I guess I tend to do things backwards. I’ve been putting in a ton of work on basic rudimental technique and I can’t believe how much it has effected my playing. It makes me wonder what I’ve been doing for so long.
I guess its just one of the pitfalls that comes with the “just figuring it out” approach that I’ve used to play music for all these years. Take the guitar for example. Now, I can play chords and strum away all night long, but I’ve never bothered to learn scales and the like, so I will forever be the very limited rhythm guitar guy. Luckily, I’m not a guitar player…
As a drummer, a healthy foundation in the basic drum rudiments is really going to separate the men from the boys. Now, drum line and jazz cats are rolling their eyes and thinking “no shit, Sherlock” but when you come from a rock background, it is not always so clear. I mean, listening to the Velvet Underground or the Ramones did not make me think about paradiddles or double drags. Great rock drummers like Ringo or Charlie Watts were all about feel and groove and putting that certain time stamp on great tunes.
So after years of focus on feel and vibe we wake up to find that there is something missing. They’re called CHOPS. And unless your name is Maureen Tucker, eventually you’re going to need them.
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