SICK!!!
11.25.2006
11.21.2006
Buddy Rich On The Merv Griffin Show, 1978
The more things change... Great playing as always, but an equally engaging interview. Anyone care to discuss? Leave a comment.
Blessings,
Frank
11.09.2006
Lessons From Teaching My 3 Year Old
As many of you know, I am living in Spain with my family at present. Because we have little in the way of entertainment value, we decided a fun, bonding exercise would be to teach Caleb about the drums. To be honest, I was not crazy about the idea at first. I have had my share of bad teaching experiences, and most have come from very young people who lacked dedication, while I lacked a flexible teaching style.
So now, I am returning to the teaching seat with my son Caleb. I know that his only interest in drumming right now consists of the usual random noise. He may not take it very far, and I am not wishing that for him. But what I am seeing is that he is having fun with his chosen instrument. And that fun is contagious.
Generally, we are trying to identify how to sing note values up to 16ths and have a name assignment for every drum. My final goal would be for Caleb to know what goes where on which beat. Perhaps it's lofty, but he has sung "1 e an ahs" for Dad now twice. So after I have had him at least work with me on this, I let him bash away on the Tama Church kit. And his enthusiasm just sets a fire off in me and I have to sit down and play a little bit too. Except that I am trying to imitate him.
I can't think of a better way to stay fresh and inspired than to take someone and teach them about this wonderful craft that we enjoy. More than that, you might just get a new sub out of the deal, especially as you pass on why we drum for the Lord. Even more than that, isn't it exactly why God has given us any talent in the first place, namely that we might share it with others?
If your feeling a bit dry, one good way to shake it off is to keep your eyes open for a student to teach. You likely won't have to look farther than the stage after any given service.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
So now, I am returning to the teaching seat with my son Caleb. I know that his only interest in drumming right now consists of the usual random noise. He may not take it very far, and I am not wishing that for him. But what I am seeing is that he is having fun with his chosen instrument. And that fun is contagious.
Generally, we are trying to identify how to sing note values up to 16ths and have a name assignment for every drum. My final goal would be for Caleb to know what goes where on which beat. Perhaps it's lofty, but he has sung "1 e an ahs" for Dad now twice. So after I have had him at least work with me on this, I let him bash away on the Tama Church kit. And his enthusiasm just sets a fire off in me and I have to sit down and play a little bit too. Except that I am trying to imitate him.
I can't think of a better way to stay fresh and inspired than to take someone and teach them about this wonderful craft that we enjoy. More than that, you might just get a new sub out of the deal, especially as you pass on why we drum for the Lord. Even more than that, isn't it exactly why God has given us any talent in the first place, namely that we might share it with others?
If your feeling a bit dry, one good way to shake it off is to keep your eyes open for a student to teach. You likely won't have to look farther than the stage after any given service.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
Finally, YOUTUBE AND BLOGGER BETA!!!
The great Peter Erskine doing the job! And some serious horn work from the Brecker Brothers!
NICE!
Take Care All.
F.S.
10.15.2006
"I Am A Member Of The Body Of Christ..."
Before I was a drummer, a Pastor or a worship leader, I was a member of the body of Christ. This statement is purposely stated incorrectly for effect. If you are a person who serves on the worship team and this statement seems just fine, then it helps to illustrate my point further. I am a member of the body of Christ and therefore I serve. Seems like there is only a semantic difference, but there truly is a dangerous undercurrent for all church personnel. It is the temptation to boil down my involvement to what it is that I am doing, and consequently shun the other very important functions of the local fellowship.
What do I mean? It is tempting to come in and "do my job" or "put in my time." Many churches will accept such service and even welcome it, just so long as the program is served. However, this is not what the Lord wants for His children. He wants us to be intimately connected to the church we serve and the people who make up the rest of the body. Neglecting such things reflect poorly upon us and place us in great spiritual trouble.
It's subtle, but soon, we mark our Christianity by the services that we provide, rather than our deep heart felt commitment to the Lord. As we tune out Bible Studies, and make fellowship an option, we lose our spiritual edge. Soon, our attitudes are effected and the people we are called to serve become annoyances.
Not only is this the case, but we are robbed of the opportunity to operate in areas of giftedness that we may not otherwise have known. We lose out on being a meaningful friend, or a helpful counselor. Other areas of ministry might also be affected.
And what about the example that others see. "Oh, he just comes to church when he's playing..."
I don't intend this to be a guilt trip. Not at all! I have had to call myself on the carpet regarding this issue as well. God is calling us to serve His body, as musicians, but also as counselors, prayer warriors and encouragers.
With that in mind, look for opportunities to minister away from your instrument. The Youth always need people. Ushers could use a hand once in a while. See if they could use a hand in the nursery...ok, maybe you don't want to go that direction. There are many options and chances are, you might already have a direction. At the very least, stick yourself in the pew every week and ask God to direct you to other non-musical ministry. I know that He will answer that prayer.
I pray that you won't miss out.
Blessings,
Frank
What do I mean? It is tempting to come in and "do my job" or "put in my time." Many churches will accept such service and even welcome it, just so long as the program is served. However, this is not what the Lord wants for His children. He wants us to be intimately connected to the church we serve and the people who make up the rest of the body. Neglecting such things reflect poorly upon us and place us in great spiritual trouble.
It's subtle, but soon, we mark our Christianity by the services that we provide, rather than our deep heart felt commitment to the Lord. As we tune out Bible Studies, and make fellowship an option, we lose our spiritual edge. Soon, our attitudes are effected and the people we are called to serve become annoyances.
Not only is this the case, but we are robbed of the opportunity to operate in areas of giftedness that we may not otherwise have known. We lose out on being a meaningful friend, or a helpful counselor. Other areas of ministry might also be affected.
And what about the example that others see. "Oh, he just comes to church when he's playing..."
I don't intend this to be a guilt trip. Not at all! I have had to call myself on the carpet regarding this issue as well. God is calling us to serve His body, as musicians, but also as counselors, prayer warriors and encouragers.
With that in mind, look for opportunities to minister away from your instrument. The Youth always need people. Ushers could use a hand once in a while. See if they could use a hand in the nursery...ok, maybe you don't want to go that direction. There are many options and chances are, you might already have a direction. At the very least, stick yourself in the pew every week and ask God to direct you to other non-musical ministry. I know that He will answer that prayer.
I pray that you won't miss out.
Blessings,
Frank
10.13.2006
Pet Peeves!
Somewhere between Moreno Valley and Hemet, I came upon an interesting set of thoughts. I was listening to the morning’s tunes that I was about to play, readying myself for the worship experience. The 2nd song of the set was going to be somewhat new for the congregation I was going to serve. And without saying the name of the artist or the tune, I will comment that this song’s drummer played the most unimaginative, boring part I had heard in a long time. It was what the pros call the “Money Beat.” The “Money Beat” is the first beat that every drummer learns, kick on 1 & 3, snare on 2 & 4, 8th notes on the hi-hat. As I was listening, the simplicity just bugged me, as I thought, “Why not just let the machine do the work?” There was no creativity, no passion, just pure time.
Now that being said, who knows why this took place. There may be a perfectly valid reason and we’ll leave it at that. Suffice it to say here, the end result was a drum beat worth forgetting.
Then I came to the very next song. This song was a real groove tune, with an R & B feel to it. Unlike the rock tune that had come before, it was very creative. It began in the first verse with a classic sidestick/hi-hat groove. I enjoyed the song as it went into the chorus with a nice snare transition. Then, it got thoroughly weird. The next verse featured a snare off/tom-tom combination. All of a sudden I was thrown and was listening to the drummer’s creativity. His patterns were very random and it seemed like he was making things up as he went along. Making matters worse, he had a third, completely different interpretation of the 3rd verse which was even more wild and out than the 2nd verse!
Again, let’s assume someone told him to approach each verse differently. At that point, the truly tasteless approach to the song falls on that leader.
Alright, next song. Classic 6/8 ballad. Probably the same drummer and sort of the same problem. Accept this time, the only thing that changes is the bass drum pattern. Every verse and chorus had a different bass drum pattern, while everything stayed the same on top.
Now, before I move on, I realize that I sound like the world’s most harsh critic and in this moment and with these examples, it’s likely that I am! It’s just that these three scenarios represent my three pet peeves. Lack of imagination, lack of stability and lack of cohesion.
First, each drum part that we are creating must be creative. It must reach out from time, or machine like quality to being musical. Otherwise, we are just machines! Let’s say it’s a 4 on the floor pattern. One can still spice it up by working on the hi-hats and adding ghost notes on the snare drum. There are a million, creative ways to approach even the most elemental patterns.
