Below are some articles I’ve written on a few topics of interest to me. Scroll down to see the most recent ones, or jump to a particular category here:
Here are some links to other good sites from fellow musicians and friends:
The ride cymbal beat is the most important element of jazz drumming. It should be the core of your sound, a thing by which you can be identified. It contains all of the information that other musicians need to hear in order to play with you. It defines tempo and style. It is the essence of jazz on the drums, and can make or break a groove on the bandstand.
It’s not the hi-hat!
The foot-operated hi-hat can make a great ride beat even better Read the rest of this entry »
Have you ever played tennis, golf, or even just thrown a ball? Can you imagine the motion of your arm stopping the instant your racket or club makes contact, or the second your fingers release the ball? No, you must see that motion through to its completion before you can swing or throw again. This athletic concept of follow-through is of similar paramount importance for playing music accurately and with intent.
Most musicians can apply this analogy to their performances literally and receive some benefit. More interesting, however, is the related, but subtle, concept of mental follow-through: Read the rest of this entry »
Many aspects of being a good jazz drummer can be addressed through playing along with recordings. This is an important practice tool, especially for those who don’t have outlets for playing with others or don’t perform regularly. There are several key benefits:
Jazz Time-Feel:
• There is no better way to practice a swinging feel and good time, than to do so with Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, or Sam Jones on bass! Read the rest of this entry »
Let’s suppose you are practicing regularly and effectively, and your technique is feeling great. At your next gig, however, you have difficulty coming up with ideas, and the ones you do have sound stale. You feel disconnected to the music and your instrument. Why? Finding myself in this situation recently, I spoke with a fellow musician about it. He asked me, “Are you listening?” What an impactful question! Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve added a new feature to gregdrums.com – the “Blog” section found on the top navigation. It’s a place for me to collect some of the thoughts I’ve had over the years on a few topics of interest to me. I’ve also started writing some short articles about music, drumming, and practicing in particular that some of you might find interesting – even you non-drummers! The articles will be especially helpful for those of you who might like a little more insight into my teaching philosophy. I am updating this section constantly so please check back for updates on that page.
I have used several warm-ups throughout my drumming career. I pass them on to my students, and generally feel that using these exercises is a positive way to begin playing for the day. However, there is a potentially disabling side to warming up which is worth considering.
To illustrate, let’s look at two conflicting concepts about being musicians:
1) Musicians are similar to athletes. As such, we must warm up to bring our muscles and mind into the zone for the event.
2) Music is communication, similar to talking. It is so integral to our make-up that we can do it instantly with astounding accuracy.
Well, which is it? Read the rest of this entry »
It is possible to improve an aspect of your playing in as little as five minutes. This concept can be applied to your general practice routine, and it will help you target specific drumming topics effectively.
• Make a list of your drumming weaknesses. It can be as comprehensive as you can make it, or it could just be five or six areas that you would like to target for a couple weeks.
• Practice those specific topics in a focused manner for at least five minutes, five days a week.
• After two or three weeks, you will notice significant and lasting improvement in those target areas.
Read the rest of this entry »
How many times have we all said, “I don’t have time to practice?” Probably more times than we’d like to admit. Here’s a simple way to re-calibrate your thinking and time management for maximum results.
If you only have five minutes, then practice one thing for five minutes! This simple concept has truly changed the way I think about progress. Read the rest of this entry »
I just went through YouTube and collected all of the videos I could find from my various performances over the years. They are now all in one place at www.youtube.com/gwpdrums.
Here’s a new video from one of my recent gigs at Buddy Guy’s Legends with blues guitarist Dave Specter and our special guest Jimmy Johnson. The song is “That’s Alright” and Jimmy calls this a “tough-luck story.” That’s the best kind of blues there is!
My wife and I decided to pick up stakes and head West! Specifically, we now live in San Francisco, California. I’m really excited about this change and am looking forward to meeting and working with a whole new group of great players. I’m actively seeking students in the area, so please contact me if you know of anyone interested in drum lessons in the Bay Area. I have a studio location that is great for those downtown and in the city in particular.
I have made some updates to my instrument pages. I added some new photos and descriptions of my vintage drums plus I added my old hi-hats and crash along with sound files on the cymbals page. If you like checking out old gear, please take a look!
About a year and a half ago Dan Cray got a call from a producer who said, “can you come downtown right now to meet Michael Keaton?” Evidently, he liked our music Read the rest of this entry »
I just returned from an exciting weekend with The Dan Cray Trio. We played a fun gig at Trio’s in South Bend, IN and followed that up the next night with a great show at the legendary Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, MI. Baker’s is the “world’s oldest jazz club” and we were the main act for the Saturday night of their 75th anniversary. The club is going through a difficult time and struggling to stay open. Strong turnout over the weekend proves that the Baker’s is still viable. Read the rest of this entry »
I have played several truly exciting gigs lately including a gig with guitarist Tony do Rosario at Smalls in New York City. We had a great time playing his original music along with vibraphonist Behn Gillece and bassist Jesse Breheney. I uploaded a couple pics of the gig.
Also, the Dan Cray Trio’s ongoing Wednesday gig at the Morse Theater is not to be missed! This venue is the Jewel of Chicago. It is such a thrill to be in this concert setting in a beautiful venue with fantastic sound and a nine-foot Steinway Grand Piano! Please come hear us with talented signer Jesse Palter on February 4th, 8PM.
I have been doing a lot of recording lately, and I am pleased to announce that a few of the new CDs are now available! ‘Tis the Season, and for starters I am on two Christmas records that have just been released: The Derrick Stout Quartet’s “Melodies Under the Mistletoe” and Typhanie Monique/Neal Alger’s “Yuletide Groove.” I’ll be playing on the CD release party at the Morse Theater on Dec 20th at 8 & 10PM. Read the rest of this entry »
I am convinced that the CD is all but dead. Sad, but true! In an effort to be ahead of the curve, we are offering our latest record, Over Here/Over Heard on slick 21st-century media: a 2 gigabyte USB flash drive. The swivel drives are very cool, and quite functional – even when loaded with music, they have additional storage capacity (and if you are so inclined they can be erased entirely once you import the files).
I just uploaded a few sound files of my vintage cymbals. Check it out if you are a cymbal geek like me!
Close-up of the old stamp
Three months ago, I installed a device on my car called the Blade which reduces emissions and is supposed to improve fuel economy. You can read about the installation here. First and foremost, the Blade is primarily an emissions-capturing device. As I have discussed before, this it does remarkably well as certified by this independent lab. Second, the Blade is reported to have a side benefit of improving gas mileage. Everyone wants to know “does it work?” I believe that it (read the rest of this post)
A big thank you to all of those who made it out to the Jazz Showcase last night for the Dan Cray Trio’s CD release. It was great to see you all there! I will have some pics uploaded soon.
