"The Drummer's Diary" - share w. us what happens to you drumming

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Postby yoni » Thu Jun 23, 2005 4:04 pm

CongaTick, you are most welcome! Just realized I'm not so sure of the meaning of "prosaic" and may have used the word in improper context... oh, well. You know what I mean. Keep on jammin',
Yoni
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Postby windhorse » Wed Jun 29, 2005 10:28 pm

I just had to share this, in case anyone else could use the tip of completely relaxing the arms and hands. It sure worked on me.. at least for a moment in time.

Last week's technique lesson, with Iyawo left an indellible impression in my head of impossibly limp hands getting big tones, slaps, and basses.

So, today I sat down to practice, when my old technique was tightening my neck and arms, as it usually does after a few minutes of play, was suddenly interrupted with the thought, "what the heck,, just throw caution to the wind, and try it.. " I held my arms completely straight down and flacid from the shoulders, and let the hands fall in a rest position to the spot I wanted.. I was playing two drum Havana style Guaguanco, which by now had become the staple warm-up rhythm.
The slaps were at their best when I was just letting the hand drop with unassisted gravity. No pushing, just dropping..
The sound was at it's best all around! And I played at least 10 - maybe 20 minutes, with NO NOTICEABLE FATIGUE!


I'm editing this now because after the post I went back to the drums to try it again, and it wasn't the same..
So, that feeling of perfect relaxed playing was temporary.



Best,
Dave




Edited By windhorse on 1120084871
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Postby yoni » Thu Jun 30, 2005 5:41 am

Hello Dave,

Keeping arms, hands and shoulders "loose as a goose" and letting the hands drop, as you said, helps immensely in sound and endurance (& I used the same trick in boxing long ago). No way can you get a great groove and/or high speeds & endurance without being very relaxed.

All the best,
Yoni
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Postby CongaTick » Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:55 am

Yoni's dead-on right. At 62 and after years of playing --- I can cook for hours if I don't fight myself and the drums. If I force the strokes, burn-out can happen quickly. How to acheive this relaxed, loose feel? DAILY Practice, certainly. But there's a mental element that involves confidence as well as a respect for the level you've acheived--- regardless of what it is. (Four and a half hour gig tomorrow night with my band. Four 12- 15 song sets. To say I'm jazzed would be an understatement.)
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Postby yoni » Thu Jun 30, 2005 2:56 pm

ANOTHER 4 hour gig?! CongaTick, I hope you are well-miked! Otherwise it can be hazardous to your hands, never mind your bloodstream! But I guess doing it that relaxed way can help get you through it.
All the best,

Yoni
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Postby captainquinto » Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:56 pm

Hello!

This totally relaxed feeling you describe is what many others are calling "mano secreta" and is what
finally allowed me to learn the "slaps" after many frustrating attempts. :D

Meditation techniques can help stay that way for longer ...

Breathing - controlled and deep
Posture - upright but loose, shoulders relaxed
Mind - free from cluttered thoughts about technique

Always easier said than done but I'm working on it!! :laugh:
Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?
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Postby untaltumbador » Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:22 pm

“I'm editing this now because after the post I went back to the drums to try it again, and it wasn't the same..So, that feeling of perfect relaxed playing was temporary.”

Windhorse
I agree with you on playing relaxed. However I would like to add that one has to practice playing relax in other words one has to practice relaxation while playing. It can’t be turned on/off at will. Now this is easier said than done; it is a lot harder for those without a good teacher/mentor. In my understanding the key to playing relax is achieved by practicing rudiments or patterns slow very slowly. Another variable that can aid relaxation is how hard one is striking the heads. I learned from a Cuban percussionist to practice softly, gently producing a good tone but low in volume.
A few weeks ago, I sat with my drums and started playing a Guaguanco pattern and before I knew it two hours had gone by and I was not even tired and my hands never suffered. I was so amazed and proud of myself, I have to admit, because I am one semi-selftaught aficionado who only practices about 20 min once or twice a day.


I follow my own advice to you; with practice it will be the same time after time.

How’s the drumming in Boulder?

Untal

:) :) :) :) :)
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Postby windhorse » Fri Jul 01, 2005 5:11 am

untaltumbador wrote:“I'm editing this now because after the post I went back to the drums to try it again, and it wasn't the same..So, that feeling of perfect relaxed playing was temporary.”

Windhorse
In my understanding the key to playing relax is achieved by practicing rudiments or patterns slow very slowly.

A few weeks ago, I sat with my drums and started playing a Guaguanco pattern and before I knew it two hours had gone by and I was not even tired and my hands never suffered. I was so amazed and proud of myself, I have to admit, because I am one semi-selftaught aficionado who only practices about 20 min once or twice a day.


How’s the drumming in Boulder?

We had a great practice tonight with the beginner group again. And again, my teacher didn't make it,, so I became the evening's teacher.. It's good,, having to slow down and show others is helping me to hone my own technique..

How's drumming in Boulder? Last Sunday was amazing in the Library Lawn. We did a bunch of singing that wasn't bad, and the three best drummers in Boulder - at least that I know - on the tumbadores. I got to play a bit of drum, but was on the bell, shaker, and clave as much as anyone..
They've been inspiring me to play with more conviction, and character...

