I completely agree with this quote.
Dude I totally agree with you but I learn all the time alway from my kit but I also learn during school when I tap on my legs playing rudiments everyday. I know that’s different than playing with sticks but it has actually helped me. I have gotten faster and better with some exercises.
Awesome. I'm new to the drumming scene & I'm always up for the challenge of learnimg. I hope drumming is something i get better at lol. Thanks for a great video. I like listening to people pick apart quotes & all lol
Welcome to the fam!
Depends on what you mean by "getting better". If it's only about technique, yes, that can only be learned by playing the instrument. But if it's for example about creativity, then you also need to spend time listening to other people's ideas and listening to your own ideas. Actually, sometimes it's easier to be creative when you are not playing the instrument, because then you are also free from your muscle memory and can focus on thinking more about what sounds you want to achieve. When you are playing the instrument, you usually let your muscle memory control your playing and it can be difficult to play something "fresh". For example if you want to play a new kind of drum fill or groove, maybe instead of trying to play something new it would make sense to first imagine the fill/groove in your head or maybe beatbox it, and only then figure out how to play it on the kit.
I think years ago Bill Bruford made a similar statement. Where he emphasized to “just play”. I think I read it in a Modern Drummer interview or something years ago, definitely pre-Internet days.
Steven, great topic and I agree with you. Also I agree with another comment below, basically that you get better by playing with other musicians. I never read Buddy speaking much about practicing or playing alone. He always seemed to speak of playing in a band situation. So I would think that was his thinking when making that comment, and I can attest that he is EXACTLY CORRECT on that.
STEPHEN! Please pardon the auto correct fail on your name in my earlier comment! 🙄
100% agree...playing with musicians has to happen on a regular basis. And I'll forgive the auto correct on my name...BUT JUST THIS ONCE!!!!!
Stephen Taylor NO QUARTER!!! 🤣
I played for about 5 years before having the guts to join our high school big band. I wanted to reach a certain level of proficiency. Imagine my surprise when even the most basic stuff suddenly became difficult because I had never had to play with anybody else! I got better REALLY fast. My relationship with the drums is on-again, off-again, but no matter what I'm practicing or studying, until I apply it in a band, it's just theory.
Great Einstein reference. ;)
Really a fantastic video! We can all get great gear, learn slick chops and work to apply them and work to understand good musicianship, but that in my opinion and experience can only be done be grooving with mindful and aware musicians...it changes everything.
I feel that a person can read about it, watch videos about it, but it does not really become understood until, as you said "practical application", very well said.
Love your insight and experience that you bring to the table Stephen!
To me, our ability as drummers can be measured along two dimensions; technical and musical. In my opinion, we can get better at the musical part by doing all kinds of things. One of them being listening, and with that improving our ability to feel the music.
Gavin Harrison talks about this in an interview (ruclips.net/video/DM6bDkP37wA/видео.html). Here he says that he improved a lot when he shifted his focus from the purely physical, technical stuff, to instead improving his ideas about what to play.
My drum teacher used to say this to me and in the 10 years since i think he was right. "Listening is 50% of your practice." - I've found that to mean that playing is 100% of your playing, but sometimes you can get stuck in a rut, comfort zones etc. Always listen to new music to get new ideas. I make extreme metal and my favourite music to listen to is jazz, cos its all about dem drumzzz haha. But like you said its really a combination of mental and physical. Keep up the good work dude!
Life As A Dream Records You bet!
You briefly mention this in the video, but the corollary to "you only get better by playing" is the "you only get better by playing with OTHER people"
Music is a communicative art form, and I think (in my uninformed opinion) even soloists have to spend time playing with others to kind of learn how to phrase in a way that actually communicates an idea
I feel like you could *maybe* learn how to do this from listening and playing along, but it's definitely not the same as someone like JoJo or Steve Jordan who have been playing with others, non stop their entire lives. It shows in their level of musicality
Case in point I can *play* kind of, but stick me with a band and I sound like a 3 year old with MS. Mechanically and theoretically I can play the instrument, but the skill of communicating and not stepping on others toes and knowing when to speak just isn't there
Yes, I agree...playing with other people is so detrimental to your growth as a musician.
Stephen Taylor detrimental?!?