Second, when creating a part, that part should be the part for each of the verses, each of the choruses and every instrumental break in between. This is not just good drumming. It’s a service to the people you are playing with, and a service to the congregation you are playing in front of. Stability of playing helps the musicians create their parts and helps the audience “settle in” for the given song.
Finally, cohesive bass drum work is key to settling into the groove. Find a pattern that works and stick to it. Marry it! Your bass player will thank you and rhythm partners, like the rhythm guitarist and pianist, will be able to do their work of filling around the empty spaces that your pattern on the kick creates. All of a sudden, the kick just becomes one of the rhythmic threads which make up the dominant pulse of the tune.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
Now that being said, who knows why this took place. There may be a perfectly valid reason and we’ll leave it at that. Suffice it to say here, the end result was a drum beat worth forgetting.
Then I came to the very next song. This song was a real groove tune, with an R & B feel to it. Unlike the rock tune that had come before, it was very creative. It began in the first verse with a classic sidestick/hi-hat groove. I enjoyed the song as it went into the chorus with a nice snare transition. Then, it got thoroughly weird. The next verse featured a snare off/tom-tom combination. All of a sudden I was thrown and was listening to the drummer’s creativity. His patterns were very random and it seemed like he was making things up as he went along. Making matters worse, he had a third, completely different interpretation of the 3rd verse which was even more wild and out than the 2nd verse!
Again, let’s assume someone told him to approach each verse differently. At that point, the truly tasteless approach to the song falls on that leader.
Alright, next song. Classic 6/8 ballad. Probably the same drummer and sort of the same problem. Accept this time, the only thing that changes is the bass drum pattern. Every verse and chorus had a different bass drum pattern, while everything stayed the same on top.
Now, before I move on, I realize that I sound like the world’s most harsh critic and in this moment and with these examples, it’s likely that I am! It’s just that these three scenarios represent my three pet peeves. Lack of imagination, lack of stability and lack of cohesion.
First, each drum part that we are creating must be creative. It must reach out from time, or machine like quality to being musical. Otherwise, we are just machines! Let’s say it’s a 4 on the floor pattern. One can still spice it up by working on the hi-hats and adding ghost notes on the snare drum. There are a million, creative ways to approach even the most elemental patterns.
Second, when creating a part, that part should be the part for each of the verses, each of the choruses and every instrumental break in between. This is not just good drumming. It’s a service to the people you are playing with, and a service to the congregation you are playing in front of. Stability of playing helps the musicians create their parts and helps the audience “settle in” for the given song.
Finally, cohesive bass drum work is key to settling into the groove. Find a pattern that works and stick to it. Marry it! Your bass player will thank you and rhythm partners, like the rhythm guitarist and pianist, will be able to do their work of filling around the empty spaces that your pattern on the kick creates. All of a sudden, the kick just becomes one of the rhythmic threads which make up the dominant pulse of the tune.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
10.06.2006
Google Beta Video Link Of The Week
I'm still trying to get my Blogger Beta blogs a video feed, either through Youtube or Google's Video. Neither will accept my username and password. So paste and enjoy. This drum battle is EPIC!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-238233054317875548&q=Dave+Weckl&hl=en
Enjoy!
Blessings,
Frank
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-238233054317875548&q=Dave+Weckl&hl=en
Enjoy!
Blessings,
Frank
10.04.2006
Ah, Paradiddles!
When I think about what really made the difference in my playing over the last 6 or 7 years, I have to point to paradiddles. Paradiddles are a combination stroke, singles and doubles. The sticking, if you are not familiar is R L R R L R L L. It’s a 16th note subdivision, so it can easily be counted in the usual “1 e an a” method. Now, not wanting to take credit where it is not due, I learned a very basic exercise from the Dave Weckl video “Back To Basics.” After you learn the stroke, break it up over your snare and hi-hat. The kick will be on the 1 and the 3.
What is real important is that you differentiate, radically at first, the accented stroke and the unaccented stroke. This will make a huge difference physically in how you approach the accented and unaccented notes. You will be thankful for it later.
Now, what will you will hear will shock you at first. Things will sort of come in and out and it will sound really unbalanced at first. Of course, start slow and you will begin to feel the way that it is supposed to sound.
Doing this exercise accomplished three things for me: 1) It gave me a better sense of time, 2) It radically helped my ghost notes and 3) It made my groove solid and “feel” complete. Over time, I started to learn the rest of the paradiddle family, ie. double paradiddles, paradiddle diddles and flamadiddles. Adding these to my “bag of tricks” really helped to stimulate my playing.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
What is real important is that you differentiate, radically at first, the accented stroke and the unaccented stroke. This will make a huge difference physically in how you approach the accented and unaccented notes. You will be thankful for it later.
Now, what will you will hear will shock you at first. Things will sort of come in and out and it will sound really unbalanced at first. Of course, start slow and you will begin to feel the way that it is supposed to sound.
Doing this exercise accomplished three things for me: 1) It gave me a better sense of time, 2) It radically helped my ghost notes and 3) It made my groove solid and “feel” complete. Over time, I started to learn the rest of the paradiddle family, ie. double paradiddles, paradiddle diddles and flamadiddles. Adding these to my “bag of tricks” really helped to stimulate my playing.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.27.2006
YouTube Link Of The Week...
Unfortunately, because I am using the Beta option of Blogger, I cannot post video here directly...yet! Hopefully, Blogger will be able to resolve that problem soon. Until then, paste the link and check it out. This week, a classic drum battle between two of the most iconic drummers of all time. Hope you enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eZeOgx6wUQ
Blessings,
Frank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eZeOgx6wUQ
Blessings,
Frank
9.20.2006
Opening Creative Doors
Over the many years of playing, I have often found myself in creative ruts. If you have been playing for any length of time, you know what I mean: All your fills sound the same, the same physical actions are stuck in maintnenance and even the beats you are coming up with are dry and boring.
This is a common problem, with a pretty easy set of solutions. First, if you have the luxury of playing with multiple types of musicians, this can be real easy. Maybe you spend time making music with a violinist or a sax player. Second, if that is not a possibility, try playing on someone else's kit. The different tuning and feel of foreign drums almost always inspires new thoughts.
But one thing that all of us can do is change our set-up. Say that you are used to a double-kick, 3 tom, 3 cymbal set-up. Remove the double pedal. Then, take out the middle tom. Now, remove the cymbal on your left side. Grab those sticks and see what comes out.
Next, try to move your ride to the opposite side of normal and set up a tom on by your hi-hats. Play for an hour and see what comes out.
Changing the way I set up really made me stretch and really cool new ideas opened up to me, just because the physical motions required something new of me.
Then on the other hand, sometimes our ears need new stimulus. Exploring new sounds can lead to good creativity as well. Try tuning your snare down, or loosening the actual snares themselves. Just like computers, what is done can easily be undone! Tighten that first tom; take off the bottom heads. Play with different types of sticks: Brushes, Multi-Rods, mallets, empty coke bottles! Try playing with your hands!
Go back to having fun and watch that creativity begin to flow in a healthy way again.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
This is a common problem, with a pretty easy set of solutions. First, if you have the luxury of playing with multiple types of musicians, this can be real easy. Maybe you spend time making music with a violinist or a sax player. Second, if that is not a possibility, try playing on someone else's kit. The different tuning and feel of foreign drums almost always inspires new thoughts.
But one thing that all of us can do is change our set-up. Say that you are used to a double-kick, 3 tom, 3 cymbal set-up. Remove the double pedal. Then, take out the middle tom. Now, remove the cymbal on your left side. Grab those sticks and see what comes out.
Next, try to move your ride to the opposite side of normal and set up a tom on by your hi-hats. Play for an hour and see what comes out.
Changing the way I set up really made me stretch and really cool new ideas opened up to me, just because the physical motions required something new of me.
Then on the other hand, sometimes our ears need new stimulus. Exploring new sounds can lead to good creativity as well. Try tuning your snare down, or loosening the actual snares themselves. Just like computers, what is done can easily be undone! Tighten that first tom; take off the bottom heads. Play with different types of sticks: Brushes, Multi-Rods, mallets, empty coke bottles! Try playing with your hands!
Go back to having fun and watch that creativity begin to flow in a healthy way again.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.14.2006
Sensitivity
I have remarked in other entries about how thorough I am when it comes to preparation for any given worship session. I thoroughly, when given the information, think through the "list" and ready myself to play it. I would imagine a similar process happens for a "show" drummer, where every detail is sketched out and performed routinely, accurately and without any deviation. Worship is a very different "musical animal."
