What's Up With Drum Corps, Anyway? - Subscriber-Only

This week's lesson is a bit of an experiment.

There's a pervasive belief - most likely started by people who can't do what drum corps do - that drum corps are "rigid", or "unmusical", or "filled with jocks".

I heard a lot of this talk at music school. It's hipster hate, and it's almost completely false.

The idea that the very same people who would try to play in perfect unison in percussion ensemble...

...or with a string section in orchestra...

...or in a ballet...

...or with a jazz band...

...would then turn around and criticize a group who straps on drums instead of leaving them on stands, and does the same thing...is narrow-minded beyond words.

Part of the reason I'm "coming in hot" is to head off any potential critique of drum corps from my subscribers.

It's true:

Drum corps is different from drum kit

You don't have to be good at marching to be good at drum kit

If it's not for you, that's fine

But you know what else?

Glenn Kotche and Keith Carlock marched.

Mark Guiliana is fabled to have marched (though I can't confirm that as of writing this).

Even Thomas Pridgen checked out DCI videos to inspire him.

All of which is to say...you should be open minded to drum corps.

And if you already are open-minded to it, great news!

Hot-off-the-presses for drum corps season, I've got a new lesson.

Kyle Tsuchiya, of Bluecoats and Broken City fame, joined me to answer some of the most burning drum corps questions.

(We also got a ton of killer footage of the best drum corps.)

Back next week, same time, same place:)

Are we Learning Drums the Wrong Way? - Subscriber Only

I knew as soon as I saw Keenan Cornelius' video on the problems with martial arts instruction - and the better way to do it - I wanted to make a lesson about it.

Keenan's thesis: we mostly learn martial arts by...

-Learning an arbitrary technique in class, devoid of any context

-Drilling that move agains an opponent who's "playing along”

-Brawling "live" for 30-45 minutes in situations that may or may not incorporate the "move of the day"

Something immediately struck me: "this is how we teach drums"

Learn arbitrary exercises out of a book.

"Drill them", often because it's easier than practicing improvising.

"Cross our fingers" and hope those exercises improve our live playing.

It I weren't excited enough about it, the negative comments I received after publishing last week's lesson on the Drumeo challenge got me "proper" fired up.

"You shouldn't be teaching - it's irresponsible."

"You look like a T-Rex" (I think maybe that one was a compliment;)

"REAL rudimental drummers like me can see fakers like you coming from light years away."

Light years, bro.

So it was unanimous. Amongst the haters. If my pad chops weren't perfect, I had no right to express an opinion on the pad.

(Or, an opinion "about the pad". I wasn't putting my opinion physically "on" the pad. Anyway..)

So, I'll fully admit my deficiencies. This lesson goes even deeper into the ways my hand technique needs improvement.

And I'll fully admit that pad nazis are right about one thing: practicing on the pad does help.

Just as the traditional way of learning martial arts does ultimately work.

But - and don't hate me - could there be a better way.

That's what I explore in this week's lesson.

The "Other" Way to Play Faster Drum Solos - Subscribers Only

Growing a channel, yet keeping the quality high. And other adventures in drumming.

It's stopped being novel that some lessons - like this week's - have to strike a balance. I need new eyeballs, and many of those folks will watch videos like "Hamster vs Pro Drummer on Kick Drum Speed - The Stopwatch Doesn't Lie"...

...and "Pro Metal Drummer DESTROYS Vintage Camco Kick Pedal"...

...and "the REAL Fastest Double Bass Pedal Exercise for PURE SPEED".

Then, probably, a bunch of Mike Chang's Six Pack Shortcuts.

And, eventually, probably a few lines of coke.

What I'm saying, folks, is this channel needs to appeal to the young, hip, trendsetters...

...and those folks want SPEEEEEED. (On the drums, that is.)

But let's be honest: who hasn't watched Devon Taylor's VF Jam while in mid-comment on the Stop The Chop page, and just lost their enthusiasm for finishing that comment.

"Guys, it's not all about choooooooooooooo [closes laptop]"

Or, Stop The Chop is like that girl whose hand the dude is holding, and Devon's VF Jam is like that other girl.

What's I'm saying is, we've all dreamed of playing faster solos.

And, for those of you who are on the list for my sober meditations on deep subjects, rest easy: you'll get your brussels sprouts, in addition to your candy.

It turns out, there are two ways to increase the speed of your solos, and most people only talk about one.

To see the other, just watch the lesson.

How to Keep The Form on a Jazz Tune

Today's lesson is about keeping the form in a jazz tune.

As I explain in the video, it was almost an afterthought to me.

For years, I just ate dirt onstage and in class whenever somebody called a tune with a hard form...

...then, it just seemed to get better.

Like many who learned something in a crucible, I had assumed there was no other way.

Which explains my response to many of the comments, emails, and texts I'd get over the years: "meh - is that really a problem?"

But it turns out, yes.

In fact, keeping the form on a jazz standard is the lesson topic that, over the years, people have requested more than any other.

Recently, it occurred to me that my view on the topic wasn't congruent with my other views around drums, music, practice, and learning.

Since college, I've of course had a personal renaissance when it comes to getting better; realizing, among other things...

-That practice is at least as important as talent

-That good practice can accelerate a growth curve

-That bad practice can stunt it

Why, then, was I continuing to approach jazz forms as if...yea it's gonna suck for a lot of years then it's gonna get better.

(Especially when players of other instruments don't see it that way:P)

What's more, there were some low hanging fruit tools to make learning forms one of the easier things to practice.

Smash cut to this week's lesson.

Hope you enjoy.