I think what buddy actually said is...you only get better by playing with other people, that's when you learn how to play for a band & with a band !
Tracey D Yea, I believe this quote was stripped and has been quoted in isolation (which always skews the meaning). I believe the conversation he was having was about playing with and in a band. The internet can tell u for sure though ;^)
Buddy was right....
I totally agree with you. There's so much to be learned by just playing and letting some things come naturally as well as tackling specific things.
Stephen, you are exactly correct. I've been playing now for 52 years. I've come up with some licks that I've never seen another drummer do on the drums so I thought I'd put them in a book I'm writing. You only get better by playing and applying that which you've learned. David L. Saelens (drummer since 1967, Rock Island, Illinois) Posted 19 June 2019.
Buddy was 100% correct.
I think Buddy's quote has a direct correlation to the biggest difference to the old generation vs the new generation. I'm only 22 so im by no means in that older generation, but its like this young generation believe that they'll somehow be better than the greats from watching youtube videos and studying with no practical input. You have to PLAY !
If i was a basketball player, watching a million dribbling videos wont make me a better ball handler.
( i can go on and on about this quote but its too much to type.)
Great analogy to a basketball player!
become better than the elders and others is what it's all about! you can't become big if yoy think small.
Your point about gear is great, and disheartening. I tend to get obsessed with new gear whenever I'm stressed at work or in life, but buying the new stuff never resolves the underlying stress. However, putting in the time practicing and getting better at the drums does make me feel better.
Hey...we can all be gear heads every now and then. Just don't fall in the trap of being a professional collector that says they're a drummer ;^)
How did you come to this? :D
5:29 - 5:36
LOL
Great video as always!
Thanks Pardo!
You should probe the qoute from Buddy that blew my mind. "The world is run by a universal gamma of emotion and those who emote the most are the best" for me it means when the mastery, of ANYTHING, stops becoming a job and becomes the expression of ones self. Its not so much work anymore. You dont think about what your doing your only focused on how you feel when you play. Sometimes I watch his solos and say "Buddy is a technician, but is he trying to do a technical solo? Or is he tapping into something else? Is that "tapping" the 'other level' he is on?
Love that quote!
I completely agree with you. It is fun to intellectually explore drums through listening, observation, and theoretical study; but it is absolutely essential to physically apply what you have learned or develop the muscle memory and coordination by playing drums. It is analog to a person who studies talk therapy and doesn't work in the field as a talk therapist (or vice versa), both are crucial.
Great lesson on posture and ergonomics. BTW, playing open-handed also can help achieve ergonomic posture.
I see it that way; as long as we see the topic of learning as we should...that practicing should be seen as playing as a joyfull thing not as working on the instrument.
When i am practicing rudiments, reading or grooves i feel the joy of "playing"! It's the perspectiv which shifts working into playing. Just my 2 cents to it.
Juan Roos I love your two cents my friend 👊🏻
I love you. 3:21-22 was the most amazing thing I've seen. Maybe ever haha. Off topic...you should release a series on how to grow an epic beard. Instead of DBD you could call it DBB...Do Better Beards LOL!
Ha!!!
Playing gets you technique period. I'm just getting back into playing again after 15 years layoff. Had been playing for 20 odd years before then. The only thing i'll be doing for the next 6 months or so will be sitting in a room with just a snare drum and getting all my rudiments and technique back up to speed, once i'm happy only then will I approach the drum set.
Gig (stage) is the place of learning. It is very funny that a music teacher has to warn grown-ups to practice,,,,as there is an alternative way of becoming more musical drummer. We all forget that whatever we do is about feel, time and musicality, to serve the music. Mature and responsible applications of all the aspects of musicianship. So the guideline shoud be: What would Vinnie do? What would Steve do? What would John Henry do? What would Manu and Omar do?,,,,,Still, plenty of room of our personal expression, plenty,,,,
Personal expression is where it's at
One time I didn't touch my drums for 5 months and when I returned, I felt more creative. I know that's not right but the time off work for me. Sounds silly, I know.
Sure...time away from the instrument can definitely help refill the creative gas tank.Big correlation between successful practice sessions and amount of recovery time given in between each session.
