The Practical Pro Musician

Let's talk about our dear old friend the hi-hat. He seems to always be too loud, yet most drummers insist on playing the hi-hat like they've got a sledgehammer and are trying to break up a boulder into gravel... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I thought we'd tackle a subject we haven't discussed much yet on the podcast: drumsticks! I'll share a strange phenomena that I've experienced in my own quest for the perfect pair of drumsticks... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you're like me, you've probably experienced times where you had a very specific drum sound in your mind... But getting a drum to actually SOUND the way it does in your mind can be really challenging. So today we're going to talk about how to approach achieving the exact drum sound you're looking for with your drums... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

So many drummers approach their careers as a competition. This would only make sense if there were only so many gigs to go around, and no more opportunities were ever created. But this simply isn't how things work in the real world... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This might be one of my favorite episodes yet. I talk about how we all aspire to be extraordinary drummers, but then we choose to practice and set goals just like every other drummer, most of whom are just average at best... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's probably never a good career aspiration as a drummer to be just like someone else, but if we attempt to imitate other drums, we might actually be able to find out own unique voice... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm back!!! Thanks for sticking with me through my little unplanned break. Let's talk about something super-practical that I'm dealing with right now in real-life: taking a break from the drums, and then coming back... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Low on funds, but still want to get the best sound possible from your drum kit? Today's episode is all about how we can achieve the best sound possible without having to spend ANY money... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I probably am going to step on some toes with this one, but that's OK. If you're having gear problems - specifically with how LOUD your drums are - maybe it isn't the gear that's the problem... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today I'm going to share a trick for gaining some eye-opening perspective on our drumming... And it's not all bad! You might very well discover you're a better drummer than you give yourself credit for! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are a million different paths to a goal. Just because one path seems like it isn't plausible doesn't mean that your goal is impossible. Today I share a funny story about how I came face-to-face with an "implausible" situation in my drumming, and still achieved my goal... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Think you're solid on a certain pattern or song? You probably aren't... Today we're going to talk about the never-ending pursuit of the details within the details in our drumming... Even the simplest pattern has details that are worth improving... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here are 3 things I do EVERY time I set my drums up in a room... EVERY TIME... Do these 3 things the next time you set up and I PROMISE you your drums will sound better. Not only that, you'll be more prepared for when something goes wrong, like your monitor mix is bad, or you can't hear yourself playing... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today, let's talk about the conflict between playing for love and playing for improvement... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a follow up to a recent blog post about this, I thought I'd share a couple of practical ways to deal with sitting down at the drum kit and realizing you just aren't "feeling it"... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I will readily admit this specific episode is not going to be for everyone. But if you are SERIOUS about becoming a professional drummer, and want to come hang in Nashville with me, this episode is for you! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's ironic that most of us use our dominant hand to repetitively bash away with the same pattern on hi-hat or ride cymbal over and over again... What if we could develop our OTHER hand into being as fluent in the language of music as our hi-hat hand? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are so many small (and fun) ways to change up simple grooves that will not only make them more fun to play, but also make them FEEL better and make you sound AWESOME... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many us have to play electronic drum sets. Likely for the sake of extra volume control (why don't our neighbors like drums???). So today I'm sharing a few ideas about how we can get the MOST out of e-drums, by changing our mindset, our playing, and even the sound samples we use! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I used to write out charts for every session, gig and church service I played in. But then I decided to stop, and haven't looked back since. Should you stop using charts (assuming you do)? Maybe you should or maybe not. Here's why I made the choice... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.