Why You Should Record Yourself

"Perfect practice makes perfect." We’ve all heard this before. Figure out what you need to focus on, organize your practice sessions to facilitate progress and you should succeed. But when it comes to being critical about your playing, it can be tough to accurately critique yourself in the moment.

The best solution? Record yourself.


Whether you’re practicing multi-limb independence exercises on the drum set or a rudimental snare drum solo, making recordings of your playing can be one of the most valuable tools for improvement. Reviewing recordings of yourself can provide you with the most objective perspective short of having someone else listen to you play (which is also important).

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to book studio time. A decent quality digital home recording will suffice (We’ll cover this in detail in a later post). These days, the technology is readily available, and more affordable than ever.

Make recording critique a part of your practice routine. You don’t necessarily have to record everything you play, though since you’re going digital and can always erase or trim the files, you might as well capture your whole practice routine. Leaving as much of your recording setup assembled and ready to go at a moment’s notice will allow you to hit record, focus on your playing, and forget about the recording equipment. When you finish working on the performance portion of your routine, stop the recording and review.

Start at the beginning of the recording and make notes about what you like and what you want to improve. This can be quite an awakening for someone who has never listened to their own playing before. By making this a regular part of your practice routine, you gain another valuable perspective on your playing.

If you’re playing with other musicians, try recording your rehearsals and performances. This will allow you to review your performance skills with the necessary scrutiny.

Label the recordings with the date and possibly the content and save them so you have the ability to refer back to them and track your progress over time.

Evans Rocks Montreal Drum Fest 2010

The 18th Montreal Drum Fest was held on October 23rd and 24th, 2010. There were some fantastic performances by a variety of Evans artists including Marko Djordjevic, Elie Bertrand, Isaac Dumont, and Marco Minnemann.

Marko Djordjevic put on an incredibly energized performance with his group Sveti. The trio displayed solid onstage communication and unity while taking some rather large transitional leaps. Marko was a whirlwind of tasteful energy behind the kit. Check out the video from their performance.

Isaac Dumont and Elie Bertrand performed as the “Pearl Explosion” portion of the festival. Both Elie and Isaac brought on some progressive heavy hitting and entertaining stick visuals. Check out Isaac’s performance video and Elie’s performance video here.

Marco Minnemann put on an impressive duo performance with human beat-box champion ZeDe. The two built off of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” improvising off of each other and developing the groove. An incredible battle of fills and beats followed and eventually lead to Minnemann playing on the stage, a microphone and pretty much anything in sight. Check out the video of their performance here.

Evans at PASIC 2010

Evans Drumheads is pleased to announce its success at this year’s Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

PASIC is the world’s largest percussion event, featuring over 120 concerts, clinics, master classes, labs, workshops, panels and presentations and took place from November 10 – 13 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. The program showcases all areas of percussion, including drum set, marching, keyboard, symphonic, world, recreational, education, music technology, and much more.

The Evans booth showcased drum set replicas of setups for Peter Erskine, Jojo Mayer, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez and Jerry Gaskill. Evans also featured various artist clinics and concerts, including performances by Chris Coleman, Thomas Pridgen, Dom Famularo, Marcus Santos, Jeff Queen, and many more.

(More photos here)

Click to watch PASIC 2010 Videos

In addition, Evans debuted the Hybrid-S Marching Snare Head as well as the System Blue Tenor Head. Inspired from the design of the award-winning Hybrid batter series, the Hybrid-S (Hybrid-Soft) Marching Snare Batter features two unique fibers that, when blended together, deliver a soft and sensitive feel with superior snare response desired by the world’s top marching ensembles. The System Blue tenor head was designed in cooperation with the Blue Devils percussion staff, the head is a 2-ply design with 7mil top-ply and 7.5mil bottom. This combination delivers tonal clarity and projection while increasing durability and pitch stability, reducing the need for frequent tuning.

This year marked the arrival of the first ever Puresound Custom Pro Challenge. Contestants were to change a set of Puresound Custom Pro snare wires as fast as they could. Over $2,000 in prizes was given away to various participants and the Custom Pro Champion, Caleb Pickering, won the challenge with a final time of 24.2 seconds!


Visit our Facebook page to see more photos from PASIC 2010.

Chip Ross on Evans Timpani Head Redesign

Introduction to Evans
About 10 years ago, I heard that Evans had created a timpani head that was designed to be like a tucked calf skin head; with pretension that actually had a tone. I was immediately intrigued and tried one. It sounded incredible. There was a full, long resonance and a very clear pitch right off the bat. I was sold.

