The Benefits of Programming Drums

The Benefits of Programming Drums

I often find people carry a very negative connotation with the word "programming" when it comes to anything musical. It seems we always want our art to be "pure" and free from machine. However, with the recent drastic improvements in technology, it appears art has a new place with machine. In terms of programming drums, I suggest throwing out the negative connotations or negative stereotypes you may have heard and suggest pondering the alternative, how can I use this?

To really understand how to use today's equipment, I'd like you to think back to the most basic technology a drummer could want; a metronome. What benefits come with this? An incredible increase in drummers' overall timing. This is the first step in developing a technological tool to help us advance our timing skills. The metronome eventually gained more and more precision and became more and more widely accessible. The overall affect? Drummers are now expected to have great timing, as are all musicians! But again, another step towards trying to further perfect our mastery of timing with the use of technology.

In today's world, with programs such as Garage Band, Logic, Guitar Pro, Pro Tools, or Cubase, we are allowed extreme precision and tools that were unfathomable to those who had only a simple metronome of the past. These programs offer the ability to change the click tone, how loud the tone is, all kinds of different speeds, and so much more. But really, it's just a fancy metronome. So how can we use this in the most effective way in today's world?

First off, learn to program drums! It's very easy to learn if you spend some time with whichever program you happen to have. Once you've learned to program, you know right off the bat that writing drums on the computer is vastly different than writing drums in your studio. At first this seems obvious because you can obviously program things that are unplayable. Where as this is one way in which the writing process differs, I find that programming drums forces me to think further ahead and construct my drumming in a more organized fashion. In any case, you'll likely find new ideas quickly in programming as the patterns almost create themselves!

Once you have concocted some crazy programmed drums, my suggestion is to try and learn what you've wrote! It sounds crazy -and in many cases it absolutely is! But that's not the point; by practicing things that you program, you're likely to push yourself to play in ways you had never really thought of before. We tend to fall into the same fills and patterns as drummers when we get comfortable with them. This is a great way to force you into thinking differently and possibly constructing fills/beats you may not have otherwise thought of.

Speaking from experience, I've programmed drums to many video game songs and learned many of the parts. It affected my playing so much I completely switched up the way I set up my kit and my entire approach to my current kit. (I'll post a link to video game songs at the bottom)

The other amazing advantage you have over your drummer ancestors is the ability to have a drummer companion playing exercises with you, note for note. Programming drums gives you this ability and by being able to slow it down to any speed, it allows you to play anything your mind could ever think of.  This ability has led tons of musicians to become true masters of their craft and challenge themselves into extremely complicated drum beats and fills.

The other side to programming drums is being able to present something to someone digitally in a quick and coherent manner. Programming drums allows you to work with musicians all over the world! Not to mention you get to write your own stuff whenever you want. It also works great for putting together the framework for an album or EP.

Overall I hope that you see the competitive edge that programming drums gives to drummers and why we shouldn't just scoff at the idea.

Video Game Medley 1

Video Game Medley 2

Modern Drum Lessons


Here is a series on how to get started on Guitar Pro 5!
How to Use Guitar Pro 5!

How Do I Improve My Double Bass?

This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many different variables involved that affect our footwork. In my years of teaching and experience, I have found 5 key fundamental ideas that will help you improve your footwork.

1. Seat Height

Most drum teachers I know will recommend that you adjust your set height such that your thighs are parallel with the ground. As I describe this next part about seat height, I encourage you to try it for yourself! My advice is to set your seat slightly above the normal recommendation such that your thighs are slanted towards the ground. If you try this you'll see that when your legs are parallel you have to work to get your thigh to move up and then down onto the pedal. Now adjust your seat up and you instantly feel less pressure on your thighs, almost as if they are dangling slightly. This allows for more comfort when playing double bass as well as increasing speed and endurance.

2. Heel Up or Heel Down?

In general, I have seen heel up work better for most of my students. I am absolutely not saying that heel down is not worth anyone's time (because it totally is), but rather I feel the matter is situational. Fortunately or unfortunately however you prefer to look at it, most of the time we are drumming our bass drum dynamics stay fairly constant. That being said if you are looking for a loud bass drum, which we all know how much everyone loves bass, then I have found that heel up delivers the most power. Heel down is great alternative for playing a quiet bass drum, especially in genres like jazz. The reason heel up is so much stronger than heel down has to do with muscle groups. When you use heel down (please try it for yourself!), you are accessing muscles that make your shins burn. That muscle group is great for control and soft dynamics, but it is no mach for the power house your thighs are. The weight of your thighs alone adds a ton of power. Once you move your seat up so that your legs are slightly pointing downwards, you have the potential to deliver a full kick of your leg per stroke. Now that's power!

