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THE KEY TO SUCCESS |
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The drum set governs the rhythm of the orchestra just as the heart regulates the rhythms of our body.
The music played by an orchestra is comparable to a film with only three characters: harmony, melody and rhythm. The film could do without harmony and/or melody but not without rhythm! Rhythm is the natural and independent “star” that organises sounds and should be commanded basically by instinct. To develop a spontaneous and natural rhythm, the drummer should start playing instinctively, that is by ear. Only at a later stage, when the sense of rhythm is sharpened, can the drummer learn how to read music. If you have doubts about this, consider that children start talking without learning how to read, because first was the word and then the writing. Similarly, first came music and then musical writing. Even the sharpest musical ear and instinct cannot obviously do without proper guidance and organisation; otherwise a method to start playing in a spontaneous fashion would be totally useless. Start with a correct grip of the sticks, follow the CD and the colours of the notes, for better recognition of the instruments (pp. 32-53 “Born for the drum set”), and try to develop your musical instinct by playing and listening to a lot of music. Avoid the danger of creating a rhythm without feeling (which is only the mathematical result of reading the musical values). Feel free to play any type of music. |