This is not to say that you should not prepare. But it IS to say that you should also prepare yourself for unplanned, unexpected changes in any given set list.
There are things as worship drummers that are just not in our field of thought on any given Sunday, Wednesday, etc. When I stepped out from behind the drums and began to connect myself to a guitar, I was forced to see the affects of my lists. In the practice prior to the session, the songs would often work out great, but it was the little things that I noticed when people got into the room that often made me reconsider the way we presented our songs.
For example, I remember many times when I started tunes too slowly and needed to change the tempo mid-tune. Other times, I recognized that some songs seemed too heavy handed for where the worship was going, so I asked my drummers to play a tune or two with brushes, to soften the list. Many times, especially in the more intimate night services, I asked the drummer to not play for a few tunes, just because I could see the faces of the worshippers, and how engaged they were in what was happening and I did not want that to be broken for them.
Now, I never heard either Richard or Isy ever complain about not getting to play certain things, but I remember back when I was younger, often feeling frustrated when I did'nt get to play the whole list! Now, I see that I could have been more sensitive to what the Spirit was doing on those nights. I could have trusted my leaders and let them lead what they were seeing more clearly than I could.
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." NLT
Be sensitive to the situation. Tune yourself into the mood of the room. Sacred moments are happening right in front of you. Ask the Lord to teach you to play appropriately for Him.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
This is not to say that you should not prepare. But it IS to say that you should also prepare yourself for unplanned, unexpected changes in any given set list.
There are things as worship drummers that are just not in our field of thought on any given Sunday, Wednesday, etc. When I stepped out from behind the drums and began to connect myself to a guitar, I was forced to see the affects of my lists. In the practice prior to the session, the songs would often work out great, but it was the little things that I noticed when people got into the room that often made me reconsider the way we presented our songs.
For example, I remember many times when I started tunes too slowly and needed to change the tempo mid-tune. Other times, I recognized that some songs seemed too heavy handed for where the worship was going, so I asked my drummers to play a tune or two with brushes, to soften the list. Many times, especially in the more intimate night services, I asked the drummer to not play for a few tunes, just because I could see the faces of the worshippers, and how engaged they were in what was happening and I did not want that to be broken for them.
Now, I never heard either Richard or Isy ever complain about not getting to play certain things, but I remember back when I was younger, often feeling frustrated when I did'nt get to play the whole list! Now, I see that I could have been more sensitive to what the Spirit was doing on those nights. I could have trusted my leaders and let them lead what they were seeing more clearly than I could.
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." NLT
Be sensitive to the situation. Tune yourself into the mood of the room. Sacred moments are happening right in front of you. Ask the Lord to teach you to play appropriately for Him.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.13.2006
"Anchoring"
One concept that I feel has tremendously helped my groove has been what I call "anchoring." An anchor keeps the ship in a stationary position, and until that anchor is brought up, that ship is not moving. Relating to time and groove, I have found one note to be most potent in this regard.
It is the offbeat 8th note, the "an" of any note. Somehow, when I get this happening, the time and groove seem to be so interelated and effortless that the music becomes a joy. Now, how I manifest it is simply either one of two ways. I can either accent that note on the hi-hats with my right hand or I can play that note with my foot on the hi-hat. Somehow, in my mind, just hearing that note accented, MAKES me play to that. All of a sudden other notes start coming from my left hand, ghost strokes that fill out the rest of the rhythmic spectrum, and it happens quite naturally.
How do you develop this? It takes work and mental energy. Start slow, but play an 8th note groove on the ride cymbal. Get that going for 4 bars. Then at the 5th bar, get quarter notes happening on the hi-hat with your left foot. You should have a duplication of 8th notes. Now, simply begin to remove the quarter notes. This will take some time to get used to, but when you hear it, I think something will begin to click.
Another way to approach this is to play a brush groove on your snare drum, 1 & 3 on the kick. Instead of accenting the 2 & 4 on your hi-hat, accent the offbeat 8ths. See what happens.
Now, as with anything, learning to intuitively make this musical is an art. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR EVERY SONG. That said, you might be able to employ it in many songs, at certain points in the song, perhaps a chorus or a bridge. What it will do is help your groove develop in new ways and your time will feel more steady.
For a master study on this concept, check out Bernard Purdie's work on the Steely Dan album "The Royal Scam." Rick Marotta is also credited on the album at http://www.steelydan.com/citizentracks.html, but if I was a betting man (I'm not!) I would say that the tracks that best represent what I am talking about were played by "Pretty" Purdie. For this concept, check out "Kid Charlemagne," "The Fez," and "Green Earrings."
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
It is the offbeat 8th note, the "an" of any note. Somehow, when I get this happening, the time and groove seem to be so interelated and effortless that the music becomes a joy. Now, how I manifest it is simply either one of two ways. I can either accent that note on the hi-hats with my right hand or I can play that note with my foot on the hi-hat. Somehow, in my mind, just hearing that note accented, MAKES me play to that. All of a sudden other notes start coming from my left hand, ghost strokes that fill out the rest of the rhythmic spectrum, and it happens quite naturally.
How do you develop this? It takes work and mental energy. Start slow, but play an 8th note groove on the ride cymbal. Get that going for 4 bars. Then at the 5th bar, get quarter notes happening on the hi-hat with your left foot. You should have a duplication of 8th notes. Now, simply begin to remove the quarter notes. This will take some time to get used to, but when you hear it, I think something will begin to click.
Another way to approach this is to play a brush groove on your snare drum, 1 & 3 on the kick. Instead of accenting the 2 & 4 on your hi-hat, accent the offbeat 8ths. See what happens.
Now, as with anything, learning to intuitively make this musical is an art. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR EVERY SONG. That said, you might be able to employ it in many songs, at certain points in the song, perhaps a chorus or a bridge. What it will do is help your groove develop in new ways and your time will feel more steady.
For a master study on this concept, check out Bernard Purdie's work on the Steely Dan album "The Royal Scam." Rick Marotta is also credited on the album at http://www.steelydan.com/citizentracks.html, but if I was a betting man (I'm not!) I would say that the tracks that best represent what I am talking about were played by "Pretty" Purdie. For this concept, check out "Kid Charlemagne," "The Fez," and "Green Earrings."
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.11.2006
"Intuition"
Let's see: How do I put this mess all together? Hmm... Some parts of drumming are subjective and it is sometimes a mystery as to how one drummer is favored over another. For one band, one drummer is the best. For another, well, they will get by with or without him/her.
I was talking with a music friend yesterday about this issue. He brought up the term "intuition." He defined it as "just being able to hear a suggestion, and then giving something back." Sort of like a music conversation.
For example, the worship leader, thoroughly a fine musician but never a drummer, turns around and tells you, "I really want more of a driving beat." Now, at that point, us drummers have the opportunity to reach into our bag of tricks and pull out something that we would describe as "driving." Then the worship leader says, "Well, not like that. More like..." and then he flails his arms and makes drum noises with his mouth, apparently unaware of the blank stare that has come across your face.
Intuition is the ability to reach for many options in that moment. For example, driving might mean four on the floor with a low tom mimic, heavy backbeat and a washy crash ride combo. Maybe it's the low tom, interspersed with a backbeat and the other toms thrown inbetween. Maybe it's open hi-hat 8th notes, accents on the backbeat (2 & 4) with a cymbal...
You see what I mean? Reaching into your bag of tricks, trying to make a term come to life which will serve the music.
But then, there's that bag of tricks. You might just be a one trick pony, which is never good in the musical context.
Before I move on, this is probably the most subjective part of music. One part of you might say, "I am what I am and that's all that I am." Well thank you Popeye! The other part will say, "I need to learn and expand that bag of tricks, but how?" It's to you that I write.
Our proverbial bags will be expanded when we open our minds to other types of music and truly explore the nuances of what makes that type of music special. For example, an R&B drummer has certain sound and feel. Same goes for the Heavy Metal drummer or the Jazz drummer.
The point is to be able to reach down and at the very least, fake a feel for any given song. That is what intuition is about. It is part negotiation, in that you should be able to provide several examples for a nebulous, magical part. But the other part of intuition, is to reach down into the bag of tricks and confidently copy some one else's work!
I told my shuffle story, so I won't repeat it. But there have been many other experiences where I was able to provide my "drum term illiterate" worship leader with something close to what he was hearing.
I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
I was talking with a music friend yesterday about this issue. He brought up the term "intuition." He defined it as "just being able to hear a suggestion, and then giving something back." Sort of like a music conversation.
