Rudimental Drum Instruction

 

You're a Drummer...

You are a drummer, and a musician.  Your instrument is rooted in what was likely the first nonverbal form of expressive communication.  The apparatus in front of you is the evolution of centuries of refinement and technological advances, but at its core is the primal and visceral connection we have as human beings to the desire to express ourselves. My goal is to allow you the interpretation of self-expression by teaching your limbs to achieve what your brain already knows they are capable of doing.  We are just either not aware of this ability, or simply give up after numerous misdirected and frustrating attempts.

Regardless of what we do for a living, some of us are naturally gifted in that we have an innate ability to transform our thoughts into actions.  Some of us make the most of this ability, while some of us squander this gift. Master Drummer and educator, John Riley, tells us that the “gifted”…”spend countless hours and years refining their craft by practicing the things they cannot do simply because that process is the thing they find most enjoyable in life. That is THE GIFT.”

And it is with this attitude that you must go forward. Whatever you do, don’t constantly compete to see if you can match chops. There will always be somebody better than you - or any of us for that matter - on any given day. Instead, when observing another drummer’s performance, take the opportunity to learn from it. I have never attended any type of function or performance where I didn’t walk away with some new nugget of wisdom; something I could apply to my own situation. Find satisfaction in being the best YOU can be, and strive to achieve more than “good enough”. You are going to surprise yourself.

 

A couple of words on RUDIMENTS:

As the name implies, rudiments are the foundation of effective and efficient drumming. The evolution of your drumming depends on your command of at least the twenty-six essential rudiments. Legendary drummer and educator Ralph Peterson, tells us that drumming is like English; it is a language. He drives home the point about the essential knowledge of rudiments by reminding us that the English language is comprised of twenty-six letters. Think about it.

In my earliest memories of drumming, it was the rudiments that consumed my days, nights and weekends.  Practice became meditative, and proficiency allowed me the freedom to interpret, and freedom from fatigue.  As the years have gone by I’ve always returned to these basics – be it for increased speed, stamina, dexterity or timing. You never outgrow these things, and they should always be a staple of your practice regimen. You will find that they seem to just sort of show-up when you need them most.

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Jose Martinez