Buddy’s parents were vaudeville performers. One question no one ever asked Buddy that I know of is what he did in the car on a 300 mile ride between venues? When his parents were rehearsing at the theater, they would sit Buddy down by the pit band. There he would be exposed to drummer after drummer after drummer gradually picking up their five dollar tricks. His father was a practical man. To keep 3 year old Buddy from getting restless on those long car rides, I’m sure he made sure his boy had a pair of sticks in his hands at all times. This was the year 1920. Radio stations were still few and far between. And I doubt the car Radio had even been invented yet. What can you remember from age 3? I’m pretty certain that buddy worked out most of the mechanical stuff on those car rides where there was nothing else to do. He probably didn’t even recall most of it because he was so young. He learned to play the drums right along with walking and talking at an age where new skills were absorbed very very quickly. By the time he had reached the age of reason, he was solely concerned with the music. The fundamentals were already solidly in place. Playing endless 16th notes in his left hand was as easy as walking across the room for him. The next 65 years were spent becoming a better musician.Gig after gig after gig…
I agree that you only get better by playing. I spend so much time watching videos about learning drum parts and techniques but then I notice improvement in my playing if I actually have consistent practice sessions with sticks in my hands. Learning the mental part of drumming only helps one to know what to do but it takes physical playing to train the body to do it.
Absolutly right. First i got slme doubts but overall its right what you said.
For myself i should also play more and less watching great drum solos -> i get a better understanding but i dont get better on tge kit
Matthias Müller Truth
Exactly, practice the application. There are also levels and layers of playing aspects. We have favorite things to play. Play all the other stuff to be more rounded.
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
4 hours everyday, 365 days to be good
8 hours everyday, 365 days to be great
greatness occurs when you become one with your instrument
like breathing
I agree 98% with this! But there are also times I feel I have gotten better by giving it a break for about a week or two. But I also don't separate practice from any other "performance". Even when performing, it's practicing the live performance. No stopping to work on a lick that that wasn't performed "right", but reacting to "mistakes", "groove feel" etc...
SUBSCRIBED, cause I thought I was before. Cheers.
Roque Castaneda Great points Rosque. And glad to have ya hangin on here with us!
Yep, same, I had this just the other day... Daily practice, a month on bass drum independence etc. ...I made good progress but I think my groove, and musicality had gone a bit astray while I'd been so focused on those technical topics. I got a little despondent and had a break for a few of days. When I came back everything I know seemed to come forward in equal measure = more impulsive, musical and less technical.
That might be what 'letting things sink in' actually is, on one level... Letting overly present, intellectual focuses sink back a little so they blend with the whole picture to become just another... musical proposition (?).
I started playing along to music and I "magically" got better. Then I started practicing with a metronome, and got so much better I still don't have a clue how it happened. Theory comes in the form of youtube and albums.
Yet...the best sessions I had were when playing with other people. Always much more fun than just practicing alone all the time.
Indeed...you gotta pick them sticks up
How many times did you see Buddy Rich perform live? Anybody that has never seen Buddy Rich perform live cannot even begin to comprehend what this guy was capable of doing with his Drumset. His live performance abilities have never been matched from what I have seen.
As a horn player, sometimes it makes me wonder if he ever had any regard for how his playing, no just in terms of pulse and groove, but tonally would enhance others players on his ensembles.
One gets better not just by playing but by taking risks: making mistakes, aiming for things that are beyond one's present abilities, &c. Play is the foundation of learning, & learning isn't possible without trial & error.
the first time I sat on a kit I had decent timing and could play various rhythms without ever practicing ( I guess some people naturally have rhythm) however, in order to advance, I definitely had to practice more on the kit
I have been the "gear guy" for the last couple of years...only because I can finally afford some nice stuff...LOL. Kids are all out of the house! YAY! Now I'm getting back to the basics and really working on honing my skills. Played drums for over 40 years. Really understanding now how much I didn't know before. Been "good enough" to play in several bands over the years but, never really got the basics down. So it's back to the practice pad mixed with fun (and some work) time on the kit. Just working on rudiments and sticking. It's like any sport or any activity that has to do with motion. You won't get better unless you put the theory into practice. You don't learn to throw a baseball just by watching youtube....you have to throw a baseball.
