It is time to find the Groover that has gone AWOL. That in control, happy, outgoing self that I allowed to get buried under some crap and bad health. So my mission for the next however long it takes is to do at least one thing that is different, special for me and/or bettering myself every day.
Today it is to bring out the drumsticks for some rudiments. When I first started playing I did daily rudiments exercises. I would sit at the coffee table of a morning with a steaming mug of coffee, a metronome, a pair of sticks and a practice pad. But that was at a time where I lived alone, didn't have to be at work at 6am and had no phone or internet connection. In short, life hadn't got in the way.
A little education for those who don't know what I'm on about:
Rudiments: A set of technical exercises covering the basic patterns and sticking techniques for drumming, especially snare drumming.
Practice pad: A rubber pad that imitates the natural rebound of a stick from a drum head.
Metronome: A device to set a constant unwavering tempo, which you can adjust higher or lower. I am a bizarre type who actually loves working with one of these. I love setting it higher and higher, seeing how far I can push myself.
Anyway, I got hold of a bunch of new sticks lately. Normally I use 7A sticks - they're lightweight, thin and easy to control, which is good because I've fallen out of the habit of practising. They're easy to fake with, basically. I saw these sticks on the cheap and had to have them - compared to my normal faking choice these sticks are like tree trunks.
What the hell does all that mean? Is this renewed practice bug because I've got prettier sticks and I want to use them? No. Well... I did buy them because I thought they were amazing, and now I have them I feel I should justify their purchase... But pulling them out for the first time highligted how badly I've let my technique slip into the realm of faking it. The tree trunks are way heavier, putting a lot more strain on my wrists. They highlight problems in my grip because the buggers bounce all over the place, not just straight up and down. Not only do I not have control over bounce direction but I don't have multiple bounce control - they're harder to lift and stop from hitting the pad more than once.
So today holds a big session of Vic, the practice pad, the metronome and the tree trunks. It will be rewarding.
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5 comments:
I have always loved women with good rhythm...
You are in my thoughts Vic as you begin. I admire you and hope you will inspire me to try to find my way back to... whoever I was before I closed the shutters and took to my darkened room.
Bang your drum babe!
Go for it, Groover.
I love playing patterns for hours; it's so therapeutic and de-stressing.
And I use heavy sticks; a lifetime of masturbation helps.
Hey ho.
Nina, you don't need to find your way back to the old you. You need to find a way forward. I believe we are a product of our past, and the experiences we've had are what shapes us. Basically, we are constantly evolving.
Do just one thing today that is an achievement for you, however small, and celebrate it for that. I dare ya.
Vic
and Dive...
I have to wonder - do you have a oroblem with one hand being stronger than the other, then?
I always change hands at ninety-nine.
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