No one talks about this

This month marks 9 years since I started playbetterdrums.com and we’re celebrating with a $500 saving on lifetime membership!

I’m very proud of the 300+ lesson library that sits at that address. It’s a collection of everything I have learned from my studies with Dave Weckl, Peter Erskine, Virgil Donati, Thomas Lang, Chris Coleman & Will Kennedy, plus my 30 years of study and personal growth as a player. It serves as a fantastic resource for all drummers, regardless of style.

There was always one common thread throughout all those private lessons with those legendary players - foundation. That’s why this library is such a great resource for all types of drummers. Yes, there are some ‘licks’ and vocabulary phrases posted each month to play around with, but the main ‘meat’ is foundational study. That’s always the difference between a good player and a great player. Chris Coleman described it like fine-tuning a car. You can buy a nice BMW from the dealership; it runs great and goes fast, but if you take it to a specialist and get the engine fine-tuned by a real expert, you’ll be driving a completely different car.

‘Time and sound over everything’ is a motto my friend uses a lot and it’s a perfect example of what foundational study is. Technique, independence & coordination are some of the typical go-to answers as well but those are drum-centric answers. Those things are important, and part of foundation, but I never hear any educators talk about time and certainly never about sound. If I had to answer quickly about what separates a good drummer from a great drummer, ‘time & sound’ would be my response. The sound one draws from the drums; the sound & consistency of a rimshot; the whisper-quiet tap of a ghost note; the swell in dynamics during a tom phrase; the feel of the notes played; the consistency of the time; delivering the notes with intention - these are THE most crucial elements, in my opinion and are what will make you improve by leaps & bounds

Here’s a picture of Steve Gadd because he’s the best

Another non-drummy answer to what ‘foundation’ is would be improvisation - another topic never mentioned by drum teachers. Drummers are forever told they are time keepers; groove players; the engine of the band. That is all 100% true BUT, drummers also provide the excitement and energy in the band and are the punctuation markers. Under-playing can be just as bad as over-playing. You need to have the ability to improvise, express yourself, move around the drums well, think on the spot without hesitancy in order to play that fill into the bridge, or support the big key change, or react to the guitarist reaching the peak of their solo. Without the energy and punctuation from the drums, those moments will fall flat and the music will suffer. You cannot be tied to ‘home base’ as I call it (right hand on hats, left on snare) and be fearful and/or unsure when uncrossing arms to play a fill or to improvise. This applies to many genres. Drummers are told it’s ridiculous to sit in your practice room and practice soloing…only jazz drummers do that. Wrong. Replace the word soloing with improvising. You DO need to be able to improvise whether you’re playing with Elton John, James Taylor or Herbie Hancock.

I have a full course at PBD to help you build your own vocabulary and eliminate that feeling that literally every student I’ve ever had has described - ‘I’m not sure what to play’. As drummers we have no melody or harmony to worry about, just rhythm and dynamics. We have it so easy! On this course I talk about how you just need to be fluent in each note rate - 16ths, 16th-note triplets, 32nd notes, etc. Everything is just combinations of singles & doubles. Part of the system is creating limitations - only snare drum, only single strokes, only 16th notes. Practicing like this will completely transform the way you think and play.

I hope you enjoyed this little rant (longer than I expected) and I hope to see you in the school. This incredible lifetime membership offer includes a $500 saving, access to everything forever, plus a free private lesson over Zoom/Skype. If you have any questions just reply to this email!

Thanks & happy drumming,

Louie