A few years later, they began production on what is known as the Strata line. These are a synthetic Mylar head but lightly coated to simulate the darker tone quality of a calfskin head. I immediately liked these and they’re still my preference for Evans products. In fact, my first set of these lasted for 2 years. It was extraordinary that they sounded so good for so long

Product Issues
When I eventually had to change this set I received an order and, upon mounting the first one, I noticed a popping sound as the tension was increasing on the head. This was unusual and something I hadn't experienced before. Even after the head was fully mounted, this sound remained very noticeable every time I'd increase the tension via the pedal. Unfortunately, this symptom became a familiar and consistent sound as I mounted other heads, even of different sizes.

Then another unfortunate ingredient entered the mix; heads started failing. Or in other words, when tension was increased during mounting, the pitch would suddenly drop and the sound became extremely “false.” The head was literally coming out of the tuck. Now there was real cause for concern.

Resolving the Issues
I was impressed and extremely grateful that Evans was immediately ready, willing, and able to jump on these issues. A thorough investigation led to some conclusive results and a complete redesign of the head.

The production team learned that the “popping” sound and subsequent "failing" of the heads was due to a lack of integrity in the glue bed. The hold of the insert ring wasn't as strong as it needed to be, and the pour of the glue wasn't filling up the glue bed cavity completely.

They decided to go with a thinner insert ring (1/16" instead of 1/8"). A thinner, yet just as strong a ring, has less contact with the head in the glue bed, and would also allow for more space in the "crevasse" to be filled by the glue. Also, they've added a perforation at the bottom of the ring which creates a stronger glue hold of the ring itself. And lastly, the insert ring is positioned slightly closer to the outer wall of the "flesh hoop;” also enabling a more durable hold. After this re-build was completed, I was sent a couple of heads to test.

The initial visual inspection was impressive. I mounted the heads and the results were terrific. No pops or crackles, and the sound was beautiful, with a clear and centered pitch. I immediately called production to express how pleased I was.

Behind the Scenes
I've always felt there was an immediate and receptive line of communication with Evans, and I'm really pleased to have such an active and successful relationship with them.
After placing an order, I’d receive heads, look them over and offer my visual perspective before mounting them on the drums. If there was a structural issue that was visible or, if after mounting there were problems, I’d speak with production. They’d then revise and send a replacement right away.

It’s difficult for the average customer to be aware of the workings of the company beyond the end product. I’ve been fortunate to see that, behind the scenes, there's a great team of people at Evans who truly want the product to be at its best. They’ve been patient and have worked very hard to refine the process and address the issues. In addition, the time and money they've invested into revising their timpani head line is extensive.

I'm excited about the future of their products. Those who are purchasing from Evans can be confident they are getting the top of the line.

About the Author:
Charles Ross (Rochester Philharmonic/Eastman School Of Music/Brevard Center)
Influences: Fred Hinger, Gerald Carlyss, Cloyd Duff, David Fein, and Alan Abel
www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/ross_charles

Maximizing Your Practice Time

When I was a student at Musicians Institute I practiced anywhere from 5 to 8 hours a day (not counting classes and band rehearsals of course) 5-6 days a week. I was fortunate to have the physical stamina and mental focus to be able to keep such a rigorous practice routine throughout my stay at Musicians Institute. Nowadays I don't have the luxury of that much time to practice. Between my teaching, recording, mixing and occasionally sleeping schedule there simply isn't enough time in the day.

I find this to be a common scenario amongst working musicians and musicians that also hold part-time (or full time) jobs to support themselves. There just simply isn't enough time in the day to fit 4 or 5 hours of practice. That's ok, all is not lost!
Staying Focused
On the flip side what good is having 5, 6, 7 or 8 hours a day to practice if you can't stay focused for the entirety of your routine? Trying to maintain a practice routine after you have lost focus can be very counterproductive. It can also take the enjoyment out of playing your instrument and quite possibly music itself. The good news is that for the most part this is avoidable. Yes, we all have our "off" days but if we take a few moments to analyze our practice routine we can maximize the time we do have (to help maintain focus) and limit how "off" our "off" days are. The first step in achieving this is to simply understand our own limits. Physical and mental.
I see this a lot with my students. Student A has the ability to practice for 6 hours a day while student B loses focus after 2 or 3 hours. Student B then thinks that because he can't practice for as long as Student A that they are, in some way, not going to be able to achieve the same level of mastery of the instrument. While this may seem logical I don't believe that this is always the case. Simply put it's "quality" or "quantity". Now if you have the ability to practice 6 hours (or more) a day and stay focused I say go for it but if you don't it's not the end of the world.
Get Organized!
I find that knowing what, and for how long, I'm going to practice before I even sit behind the kit helps me to stay focused for my entire routine. A lot can be achieved with 1 or 2 hours of focused and consistent daily practice. Conversely much time can be wasted and little gained with 6 hours of unfocused practice. Consistency is the key! 1 hour a day 5 or 6 days a week is much better than 5 hours a day twice a week.
Here's what I recommend trying. Before your next practice session make a list of the things you want to work on (if you're like me that list can be quite large). Next, whittle your list down to the most important areas that you want to focus on. Maybe it's improving your time, learning a new fill concept, bass drum technique and working on 4-way coordination. Now figure out how much time you have in each day (remember consistent daily practice is the key here!) and divide that up between each individual exercise.
If I had only one hour a day to practice those 4 areas of my playing one way I may divide my time up would be:
10min - Bass Drum Technique
20min - Groove Practice
15min - Fill Concepts
15min - 4-way Coordination
That may not sound like much but if you did that every day, 6 days a week, you can really make some progress. The bottom line is that you have to develop a routine that works best for you. It won't just happen overnight but it's definitely worth spending a little brain power on. Once you develop a good routine I guarantee that your drumming will improve and that you'll have a lot more fun too!
Get Organized and be consistent!
Until the next time, keep it loud, proud,and above all make it groove!
Charlie Waymire
www.charliewaymire.com

