How To Be The Best Drummer?

In my opinion, the biggest problem with being a drummer today is the lack of understanding of the dynamics of playing a drum set. This lack of knowledge has made drummers much less disciplined, much less creative, and far less effective as a tool in the musical toolbox. There is no doubt that drummers today have more power and versatility today than in the past, but if that power and versatility aren’t being used to the fullest, how can you know if you’re truly the best drummer or not? Every drummer needs to find out what dynamic he or she wants to play, so that is the first step in helping you become the best. Once that has been determined, you can use a certain drum set in certain ways to achieve your dynamic. In the case of rock/blues, the drummer should play a little lower in the bass clef, in the case of R&B and jazz the drummer should play in the treble clef, and in the case of country the drummer should play a little higher. If you go to any of the major drummers websites (which I highly recommend), they will give you free lessons on how to get the most out of any drum set. As you can see, there are so many variables to being a drummer. Once you find your dynamic, the second part is to play in tune. This requires practice, patience and, most of all, time. The third part is to always be able to add value to your playing. If you are only limited to playing in the way that your teacher or instructor wants you to, how can you know what you can do if you were in the right dynamic? How can you know if you can be more dynamic? If you can’t add value to your playing, how can you know if you’re truly the best drummer? Being the best is a constant challenge for drummers today. It has become fashionable to use the best equipment, to play the best sets, and to play the best way a teacher wants you to. In this kind of environment, you won’t get the opportunity to find out if you can be more than your teacher. In the world of drumming, just because someone says you’re the best drummer does not mean you are the best drummer. It just means they think you are. The question that I have been asked countless times is, “If I learn a drummer lesson, will it help my playing?” There are three things that I always say to these people: 1. “You should always do your homework and learn from the best, but that does not mean that the lessons are bad for you. They might even be great for you.” 2. “There are no shortcuts in learning a lesson, and in my book there are no shortcuts when it comes to being a good drummer.” 3. “Be able to add value to what you are doing. If you only play in the way that you are instructed to play, and if you do not add value to that playing, then you aren’t going to be the best.” It is not only about being the best drummer, but it is about being the best drummer you can be. Be the best that you can be in all areas of your life. This means being a better leader, a better husband/wife, a better friend, a better parent and so on. Your drumming is just a small part of the bigger picture. I have noticed that a lot of drummers are scared to try something new. They don’t want to do something different because they’ve been doing the same thing for too long. The way I look at it is that a lot of musicians are scared of trying something new because they’re afraid they might fail. When you take a leap of faith, when you try something new, you’re going to fail from time to time, but don’t ever fear failure. You have to try something new to see what you’re really capable of. The only way to find out is to try. I will never forget a conversation I had with the great Buddy Rich. This conversation happened over many years, but it came to a culmination one day when Buddy asked me a question.