Members b0dah Posted May 8, 2005 Members Share Posted May 8, 2005 my band invited a guest bass player and guitar player up last night at our show. They were both clearly professional musicians who had been playing for some time. While they commended me on my ability to keep a groove and to adjust to the various parts of the songs they played (that i had never heard before), they both said that I needed to work on my dynamics, and how to play quieter. ARe there any practice regimens or technique suggestions that will help me play a little quieter when necessary, or any other helpful ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockbeat Posted May 9, 2005 Members Share Posted May 9, 2005 First of all, getting all the dynamics right in a song you've never even heard before could be a difficult task for anyone. Playing the correct dynamics for different songs and different parts of songs is really about listening to the song as you're playing. I know that sounds obvious and a bit oversimplified, but you would be surprised at how many drummers just pick out where the changes are in a song and then lock into a groove and the tempo without really paying much attention to anything else that's going on. Such as dynamics. It took me years to learn how to actually use my ears and really LISTEN to something as I was playing it. I don't mean just listening for cues and things like that, but really listening to everything that's going on, not only what is being played, but how it's being played as well. Then it comes down to practicing good stick control at all volumes. Control is always important, but IMO it becomes even more important, and more difficult, at quieter volumes. Nothing beats a practice pad, a pair of sticks and a book or chart of rudiments for practicing stick control, playing them at different tempos and volumes. For me, learning to do clean, precise rolls was especially helpful where stick control and dynamics was concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gcdrummer Posted May 9, 2005 Members Share Posted May 9, 2005 Play everything you play loud quietly. Practice it because you may tend to slow down when playing quietly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArtVandelay Posted May 9, 2005 Members Share Posted May 9, 2005 I think one of te difficult parts of playing quietly is convincing yourself that you can play quietly and with feeling all at once. A lot of drummers play loudly because their playing comes from a somewhat aggressive side of their personality. The drums become a catharsis as much as an artistic expression. It's possible you need to work past this. When you practice, try playing is such a way so that you can hear every note each other instruments are playing. Listen to the melodies of the other instruments and try and grasp how they are interacting. In order to do this, you'll need to back off on your own volume. But don't become mecanical just so you can listen to the rest of the music. As you're listening, try and feel what the others are putting out there and accompany appropriately while still making sure you can hear everything. Listning and reacting in this way will force you to play what's right for the music and not just what makes you feel good. At the end of it, you may find your dynamics improving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KaoruKaido Posted May 9, 2005 Members Share Posted May 9, 2005 +1 on you gotta play everything you play loud quietly. Also, play solos and grooves with metronome without being berserk. Once you've learned stick control, playing dynamics will come out to you naturally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ulank Posted May 9, 2005 Members Share Posted May 9, 2005 Originally posted by rockbeat Playing the correct dynamics for different songs and different parts of songs is really about listening to the song as you're playing. Thread over. It's all about listening. Big ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Old Steve Posted May 9, 2005 Members Share Posted May 9, 2005 Basically it's a skill just like anything else. It takes time to develop. Any monkey can hit a drum hard, but it takes skill to play softly. In fact with so much emphasis on speed and volume out there, that there are plenty drummers who are speed/power monsters who literally fall apart when they have to play slow (60bpm or less) or quietly. When you're up in front of an audience, it's even harder to slow down and soften up. Anyway, like the others have said, practice playing everything you currently play at different volume levels. Focus on stick height...you can't hit very hard when you're only playing with your fingertips and the stick is only coming 1" off the head. Finally, when you REALLY have to quiet down, experiment with playing closer to the rim of the drum, but be careful because it also sounds different closer to the rim. One other thing: cymbals particularly react differently when played quietly. Depending on your cymbals, it might be tough to get a good "crash" sound that's low in volume. Experiment/practice to find the lowest volume level where you can get an adequate "crash" sound on each of your cymbals. In some cases it's just easier to substitute any big "crashes" with a splash cymbal, assuming you've got one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rca Posted May 9, 2005 Members Share Posted May 9, 2005 Good advice above. Even when I go to a rock gig, I carry the right stuff so that I can play with unmiked acoustic guitars if called on. Three sizes of sticks, rods, mallets, and brushes in the stick bag. No crash heavier than a medium. I have drum mics so I can cover loud gigs too. What you hear on stage is not what the audiance hears out front. When guitars amps are at sane levels, drums cut through very easily at surprisingly low levels and carry a long way, especially the kick. Last comment: Playing in stressful situations gets the adrenalin pumping and if you don't watch out you will play louder and faster than you intended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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