Steve will be posting his articles and exerpts
from upcoming articles on this site including musical and audio
samples. This page will show you what's available on the site now.
Enjoy, and if you have any questions - feel free to e-mail
Steve.
The Drum Symposium Page
Get the greatest hits, re-cap and some photos from the
highly successful Drum sympposium.
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Thoughts on Technique
Regardless of grip, it is important to maintain a relaxed
and comfortable form when holding the sticks to eliminate body tension.
It is also vital that your anatomy remains relaxed ...
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Bass Drum/Hi Hat Technique
Rhythms that are executed with your hands can be practiced
with your feet. Therefore, the feet can be thought of as a pair
of lower hands. To ensure ease of movement in your feet, it helps
to maintain a comfortable distance from the drums. Your distance
will depend on your height and body configuration, particularly
the length of your legs.
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Set Up, Posture, and Dynamic
Balance on the Drum Set
To execute efficiently, you need to feel comfortable behind
the drum set with the shortest distance between you and the surfaces
you are striking. By doing so, you will help maximize your endurance
and stroke consistency.
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Transcribing Tips
Those of you who have tried “lifting” a solo
or groove idea from a recording or video know how tedious an experience
transcribing can be. Patience and determination are of utmost importance
to become successful at transcribing (for that matter at drumming
too)! In addition to patience and determination, a sequential method
describing the process can be useful.
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A New Environment for the
Drum set Performer
Playing drum set in a percussion ensemble is a fun and
wonderful way to gain experience. As in any ensemble, by rehearsing
and performing arrangements, you develop an understanding of such
concepts as phrasing, articulation, reading and interpretation,
ensemble playing, musical form, and styles.
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Chart Reading Tips
Some arrangers write specific drum parts in a big band
setting. A good drum chart will reveal the style, important rhythmic
information extracted from the melody, the road map or form, dynamics,
and pertinent terms dealing with the mood of a section. For example,
build, softly, expressively.
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The Art of Transcribing
A few years ago, I was frustrated because I was aspiring
to be a jazz drummer but I had no focus. I was coming from a very
structured "method book intensive" background. I knew the language,
but I didn't understand how to bridge the information to the music.
The turning point came when I was on a gig and the tenor player turned
to me and asked for an "Elvin feel" on the next tune. I was struck
with horror because I didn't have enough conceptual knowledge about
Elvin Jones to capture the spirit of his style. At this stage of my
development, I lacked conceptual knowledge concerning many master
drummers.
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