Collins 2013

Ive had the privilege of teaching with many of the Birmingham area percussion instructors for
several years now and in my experience, most of the problems I see are consistent from student to student,
school to school. I largely fight the same battles, just at different places. So in response, I put together a
short list of the most common misconceptions I see whether they happen at drumline camps, drumset
lessons, or wind ensemble rehearsals.

Please enjoy,

Joe Collins

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Drumming Myths: Debunked

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1. MYTH: Having chops is the same as having good technique.

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While having chops may be impressive to your buddies, being able to play the snare solos
from your favorite DCI shows will impress no one if you cant do so with a good quality of
sound. Good technique leads to a good sound quality. If you have the technique, the chops will
follow.

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2. MYTH: Some people are just better at drums than others.

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Dude, come on. Being good at any skill is mostly a matter of hours with a dash of persistence
and a pinch of enthusiasm. If you want to become a better player, there is no substitute for
dedicated practice. There are no shortcuts. As Randall Munroe explains, You don't become great
by trying to be great. You become great by wanting to do something, and then doing it so hard
that you become great in the process.

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3. MYTH: Mistakes are bad.

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Our culture loves to point out the mistakes other people make. This practice is not conducive to
improving a skill. In our craft, mistakes are only bad when they arise out of a lack of attention or
focus. Drumming is an activity that requires a lot of physical and mental dexterity. Mistakes are
road signs that we have to pass on the road to perfection. However, when you end up passing the
same road sign twelve times, your lack of focus is keeping everyone else from getting there.

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4. MYTH: Rhythms are a matter of interpretation.

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This is a partial myth. In rudimental drumming especially, playing perfect rhythms is the only
way to play cleanly with a group. After all it doesnt matter how well you play if you arent
doing the right thing at the right time. This concept applies from the macro level - playing long
crescendos or over the bar-line figures - to the micro - keeping the space between a grace note
and primary note within a flam consistent. Rhythms can be swung or played with alternate
inflections, however, only through a complete understanding and execution of each clearlydefined rhythm will cleanliness be achieved. Theres only one place for each note and it is every
persons job to make sure it gets there.

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Collins 2013

5. MYTH: The techniques for seemingly unrelated instruments do not transfer.

While each instrument is approached differently in how to achieve a desirable sound, the
technique for doing so should be based in ergonomic motion and guided by efficiency. As such,
the principles of physics that dictate energy-saving motion apply to all percussion instruments.
The implements or striking surface may change, but in the end, the goals of maximum return
with minimal effort are still the means to a musical end.

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6. MYTH: Rehearsal is a time for you to master your part.

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Once again a partial myth. Rehearsing does allow you to learn your part with the help of
repetition and feedback. However, more importantly, rehearsal is a time to realize how your part
is just that: a part, designed to fit into the whole. Therefore, mastering your part individually
outside of rehearsal will allow you to devote attention to the other things going on around you.
(In other words, it doesnt matter how good of a runner Eddie Lacy is if the O-line doesnt know
which way to block!)

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7. MYTH: If you can play it at a fast tempo, you dont need to practice it slowly.

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Everything is harder to do slowly for a reason: because it requires more focus and attention to
detail to execute correctly at a slower speed. Being able to drum something at very slow tempo
demonstrates that you understand exactly how the techniques involved are used to play perfect
rhythms. When in doubt, stop and slow.

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8. MYTH: Different tempo means different technique.

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False. The way you propel a stick doesnt change with tempo. The only thing that changes is
which muscles do the propelling. (A jump-shot from 5 ft. uses the same motion as one from
beyond the 3-pt. line, the only change is the amount of force required to move the ball.) Once
again, consistency is key.

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9. MYTH: Squeezing the stick or mallet will yield greater volume.

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Actually, the contrary to the above is true. Squeezing the implement keeps it from vibrating fully,
thusly choking off potential sound. As we all know from the physics of percussion, more
vibration means more volume. Therefore, squeezing the stick (which prohibits vibration) will
actually reduce volume.

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10. MYTH: Height alone dictates volume.

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Wrong. Velocity combined with weight dictates volume. While height does give more
opportunity to create velocity, (think golf ball falling from your hand vs. falling from the top of a
skyscraper), a slow-moving stick from a higher ceiling produces less sound than a fast-moving
stick from a low ceiling. As mentioned above, vibration dictates volume. More forceful collisions
will cause more vibrations (think car crash at 75mph vs. a collision at 10mph). Therefore, a fast-

Collins 2013

moving stick will create more vibrations on a membrane than a slow-moving one, regardless of
height.

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Honorable Mentions

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MYTH. Being able to read isnt important if you can learn by ear.

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Being able to learn aurally is an invaluable skill that certainly needs to be developed. That being
said, being able to read music and to sight-read music in real time is also very important.
Reading notes off of the page is the most efficient way to teach/learn new information. Imagine
how much less information we would have if the printing press hadnt been invented. When
information is written down there is much less room for error or interpretation. For an activity as
precision-oriented as drumming, the more information we can understand immediately, the
higher we make our chances of succeeding.

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MYTH: Rudimental drumming requires more effort and tension than other styles of drumming.

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Despite its regimented appearance, rudimental drumming subscribes to the same principles of
ergonomics and efficiency to which great players from all genres adhere. In order to execute at a
high level, energy must be conserved in order to play faster, more intricate passages. Therefore,
attention to making every motion and movement as natural and tension-free as possible will
result in less discomfort and struggle for the player. In this case, being lazy is a good thing.

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MYTH: Traditional grip is radically different from matched grip.

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Yes, traditional grip is stupid and outdated. But its probably not the first stupid thing youve
done in the name of fun. While it looks completely different than matched grip, the same
principles of the fulcrum, wrist rotation, and velocity still apply. Just like anything else you do,
the way to make it easier is to practice it correctly. A lot.

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MYTH: Rim-shots are written to generate more volume.

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Although they typically are louder than regular articulations, rim-shots are written largely for a
timbrel change. They offer a different voice for the drum to use. Therefore, the technique to play
a rimshot should not change from that used for non-shot notes. Remember, having consistent
stroke quality, no matter the medium, is a sign of good technique and maturity.

Joe Collins is a graduate student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He studies with Dr. Gene
Fambrough and Michael Glaser. He received his Bachelors of Science in Music Education from the
University of Alabama in the Summer of 2012. He currently teaches part time at several schools in both
Jefferson and St. Clair County and also instructs the UAB marching battery and DoubleStop Indoor
Percussion battery.