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 THANK YOU ALL FOR FOLLOWING ME, HOWEVER I AM GOING TO BE BLOGGING AT WORDPRESS. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU WOULD FOLLOW ME THERE. 

WWW.INDEPENDANTDRUMS.WORDPRESS.COM

Cracked Cymbals

 

 I was playing a worship service for church one Sunday about 3 years ago, when I noticed that one of my crash cymbals had a crack on it. My first thought was, great now I have to spend money I don't have to replace it. I asked our percussionist about it and he told me if I drill a small hole right behind the crack it should stop it from getting worse.

 

  I took his advice, when I got home that day I grabbed my drill and a small drill bit and drilled a hole where he told me to and I'm still  playing on it. I haven't had to buy another cymbal yet. I'm not saying this is the stop all for all cracks, but I haven't broken it yet.

 

  If you can catch the cracks before they get too big, it will prolong the life of the cymbal. I'm not a very hard hitter, though at times I am, it has lasted for 3 years now. It's not a permanent fix, but it should buy some time for you to save for a new cymbal. Though I've never tried it, I've heard that you can cut the cymbal down in size but you have to know someone with the equipment to do that, and I don't know the cost difference between that or a new cymbal. Keep in mind that this will change the overall tone and sustain of the cymbal, but it might be fun to experiment with if you are throwing it away anyway. 

  Remember the life of your cymbals will depend on how you take care of them, play them, and overall how thick they are to begin with. This is why I would recommend purchasing higher quality cymbals or packs, instead of beginner packs. It cost more money up front but will save your cost in the long run, plus, higher quality cymbals sound so much better. I mentioned in a previous post, to case your cymbals the times they are not in use, and especially if you gig out. The cymbal that I drilled a hole in was, an 18" UFIP Class Series crash. Though I've been fortunate with this technique with this cymbal doesn't mean that it will work this long on a thinner cymbal, but absolutely worth trying. Now when I have cracks that appear on any cymbal I will certainly try this first before throwing it away. 

"Now, go get your drum on."

Drum Maintenance

I know this is a subject that most seasoned drummers do regularly, but for the beginners this is an essential habit to develop. Proper maintenance and care will keep your drums in the best condition they can be in. 

Making Space Project

Listen

 "Making space is a collection of songs that intend to create sacred space. It’s a tool for congregations and groups to sing together, as well as for individuals.  This album includes  Nathanael Ankeny, Dan Anthony, Wendy Goodwin, Ben Macy, Travis Morgan, and Nicole Nelson with  art by Brandon Buerkle Released May 2012."  ~Nate Macy

"Friends don't let friends drive their Subaru's"

2004 Subaru WRX with aftermarket exhaust, suspension, turbo and more, for a total of 270HP. Not bad for a 4 banger.

Faith In Him

Watch

My wife Shaey had the honor of helping our friends daughter sing on her first recording. My son Devin had written an instrumental guitar song about a year ago for his talent show which he performed for. I sent the track to my best friend Lanny and he tracked the bass and sent the track back to me. I then went into my friends studio and tracked some drums for it. We were very happy with my sons first recording and thought that the song was done. Our friends were visiting us for vacation and my wife wrote some lyrics out for the song that were in her heart. Now the song is complete with vocals done by our friends daughter, which was her first time ever recording. Although it's not perfect she did a great job. This is a good step for her if she decides to pursue her singing. This is something that she can listen to forever and remember the experience.  I had the honor of making a slide show with the song and mixed the song out. I am not a producer, but think it turned out okay for the gear that I have. The drums were recorded in a studio that my friend tracked and mixed for me, thanks Nate Macy. I enjoyed seeing the confidence when she heard herself back. She said it sounds better than she thought, and I think it encouraged her to want to make more music. It is so awesome to see a spark in young people when they realize that they are good at it, and that they can do what they enjoy doing. Her heart for the Lord is amazing and loves the Lord with all her heart. She wants everyone to know that her faith in Jesus is what everyone needs. Listen and enjoy her first recording and let the words minister to you, which won't be hard with her smooth, soulful voice.

"Making Space" update

Setup for "Making Space"

Here's an update on the "Making Space" project. The final mixing is in process and will soon be going in to get mastered. I will do an official release blog with all the credits and links to where you can get a copy if you want. For now, here is an unfinished montage of all the songs on the CD. This will give you an idea of  how the songs will sound now that all the tracking is done. Release should be by the end of April. Hope you enjoy, thanks again.