Hey...we all go through that gear phase ;^) But you're correct...to learn to throw the baseball, you have to throw it...a lot
as a self-taught drummer I can say that I learned how to play, by playing. I started playing along to records and then got myself into a band.
Interacting with other musicians is what its all about. Jam and learn to create on the spot. But above all, just play!!
Same with drawing! I have so many books on the subject from techniques to rendering , its all about application !
The 3 levels of knowledge; knowing, understanding, acting on. Knowing or understanding doesn't mean s*** until you act on it.
Only way to be someone like Buddy Rich is the love man... might sound cheesy but he was consumed by the drums and music itself. His whole life was dedicated to the drums and he couldn't get away and it was like a curse cuz he couldn't just stop playing drums. We all tell ourselves that we can have that love but the type of dedication the greats put into their craft is unparalleled to regular people like me. People like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in the realm of basketball always practiced and were in the gym longer than anyone else in the NBA. Buddy was the same and when he says just play, that's extremely different to everyone else because everyone is different. Everyone improves at a different rate and for Buddy Rich, the drums just clicked for him perfectly. God or someone put him on this earth to create music with his drums. Most of us regular people do not have that talent so when he says something like that, it is hard for us to understand what he is saying. Drums to Buddy is like butter on toast same for Michael with Basketball, Michael Jackson with dance (and singing), Jimmy Page on guitar (along with all of the other greats), and the list goes on. Don't look too far into it is my opinion just play.
Great topic. I read that when Buddy was a kid he didn't have ANY toys except a snare drum and he played on it all day all the time. I think in addition to his obviously freakish talent, he got his 10,000 hours of practice in before most of us even learn to ride a bicycle. Of course in addition to that were all of his live performances before he was even potty trained (priceless experience). Not to mention his father taught him how to tap dance (rhythm studies) And then....add to that all the great pit drummers that he was seeing doing vaudeville etc combined with a totally self assured and dominant type personality, and you have the perfect storm to create a once in forever force of nature aka Buddy Rich. For him the ONLY way to improve was through playing live because he mastered every motion involving the drums, time, technique and rhythm. For the rest of us I think it's lots of practice to be best prepped to learn the lessons while playing. He was beyond practicing technique. The fact that he had EVERYTHING to such a level of excellence is absolutely astounding.
I am a HUGE gear nerd and collector (when I have money) but I'm behind the kit almost every free second I have.
Totally agree, and this is a trap I constantly fall into, but Dafnis Prieto has quite a lot of insight on this in his book, If you carry the drums with you wherever you go (in your mind) and work on visualization and your internal sense of time, when it comes time to sit down and practice the things that you have been working on away from the drums, its going to come together much faster.
Robbie Frazer What’s the name of that book?
dafnisonmusic.com/ It's called "A World of Rhythmic Possibilities" It's an amazing book!
I saw a ted ed video about some studies on visualizing what you are gonna do, or play in this case, and according to the video the results can be really good. It has worked for me.
Also dafnis is a beast!
When Neil Peart left town for two years he didn't play...towards the end of his journey he met with another drummer I recall, (couldn't have been Buddy Rich timeline doesn't work) but essentially they never touched a drum just talked drumming the spirit and nuance of it...I believe he spoke f this in the Rush documentary.
Yea he did. His books are great.
I agree that the only way to actually get better is by playing. But I also think that conceptualizing and thinking about playing while away from the drum set definitely helps. If I spend my free time listening to the songs I have to learn, and thinking about what I need to practice, then my actual practice time will be much more effective. Also I will spend way less time trying to figure out exactly what to play and how it should sound because I had been thinking about it for hours already
Absolutely...music related activities are #1 amongst professional musicians. Doing things that aren't necessarily "practice" but that are related to music to help grow understanding and knowledge while away from the instrument. Totally agree.
What if he meant "you ONLY get better by playing (never worse)" as in, playing can have only a positive effect on your abilities, that playing more will never be a detriment to your skills on the drum kit? Just another way to interpret those exact words in that exact order. Hard to say what Buddy meant by this quote, but that's how I interpret it and I certainly agree that (unless you're literally hurting yourself by playing too much or causing physical damage, of course) playing can only make you better.