A couple of the guys from this list are now on the tribe.net list. Zunzun is one of them who just joined, and I am amazed at the depth of his mature technique and his knowledge of the Afro-Cuban Folkloric songs...
Anyone who hasn't checked out his "solo" clip, needs to hear it! :;):

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Postby captainquinto » Fri Jul 01, 2005 4:48 pm

"...key to playing relax is achieved by practicing rudiments or patterns slow very slowly"

Right on, Untal! Also, when practicing slowly is when
it is easier to think more about your breathing. In through
the nose out through the mouth. It's amazing how good the
technique can be when all your thinking about is breathing!

Try it and let me know what you think ...

Peace !! :)
Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?
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Postby CongaTick » Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:35 pm

Four, 12 song sets night before last starting at 8:30 at big club/restaurant-- out on the humid deck. My 3 conga/ bongo/djembe setup with guitar, bass and flute-- we rocked the house-- people crowding the dance floor-- sweat towel soaked by 1AM breakdown-- my sweet mule heads needing re-tuning at each break because of the high humidity-- though each drum miked, the softened heads needing snappier strokes to exact crispiness-- dreaming about NuSkyns as next investment just for exterior settings-- young, rich newlyweds buying us Tequila rounds wanting to hire us for a night at their estate party-- riding on the high all through the next day, and on, and on....
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Postby yoni » Sun Jul 03, 2005 5:10 pm

Oh, I love those high-humidity gigs, but yep, they can be a strain on my drum heads, too. That's one reason my darbukas each have a twin sister with an x-ray head. I prefer the sound of natural heads but sometimes have not enough patience for the light bulb to tighten them up. Haven't tried NuSkyns on my congas yet, though I have a FiberSkyn on my macho bongo (it has long since lost the "Fiber" coating of the skin). I have a friend with NuSkyns on his congas and they sound great.

I usually forget mine, but keeping business cards handy is great for catching those spin-off gigs from happy listeners.

All the best,
Yoni
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Postby windhorse » Mon Jul 04, 2005 3:06 am

CongaTick wrote:we rocked the house-- people crowding the dance floor-- sweat towel soaked by 1AM breakdown-- young, rich newlyweds buying us Tequila rounds wanting to hire us for a night at their estate party-- riding on the high all through the next day, and on, and on....

Cool!!
Sounds like a good time!!
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Postby windhorse » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:59 am

4th of July was spent ---- you guessed it,, Rumba in the park.
It was a pristine beautiful day - and it's been a while since we used my drums... We've been playing mostly old LPs and Gon Bops that the other guys bring.. But, today it was my turn to bring them.. So today we played Sol.

I had some tickets to go to Red Rocks and see Blues Traveler and fire works, but I gave them to a waitress as part of her tip, and instead chose to spend some good time with my friends.. <g>

Also, I love all the other posts - Welcome Freddy! , I try to keep my comments to a minimum, but you guys all rock!

Dave




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Postby yoni » Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:24 pm

windhorse wrote:I had some tickets to go to Red Rocks and see Blues Traveler and fire works, but I gave them to a waitress as part of her tip, and instead chose to spend some good time with my friends.. <g>

Hey Windhorse!

Maybe you'll have some good time with the waitress, too!

:;):

Cheers,

Yoni
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Postby yoni » Fri Jul 08, 2005 2:43 pm

Whew! Been busy, which I like. Last night did a duo gig with Amin at a chic/funky Tel Aviv nightspot, a new place where lots of young hipsters go. Talk about foxy ladies! I had to close my eyes playing so as not to get distracted...

Amin and I jam so intense, whether slow, fast, accelerando, deccelerando or rubato, that most players eventually leave us alone onstage if they join us jamming. Not that we want this at all - but most players just can't keep up. I can barely do it myself. The music can shift so greatly and often so suddenly in dynamics, tempi, mood and so on, that reflexes and focus must be super sharp, crystal clear.

Such is the challenge of total improvisation with hot players who love it. Amazingly, once one gets secure in this musical searching, and once chemistry clicks, the pieces sound like set compositions. In fact they are composed - spontaneously.

We always laugh when people ask us who writes the music. Same happened with gigs with my dad, who told me he found improvisation to be the forte of modern music.
Like Amin, he would play live only in a situation of spontaneous composition, would take no directions or instructions from anyone. My old man was able to read, do solfege on the spot transposed from any instrument to guitar; he composed, arranged, all that crazy stuff... But when it came to performing live, jamming was his thing for the last 30 years of his playing. One incredible recording he did with drummer Elvin Jones was a total improv, after just ten minutes of their initial meeting...

Well, last night the young hippies and hipsters were in shock. But a good kind of shock. Amin shredded his violin bow in about 15 minutes; luckily he had another one with him. I was told I was also on fire. The music traveled moods and miles, from the Mid East to Europe, India and beyond, with shades of classical, all kinds of ethnic, often ultra-dramatic, and just some fun and wonderful playing.

We play soon at the yearly "Sulha Feastival", a festival here for peace between Middle Eastern peoples.

Then I'm off to Chech for a week again, hired to play in an international festival of Gypsy music. There will be a day of Gypsy jazz, a day of traditional Gypsy music, and I forget the heading of the other days...
Last time I was there I showed a short video clip with Amin - the people were blown out, as are most who see our shows, and they offered to bring him to Chech as well for this festival. But Amin has family obligations with his wife in late pregnancy, and he can't make it this time. Oh well, we'll keep trying. I got to get some business sense and get this act off the ground - it's that good. Up til now haven't had much business sense at all - seems all my brains went into my hands and my...

Ooops.

All the best to you all,

Yoni
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