[CRITIQUE ME FORUMS] Yes, there is video of me playing in here...

[fretai03]

History/Reason for this thread: From time to time I'll PM SabianKnight & other old heads on here to critique my playing but I figured that seeing as we're trying to get this forum back to being more about learning/knowledge rather than only about vids, sheds & chops... Someone might find my learning path relavent to theirs.

Just a few things before we start...

* I've never claimed to be any kind of BEAST drummer and never will. (Sorry if I disappoint you)
* I've always claimed to be a pocket driven drummer (and still feel that I'm lacking even in that area)
* I've always lacked creativity as a musician (you will see this when you watch the vids)

The last 2 are areas of my musical life that I have been working on since I found LGM.

DON'T FORGET TO CRITIQUE!!!
_______________________________________ _________________________________
2000 and something
This is a vid of our band TJOZN back in 2000... and something.
This gives you a fair idea of my playing before I got serious about musicianship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGr8Avcvxec

_______________________________________ _________________________________
2008
This is footage I found today of a concert back in April this year. Remember this thread?

"Stand Up" by Canton Spirituals sung by Norman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwFtYjGnETo

Jamming after the concert. We hadn't played the song in a while & were pretty rusty:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3oej_xBA2Y

_______________________________________ _________________________________

DON'T FORGET TO CRITIQUE!!!
*I take all criticism - Good and Bad. So don't be shy... Seriously.*

[MODERN_DRUMMER]

sounding good bro! you can NEVER go wrong with pocket!

[dude-on-drums]

Well it sounds like you already know what to work on and how to improve.  I only have one concern.  Your set-up does'nt look too comfortable in the last clip.  Maybe you should try to reposition your drums to match your natural movements.  Im sure someone will correct me if Im wrong but I think Dave Weckl gave a demo of how to set-up your drums on the Back to Basics tape.  Sit down and play in the air to make a mental mark of where your drums should naturally be positioned.  I think this will add comfort and a sense of ease around the kit.  Other than that, good job and keep playing the pocket.  It gets better with time and practice.   


As far as creativity goes, that will come with lots of practice.  But when you practice, think in terms of style and not so much "what chops I can do."  A little bit of syncopation and linear playing can add so much character and take you a very very long way.  Master this and you will potentially compliment the music and captivate listeners without doing one rudiment, chop or stupid and pointless stick twirl.  Oh yeah.  I hate stick twirls...unless they're mixed right.  Most people pan them too far to the left      Huh???      Nevermind.  Thanks for the share Fred.

[j_kay]

Good advice, d-o-d!  To add to the last clip, make that 6/8 'fonk'!!!  You don't have to play all of the eighth notes, although maybe that's what you wanted to do to keep everyone in metronomic time.  LOL

[lockslie1]

Thanks for the share Fred. You sound good man. The first thing I noticed was how high you are sitting above the kit and how I had to learn the hard way to adjust my throne height to sit up straight with shoulders back due to some back issues.

The third clip had me laugh for a minute because all drummers do that.."Ahhhhhh" when we slip up....LOL! I do the same thing.

[j_kay]

Where's my manners?  Thank you for the share, Fred!

[baldeagle]

Critique:

You never tried anything that you couldn't do. That's good. That's not what a performance is for. Good job on that.

Suggestion:

Practice. That's all. Doesn't mean you're not good. Just means that practice is the only way to get better.

[shell06]

I had to take a look at the vids twice because I realize that i'm in the same predicament as you (very pocket-driven, lacking creativity)One thing I do know for sure is that you have a very tasteful pocket and you tend to play what's needed which is great. Props to you bro! I believe we can all agree in hearing a MAJOR improvement in your  playing and setup from the first vid with the more recent two. I would just say things you already know like continue to practice on your timing, perhap spicing up your playing a bit and keeping your pocket.

[Audiocr381ve]

Most of it lacked feel big bro. In the last vid, you weren't helping the groove at all by playing so robotic. It think it also lacked confidence, and power. I agree with what jkay said about not having to play all the eighth notes, which is something I'm learning as well.

This is all the criticism I have man! Overall, you're playing wasn't bad.

I love you bro 

[SabianKnight]

You have grown doc. You have pretty solid meter too.

I suggest you pull the Dennis Chambers, Carter Beauford, Pete Alexander move and on playing against and off of the metronome/click. Broken 16th patterns, will open up your creativity. As well you need to add some dynamic/accent work and syncopation. This will add that layered poly-rhythmic feel. It doesn't have to be over the top... break patterns up between the hands and feet or different voices of the kit, linear stuff at first.

Don't let the groove become a crunch and then a handicap to creative music making. You never have to sacrifice groove for creativity. You have to make creativity groove. Open up to the possibilities by adding to your vocabulary.

The book Drum Set Control by Ron Spagnardi can help you get comfortable moving around the kit while keeping solid time. Groove is the external manifestation of your internal perspective/time clock. A pattern does not have to be straight and sterile to set a groove it has to be solid and feel good to groove. So keep practicing and add some of these suggestions to the mix.

For you as well I recommend Michael Packer's Bass Drum and Hi-Hat Technique DVD first and Billy ward's Big Time DVD second. Aside from that apply the lessons from vicfirth.com .

[fretai03]

Thanks all for your great comments AND the harsh comments too (Pretty soft by drum room standards but I'll take it ).

I have taken everything in & look forward to improving myself tremendously.

[drumzalicious]

There is nothing wrong with pocket because in the end thats what drummers get paid for.

However the depth of your pocket is what will set you apart. you didnt seem to have alot of confidence behind your playing. you played kinda "safe" not meaning you didnt stretch the pocket but meaning you didnt do anything that a drum machine couldnt do.

I believe that if you were to shed some of those grooves. not chops wise but just shed the groove and the feel of the groove you will get better and more confident in it. this was especially noticeable in the fred hammond clip/the last one.

you played it so sterile it was like you were afraid to even open the hi hat. something that will help you with that it just getting the groove down with a metronome and work on the various subdivisions with the bass drum, snare, and hi hat. accenting different ones so that you will be able to add a little more color to the groove. if you listen to the original Marvin does not play the same thing the whole time and if you listen to alot of other cats play it they catch some of the hits on the snare meaning you dont always hit it on the 2 and 4.

its not just with that groove its with every groove. if you get a song to learn and you see that its something your new to then take the time to really dissect it. it will make you more comfortable there by making the other musicians more comfortable and then everything will go more smoothly. its so funny when i go to my ensemble classes sometimes and the whole band sounds different depending on how i play. if im playing very sterile because im tired or something they tend to play more reserved and sloppier and it doesnt groove. whether alot of us realize it or not the whole band goes off of the drummers vibe if the drummer isnt playing confidently then no one else will and therefore the music as a whole will suffer.

so just shed some grooves man. dont worry about chops shed some grooves and their variations i cant tell you the number of times when i have played with people and they have put some hit in the most random place in the song or some kind of vamp where i have to apply a certain independence to keep the groove in tact while catching those hits. shedding grooves will get you there.

thats all man just lack of confidence coming from your playing is what i see.