For example, the worship leader, thoroughly a fine musician but never a drummer, turns around and tells you, "I really want more of a driving beat." Now, at that point, us drummers have the opportunity to reach into our bag of tricks and pull out something that we would describe as "driving." Then the worship leader says, "Well, not like that. More like..." and then he flails his arms and makes drum noises with his mouth, apparently unaware of the blank stare that has come across your face.
Intuition is the ability to reach for many options in that moment. For example, driving might mean four on the floor with a low tom mimic, heavy backbeat and a washy crash ride combo. Maybe it's the low tom, interspersed with a backbeat and the other toms thrown inbetween. Maybe it's open hi-hat 8th notes, accents on the backbeat (2 & 4) with a cymbal...
You see what I mean? Reaching into your bag of tricks, trying to make a term come to life which will serve the music.
But then, there's that bag of tricks. You might just be a one trick pony, which is never good in the musical context.
Before I move on, this is probably the most subjective part of music. One part of you might say, "I am what I am and that's all that I am." Well thank you Popeye! The other part will say, "I need to learn and expand that bag of tricks, but how?" It's to you that I write.
Our proverbial bags will be expanded when we open our minds to other types of music and truly explore the nuances of what makes that type of music special. For example, an R&B drummer has certain sound and feel. Same goes for the Heavy Metal drummer or the Jazz drummer.
The point is to be able to reach down and at the very least, fake a feel for any given song. That is what intuition is about. It is part negotiation, in that you should be able to provide several examples for a nebulous, magical part. But the other part of intuition, is to reach down into the bag of tricks and confidently copy some one else's work!
I told my shuffle story, so I won't repeat it. But there have been many other experiences where I was able to provide my "drum term illiterate" worship leader with something close to what he was hearing.
I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.01.2006
"I Wish I Would Have..."
Hindsight is always 20/20. Knowing what I know now, I would have done things different. Of course, the trap is that if I had done things different, I might not be the person I am now. Oh, what a tangled web! However, here are some of my top thoughts about what I wish I would have done back when I was a young drummer.
- I wish I would have enjoyed the time I spent with my fellow musicians more.
- I wish I would have obsessed less about all the minute things that would go wrong during a service.
- I wish I would have been more open to other types of music earlier that were not my taste.
- I wish I would have taken the time to see more live music and meet more of those musicians.
- I wish I would have paid more attention to the formal side of training for drums.
- I wish I would have taught my students to enjoy their instruments more.
- I wish I would have practiced better when I had all the time in the world, rather than fiddling around with my favorite beats.
- I wish I would have invested more time in people who wanted to learn about the drums from me.
Maybe you could add about a hundred things yourself. The beautiful thing about such lists is that people who are on the other side of time can avoid the pitfalls of my past. The beautiful thing for me is that my past does not have to dictate my future. I can learn and grow from here.
I pray you would do the same.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
F.S.
- I wish I would have enjoyed the time I spent with my fellow musicians more.
- I wish I would have obsessed less about all the minute things that would go wrong during a service.
- I wish I would have been more open to other types of music earlier that were not my taste.
- I wish I would have taken the time to see more live music and meet more of those musicians.
- I wish I would have paid more attention to the formal side of training for drums.
- I wish I would have taught my students to enjoy their instruments more.
- I wish I would have practiced better when I had all the time in the world, rather than fiddling around with my favorite beats.
- I wish I would have invested more time in people who wanted to learn about the drums from me.
Maybe you could add about a hundred things yourself. The beautiful thing about such lists is that people who are on the other side of time can avoid the pitfalls of my past. The beautiful thing for me is that my past does not have to dictate my future. I can learn and grow from here.
I pray you would do the same.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
F.S.
8.29.2006
Drum DVD & CD Recommendations
Here are some of my favorites over the years. Some might be out of print, but be on the lookout:
No Order Implied - DVD/VHS
- Dave Weckl's "Back To Basics" and "The Next Step"
- Jeff Porcaro's "Spotlight?"
- The Buddy Rich Memorial Concert, volumes 1 & 2
- Steve Smith's "History Of The U.S. Beat"
- Drummers Collective 25th Anniversary Video
- Steve Gadd's "In Studio" and "Up Close"
- Gavin Harrison's "Rhythmic Illusions"
CD's
- Dave Weckl's "Masterplan" and "Live and Very Plugged In"
- Vinnie Colaiuta on: John Patitucci's "Sketchbook," Eric Marienthal's "Crossroads," Steve Tavaglione's "Blue Tav," Alan Holdsworth's "Secrets," Richard Bona's "Reverance," Mike Stern's "These Times," and his own self titled solo project.
- David Garibaldi, with Tower Of Power: "Back to Oakland," "The Best of Tower Of Power" and "Oakland Zone"
- Steve Gadd on all kinds of stuff!! Must listen to "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover."
- Alvaro Lopez, with Torre Fuerte on "Altisimo Senor" and "Mi Fortaleza"
- Steve Smith with Vital Information on "Vitalive" and "All Around The World."
- Bill Stewart with John Scofield on "Enroute"
- Dennis Chambers with John Scofield on "Pick Hits Live" and with Steely Dan on "Alive In America."
- Virtually Any Steely Dan album, but the classic is "Aja" and "Royal Scam."
- Antonio Sanchez with Pat Metheny, any album!
- Steve Holmes with Altered on their self titled debut and Graphic.
- Jeff Porcaro with Los Lobotomy's "Live" and with Toto, "Greatest Hits."
I attribute much of my playing style to the recommendations I have listed. There may be more, but these are pretty much what I have "lived on" for quite a long time now.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
No Order Implied - DVD/VHS
- Dave Weckl's "Back To Basics" and "The Next Step"
- Jeff Porcaro's "Spotlight?"
- The Buddy Rich Memorial Concert, volumes 1 & 2
- Steve Smith's "History Of The U.S. Beat"
- Drummers Collective 25th Anniversary Video
- Steve Gadd's "In Studio" and "Up Close"
- Gavin Harrison's "Rhythmic Illusions"
CD's
- Dave Weckl's "Masterplan" and "Live and Very Plugged In"
- Vinnie Colaiuta on: John Patitucci's "Sketchbook," Eric Marienthal's "Crossroads," Steve Tavaglione's "Blue Tav," Alan Holdsworth's "Secrets," Richard Bona's "Reverance," Mike Stern's "These Times," and his own self titled solo project.
- David Garibaldi, with Tower Of Power: "Back to Oakland," "The Best of Tower Of Power" and "Oakland Zone"
- Steve Gadd on all kinds of stuff!! Must listen to "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover."
- Alvaro Lopez, with Torre Fuerte on "Altisimo Senor" and "Mi Fortaleza"
- Steve Smith with Vital Information on "Vitalive" and "All Around The World."
- Bill Stewart with John Scofield on "Enroute"
- Dennis Chambers with John Scofield on "Pick Hits Live" and with Steely Dan on "Alive In America."
- Virtually Any Steely Dan album, but the classic is "Aja" and "Royal Scam."
- Antonio Sanchez with Pat Metheny, any album!
- Steve Holmes with Altered on their self titled debut and Graphic.
- Jeff Porcaro with Los Lobotomy's "Live" and with Toto, "Greatest Hits."
I attribute much of my playing style to the recommendations I have listed. There may be more, but these are pretty much what I have "lived on" for quite a long time now.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
8.28.2006
Things I Have Never Been Asked To Do
In worship music, there are certain things that are just not that important. To study them for your own purpose is fine, if you have a musical outlet with which to experiment. In fact, Mitch Ross and I were having that conversation while watching the latest Greg Bissonette DVDs. We both noted that half of the content did not really apply to any church situation that we had ever been involved with. That does not diminish the value of the DVDs; rather, it is an issue of focus. With that in mind, I have never been asked:
1) "How fast are your single strokes?"
2) "Can you play in 13?"
3) "How's your soloing?"
4) "Do you know any stick tricks?"
5) "Double Pedal on this one?"
6) "Is that the loudest you can play?"
7) "Can you pull off a metric modulation here?"
8) "Know any good Vinnie licks you can throw in going to the bridge?"
The point is that there is a time for musical exploration and creativity. Worship music is rarely, if ever that time! That does not mean you should not strive to do your best...just know when and where that is appropriate.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
1) "How fast are your single strokes?"
2) "Can you play in 13?"
3) "How's your soloing?"
4) "Do you know any stick tricks?"
5) "Double Pedal on this one?"
6) "Is that the loudest you can play?"
7) "Can you pull off a metric modulation here?"
