The Stutter Step

To me, there are 3 types of practicing… 1. Practicing to expand your skills as a player This is the type of practice that I try to engage in daily. I go in, get a plan together of exercises that I can’t yet play, and then I go about working through them. Not all of these exercises will be immediately used on a gig. Some of them are just for technical facility around the kit, some are working specifically on a weak area, and some of them are just for fun. It’s my hope that I will eventually work this material into my playing on the gig, but that’s not my first concern when growing myself as a musician and player. 2. Practice for the gig The material for this type of practice comes directly from material I am preparing for a gig or from me preparing for certain playing situations that I know I will be in in the future. I spend a lot of time dissecting other drummers, what they did, and why they did it. I also spend a lot of time working out phrases and grooves that I feel would work in a variety of situations that I will be put in. This is not the time to see how fast I can go around the toms or if I can fit a 5 over 4 polyrhythm into a pop song. This is time for me to polish my playing and prepare for the professional playing situations I will be put in. 3. Practice for review I usually reserve this type of practice for the end of a practice session or on days where my time is limited and I want to simply get a little time in on the kit. I review things I have previously practiced, work on timing, solidifying my groove, and making sure my hands and feet stay in playing shape. This ensures that the next long practice session I have will start where my last one left off. I hate feeling like my playing has regressed simply because I haven’t touched the drums for a couple of days. This type of practice helps that to not happen as often. So before you go into your practice session, know what you’re practicing and why you are practicing that particular exercise. It will help you stay motivated and keep a goal in front of you. Now…GO PRACTICE!!! -Stephen T.