The Practical Pro Musician

I've made lots of clever (if I do say so myself) changes and adjustment to my practice setup over the years. My goal is to make it as easy and quick as possible for me to get into practicing and make the most of every moment playing drums. So let's talk about how you can make similar changes in your own drumming setup- and get MORE from your practice! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A huge controversy in the drumming world popped up this week... And it brought up an even bigger question I think many of us have asked before: "How can I get advice on my drumming career and trust that it's the RIGHT advice?" So today I'm going to give you a few steps in the right direction to make sure your pro drumming career is headed in the right direction. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There have been SO many times that I've heard a recording of my drumming- and something just felt off. It really wasn't until a producer friend of mine started hiring me to edit my own drum tracks that I figured out why. And what's crazy is that this exact reason for drumming not "feeling" right is extremely common in drummers... In fact, in a lot of cases, the more experience you have drumming- the more likely you are to have this problem, and the worse it will be.So today we're going to talk about this issue and my favorite exercise on the drums that has helped ME and many others fix it! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When I got fired from my first big gig, I was told it was because they thought of me as more of a "rock drummer" and the artist was going in a different direction. What's weird is that I knew that I could play way more than just rock- but somehow was never given an opportunity to show that to the artist. Years later, a producer friend of mine originally called me for some "rock" sessions- but then started calling me in for all kinds of different styles of music. So what was the difference between those two situations? In both cases, they originally only gave me an opportunity to play rock music. But in the case of the producer- he saw that I could play more than just rock, while that first artist only saw me as a rock drummer.Today we'll discuss the difference-maker in those two situations. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you have a Big Fat Snare Drum (and even if you don't) - you need to listen to this episode. So many drummers get caught in this trap with their playing, and doing this with a Big Fat Snare Drum on your snare really draws attention to it. In fact, this bad habit is so bad, that it is the first thing I work on with drummers who I do 1-on-1 lessons with. Find out what this habit is, and how to fix in today's episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever really wanted something- and it didn't work out? And then later you find out something about that thing you really wanted, that makes you realize you would have been miserable if you had gotten that thing? That happened with me one time- with a drumming gig. I'll tell you all about on today's episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Think being a "better" drummer than everyone else will get you the gig? Wrong. Being the best drummer in your scene is rarely, if ever, the path to success. Today, we're going to talk about what really matters to the people looking to hire drummers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's the number one sign that you aren't growing enough as a drummer? It's if you aren't REGULARLY making mistakes in what you're choosing to play. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many of us have heard the advice that we should operate our drumming careers like a business. Based on what I've seen, many drummers have taken this advice to heart, but in the wrong ways. So today, I'm going to share with you the RIGHT way to operate your drumming-business... even if you never want to make a dollar from drumming. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's talk about something that can seem kind of geeky- phase. Now, if you don't know what phase is, or why you should care about it- we're going to break it down in today's episode. AND- I'm going to tell you exactly how to make sure your recordings are always in phase (or as close as you can get)!Trust me- once you start paying attention to phase in your drum recordings- it will immediately become so much easier to get a fantastic drum sound- no matter how many mics you're using, or where you plan on posting your recording! Today's episode is an essential listen for any drummer that cares at all about recording their drums! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you aren't approaching your drumming like a business (whether you want to make money from it or not)- you're missing out on TONS of opportunities that could be within your grasp. Today, we're going to talk about why you need to stop putting so much effort into developing your drumming- and start doing something else instead. What's that something else? Listen to find out! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've noticed one key difference between the players that "make it" as drummers and those that don't... And it all can be figured out by looking at how each drummer approaches rudiments... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I bet you've been forced to work from home this week... So why not take advantage of this OPPORTUNITY to improve your drumming- and maybe even make some progress in your music career? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I know it can be tough if you live in an area where there might be a huge market for paid professional drummers. So, what can you do in those situations to find new opportunities? You CREATE the market! We'll talk about how that's possible in today's episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are tons of online drum lesson sites- full of amazing drummers doing things I could only dream of doing... They're all very entertaining to watch, but is there really any way to get something useful out of them? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's dive into the somewhat-controversial subject of time-aligning or quantizing our recorded drum tracks- aka making our timing sound perfect. Should we do it in order to make the best possible recordings- or should we avoid it so that we don't use it as a crutch and to keep the recordings sounding as natural as possible? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Literally nothing should stop you from the musical success you're seeking- whether that's being a pro drummer, or just being the best musician you possibly can be. Today, we're talking about common hurdles to our music careers and the choices we have to make as a result. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've come to a crossroads with this show, and we're going to go back to focusing on all you drummers out there! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We finally moved into our new house! Since moving, I've been constantly noticing little things that are broken- or at least not is as good shape as I would expect them to be- considering it's a brand-new house. Along the way, I've rediscovered an old concept in my music career that I think everyone can benefit from... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I recently heard an interview with Harry Styles where he talked for a bit about the practice of songwriting, and how that relates to being prepared for inspiration. It was a perfect description of how I feel about the practice of being someone that calls themself a musician. Let's talk about it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.