"Making Space" Montage unfinished

Practice

"Practice makes perfect" is what the saying is, but how perfect can we really be? Granted I'm no rudiment speed drummer, or a big solo drummer, but I do love groove drumming. I know I need to always be practicing to keep my grooves and chops polished. The more time I spend in practice the better I'll be, but don't let the perfection stop you from practicing. Not saying I don't want to be perfect, but I always want to have the attitude to never think I am perfect so I can always be learning. Learning from all kinds of drummers, and other musicians. The minute you think you have it all, you best check yourself and know that there is always a better drummer out there, and more than likely he doesn't act like he is God's gift to drumming and music. Practicing is a huge part of being a better drummer, you should be practicing whenever possible, even making time to do so. Practice to a metronome and play around the click. When I was learning how to groove and do fills I always played to a slow click and played all around it. Lock into that groove and go with it, don't hold back, make mistakes, and learn how to mess up so you can always recover without anyone noticing. You'll find that the more you recover mess ups, you won't stop and get lost. You'll flow with it and play through it as if you meant to do what you messed up on. Learn to feel the music and the groove you're playing, this will help a lot in knowing where you are in the song and being a few steps ahead to play what you want to, seamlessly. "Now, go get your drum on."

What's Right For The Gig?

What's right for the gig? That's a question I ask myself every time I'm asked to play in with different artists. This question should always be asked especially when you play for different artists with different styles. You don't always want to be the drummer that only know how to play drums. If you are then I encourage you to expand and explore. I have several different percussive instruments that I filter through depending on what the gig needs. I use a djembe some situations, but I really like the cajon that I purchased about 5 years ago. It's perfect for those coffee shop acoustic sessions. I also use other small hand items for added effects. Ultimately, it's about playing the right instrument for the right session. If all else fails and you don't have the money to invest in other items then you can always downsize your drum kit. I love the less drum mentality. I've actually gotten weird looks and smirks when people walk in and have seen my setup. Only setting up a kick, snare, hat, and optional floor tom. Or other times setting up kick, hat and sitting on my cajon with a djembe in front of me instead of snare. These kind of combinations will not only get people talking, but will make you more aware of what's going on and develop your creativity. Be creative and try different setups, see how compact you can get.  Let's face it the less you have to play on the more creative you have to be for dynamics, but remember to always have fun. I find it a challenge and invigorating when I pull off a session with less is more mentality, and better yet when people admit they didn't know what to expect, but enjoyed it very much. We all know that's it's fun to have a full kit and all the gear, we all gotta rock, but before you pack up and go to your next session, ask yourself, what's right for the gig?  "Now, go get your drum on."

Come Home

Watch

This is a song my son RJ Anthony wrote and performed on. He played guitar and did vocals in this recording. The song talks about when depression comes find someone to lean on. Come Home to family or friends that will be there for you. My wife Shaey Anthony did the backing vocals, and I am proud of both of them. He is writing more songs, and I will be posting them on You Tube. You can follow him there at http://youtube.com/arejota

Drum Heads

Picking the right drum heads for your kit is so important. You can have the lowest quality kit and with superb drum heads they will develop a better quality sound. I am going to be writing about my experience with Evans heads since these are my heads of choice. 

Hail of Arrows

Tonight was an amazing night of music. We had the privilege of opening up for Dream Cannon and Wavorly. The concert was put on as a benefit for Bethel Christian School. Although the turn out could have been better, it was a great time. The crowd totally got into the music, and made it worth while. "Hail of Arrows" started out the night and pulled our secret weapon out, yes we had a secret weapon that made our music amazing tonight. Our cellist, Kohler Johnson, added so much to each song we did. The songs were good before but when Kohler started playing it totally brought a new dimension to our songs. Next up was Dream Cannon, they did a great job tonight, bringing the music up a notch with loops and hooks that caught your attention. And headlining the show tonight was Wavorly, from the start they caught your attention and didn't lose it until they were done. So glad I got a chance to meet the band members in both bands, they are all great guys with the music in mind and not their egos. Thanks again for the opportunity.

