SDC Drum Xchange - moving forward 2006 feedback/discussion

[plainsman]

morning all,

hope everyone's well-rested after Hari Raya :lol:

Before next SDC Xchange, we were thinking of gathering some feedback on how we can improve it. Please feel free to shoot away, i'll share some of mine for starters:

1. during the jam session, drummers
- must play (get ready mentally and physically)
- and listen to what each other is playing


2. it would be great if at the next xchange, we have something like 10 drummers having a 5-minute segment each, sharing something that works for them in their journey of self-discovery (drumming-wise). but this is highly dependent on your participation.

it is our wish that the event is a sharing and exchange session for drummers, not a drum clinic by pros, although a few pros are always there at each session to mentor and guide.

for me, what i really like about the xchange is drummers who are still not yet at pro level, sharing stuff that they had to overcome for example, what helped them to finally get double strokes right, play shuffles etc etc



any other feedback pls share thanks!!!

warm regards,
alfe

 

[actorial]

hmm...i will prefer more on stroking wise and some leg control to the pedals...bass drum beats are important in a playing...

true...more self participation must be there...im going all out on the next exchange ^ ^ im learning some tech now...i somehow can play the ASIAN CHA CHA!!!! hahah!!! out of nothing to do i tried it out and was quite fun and relaxing ^ ^

oh yah...if possible...next exchange can we tok about some simple tech on jazz playing ? im quite intrested into jazz playing for relaxing and warming up purpose or even a band playing ^ ^

hahah!!! im asking for to much loh...last one then

can someone teach me the actual method of heel up playing? haha!!! got a post out there though but cant work without having to look at it physically

im greedy huh.... :twisted:

 

[Frummer]

drums...not only about playing them...

wad i mean is...i wanna learn to tune the drumset to the sound u want.

 

[Funkifized]

Sorry that I couldn't make it for the last one... but yeah i think the 5-10 minute sharing thing is quite good... everyone share a lick or idea or so, and you have a whole bunch of stuff to learn already... and you get to know each other better also... cool

 

[plainsman]

actorial, hehe.... okk all these qns compile and let the guys answer them at the next one :lol:

frummer, i think its a good chance for us to talk about having greater awareness of drums sound.. be it tuning, how drums are constructed/made, how best to utilise... why are cymbals hand-hammered, what wood hoops do for snare etc etc

and yeah funkifized, hopefully we'll have a even better session at the next xchange :wink:

keep 'em coming!!!!

 

[bklk]

just need to say, more questions NEED to be asked.. its good that drummers are coming out to learn and there are avenues such as the drum exchange ( kudos to plainsman and ah pek )



drummers need to ask questions, i personally find that the attendees are too shy or too quiet....

it doesnt matter if it is rock, jazz, metal, latin, cha cha, tango... etc.. but ask if you must... how, when, who, why..etc..i'm sure the drummer showcasing will answer according to the best of his/her knowledge possible...

it'll be quite one sided..if the drummer showcasing does something and it ends off with... everybody just sitting there and not asking something... if not for themselves at least for those...who really are too shy... start the ball rolling for the rest.

its not about and NEVER been about who is better than who, which genre is better than the which, who has been to where and played with who, what, where or when.

EVERYBODY has got something to offer... thats why i like seeing other drummers play... approach is different..and thats why it is interesting...bottom line..everybody has got something to offer.

although personally..as mainly a metal drummer i get that vibe sometimes..from other players who play other genres of music..that metal is just trashing.. etc. BUT hey guys..drummer we are..we are the pulse of the band no matter what genres..and to play it well.. we have to learn ..we have to ask.. and know ..how, when, what to practice.

dont get me wrong.. i love all types of music..i think a lot of young scary drummers are coming out into the forefront recently..which is good.. but without the proper guidance... it could be damaging.. to the drummer both physically and most importantly...MENTALLY...i.e. attitude..which i find is very important in an artiste, be it a drummer, singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, painter, dancer..etc

cos if he/she ends up blowing his .her own horn without anybody smashing them back to the ground..his/her talent will be wasted. cos NOBODY would want to play..with an airhead, regardless on how good he/her is


im not saying that..my way is the best way..all im saying is there is a need nowadays..more than ever to also instead of practicing the drums and improving.. there is also a need to practice HUMILITY ...cos that is also what makes a person,. espeacially an artiste... and therer is only one way to playing humility. screw the pride, screw the egos..open up and learn

the music / band industry here is still pretty much growing..and a lot of people are getting.. misguided..and having misconseptions..and at this infant stages of it growing..it is important to instill a good foundation rudimantally and humility wise.

so lets just focus on whats important as being drummer/musicians... learn, learn without being prejudice to anything

we including myself are and still will be students of our insturments and life itself, for as long as we live

just 2 cents if its worth anything...


*once again kudos to ah pek and plainsman for giving drummers an avenue here to learn from others*

 

[mel80]

Well said Brandon :smt038
I couldn't think of anything to ask that day though Will try to think of some things to ask/share the next time round!

 

[bklk]

thanx mel80,

just felt like i need to get it off my chest...

dont worry..im speaking in general.. not saying its you or anybody..

