|
| by jane boxall (jjj) | |
Editor's Note: Whether you're making a ruckus in your parents' basement or improving your rockstar rhythm, understanding drums is one of the most vivid as well as practical parts of making music. Jane Boxall, Champaign's resident percussion technician is here in the first of a three-part series to help you learn drums from the ground up.
So you want to play drumkit? Good choice. Let's get started straight away...
Drumkit configurations are as varied as the people who play them, but the most common set-up is a five-piece kit. So called because there are five drums – bass, snare and three toms. Add a few cymbals and there you have it. The ride cymbal and/or crash cymbal are mounted on stands and beaten with sticks, while a pair of smaller hi-hat cymbals are clamped on a pedal-operated stand. This means they can be played with the foot, or with sticks. Here's a diagram:
For now we'll assume that you have access to a drumkit, although it's entirely possible to start learning without real drums (using practice pads, pillows, tables, arrangements of kitchen items, or air-drums and imagination). Find a comfortable sitting position with your left foot on the hi-hat pedal and your right foot on the bass drum pedal. Your thighs should be roughly parallel to the floor, or sloping slightly downwards. If you sit either with your knees up around your chin, or with your legs too straight, then you will get uncomfy and potentially fall off your seat. Which probably isn't the rock'n'roll image you're trying to project.
Pick up a pair of drumsticks and imagine you are going to throw them at the wall. This should give you a secure but relaxed grip on the stick, with the pivot point between your thumb and index finger. The rest of your fingers wrap around the stick for extra support and control. Pointing your index finger along the stick is BAD and WRONG. Remember this.
Hold the hi-hat closed by keeping your left foot pressed on the pedal, and with your right hand play even eighth notes on the surface of the hi-hat. Count these "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and", playing one stroke with each number and also with the word "and". This pattern repeats every eight strokes (that's why we call them eighth notes, folks). So, as soon as you get to the end, wrap around and start straight back on "1". You should have a constant, steady hi-hat pulse going. Make sure it's the tip of the stick that's contacting the hi-hat – you'll probably need to raise your elbow a little – and also check that you're getting a clean, short sound with each stroke. Here you can see the notation for what you're playing:
Keep the hi-hat pulse going (and keep counting along!) and we'll add snare drum on beats 2 and 4. Play the snare drum with your left hand crossed under your right, and make sure that you're hitting the drum close to the center. Here's how the notation looks:
Continue repeating this at a steady speed until it feels really comfortable. Check to see if your index fingers are curled around the stick (very good, round of applause), or if they are pointing along the stick (bad, bad, beyond bad).
Next we'll add the bass drum. In this groove, the bass and snare will always alternate, never playing together. You can play the bass drum with your whole foot on the pedal ("heel down"), or just the ball and toes of your foot ("heel up"). It's up to you. Heel down gives a more resonant sound – and makes you slightly less likely to fall off your seat – while heel up gives a louder, more choked sound. The bass drum will play together with the hi-hat on beats 1 and 3:
You're now trying to co-ordinate three of your four limbs, so there's a chance that the beat is going to collapse into an arrhythmic mess. If this happens, try taking it back to just the hands (on snare and hi-hat), slowing down, and then bringing the bass in. (And if at this point your fingers are pointy, SHAME ON YOU.)
Once you've mastered this basic groove, you can gradually speed up. And you're well on your way to being a drummer. For a different flavor, try moving your right hand to the ride cymbal instead of the hi-hat, and playing exactly the same groove pattern as before. Or move the right hand to the floor tom for a more thunderous effect. Experiment – there are many options.
If you fancy more of a challenge, try varying the snare drum pattern. Or the bass drum pattern. Or both. Here are a few for you to try:
That's all for this lesson, amigos, but here are some notes on drum and rhythm notation that will be helpful as you progress:
Jane Boxall is a doctoral percussion student at UIUC, and also teaches drums and percussion at Skins ‘n' Tins Drum Shop in downtown Champaign. To schedule real-life lessons with Jane, call 217-352-DRUM.
|  |
|
|
Features