LANNY WILSON

JOHN MARR

    

  HAIL OF ARROWS IS:

KOHLER JOHNSON

DAN ANTHONY

                                                            

Making Space Project

Guitar used in this project

Just an update on the "Making Space" project. We are coming along in the process. Nathanael Ankeny has been tracking sax, Travis Morgan and Nicole Nelson have been tracking background vocals, Nate Macy has been tracking vocals and bass and it is all coming together. Every time I hear each piece of the puzzle being put together, it sounds better and better. I enjoy the studio process, from a scratch track that sounds really rough, to a good quality song. The release is still planned to be in April 2012. Nate Macy has been working so hard at making this a great sounding project. We discussed and tried numerous sounds on each track to make sure the feel and tone of the song blended with what the song needed. I know this process will continue throughout the entire project. This will be an album that you will want to add to your collection, guaranteed. Here's a sample of one of the songs, still not finished...

"I'm Gonna Live" rough mix

Positive Attitude

I have heard from many musicians and producers that they would rather have a drummer with a positive attitude with limited chops, than to have a drummer with all the chops along with a huge ego. Creating music needs to be fun. I'm not saying you'll always get a long with everyone you play with and sometimes you may not agree on the way it sounds, but always be understanding. Having a bad attitude will only burn your bridges. If you're confident and fun to be around, the more opportunities you'll have. I've worked with some songwriters that thought they were the greatest thing ever, yet still trying to make it. Though I enjoyed playing the songs they wrote, I did not enjoy the process of making it happen. I had to have a positive attitude to stay focused and make the best of it. I will say that even through the bad times we had, I still learned a lot and took something good out of each situation. There is always going to be seasons in your playing, bands will come and go, but keep at it for the music's sake. If your not involved in a band for a season, use that time to practice and enhance your playing. Maybe find some guys that aren't too serious and set up jam nights to be creative. Making sure that you always have fun and giving it your all when you do. From personal experience I've learned that when your fun to be around and share your ideas, your ideas are thought out, not thrown out. I've had the privilege of playing with the most level headed musicians out there, they are fun to play with and they have been around for years. These are the kind of musicians that you should surround yourself with, they'll teach you more than you know. I've also noticed that the soft spoken and humble musicians are usually the ones that are the real deal, they don't have to sell themselves, they just do what they do. That's what makes them stand out. So remember have a positive attitude no matter what the situation is and it will turn around. "Now, go get your drum on."

Dynamics

This is such an important topic to address. We as drummers have a hard enough time staying within the sound barrier let alone being dynamic. Dynamics will improve your technique on so many levels. It's like comparing a movie in 2D to a movie in 3D (the good 3D). Dynamics add depth and layers to your playing, anybody can play as hard as they can and rock the whole song, but it takes dedication and taste to accomplish depth and layers in your playing. Practice playing different levels of volumes with all your limbs, play around with it, between your hi hat, kick, and snare. You'll be amazed at how much different it will sound with each limb at different volumes. If you've ever played basic rudiments you'll know what an accented beat is, and how much it adds to the piece being played. Taking that concept, imagine how diverse it will sound with all your limbs at different volumes at different times. I have a tendency to play ghost notes as a part of my playing, even when I don't want to sometimes it still happens. Ghosting adds so much to a groove. Developing your dynamics will help you play with other musicians better, it'll make you pay attention to what's being played, adding layers to what they are playing. It takes some practice to master the control of ghosting and dynamics, but it is so worth it. I still practice different dynamics to my playing. I'm always trying to find a cool way to be different. Playing your drum kit with your hands is another cool dynamic, but be careful not to hurt yourself. I encourage to practice playing as quiet as you can with the feel and accuracy as you have while playing loud. Take this for what it's worth, be creative and have fun. "Now, go get your drum on."

Teamwork

First time playing live with this group.
 Listening was crucial.
It was amazing.