 

[plainsman]

yah well said brandon, ringing the bell on asking more questions is a quite important one *nod*

even though i'm function more as a coordinator rather than drummer, i always remind myself to be humble, always try and understand others' point of view, mutual understanding and respect... in order to get more people, invite the professionals or those teaching in music school, also invite the youngsters and welcome them, make the environment a warm and positive vibe etc.

as pek had reminded me, we've gotten the ball rolling, and people are starting to get comfortable with each other, hopefully in time to come everyone not shy to learn at the same time respect each other :lol:

warm regards

 

[ahpek1]

Yo bklk, well said bro!!
Anyways, it's not only me and plainsman bro, there's bizz2020, ohfunk, you and the rest of the members who attended made it possible.

Personally for me, there's really nothing to hide in drumming, i learn, i practice, i perform and i share & up til now, i'm still learning. There's no end bro!

 

[actorial]

yeah!!! there is never ending in learning for hands on skill like drumming, guitaring, etc etc etc etc etc...

A cook here never stop learning too!!

i got the beat of brandon that 'floor toms playing' ( dunnoe how should i describe it though ) . the rock fills ? was practicing and finally got the feel...haha!!!

lets learn and grow together as singapore drummer ^ ^

Cheers!!

 

[drummar-buah]

haha most of the time i'm just too awesomated by how the other pros play that i dunno wat to ask.
sometimes abit shy to ask.. but then by the time i wanna ask again.. i'd be too awesomated to remeber anything else.. :lol:

 

[blurred]

hey guys,
yah i fel the other guys there shld speak up abit more. i know its the singapore thing is to keep quiet, i understand but take it a bit easy and u'll start to loosen up abit.
its cool brandon the younger guys who are alittle show offy will learn one day, if u have it u have it if u dun u can't hide. i get alot of shit from the purely jazz guys or guys who think their incredible as well. i normally just knee them in the stomach...hehe
oh oh and the other thing thats really obvious is when everyone starts to jam with each other no one is LISTENING!!!! all want to play loud and take the forefront. the whole room is just a cacophany of banging. u have to listen to the rest and not just care how u sound, this separates the drummers from the musicians!
another thing is i feel when we talk abt a genre like maybe latin or blues, we shld include the other awesome musicians that were there like the bassist douglas etc etc. dun u guys want to know how to interact with the other musicians? wat to play and wat not to play when the bassist or keyboardist does a certain thing. not only the groove of the drumset but how to blend in with a band. its very hollow like tht, u dun understand the music as a whole only physically play the genre. like u can read the individual sentences but u haven't a clue wat the book is talking abt.
i think alfie is doing an awesome job with arranging and getting u guys together, its alot of effort and work for the dude so lets make it worth his and everyones while.
this is my 11cents worth ahahahah

 

[drummar-buah]

i think i was the only one who din play loud.. CUZ I DUNNO WAT TO PLAY!!! haha alamak. ahpek arrr.. your latin!! :smt071 haha really make me stumble out there.

 

[doublestrokesg]

Hey Alfe, appreciate what you're dng! I enjoyed the 2nd session. It's a pity I couldn't make it for the recent session due to conflicting schedules, but I definitely hope to be there for the next one!

And yar, I think it'll be great if everyone's able to give their input thus allowing active participation, which will also result in more qns being asked, and knowledge/styles shared ... Guess it's just like what everyone has been saying thus far.

An additional part which I think would be interesting to see would be how we would interpret certain basslines/melodies/songs differently in various intensities/styles given the many genres of music. Like a segment based on tt can be squeezed in and we could have a mth where metal tracks are dealt with, followed by jazz, then pop, etc and the cycle repeats itself... Think that'll boost our musicality by leaps and bounds since it's gd to have an open mind, absorbing as much as possible right?

 

[ahpek1]

i think i was the only one who din play loud.. CUZ I DUNNO WAT TO PLAY!!! haha alamak. ahpek arrr.. your latin!! :smt071 haha really make me stumble out there.

:lol: :lol: :lol: you must listen to the beat, it's still in 4/4, you can still play other 4/4 groove to overlap it and make it groovy

 

[bklk]

i got the beat of brandon that 'floor toms playing' ( dunnoe how should i describe it though ) . the rock fills ? was practicing and finally got the feel...haha!!!

glad you got it actorial.. move around the drums with that stroke...

sorta like a gallop feel.. move around the drums..

use your imagination.. it works wonders.. for example play with dynamics with your right hand..and try to do counter points with your left.

:wink:

 

[plainsman]

thanks all for your kind words, but don't thank me too much... its quite easy to make phone call book jamming studio and type a few zany sentences to get things started... its up to the rest of us to use the opportunity to really learn... gogogo!!!

 

[actorial]

all the way singapore drummer ^ ^

Blkl: im working on it , hope to see u on next exchange again and hope im able to do some different beat from ur teaching

 

[Vics]

Finaly! i can feel both the chacha feel! Really muz thanks those who had shared little of their knowledge tat day for me to learn so much more!!

let's get back to wad this topic is about.

I wld like to suggest to bring writing material? tink i mentioned tis b4 hee. so tat we can jot down wad is new n pract coz there r some tat is not in the videos which i find them useful.

Also thanks to alfe for those video n spent money for a new cam for this exchange!

anyway, well said brandon! n it's so true!