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Drummer. Live/ Studio/ Teaching. contact@philthebeatmusic.com

Friday 28 June 2013

Listening To Music

How often do you listen to music? By this, I don't mean "How often do you hear music", but "How often do you listen to music?". We all play music in the background as we go about our daily lives. In the car, while we work, while we cook, what ever. But, how often do you just sit and listen to music, giving it 100% of your time and attention?

Listening to music from an analytic point of view is so important in order to become a better musician. Not just as a drummer listening to drummers, but as a musician listening to musicians.

As a member of a band, it is your job to be aware of what everyone in the band is doing, not just yourself. This means you must have the ability to listen to everyone, while concentrating on what you are doing, in order for the music as a whole to make sense, to sound tight, and to sound like a band playing together.

You won't learn this by practising rudiments. You won't learn it by developing your 4 way independence. You won't learn it by learning to play loads of cool fills, and you won't learn it by only ever taking notice of the drummers. These things are important of course, as they give us the technical ability to execute what we want to communicate, but if we don't have anything to say musically, what's the point?

Set aside time to listen to music, and spend that time listening to music only! No distractions, just you and the music. Turn the lights off, lock the door, phone on silent, and whack some headphones on!

While you're listening, think about:

  • What the drummer is playing? Work out the kick drum patterns, listen to ghost notes, whether the hi hats are closed tight or open and "washy". Listen to the construction of the fills and where they were placed within the song. With brand new new music, try to play along, tapping your hands and feet intuitively and try to guess what is going to happen next.
  • Why the drummer is playing it? To me, this is more important. So you've worked out the drum parts the the whole album, and you can play it. But, why did the drummer play those things? Would you have done the same if you were in that position? Try and "get into their head" and listen to the instruments. Is there a bass line or a vocal melody that they are following? Why did they play that fill going into the chorus, compared to the one they used to come out if it? Try to understand why each individual note has it's place in each song!  
  • Can I play it? Listen for new ideas that you may not have heard or played before. Take note of them so you can try them in your next practice session. 
Also, remember to listen to it as a music fan, not just a musician. How does it make you feel? Why do you like (or dislike) it? What is it that makes you feel these things when you are listening? If you can understand what it is within the music you love that makes you love it, you're likely to have an easier time making people feel that about your own music!

The problem these days (I run the risk of starting to sound old here!!) is that music is so disposable. Due to the technology we have now, such as YouTube, iTunes, Spotify etc, you can listen to a song or an album for the first time, then instantly go and find something else new, never going back to the previous album for a second listen.

While I do think it is amazing that we have, pretty much, all of the music in the world instantly accessible, it is changing our listening habits. I find myself doing it, I'll have a browse through Spotify, find something new that I like, then totally forget about it and find something else! I make a conscious effort to put time aside and listen to music how I did when I only had my CD collection to pick from. And, every time I do, I learn something new, and remember why I started playing drums in the first place..... I love music!