Have you got the shakes? The Alabama Shakes? Just Hold On for a minute, this video will cure them!
Feeling better now?
Lock It In
This song appears simple on paper, there are no drum fills, no tricky grooves, no open hi-hats… only 2 crashes… just a simple 2-bar pattern… easy. The test here is in locking in with the band.
At the start of the song the acoustic guitar and the bass guitar are playing the same pattern as our bass drum. We need to try and make it sound like it’s all being played by one person at exactly the same time.
When the verse starts, the acoustic guitar drops out and we’re left to lock in with just the bass guitar. In the middle of the verse the electric guitar starts playing on beats 2 and 4. Your snare drum should be locking in with the rhythm guitar part while your bass drum is still following the bass line.
Are you recording yourself? Are you listening to yourself? Are you really locked in? Could you get a bit tighter? Try!
Ignorance Is Bliss
Sometimes in songs, some of the instruments play rhythms that may be a counter to ours – slotting in between our main beats on our bass drum or snare. Or they may just give more or less energy to a song. It’s easy to get distracted by these parts, lose our focus, and speed up or slow down with this new energy the part is bringing to the song. You need to learn to ignore these distractions and focus on locking in with the band members that are playing the main rhythm with you.
A good example of where you need to ignore another player is the busy electric guitar part in the chorus of this song. The electric guitar is now playing a busier 8th note pattern over the top of the bass guitar and acoustic guitar. The bass guitar and acoustic guitar are still playing the same pattern as your bass drum as they did in the beginning. However, the busier, louder, more energetic electric guitar gives a new energy to the song and you may find yourself wanting to speed up here. DON’T! Try actively listening to the acoustic guitar and bass guitar rhythm instead and focus on keeping your bass drum together with them.
Take It To The Stage
In live shows, drummers often use monitor speakers, or in ear monitors to hear what the rest of the band (and sometimes themselves) are playing. Often when setting up the monitors, the drummer will have the rest of the rhythm section mixed in louder than the lead instruments to help them focus on locking in with the band. It varies from drummer to drummer and on the playing situation.
To start with you may not have that luxury playing live & I’ve been in situations where the sound engineers have forgotten to turn on my monitors at the start of the show or have forgotten my monitor mix totally & given me a mix where all I can hear is my kick drum or the lead singer… not very helpful when you’re trying to hold down a busy groove with your bassist!
Learning how to listen through the noise to hear the players you need to lock in with is an essential skill to develop. Being able to play one handed and make gestures with the other hand, rude or otherwise, at sound engineers is a skill you’ll also want to develop.
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!
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Have you seen our demonstration of all of the songs at the initial grade in our Trinty Rock & Pop Drums Initial Grade Youtube Playlist?
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