8) "Know any good Vinnie licks you can throw in going to the bridge?"
The point is that there is a time for musical exploration and creativity. Worship music is rarely, if ever that time! That does not mean you should not strive to do your best...just know when and where that is appropriate.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
Watch Your Speech!
I once heard from my Pastor that words literally live forever. It was a tempting situation, but I waited and he said that he had read a study where scientists were attempting to extract sound waves out of walls and other materials. My first thought was, "Wow, microphone technology is becoming so sophisticated." My second thought was, "Aren't there better uses of scientist's time?"
Of course, leave it to the ever present third thought: How powerful are our words? This is how powerful:
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21
True that death and life are in the power of the tongue when it comes to Salvation, for he who confesses with HIS MOUTH that Jesus Christ is Lord shall be saved. So, because I have confessed Christ publicly, with my mouth confessing what my heart truly believes, then I am saved.
However, we can't ignore that our tongues can be both destructive and constructive in the here and now portion of our sanctification. Take the Apostle James and his wise words in chapter 3 of his epistle.
"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." James 3:6
How often our tongues get us in trouble, whether we are trying to be funny or whether we are trying to answer questions that we have no business addressing. I have to admit that this has been a constant trouble in my life, that I must always be careful to deal with. Too many times, I have gotten myself into trouble or embarrassed another person unwittingly. Greg Laurie gave this acronym once to help guide our speech. To help me "THINK" before I speak, we must "THINK" along this line: Is what I am about to say:
True
Helpful
Inspiring
Necessary
Kind
If we followed these things, how much more would our communication be seasoned with salt and be true, according to love? Think about the next time you have a chance to deal with that musician who is not really that great. Think about the next time you deal with the people in proximity to the stage that are antagonistic toward you. Think about the next time you talk about someone who is not in the room.
"Let's let our speech be always honoring to the Lord and reflective of His heart."
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
Of course, leave it to the ever present third thought: How powerful are our words? This is how powerful:
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21
True that death and life are in the power of the tongue when it comes to Salvation, for he who confesses with HIS MOUTH that Jesus Christ is Lord shall be saved. So, because I have confessed Christ publicly, with my mouth confessing what my heart truly believes, then I am saved.
However, we can't ignore that our tongues can be both destructive and constructive in the here and now portion of our sanctification. Take the Apostle James and his wise words in chapter 3 of his epistle.
"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." James 3:6
How often our tongues get us in trouble, whether we are trying to be funny or whether we are trying to answer questions that we have no business addressing. I have to admit that this has been a constant trouble in my life, that I must always be careful to deal with. Too many times, I have gotten myself into trouble or embarrassed another person unwittingly. Greg Laurie gave this acronym once to help guide our speech. To help me "THINK" before I speak, we must "THINK" along this line: Is what I am about to say:
True
Helpful
Inspiring
Necessary
Kind
If we followed these things, how much more would our communication be seasoned with salt and be true, according to love? Think about the next time you have a chance to deal with that musician who is not really that great. Think about the next time you deal with the people in proximity to the stage that are antagonistic toward you. Think about the next time you talk about someone who is not in the room.
"Let's let our speech be always honoring to the Lord and reflective of His heart."
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
The Value Of Recording Yourself
I played on the worship team this last weekend. I knew that I would be going in "blind" and would need some extra help. I decided to take in my iPod, with the voice memo microphone attachment. I proceeded to record the first service (which is our Saturday night service) and then took it home for processing.
Not only did I accomplish my goal of providing a resource of the tunes for myself, but I also discovered a few chinks in my own armor! It was about 3AM (NEVER, EVER ORDER STARBUCKS WITHOUT SAYING THE WORD "DECAF" AFTER 9!) and I had listened to the entire worship set. Things that I thought were so grooving were way off! I noted my tendency to accelerate into tunes where I had an opening fill. I also noted a bunch of "non-musical" noise that I tended to make when I had no idea what to do, especially thinking later that a rest would have been more appropriate.
It was a tremendous learning experience...again! And here is where it was a little different from times previous when I had done this. I did not obsess, wish I had never picked up the drums, or curse my existence! I took it in stride and recognized that I had done my best under the circumstances, but that I would correct myself within, at that time, the next few hours.
I encourage each of you to record yourself, but only if you can do so without experiencing complete mental meltdown! I think that you will be pleasantly surprised as much as you are negatively surprised.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
Not only did I accomplish my goal of providing a resource of the tunes for myself, but I also discovered a few chinks in my own armor! It was about 3AM (NEVER, EVER ORDER STARBUCKS WITHOUT SAYING THE WORD "DECAF" AFTER 9!) and I had listened to the entire worship set. Things that I thought were so grooving were way off! I noted my tendency to accelerate into tunes where I had an opening fill. I also noted a bunch of "non-musical" noise that I tended to make when I had no idea what to do, especially thinking later that a rest would have been more appropriate.
It was a tremendous learning experience...again! And here is where it was a little different from times previous when I had done this. I did not obsess, wish I had never picked up the drums, or curse my existence! I took it in stride and recognized that I had done my best under the circumstances, but that I would correct myself within, at that time, the next few hours.
I encourage each of you to record yourself, but only if you can do so without experiencing complete mental meltdown! I think that you will be pleasantly surprised as much as you are negatively surprised.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
8.26.2006
Getting Into The Worship Leader's Mind
I was reading a post over at the House Of Drumming about non-drummers and their opinion of who is a good drummer. There have been times that I was really surprised by the answers, mostly because I had not heard of the drummer's name before! I just sort of thought everyone automatically answered Vinnie!
I guess other musicians have other criteria. Sometimes I have heard comments about a certain drummer's "energy" or "feel." Often I would leave the conversation just scratching my head trying to reconcile what they might have meant.
I remember one time in particular, before we started the Saturday Night Life service at Calvary Chapel of Redlands. It was a particularly rich time musically in my life, as I was in the right place at the right time. Many seasoned players were lining up to play and I was the young player who was the beneficiary of their desire to make good music. Well, we were working on a tune that we had been playing for a couple of weeks. That night, Al Cablay, a man responsible for getting me a job at the time, and for getting me on one of my favorite gigs of all time, came and suggested that we play the tune again. But this next time, we should do it with a shuffle. Prior to this, I had had not suggestions or complaints. But what was worse was that I had never even heard of a shuffle!
They described it with the usual ackward physical description. Then with the "it sounds like..." attempt. In my attempt to approximate what I was hearing, I realized that there was a whole foreign thing happening that was not working for me.
I walked away, angry at Al for making his LOUSY SUGGESTION, but then I resolved that I would learn how to play a shuffle. I asked a few of the guys in the band what I should listen to. They pointed me in a few directions and I went and bought about 4 albums that had famous shuffles on them. A week later, after furious practice, I came back and conquered.
But the point is, I had to get into the minds of other musicians to see what it took for me to be the drummer I needed to be at that moment. And they introduced me to names that THEY believed were names I needed to know.
Since that time, I have done everything I could to know who my worship leader's favorite drummers were. I have asked for reference points or just keenly listened to conversations about music. I can remember several times, sitting around a pizza, and some person would say, "Hey, have you got the new..." and they would talk, but I would make my plan to go and get that album ASAP!
This really accomplishes several things: First, you bond with your worship leader. You experience music with him/her on a different level where neither is involved in the making, but both are involved in the enjoyment. Second, you gain an insight into what is important to that worship leader's ears. You'll find that he/she has no interest in how fast your singles are or how many 5/3 groupings you can pull off! Third, and I think this is the most important thing: You gain a vocabulary of tunes with which to reference for communication sake. For example, you can do away with the "just play beesh badda badda beesh badda ding dong" and trade that in for "I'm thinking of that groove on "so and so's" album." Now you have really begun to work together.
As a worship leader myself, I have often really appreciated when the drummers I had around me shared my interests. It made working together that much more enjoyable for the both of us.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
I guess other musicians have other criteria. Sometimes I have heard comments about a certain drummer's "energy" or "feel." Often I would leave the conversation just scratching my head trying to reconcile what they might have meant.
I remember one time in particular, before we started the Saturday Night Life service at Calvary Chapel of Redlands. It was a particularly rich time musically in my life, as I was in the right place at the right time. Many seasoned players were lining up to play and I was the young player who was the beneficiary of their desire to make good music. Well, we were working on a tune that we had been playing for a couple of weeks. That night, Al Cablay, a man responsible for getting me a job at the time, and for getting me on one of my favorite gigs of all time, came and suggested that we play the tune again. But this next time, we should do it with a shuffle. Prior to this, I had had not suggestions or complaints. But what was worse was that I had never even heard of a shuffle!