I know the first thing you're thinking as a drummer is "what teamwork, they need to follow me." I used to be arrogant and think if they couldn't follow what I'm doing then they shouldn't play. I wrote in my last post about playing with musicians and drummers that are better than you, and want to tie that into this post. Musicians that have toured with big names, and have played with the best of the best are the guys that you want to learn from. The first thing I learned the hard way was it's about the song, not about the drums. It's not about showing every chop you know in one song. I learned that the most important thing above chops is timing and groove. Listen to what is being played, better yet most times the magic in a song is what's not being played. I also learned that having an open mind is the funnest way to make music. As a band everyone should be putting things on the table, try them out if they don't work throw it, but be open to compromise for the better of the song. Recording your sessions is a huge benefit, it's amazing how awesome you're not when you hear yourself back. Talk it out amongst yourselves, the likes and dislikes from everyone. You'll find that if you can work with your band, you'll come up with some amazing parts to your songs. The two biggest complaints I hear from artists are: 1. "my other drummer never listened to what the musicians were doing." 2. "drummers are to loud." I'll write later on the second one, but for now the first one hits home. We as drummers and percussionists NEED to listen to the other musicians. Unless you're a clinic, or solo drummer we need to pay attention. Our job is to make them sound amazing, let them play off of us as we lay the foundation for them to groove. I personally hate soloing, I love to play music with others. To me music is a conversation, with your instrument, between you and your mates. The most important thing for us to do is let the audience in on our conversation. That's when the magic happens, but to get there we have to listen to each other and not talk over or interrupt each other. "Now, go get your drum on."

Better Musicians

Have you ever thought to yourself "those musicians are better than I am" and not played because of it? I'm here to challenge you to find musicians and drummers that are better  than you. Listen to the way they play, the way they talk, the way they listen. This is not easy for most drummers. I hate to say it but a lot of drummers out there get to a point of "knowing everything"and they think that they are the best and have the answer to everything. If you show up willing to play and learn with high skilled musicians, no matter what they say, you'll become a better musician and person. I can remember a day I was practicing some songs that we were starting to write together as a band. I was playing this busy sounding groove and our bass player at the time looked at me and said, "What in the heck are you playing." I thought it was the coolest thing ever. He told me "less is more!" Because I was willing to listen, the groove we ended up playing was so easy, but sounded so much better. You'll find that the more the song breathes, the more it moves. Yes you'll get your bubble popped and stomped on, but if you are open to advice, you will become a better player. I'm not saying to never play with people that are equal or at a lower level than you, but don't become comfortable with that all the time. It will only hinder you and your playing. Always take what you learn and teach others, don't be prideful cause remember, there are always better musicians than you. Don't be in it for yourself, making great music takes hard work and a team effort. This will lead us into another blog for another day, so for now take those teachings you can remember and put them to use.  "Now go get your drum on."

Setup

Thought I would blog about drum and cymbal setup. There seems to be a lot of questions about where things should be. My best answer is, wherever you feel most comfortable. Keeping that in mind, you want to make sure that you are comfortable and not having to reach for any part of your setup. The more you have to stretch and reach while you are playing the more tired you will become. It will also affect your performance and overall sound. I used to play with my cymbals high and rack toms angled at me and sit high on my throne. One day I was having a jam session with a friend of mine and noticed he had very thing set low. I sat at his kit and at first it was uncomfortable, I thought how can you do this. He explained  about how fast he can get to each piece of his kit with fluidity. He talked me into trying it, so he helped me re-design my setup. It's been about 3 years now and must say I would never go back. My playing has gotten tighter and I feel less worked at the end of a session. You must understand that each person will vary, but I like my cymbals low and stacked around my kit. Leaving enough space between my 18" crash that it won't hit my 21" ride when I'm rockin' it. I started there and positioned the other cymbals at the same height so it is symetrical and easy to move around on every cymbal. I also sit lower on the throne, to where my knees are slightly bent. My rack tom is lower and not at much of an angle. I position it right above my snare at almost the same height. No matter how you setup, make it comfortable for you. One more thought, always remember to stretch and warm up before each session. "Now go get your drum on."

Making Space Project

"Making Space" drum setup

"Making Space" guitar setup

"Would you be interested in tracking drums for my new project "Making Space?" This is what I was asked about a month ago from a good friend of mine, Nate Macy. Of course I was excited about it cause any time I can get into the studio I jump at the opportunity. But this project was different, I had followed the fundraising Nate was doing throughout the fall, and was wondering if it even would get produced.  Well here we are January of 2012 and started tracking drums live with guitar.  I'm excited to see this project complete cause it will mean so much to so many people.  A tool that people can use in worship and community. This process is going to be a great experience and am so excited to be a part of it.

Click Track

The term metronome or click track used to intimidate me, and it may intimidate you also.

However, take a minute to read this and apply it to your practice and playing. For some the click may not be necessary, however there are a lot of gigs out there that will require the use of the click track.