3. Where do I put my foot?

For general purposes (RLRLRL), it is best for the foot to not be moving around. You want to find the "sweet spot" on the pedal which is usually about 3/4ths up the pedal. The "sweet spot" is where you are not so low that you don't have control, and not so high that you are choking each hit (or getting your shins hit by the beaters, ouch!). It is also important to note that once you have found the desired "sweet spot", you want to make sure that as your speed increases you make sure to train your foot to hug the pedal. The more space that you create between the pedal and your foot, the more limitations and complications you are going to run into. There are cases in which you may want to move your around in a controlled manner, one case is the "slide technique".

-The Slide

This technique involves positioning the foot around 1/4 -1/2 the way up the pedal and sliding it to about 3/4ths to obtain to hits per one thigh stroke. Here is how it works: You strike the first hit at the 1/4 - 1/2 mark and while sliding your foot up the 3/4ths mark, you have to let up pressure on the pedal to let the beater come back. By the time your foot moves up to the 3/4ths mark the beater should be far back enough to get a second powerful strike. This technique is very beneficial for those without a double bass pedal and for situations where you need two quick hits in a row. (I often try to compare this to the double stroke mentally.)

4. Spring Tension?

There is always a lot of talk on this subject for the speed demons. No matter your opinion, until you have tried all the settings on your pedal you will never know what may work best for you. Now, I'm not saying you have to up your spring tension 2,000 times to test every last setting, but I would suggest at least 3 different settings. It's as simple as low, medium, and high. Once you find which of those you prefer, you can zoom in a little further and narrow it down to what you really want. You should be observing how the speed of the beater swinging back at you affects your playing. Some guys swear by high tension, others medium, not so many low. You may also want to look at your beater height, if you lower it, you will choke the hit more. If you extend it, you will add lots of leverage and get a more powerful stroke, but it may take longer to get there. Only by experimenting will you truly find the best settings for you!

5. Thigh or ankle?

This question is pretty similar to asking if you use your wrist or your arms when drumming. The answer of course is: both! I like to think of the thighs being the main engine and the ankles are like hyperdrive. Your thighs are a huge muscle group and perfectly ideal for holding out heavy double bass for long periods of time. Your ankles are that extra push once you start to break 180 16th notes or higher. Just like a spaceship doesn't turn off the main engine to go into hyperdrive, your thighs don't "turn off" when you "turn on" your ankles. The ankles are extension of the leg and when used properly in combination, it will provide the power and speed you need. I would suggest that beginners to intermediate focus heavily on thigh work over ankle work.

Extra Helpful Information:

Drum Work Out

Modern Drum Lessons

The Drum Work Out

What is the Drum Work Out?

This work out is meant to improve and strengthen the muscles we use every time we drum. Drumming is the most physically active instrument out there and in some cases is very appropriate to treat it similarly to a sport.

This is not just for those who want seriously fast hands, but also for practicing timing and different coordination patterns that will be used throughout. There will be tips for better technique, how to avoid injuries, and how to properly stretch your drumming muscles.

Our routines are meant to help anyone no matter your skill level, genre you prefer, or years you've been playing. Lastly, this is a great opportunity to get in contact with other drummers. Being around other drummers will give you a much better insight to where your skills are amongst others and lead you to grow great relationships and trade ideas!

I've noticed a great deal of inconsistency amongst my students when it comes to practicing and advancing. Which one would think this to be somewhat normal considering I teach students of all ages and skill levels. However, one key thing that I am noticing is that even with my youngest students they are progressing conceptually faster than their physical ability. The problem with this of course is frustrated students not being able to perform how they desire. I strongly believe that the Drum Work Out is the solution to these problems. 

The biggest solution the Drum Work Out provides is much higher consistency in practicing as well as training for how to practice effectively. That being said, I've adjusted the price of the Drum Work Out such that 3 work outs are almost price equivalent to a 1 hour private lesson. Again, this is so that I can hopefully get more students engaged and provide a more steady basis for upcoming drummers. 

It should be said that this is absolutely not JUST for beginners. Visiting a community of drummers as often as you would a sports team provides all kinds of close relationships as well as friendly competition. This is the chance to really get your chops defined the right way at the right price. 

Check out the Drum Work Out page now!