They described it with the usual ackward physical description. Then with the "it sounds like..." attempt. In my attempt to approximate what I was hearing, I realized that there was a whole foreign thing happening that was not working for me.
I walked away, angry at Al for making his LOUSY SUGGESTION, but then I resolved that I would learn how to play a shuffle. I asked a few of the guys in the band what I should listen to. They pointed me in a few directions and I went and bought about 4 albums that had famous shuffles on them. A week later, after furious practice, I came back and conquered.
But the point is, I had to get into the minds of other musicians to see what it took for me to be the drummer I needed to be at that moment. And they introduced me to names that THEY believed were names I needed to know.
Since that time, I have done everything I could to know who my worship leader's favorite drummers were. I have asked for reference points or just keenly listened to conversations about music. I can remember several times, sitting around a pizza, and some person would say, "Hey, have you got the new..." and they would talk, but I would make my plan to go and get that album ASAP!
This really accomplishes several things: First, you bond with your worship leader. You experience music with him/her on a different level where neither is involved in the making, but both are involved in the enjoyment. Second, you gain an insight into what is important to that worship leader's ears. You'll find that he/she has no interest in how fast your singles are or how many 5/3 groupings you can pull off! Third, and I think this is the most important thing: You gain a vocabulary of tunes with which to reference for communication sake. For example, you can do away with the "just play beesh badda badda beesh badda ding dong" and trade that in for "I'm thinking of that groove on "so and so's" album." Now you have really begun to work together.
As a worship leader myself, I have often really appreciated when the drummers I had around me shared my interests. It made working together that much more enjoyable for the both of us.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
8.21.2006
Slaves To The Times
I just got the chance to go see a music review production called "American Rhythms." It was an interesting show from the standpoint of watching the live drummer have to perform the functions of drumming from any particular era. In a way, it was like watching the drumkit evolve from the early 20's on into the 90's Watching the drummer play early 20's music for example, was basically watching a guy play the standard jazz rhythm on his hi-hat, and then accent the music with blocks and a splash cymbal. As the different eras changed, that jazz "ding ding da ding" played solidly in the popular music all the way until the 50's.
Then, it came to the 70's and it was the disco offbeat open hi-hat routine. Every song, performed in medley style, was the same rhythm and for all intents and purposes, the same tempo!
I watched the drummer play through every area skillfully and with passion, which must have been a real challenge, as with everything, we get complacent with the things that are repeated ad nauseum!
I find that we in the church are slaves to the same kind of rhythms all of the time. For a while, all the church had was songs in 6/8. Then, there were the arena rock days of Promise Keepers and the Maranatha Praise Band, and it happened that every song featured some sort of tom-tom break down. Lately, the trend seems to be the "four on the floor" motif. Every fast song has that driving bass drum pulse.
As we learn to serve, sometimes we need to learn to do so in the most mundane ways. It is invariably nothing to serve in an extraordinary way some time. It is quite another thing to serve in the boring everyday most of the time. Yet, even the book of Acts is a highlight reel!
The way we serve AND keep from being overfamiliar is to enhance the current form of playing. Serve the band by sticking to the four on the floor and snare every 2 and 4. Keep that pulse happening for most of the song, perhaps 3 quarters of the song. But then in that last quarter, stretch out and play 16ths or 32nds over the top on the hi-hat. Or, accent the offbeats (1 AN) on your hi-hat. Recently, during a 6/8 tune, I played a shuffle on one verse, taken directly from Porcaro's "Rosanna" except slower!
The point is that we can't get away from the popular trends of music. We can serve them and serve the music well, but still leave room for enhancement without anyone noticing...negatively that is!
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
Then, it came to the 70's and it was the disco offbeat open hi-hat routine. Every song, performed in medley style, was the same rhythm and for all intents and purposes, the same tempo!
I watched the drummer play through every area skillfully and with passion, which must have been a real challenge, as with everything, we get complacent with the things that are repeated ad nauseum!
I find that we in the church are slaves to the same kind of rhythms all of the time. For a while, all the church had was songs in 6/8. Then, there were the arena rock days of Promise Keepers and the Maranatha Praise Band, and it happened that every song featured some sort of tom-tom break down. Lately, the trend seems to be the "four on the floor" motif. Every fast song has that driving bass drum pulse.
As we learn to serve, sometimes we need to learn to do so in the most mundane ways. It is invariably nothing to serve in an extraordinary way some time. It is quite another thing to serve in the boring everyday most of the time. Yet, even the book of Acts is a highlight reel!
The way we serve AND keep from being overfamiliar is to enhance the current form of playing. Serve the band by sticking to the four on the floor and snare every 2 and 4. Keep that pulse happening for most of the song, perhaps 3 quarters of the song. But then in that last quarter, stretch out and play 16ths or 32nds over the top on the hi-hat. Or, accent the offbeats (1 AN) on your hi-hat. Recently, during a 6/8 tune, I played a shuffle on one verse, taken directly from Porcaro's "Rosanna" except slower!
The point is that we can't get away from the popular trends of music. We can serve them and serve the music well, but still leave room for enhancement without anyone noticing...negatively that is!
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
8.16.2006
Humble Yourself
"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23:12
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." James 4:10
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" I Peter 5:6
Notice in each of these verses, the commonality: Humility of oneself. I am to actively take part in humbling myself. It is not something that is done to or for me. I am to do it myself. I am to humble myself. What does that mean? It means that each compliment is to be graciously accepted and then put into context. It means that we make a conscious effort to remind ourselves that while we might be technically advanced, we also would not be so without the Lord's help. We choose not to think more highly about ourselves than another.
Musicians generally have a difficulty with this area, and it is somewhat understandable. Yet, we are commanded to do this as Christians. I like the way David Guzik puts this:
"Humility is demonstrated by submission. It is the ability to cheerfully put away our own agenda for God’s, even if God’s agenda is expressed through another person."
Note one final quote from Matthew Henry:
"Humility is the great preserver of peace and order in all Christian churches and societies, consequently pride is the great disturber of them, and the cause of most dissensions and breaches in the church."
So how can we be confident in who we are, proud of what we can do, and yet still maintain a level of humility? By serving others, by submitting to authority with sincere joy, and by thinking of others more highly than ourselves!
Blessings,
Frank
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23:12
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." James 4:10
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" I Peter 5:6
Notice in each of these verses, the commonality: Humility of oneself. I am to actively take part in humbling myself. It is not something that is done to or for me. I am to do it myself. I am to humble myself. What does that mean? It means that each compliment is to be graciously accepted and then put into context. It means that we make a conscious effort to remind ourselves that while we might be technically advanced, we also would not be so without the Lord's help. We choose not to think more highly about ourselves than another.
Musicians generally have a difficulty with this area, and it is somewhat understandable. Yet, we are commanded to do this as Christians. I like the way David Guzik puts this:
"Humility is demonstrated by submission. It is the ability to cheerfully put away our own agenda for God’s, even if God’s agenda is expressed through another person."
Note one final quote from Matthew Henry:
"Humility is the great preserver of peace and order in all Christian churches and societies, consequently pride is the great disturber of them, and the cause of most dissensions and breaches in the church."
So how can we be confident in who we are, proud of what we can do, and yet still maintain a level of humility? By serving others, by submitting to authority with sincere joy, and by thinking of others more highly than ourselves!
Blessings,
Frank
8.15.2006
Raising A Standard
As many of you know, I am often lurking on various drum forums all over the internet. One of my favorites is the House Of Drumming, created and moderated by Steve Holmes. There are many excellent drummers there who often can be found giving away great wisdom to other drummers. One such example came from Andy Vermiglio in response to a question that I posed some time ago. Here was the question and here was his reply:
"I was just wondering how it is that you judge your own performance. What things make a great performance and what things make for a lousy performance?"
Good questions Frank. (Thanks Andy;)
Here are a few questions that I try to answer when I play:
1) Did I set up a comfortable environment for my bandmates to play well?
2) Did I set up a challenging environment for my bandmates to play better than they think they can?
3) Did I play in such a way that I was responsive to the musical leadings of others on the stage?
4) Did I communicate well enough so that others were following me through various emotional stages of the tunes?
5) Did I play soft enough for everyone to hear themselves well and loud enough so that no one got lost?
6) Did I know the forms/phrases/breaks of the song?
7) Did the audience get in on the communication on stage? Did they experience something really enjoyable, creative and perhaps pleasantly unexpected?
Andy Vermiglio
Senior Hostboard Member, HOD
"I was just wondering how it is that you judge your own performance. What things make a great performance and what things make for a lousy performance?"
