Top Ten Constructive Comments I Give On My Drumline Judging
Tapes
by
Richie
Viano
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10. Don’t over hype.
Drumlines have a naturally aggressive nature.
Don’t let the competitive energy get so high you lose the game plan.
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9.
Poor posture.
A drumline that looks sharp, plays sharp.
Have pride in the way that you look. Let your audience know they are in
for a great show. before you even play
a note.
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8. Tuning.
Use the range of your instruments to support your show in the most
effective and appropriate way possible. If
you are playing Earth Wind and Fire tunes, having a 20” bottom bass drum and
pipe drum snares is probably not the grooviest of choices.
( Although I am sure there will be a guy who swears it works.) |
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7.
Poor Technique/Approach.
Each instrument has a potentially
wonderful sound.
The potential part has a lot to do with technique and approach.
Technique comes in many forms, choose the one that produces the best
sound. Let your ears have
more to say about it than your eyes. Keep this in mind during a competition. Consistency of sound is a
criteria supported by unified technique and approach. Make sure everyone is playing the same style to
maximize credit in that category.
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6.
Right fit gear.
Use the appropriate body type for your drums.
If you want to use a 31” bottom bass drum, don’t put “ 75 pound, 4
foot 2, Tommy” in that spot. He
won’t survive it. If your snare
line has 4 guys around 5 and a half feet tall, with one guy that is over
six-foot, then bring the one down. I
can’t tell you how many times I have seen the four shorter guys playing the
snare at forehead level. |
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5. Inappropriate mallets.
Don’t play vibes with brass mallets.
Don’t play chimes with drumstick butts.
Don’t play timpani with the latest nylon indoor multiple tenor mallets.
Get the point? I have seen all of
these examples and more. This does not apply to special requests by the
composer/arranger of course.
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4. Poor clarity.
I think for the most part, not knowing the arrangements backwards and
forwards is the biggest contributor for bad clarity.
“Dirt” as we call it, happens when one or many have a variable in the
interpretation of rhythm, style, dynamics, timing, etc.
Using good rehearsal technique is key.
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3. Lack of dynamic contrast.
Without musical leadership and guidance, it is easy for a drummer to
misuse his/her role within an arrangement.
A drumline that shapes and phrases in a complementary way will be much
more interesting, enjoyable and competitive.
Define the loudest moment in your show, and scale your dynamic peaks and
valleys appropriately.
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2. Excessive Difficulty.
When writing your parts, think about supporting the music at all times.
Demand has nothing to do with providing interesting textures, groove and
punch. 99% of the time lines try
something harder or busier then they can handle. You have to ask yourself if the thrill supercedes the
discomfort it may cause the remainder of the band.
Playing appropriate grade 3 materials well will be more competitive then
playing grade 6 material poorly. There
is no demand for playing something technically difficult poorly. |
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1. Too Loud.
Peter Erskine said, “If you’re the kind of guy who says, ‘Dynamic?
What do you mean dynamics? I was playing as loud as I could!’ You’re probably not
going to be working as a drummer very long.”
Peter has spoken! |
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Bonus!!! You will notice that the category “ Lack of cool, hard
visuals” was not in the top ten. I’m
not sure it’s in the top 1000. Have
fun, but not at the expense of playing well.
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©
Express Music Services, Inc.
Not to be reproduced without written
permission from Express Music Services.
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