Recently, I have had a number of fellow drummers give me some nice compliments. Among the more consistent ones are having a great groove, solid pocket, and making the music feel good. This affirms what I have worked so hard for, as those qualities are the cornerstones of what really makes a great drum part, and even more importantly, a great song. There is 100% no denying that groove and timing are essential to being a “good” drummer. But it is certainly not all. Without identity, even the most advanced drummer will be lost in a sea of replicas. Which is why I really feel every drummer should spend a little time at “The Chop Shop.”
It doesn’t have to be some major ego trip. Chops often times develop from simple ideas or even rudiments or training exercises. In fact, even rudiments (something you should already be working on right from the time you pick up a drumstick) can open doors into the Chop Shop. Take double strokes. RRLLRRLL. Easy right? Unlocking doubles is one of the easiest upgrades you can make to your drumming arsenal. With time and practice, you can work to make them clean, consistent, and interchangeable between hands. Now work on speed. Faster. Then even faster. Now even a little faster. Did you notice something? Doesn’t that sound like the same kind of thing XYZ drummer does in that one song? On the hats, on the snare, around the toms. Doubles opens up a whole new world of speed. And if we are being honest, it is something I use almost constantly. And it is literally from a learning exercise we all use. If you want to increase your speed and get even sounding strokes, simply work hard on doubles and spend some time working on the “push/pull technique.” It will change your life almost overnight.
Great, so now you have timing, groove, good feel, and now you have speed. So, what’s next? Creativity also goes a long way. Well, how do I get more creative? I like Gavin Harrison’s approach. Start with a concept. It can literally be anything. Even something basic. Like s simple fill. Like a five hit fill. Let’s say the basic idea is Snare, High Tom, Mid Tom, Floor Tom, then Kick. Master that concept. Play it over and over till it’s flawless. Make it muscle memory. Great, you have a mastered concept. The five note fill. Now we employ what i call “taking it to the Multiverse.” Take your concept and then start altering it with “What If’s”. Kind of like the Marvel Comic if that makes it easier to remember.
What if I played the concept in reverse order? Kick, Floor Tom, Mid Tom, High Tom, Snare. Now play that, and get that clean and polished. What if I played two notes of each part? Snare, Snare, High Tom, High Tom, Mid Tom, Mid Tom, Low Tom, Low Tom, Kick, Kick (doubles anyone?). What if I doubled it in reverse order? What if I added two kick hits after each step? What if I played a note on the ride in between each step. Or the hats. And on, and on, and on. You could spend a week on getting good at playing every variation of the original concept you can come up with, and it would not be a wasted week. Why is that? I’ll tell you why. Because now you have created a palette of useable variations on a concept that you can now use at will. And even with one concept, (assuming you really tried a respectable number of what ifs) you can now play an entire song without repeating a single fill. With more time and practice you can also mix variations that may even mutate into their own concepts. And the best part is, the more you dive into that rabbit hole, the more unique you will begin to sound. And with more of those concepts, the more and more you will develop your own musical identity, and that is the real goal.
At the end of the day, you are a drummer, and your main job is to serve the song and to be the heartbeat of the band. That is tried and true. But don’t forget to be a musician as well. You can serve the song, make the timing and feel great, but it doesn’t have to be boring, and you don’t have to disappear. Spend some time in the Chop Shop to unlock all the tools you need to let your musical voice shine. You can add beauty, art, excitement, and richness to the music. Just remember, with great power, comes great responsibility. Just because you can shred all over something, doesn’t mean you should. You should always play producer in your head at all times, and do your best to work with your band, not against them. Always try to lift up or embellish what everyone is doing. Pick your moments to shine, but make sure what you do also shines a spotlight to what everyone else is doing too. Always listen. If what you are hearing does not make the music as a whole speak to you, then you need to change what you are doing. If you keep that all for one attitude, you will get better at complimenting the music as you go. When you listen back and all you can do is smile or get lost in the music so much that all you hear is the music itself and not just your playing, then you are there.
– Chris