Good questions Frank. (Thanks Andy;)
Here are a few questions that I try to answer when I play:
1) Did I set up a comfortable environment for my bandmates to play well?
2) Did I set up a challenging environment for my bandmates to play better than they think they can?
3) Did I play in such a way that I was responsive to the musical leadings of others on the stage?
4) Did I communicate well enough so that others were following me through various emotional stages of the tunes?
5) Did I play soft enough for everyone to hear themselves well and loud enough so that no one got lost?
6) Did I know the forms/phrases/breaks of the song?
7) Did the audience get in on the communication on stage? Did they experience something really enjoyable, creative and perhaps pleasantly unexpected?
Andy Vermiglio
Senior Hostboard Member, HOD
Submission
Submission. Just the thought is enough to get the skin crawling and the mouth revved up for an instant rebuttal. If it was not such a long word, it would be a 4 letter word for sure, especially in this day and age. Again, this trait is entirely unnatural and is yet an expectation for those serving in the church context.
Actually, if we think about it, we submit every day of our lives without any question and are each time happier for it. We submit to the laws of the land, and are rewarded by not getting a ticket or being imprisoned. We submit to the demands of our bodies and enjoy 3 meals a day and a good night sleep. We submit to our employers who set out schedules and rules. We abide, we get paid!
So, why is it that it is hard to submit to an idea behind the kit that comes from a non-drummer? Why is it hard to submit to a kind request for volume reduction from a sound engineer? “What do you mean I should wear pants instead of bermuda shorts on stage!?”
Submission speaks of order more than anything. It speaks of how God wants His house to be run. It speaks about an example to the watching world of how we can lovingly respect each other’s boundaries, convictions and enforcements. My learning to submit myself, my decision to do that, marks a maturity that is tangibly enjoyed by all the other members of the worship team. And really, we are all under one authority right? I am reminded of the centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus offered to come and heal and the centurion stopped him saying, “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it." (Matthew 8:9) The point the centurion was making was that Jesus was the authority, even over sickness, and He has given place, authority, position in the church. Ours is to recognize, honor and submit, ultimately to His authority as an outward sign and proof of our love for Jesus Christ.
II Peter 2:13-16
“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.”
Blessings,
Frank
Actually, if we think about it, we submit every day of our lives without any question and are each time happier for it. We submit to the laws of the land, and are rewarded by not getting a ticket or being imprisoned. We submit to the demands of our bodies and enjoy 3 meals a day and a good night sleep. We submit to our employers who set out schedules and rules. We abide, we get paid!
So, why is it that it is hard to submit to an idea behind the kit that comes from a non-drummer? Why is it hard to submit to a kind request for volume reduction from a sound engineer? “What do you mean I should wear pants instead of bermuda shorts on stage!?”
Submission speaks of order more than anything. It speaks of how God wants His house to be run. It speaks about an example to the watching world of how we can lovingly respect each other’s boundaries, convictions and enforcements. My learning to submit myself, my decision to do that, marks a maturity that is tangibly enjoyed by all the other members of the worship team. And really, we are all under one authority right? I am reminded of the centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus offered to come and heal and the centurion stopped him saying, “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it." (Matthew 8:9) The point the centurion was making was that Jesus was the authority, even over sickness, and He has given place, authority, position in the church. Ours is to recognize, honor and submit, ultimately to His authority as an outward sign and proof of our love for Jesus Christ.
II Peter 2:13-16
“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.”
Blessings,
Frank
8.14.2006
Time
Recently, I got the chance to go into a studio and record a tune with my good friend Pat Watson. It was a tune in 6, medium tempo, and I was grateful to have the chance to record in such a nice studio. (For those who might recall to memory Rich Bruce, it is his studio and it is VERY NICE!)
So after the track was completed, I came back into the control room and we watched the digital rendering of the signals. I was thankful that my time was super consistent during that track. I wish that I could say that was always the case. Having really solid time when you are playing an uptempo tune or a real slow ballad is the challenge.
The latter is especially difficult for me and I have grown to wonder at how difficult it is to keep tempo and energy happening for super slow tunes. I feel like a great example is Journey's tune "Open Arms." Steve Smith does a masterful job of achieving both ideals in that tune.
If there is any secret that I have found, it is no different than what you have likely discovered. I use a Tama rhythm watch, I play to my iPod, etc. There are two things however that I feel have made my time more solid as the years have gone by. Immersion and singing.
As I have said, I spend a good deal of time in preparation for a worship session. By the time I actually begin to play with the band, I will have listened to the given track well over 100 times! For me, there is only one way to play the song at that point, an issue that can be challenging if there is any change in tempo. The second aspect is singing. When the tempo gets ironed out, I learn to sing the song along with the leader. Once I start this process, I can tell how the tempo feels for the singer. So I start to play with that in mind.
- For fast tunes: I don't want to play fast, busy fills. I also want to consciously begin the tune slower than I think it should be, as often times those times of celebration at church can get a little too exciting!
- For medium tempo tunes: I want to envision the snare as a long, melodic note, almost as if a gated reverb were attached to it. More notes are often necessary to keeping the groove happening in these type tunes.
- For slow ballads: I want to think of the time in terms of 16th notes or if in 3, triplets. And somewhere on my body, whether the head or my left foot, I want to manifest the time. In these instances, I am looking for an anchor and I need to create it.
Hopefully, some of these suggestions will give some aid to those who might struggle with this area.
Blessings,
Frank
So after the track was completed, I came back into the control room and we watched the digital rendering of the signals. I was thankful that my time was super consistent during that track. I wish that I could say that was always the case. Having really solid time when you are playing an uptempo tune or a real slow ballad is the challenge.
The latter is especially difficult for me and I have grown to wonder at how difficult it is to keep tempo and energy happening for super slow tunes. I feel like a great example is Journey's tune "Open Arms." Steve Smith does a masterful job of achieving both ideals in that tune.
If there is any secret that I have found, it is no different than what you have likely discovered. I use a Tama rhythm watch, I play to my iPod, etc. There are two things however that I feel have made my time more solid as the years have gone by. Immersion and singing.
As I have said, I spend a good deal of time in preparation for a worship session. By the time I actually begin to play with the band, I will have listened to the given track well over 100 times! For me, there is only one way to play the song at that point, an issue that can be challenging if there is any change in tempo. The second aspect is singing. When the tempo gets ironed out, I learn to sing the song along with the leader. Once I start this process, I can tell how the tempo feels for the singer. So I start to play with that in mind.
- For fast tunes: I don't want to play fast, busy fills. I also want to consciously begin the tune slower than I think it should be, as often times those times of celebration at church can get a little too exciting!
- For medium tempo tunes: I want to envision the snare as a long, melodic note, almost as if a gated reverb were attached to it. More notes are often necessary to keeping the groove happening in these type tunes.
- For slow ballads: I want to think of the time in terms of 16th notes or if in 3, triplets. And somewhere on my body, whether the head or my left foot, I want to manifest the time. In these instances, I am looking for an anchor and I need to create it.
Hopefully, some of these suggestions will give some aid to those who might struggle with this area.
Blessings,
Frank
8.11.2006
Tips On Preparation
Something to think about...When do you start preparing for the next worship session? For some, the answer would be on the night or morning of the service. To be honest, sometimes you are put in that position and you should work at having enough ability to walk in and "fake it." In these instances, staying as basic as possible and watching the leader intently will be your only saving graces.
However, for those who know that you have a few days before the next worship set, let me suggest a few things that I have found helpful with regards to releasing me from obsessing over notes to being freed to worship, and thus, providing an example to my fellow band mates and to the congregation.
I start by getting the list as soon as possible. After a while, you will grow quite a vocabulary of tunes that you already know. Keep a mental file of these tunes, if not a physical file filled with chord sheets and CD recording if possible. Once you have the list, ask your worship leader to send you any songs that you do not already have.
Once you have those songs, put them on a CD or your iPod in the order that they will be played on the given day. Take a day and listen to these tunes. Let the words soak into your spirit and the phrasing of the words become your song unto the Lord. I personally listen to the list over and over again, for the sake of time memorization and song map.
Finally, the last day before the worship session, physically play the songs along with your CD or iPod playlist. I do this on a practice pad, but I physically try to approximate the moves and fills that I want to attempt. This gets my body into a position where some muscle memory can be employed as well.
Once these things are done, I am ready to move beyond the physical and mental aspects of drumming, and move more into the spiritual nature of worshipping/worship leading. When I do not have this process behind me, I find that I am preoccupied with playing the right things and remembering the song map. This cuts into my enjoyment of the Lord and really keeps me from worshipping as I would like.
