can "it" be learned? some thoughts...

April 16, 2011

thanks so much for the great responses guys!!

i DO believe that "feel" can be learned and, today, i'd like to share an approach i take with students that helps to increase feeling in their playing. i will offer some more in days to come.

one major discipline i assign is practicing certain "beliefs". One idea i impress is: "art is life and life is IMPERFECT"

as artists we're supposed to be telling the stories of life and i feel if we strive for perfection we are missing the point! "perfect" playing seems to lack the dirt and drama of life. furthermore, i believe the mind that strives for perfection holds the drummer's heart and soul hostage, preventing the drummer from ever achieving that "it" that makes us go... holy sh#t, dig that!! 

instead, i say GO FOR GRACE! i have found that when students 'allow' for grace to happen, a certain amount of precision will happen, too - but it will be imbued with a joyousness vs. a sterility.

this is simply a thought discipline. we are what we think most often so if you want to be grace-full.... practice it.

thanks again guys!

talk soon...



Comments

John Medeiros Jr May 01, 2011 @01:06 am
You know I never truly answered the question. I agree, it can be learned!
Tim Popek April 24, 2011 @09:13 pm
It's been over a year since our last lesson but I still have a note card on the wall in front of my drums that says "Don't focus on perfection focus on grace." I think about that every time I practice. Thanks Dave.
Greg Antone April 24, 2011 @09:13 pm
My reaction to that is this; All you need to be is confident. That gives you the faith to trust and believe in yourself, and with that, the fills, the groove, rests...ev'rything just happens with little or no thought. The over-all feeling is of pure pleasure.In fact, I'd dare to go as far as to say..."sex runs a close second."
John Medeiros Jr. April 24, 2011 @09:12 pm
This is such a great topic! I think it's a combination of all the things discussed. I would like to add one more perspective. This is something I discovered through self examination. In short, how do you feel emotionally throughout the song. Do you go through any emotional shifts going in and out of fills? When listening back to recordings of myself I would hear some fills speed up and then fall back into the groove. I would think about how I felt and what I was thinking just before the fill. Sometimes your thoughts can dictate how your feel. Chicken or the egg? It would go something like... Playing the groove = Relaxed Just before the fill = My thoughts would go something like. "Here comes the fill! Try that new one you have been working on all week!" I would start to get excited emotionally. Fill = Play it on top oF tHE BEAT! Back to the groove = Aaaaaaaah, I nailed it, I can relax again! Atleast I thought I nailed it at the time. Lol ; ) My advice to add to this topic is to keep your emotions in check. Grace under no pressure and have the same grace under pressure!
Roger Biwandu April 24, 2011 @09:11 pm
So great stuff to read in your blog, thanks for sharing Dave. Yes we can't, for exemple, having Omar Hakim's feel, and it's all good as we're not him, so let's work, or let our own feel exist. And I like to think that we play like we are, so, there is first a lot of work to do as human being if we need/want to change something in our drumming, if we are drummers... There is so many directions, as much as the end result for some great music, I'd say that it's all good.
Jes Craig April 24, 2011 @09:10 pm
Grace in being is the art of life and living, great post Dave!
Chris Whitehouse April 19, 2011 @05:13 pm
Hi Dave, Interesting thoughts here. Can you clarify what you mean by grace? Is it a touch thing? Best, Chris

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