Grace and drumming.

[bclarkio]

Two words...
Carlos Vega

"Those were the first two words that came into my head!"



"Glad we share the same ideas, Herman, or should I say Pockeplayer?"

"What do you think, my dear?"





"I think what this gentleman has to say is very educational; if we decide to buy Pugsley that Black Nitron Gretsch kit he wants, he can come here for more valuable insights:"

for me, grace is more than a matter of looks. Ya gotta move to play the drums. Smooth, fluid, natural movements are a must for 3 reasons:

(1) technique.... playing smoothly and naturally allows the drummer to get the most out of his/her body. How many awkward sports starts do you see? none. Awkward players get eliminated at earlier rounds. Hoenig may sound good, but he could sound better with better technique.

(2) sound... fluid technique also allows for better sound production. This one is a lot easier with a demonstration, but using loose grip, fluid movements etc more easily allows the drum to resonate to its fullest.

(3) injury.... last but definitely not least, playing naturally means moving naturally, means using the body the way the body is supposed to be used. The body can do amazing things, and has phenomenal powers of repair, but there is a limit, especially as we age. I'll hit the hihat on average 30,000 times in one 4 hour show. Holding unnecessary tension will eventually wear the body down, causing back pain, wrist pain, thumb numbness.. etc etc etc. Fluid technique means never having to deal with those things... at least with drumming as a cause of them.

"I think Papa Jo Jones embodies class and grace in drumming; that's why he's on my all-time greatest list."



"I like Mick Fleetwood."



"I think he could fit into this family."



"I love that song Rattlesnake Shake:"

I know this guy, his name is Mick, he don't care if he ain't got no chick.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

[renardvert]

Hahaha, bclarkio, you're on fire!!

Another drummer who shows grace (should I say flow and easiness?) is Steve Smith and I've been particularly inspired by that clip:



My original idea was to talk about drummers who makes it look very easy and display great control over their moves on the kit. It seems to be the kind of thing Freddie Gruber used to teach (I might have opened a can or worms now... sorry) and it's also the reason why I've always been intrigued by Mr. Gruber. Anyway, great posts guys, it's always interesting to hear you.

[Josiah]

Cool discussion. I think it really shows the connection between martial arts and playing drums. We hit things, with decent sized sticks, using extreme precision in a myriad of ways AND target locations while simultaneously reacting to the music.

Surprised he hasn't been mentioned yet, but Buddy Rich has to be about the most amazing player to watch. What you see and what you hear often doesn't line up, and that's just fantastic. His hands looked they are sitting still and he's just blasting absurd singles.

Same with Krupa, Louie, Palmer, etc...

[renardvert]

I actually named Buddy Rich in my first post, he's the ultimate flowing drummer to me. Take a look at the snare video I posted in the first message, it's amazing!!!

Cool discussion. I think it really shows the connection between martial arts and playing drums. We hit things, with decent sized sticks, using extreme precision in a myriad of ways AND target locations while simultaneously reacting to the music.

Surprised he hasn't been mentioned yet, but Buddy Rich has to be about the most amazing player to watch. What you see and what you hear often doesn't line up, and that's just fantastic. His hands looked they are sitting still and he's just blasting absurd singles.

Same with Krupa, Louie, Palmer, etc...

[Josiah]

Ah oops my bad!