One final note to those who have a large vocabulary of songs "under their fingers." To the ones who have a select few songs to choose from, I give a warning: Don't let the words lose their impact. For you, I would suggest a more mental study. For example, how about writing out the words to the worship songs that you are going to play on the next session. Take those thoughts and study them, think them through. The saying that familiarity breeds contempt is a true one. And because I believe the drummer to be the emotional center of the band, I think it CRITICAL for a drummer to believe in his heart that which he is playing.
"Remember it does'nt take time, as much as it takes commitment."
Blessings,
Frank
However, for those who know that you have a few days before the next worship set, let me suggest a few things that I have found helpful with regards to releasing me from obsessing over notes to being freed to worship, and thus, providing an example to my fellow band mates and to the congregation.
I start by getting the list as soon as possible. After a while, you will grow quite a vocabulary of tunes that you already know. Keep a mental file of these tunes, if not a physical file filled with chord sheets and CD recording if possible. Once you have the list, ask your worship leader to send you any songs that you do not already have.
Once you have those songs, put them on a CD or your iPod in the order that they will be played on the given day. Take a day and listen to these tunes. Let the words soak into your spirit and the phrasing of the words become your song unto the Lord. I personally listen to the list over and over again, for the sake of time memorization and song map.
Finally, the last day before the worship session, physically play the songs along with your CD or iPod playlist. I do this on a practice pad, but I physically try to approximate the moves and fills that I want to attempt. This gets my body into a position where some muscle memory can be employed as well.
Once these things are done, I am ready to move beyond the physical and mental aspects of drumming, and move more into the spiritual nature of worshipping/worship leading. When I do not have this process behind me, I find that I am preoccupied with playing the right things and remembering the song map. This cuts into my enjoyment of the Lord and really keeps me from worshipping as I would like.
One final note to those who have a large vocabulary of songs "under their fingers." To the ones who have a select few songs to choose from, I give a warning: Don't let the words lose their impact. For you, I would suggest a more mental study. For example, how about writing out the words to the worship songs that you are going to play on the next session. Take those thoughts and study them, think them through. The saying that familiarity breeds contempt is a true one. And because I believe the drummer to be the emotional center of the band, I think it CRITICAL for a drummer to believe in his heart that which he is playing.
"Remember it does'nt take time, as much as it takes commitment."
Blessings,
Frank
The Foundation For My Philosophy
As drummers, there are some things that are "a given" about our instrument. We should have good meter, good feel and appropriate volume control (In later posts, I will share my thoughts on how to develop these traits). In addition, as people, we should be professional in our attitudes and courteous to other musicians and sound personnel. These are things that are part of what every drummer should be in the natural, just because we are humans, sense. However, when it comes to being a Christian and a drummer who serves in the church, there are other points of character criteria that are absolutely necessary in addition to what is naturally expected of any drummer. For example, there is the necessity of service, unto the Lord first, unto each band member, but ultimately unto the congregation as well. We are servants, who must maintain a level of humility in this regard. An outworking of this philosophy is to help our band mates bring their gear in and play in such a way as to be sensitive to the congregation. Here are a few more...
- Help the soundman set up and tear down microphones.
- Be available to talk to members of the congregation.
- Be fully prepared for your job.
- Never make the band wait for you to finish setting up.
There are many more but I will leave it there for now. There used to be a song that we sung years ago called "The Servant Song." It had this line: If you want to be great in God's Kingdom / Learn to be the servant of all
This is entirely unnatural, but critical to being a drummer who is a Christian, who is serving in the Church context.
Really, to wrap this up, I think it best to examine the verse that best summarizes what I am talking about in this post. Written to the Church of Philippi, by the Apostle Paul, leading up to a description of the Lord's mindset while on Earth.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." Philippians 2:3 (NKJV)
How about another translation?
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (NIV)
This is the foundation philosophy for all of what we do in life, but especially as our lives are lived out on a stage before the watching eye of other Christians. Is this your foundation? If it is not, then you might want to consider your motivation and calling. In addition, if it is not, and I will admit that there have been many times when my heart was not there either, ask the Lord to do a work in your heart that would make this the rule for your life in ministry. There will be mornings when there will be exceptions to this rule, but Lord willing, as we seek, so shall we find that the rule is broken less and less.
"If I am called to minister with my instrument, then this is my aspiration."
Blessings,
Frank
- Help the soundman set up and tear down microphones.
- Be available to talk to members of the congregation.
- Be fully prepared for your job.
- Never make the band wait for you to finish setting up.
There are many more but I will leave it there for now. There used to be a song that we sung years ago called "The Servant Song." It had this line: If you want to be great in God's Kingdom / Learn to be the servant of all
This is entirely unnatural, but critical to being a drummer who is a Christian, who is serving in the Church context.
Really, to wrap this up, I think it best to examine the verse that best summarizes what I am talking about in this post. Written to the Church of Philippi, by the Apostle Paul, leading up to a description of the Lord's mindset while on Earth.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." Philippians 2:3 (NKJV)
How about another translation?
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (NIV)
This is the foundation philosophy for all of what we do in life, but especially as our lives are lived out on a stage before the watching eye of other Christians. Is this your foundation? If it is not, then you might want to consider your motivation and calling. In addition, if it is not, and I will admit that there have been many times when my heart was not there either, ask the Lord to do a work in your heart that would make this the rule for your life in ministry. There will be mornings when there will be exceptions to this rule, but Lord willing, as we seek, so shall we find that the rule is broken less and less.
"If I am called to minister with my instrument, then this is my aspiration."
Blessings,
Frank
7.31.2006
Some Q & A...
First Drum Set?
My first drum set was a simple 5 piece Ludwig set. It was red sparkle with a funky purple, supralite snare drum that was just cranking.
Favorite Moment?
Mexico City with the Danny Cruz band in front of 10,000 youth. My solo went unusually well and I was interviewed on Spanish radio! Cool night.
Worst Moment?
Playing in front of nobody in San Luis Obispo on a stage not meant for drums. My drums literally fell right off the stage in the middle of a song.
First Worship Assignment?
Tuesday Night Youth Group. I was 15ish and the usual drummer, Paul Brill, was late, so my Dad, who was the worship leader at the time, asked me to play. My first tune was "I've Waited." I remember being really nervous when Paul walked into the room in the middle of the tune.
Most Proud Of?
The people I have had the opportunity to play with.
Most Ashamed Of?
Being a primadonna when I was younger and thought I was the greatest.
Biggest Influences?
Dave Weckl, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, David Garibaldi, Alvaro Lopez Jr.
Most Humiliating Experience?
Playing a solo on Alvaro Lopez' kit in Tijuana. It was so lame, and then Alvaro and Torre Fuerte opened with Chick Corea's Rumble. It was humiliating cause I had no idea he was such a great drummer!
More will come as I get this going. More than anything, I am so glad for each of these things that I have shortly recounted. Even though some are obviously a tad embarrassing, I am glad today that the Lord has used everything and everyone to mold and shape the person, and drummer I have become.
Take Care All.
Frank
My first drum set was a simple 5 piece Ludwig set. It was red sparkle with a funky purple, supralite snare drum that was just cranking.
Favorite Moment?
Mexico City with the Danny Cruz band in front of 10,000 youth. My solo went unusually well and I was interviewed on Spanish radio! Cool night.
Worst Moment?
Playing in front of nobody in San Luis Obispo on a stage not meant for drums. My drums literally fell right off the stage in the middle of a song.
First Worship Assignment?
Tuesday Night Youth Group. I was 15ish and the usual drummer, Paul Brill, was late, so my Dad, who was the worship leader at the time, asked me to play. My first tune was "I've Waited." I remember being really nervous when Paul walked into the room in the middle of the tune.
Most Proud Of?
The people I have had the opportunity to play with.
Most Ashamed Of?
Being a primadonna when I was younger and thought I was the greatest.
Biggest Influences?
Dave Weckl, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, David Garibaldi, Alvaro Lopez Jr.
Most Humiliating Experience?
Playing a solo on Alvaro Lopez' kit in Tijuana. It was so lame, and then Alvaro and Torre Fuerte opened with Chick Corea's Rumble. It was humiliating cause I had no idea he was such a great drummer!
More will come as I get this going. More than anything, I am so glad for each of these things that I have shortly recounted. Even though some are obviously a tad embarrassing, I am glad today that the Lord has used everything and everyone to mold and shape the person, and drummer I have become.
Take Care All.
Frank
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