Any tips for my playing?..

by Shawn

Hi Lynne,
I've been playing for 10 months now self-taught and I was wondering if you could look at my YouTube channel and give me any suggestions on how i could improve. I feel like I've reached a level where I can't get better without a drum teacher but my parents won't pay for 1. My YouTube channel is nydrummer16 and any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated :-)

ANSWER

Hi, Shawn--

I think that you do very well considering the length of time that you have played!

My main suggestion would be that you need to tighten it up. In other words, every little part of every beat must be EXACTLY where it belongs--not a nano second before or after.

You can achieve this by practicing with a click track or a metronome. I don't think that playing with your band helps you in this respect.

For example, take the song "Time is Running Out" and, rather than playing along with the mp3 or CD, play the drum part with a metronome beat in your head phones. I think that you will be surprised at the places where you deviate from the beat.

It would be REALLY good practice for you to slow the tempo down to about 1/2 speed and play VERY PRECISELY with each eighth and sixteenth EXACTLY where it belongs.

Also, it would help you to know when to play the HH tight and with the tip of your stick and when to play it a little more loose and further up on the stick.

When you play tight with the tip (as it should be on the verse of "Time---", use your WRIST and NOT your arm. It makes for a much more precise sound.

I would be happy to help you more, but you would need to put more videos of YOU (not the band) and preferably from a side view instead of a back view so that I can better see your technique.

Please take my suggestions in the spirit in which they were meant--to help you become a GREAT drummer.

Best Wishes,
Lynne

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