The key in becoming a versatile musician and being proficient in more than just one musical style, is to simply “listen”.
By listening I mean understanding what makes those musicians sound the way they do. Than research, study the history and try to play the genres you are really interested in as much as possible…with other musicians of course, preferably good ones!
If you want to learn how to play Jazz and make it sound like you “mean” it, you have to go down the jazz timeline and understand where this music comes from, who were the forefathers (the great drummers, in our case) of the genre, how did the drumming and musical style evolve to the point where it is now.
Actually, it becomes a sort of a quest! And it’s a beautiful and inspiring one, because if you go and study the background of your favourite Jazz, Rock, Drum & Bass or Pop drummers, you will inevitably end up finding the same bunch of names that inspired and propelled the evolution of generations of drummers up 'till today.
When you understand and become conscious of the roots and history of the musical style/drummers you want to study, you will then be on the right track to eventually develop that authentic sound, feel, groove, language.
Afterwards, it’s all about detail and nuances.
Every style of drumming has its own specific rules and aspects that are paramount for achieving that “genuine” sound or feel. And there are various different approaches and techniques to master a specific genre.
Jazz drummers use more finger and wrist control when performing. On the other hand, Rock drummers have to put more power and stamina in theyr playing, and apply different motions for achieving the right amount of sound, hence their technique is based on incorporating more forearm, elbow, arms and in extreme cases even shoulders to produce a powerful stroke.
The younger generation of drummers have a great advantage today that makes research (albums, videos, literature…) very easy for them.The internet gives all of us unlimited access to thousands of songs, web-sites and most important of all, videos!
Youtube has become the musicians’ "pot of gold". Now we are able to see all the "greats" play live, demonstrate or simply talk about their craft, and that’s what makes our quest for learning much, much easier.
So, jump in front of your computer right away, listen and observe. How is that drummer hitting the drum? What area of the head is he striking to produce that specific sound? Is he using thinner or thicker sticks? At what angle is he striking the ride cymbal? Etc…
And of course, listen to the music, the song, and all the other musicians involved. Because if you miss out on that, you’ll never know the reasons why that performer played that groove, fill or drum solo.
It’s the MUSIC that always dictates what should, and even more importantly, should not be played.
So…Listen, Observe, Study, Emulate and let it soak in. Let it become part of YOU.
Enjoy :-)
