Wednesday, June 22, 2011

You Tuber Question

Had another question come in...

Question:

Hey...

i got a question mate should i use heavy sticks or ligth sticks cuz i m comfortable with light ticks but people in my country all practise with heavy sticks n using lights sticks makes peeps think i may be u kow cheater or sth thts y i use heavy sticks ur thoughts on tht plz??

Answer:

What's up...

Here's my final answer...Use the sticks that make you most comfortable. Period.

Now a bit of explanation.

I know alot of players (I've done it before myself) use heavier sticks to practice with. They do this for a couple of reasons...

1) When they go back to lighter sticks, their hands are quicker from having to practice on heavier sticks. This is a very normal occurence and makes complete sense. If you can play something at a fast speed with heavier sticks, you should be able to play a bit quicker when you put smaller sticks in your hands. I've done that before.

2) Anytime I've recently gotten a heavier hitting gig, I switch sticks. For instance, if I go to a hard hitting rock gig, I'll use a 2B. I lose some of my finesse, but if you're playing larger venues through large sound systems behind distorted guitars, chances are you're not gonna be incorporating alot of finesse. Likewise, if I play a small jazz gig, I'll use 7A's.

In the end, it's what you're most comfortable with. I've used a 5A as my go to stick for years. It's very versatile. That being said, I used alot of 7A's while in college b/c I was involved with alot of small jazz groups and latin type combos. I've also used 2B's for stints in my career.

I'll say this once and I really hope you catch it...

NEVER LET ANYONE ELSE TELL YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE PLAYING.

Everyone is unique. Play what fits your hands and style.

Hope that helps!

-Stephen T.

Monday, June 13, 2011

MY NEW BOOK IS OUT!!!




Sorry to shout at you in the title...but I'm seriously that excited about this! I've been working for the past 6 months to pump this thing to print, and it's finally there.

"Functioning In Time" is a book on one of my favorite topics...permutation. We define what a permutation is (and isn't) and then use familiar warm ups, popular grooves, and linear patterns to work through the concept. The second half of the book deals with combinations. I know, I know, combination is a broad term...but not when it's dealt with in mathematics. And that's the definition we use to work through the topic. We take a very strict approach to the definition of combinations and then use popular sampled drum grooves to learn how to function using combinations (lots of Drum and Bass goodness!)

I made sure to put things in there for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. I'm hoping that once you grasp the idea, you'll be able to apply it to several areas of your playing. If you'd like to pick up a copy, CLICK HERE. The book is available to be shipped worlwide in either paperback form via snail mail, or in pdf form through your email.

Above is a lesson I did on a linear pattern found in the book. It breaks the fill down, permutates it, and then applies it to soloing and grooving.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Best Drum Quote from a Movie...
















So this is a quote from the movie "City of Angels"...cracks me up every time I hear it...


Maggie:
Why do you wear the same clothes all the time? Why won't you give me your phone number? Are you married?
Seth: No.
Maggie: Are you homeless?
Seth: No.
Maggie: Are you a drummer?