Drum Circle by Dena Tauriello

Some people believe that in music, we don’t choose our instrument, rather, the instrument chooses us. It takes much bravado to be a front person & carry a band, or enough self-importance to rip a guitar lead. Then there are drummers. As a rule, they are the consummate team players, getting more gratification from crafting the perfect groove & making a track feel great then executing a solo.It is this selfless, collaborative mindset that allows us to extend a hand to fellow drummers, offering support, advice, recommendations & referrals. We are one big community with no ego, no attitude, or exclusivity.

Thanks to this drummer mindset, I was invited to share in the experience of the New York Drum Club. Don’t be fooled by the formality of the title. This group is simply an assemblage of working drummers – all ages, genders, styles, levels, and accomplishments accepted. Mind you, there are certainly some illustrious and esteemed players in the pack, but you would never know it based upon their treatment of subordinates like myself. I look forward to our monthly lunch gatherings, as I am continually inspired, supported and guided. And I laugh really hard.

These monthly meetings serve as reminders of the greater good:"We are here to serve". Not just the musicians with whom we work or the songs being performed, but the community to which we belong. For you beginners out there – don’t be afraid to reach out to your idols or local professionals for some encouragement or helpful hints.I am confident you will not be disappointed. And to all you pros – continue to remember the selflessness demanded by our profession and the many ways we can give back and inspire. It is perhaps the finest artistry we can offer.

What makes the difference, the drums or the drummer ?

What Makes the Difference: The Drums or The Drummer?

A great sounding drum set depends on the ability of the drummer, not the quality of the drum set.We have heard different drummers on the same kit,&they always sound different compared to each other, but each drummer sounds like themselves.They have a voice. We have even heard the same drummer on different drums, in different venues, with different bands and again, the drummer is identifiable.

Through years of playing, and listening back to my playing, I have discovered what I like and dislike about my drumming and am constantly striving to close the gap between what I want to sound like and what I actually sound like.A great joy in the art of music is hearing our voice among the layers of sounds created by our bands and instruments.Yet, many drummers seem to lose sight of that joy by distracting their art with concern over excessive comfort.Whether our snare head is perfectly tuned, our bass drum shell is just the right color, there are many small details that we as drummers can become fixated on,making a mountain out of a Molehill,so to speak. And,since the drum set is the most personal instrument in terms set up, sound sources,etc.,it is in our best interest to find our own balance,to be comfortable without losing sight of the music.

For me, I am glad to play on any kit in front of me, if that means I get to play music for a living.That said, striving to feel like myself at any kit has to start at the basics.
Provided the kit and hardware are in workable shape and relatively adjustable, here are my top three requirements:

Throne Height- comfort, fluidity, and balance start here.

Drum Sticks- they are the closest extension of myself and need to feel familiar to get me to my comfort zone quickly.

Drum Heads- on pretty much any class kit, a good, consistent drum head will get me the feel, response, attack, tone, durability and musical quality that can make a new kit feel like home. Drum heads are also the part of the sound I have the most control over. If the drums are out tune, I can fix it. Too loud, I can fix it. Need more thud or punch, I can fix it…with the right drum head. That is why I play Evans.They are part of my sound.

I encourage you drummers to find your sound,and find the confidence to see that your drumming voice is yours alone. Consider your audience, investigate all the possibilities your instrument provides and keep an open mind. Then, just relax, listen,and play.Make a great sound !

Felipe Torres