It’s time to bring the funk! Here’s the Godfather of funk & soul, James Brown:

Nothing To See Here!

So… not a lot happened on the drums in that song….  no fills, no change of groove, no tempo changes, no big ending… nada, nothing, zip…. and that’s the point. Sometimes playing drums is all about establishing a beat and just keeping it grooving so people can dance.

James Brown was known for fining & even firing drummers for playing drum fills when he didn’t want them. All he wanted was for drummers to play consistent, almost hypnotic, grooves for his band to play with and his audience to dance to. While it’s fun to play fills, sometimes they just get in the way & interrupt the flow of the music. Just gimme the groove.

Is It REALLY That Simple?

No, it’s not. The concentration required to stay focused on the beat, not add in fills and to keep the groove consistent, is quite substantial. It’s easy to zone out and lose focus when playing the same beat over and over again.

Trying to make just a simple beat sound consistent for a whole 3 minute song is quite a challenge. Record yourself just playing a simple beat with a metronome for 1 minute, then listen back and listen for variations in speed, kick & bass drum placement & volume. You’ll know when you’ve got it right.

Practicing working on your groove consistency and feel with this song will make big improvements to your overall playing.

Did You Funk Or Flunk?

Hopefully you brought the groove and made it funky… if you didn’t, keep trying! Careful practice and listening to yourself are essential. To help bring the groove to life, try singing the bass drum and snare drum parts to yourself while you are playing it:

Boom    Gak    Boom-Boom Gak

Or add in the hi-hats in the gaps as well

Boom Chick Gak Chick Boom Boom Gak Chick

You might find it improves your feel and helps your concentration. Most drummers can sing their drum parts and often it’s a helpful tool when learning a beat – especially more complex beats. Feel free to substitute in your own sounds for bass, snare and hi-hat.

The 2018 version of the Trinity Rock & Pop Initial Grade book is great to work through if you’re just starting your drumming journey. You don’t have to take the exam to benefit from the book. The songs are great to work on & fun to play and will help to improve your drumming. In Singapore you can find the book at Robert Piano – Paragon Shopping Centre (and probably their other outlets). It’s also available from Amazon if you’re happy to pay the shipping!

Don’t forget to check out our youtube channel & subscribe for more videos! Here’s a playlist of demonstrations of all the songs from the Trinity Rock & Pop Inital Grade

If you’re in Singapore &  haven’t had a free trial lesson with us, sign up for one here!