Rock n Roll Drumming Tip Of The Day

Drumming is an enigma. An art that is far different than any other form of expression on the planet, surpassed in difficulty and sexuality only by the recorder -- an enigma in itself. By no means to I claim to be an expert drummer (or an expert anything for that matter --although I can give a mean bowl cut) but I do believe I own a good deal of knowledge when it comes to slappin’ the ole skins, as some of you kiddies call it.

To begin, rock and roll is the blood of American life. It gives depressed kids something to love and be depressed about, the middle aged look back on the rock and roll of their day and shed a happy tear to lost, youthful magic moments, and it gives the elderly something to bitch about because God knows they love doing that.

The aforementioned enigma of drumming is the life line of rock ’n’ roll. As much as my furry little friend (and operator of this website) Colonial Pryor would disagree with me, drums define rock ’n roll. Sure you can argue that rock drummers are the least talented of any genre of drumming:

[Stated in a thick English Accent]-"Man rock drummers suck!"

And you may be right, but that is beside the point. Straight-up "four on the flour" fast drumming makes you bob your head may be easy but it serves the song. And that is the most important thing any musician can do; everything from a lead guitarist to the sexual rhythm recorder player must serve the song or it’ll turn out to be a barrage of individuals making noise. CASE and POINT: Rush.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good drum fill and even an occasional solo, although if they last too long I begin to go cross eyed. So, in light of all of this advice here is my Rock n Roll Drumming Tip Of The Day:
Serve the song. There is no need to have a dirty double bass fill every other bar.
Don’t make things simple but don’t try and pull a Danny Carey-style afro drum
Beat for a song that has Buck Cherry 4/4 written all over it.

written by: Lew