Buddy Rich. Keith Moon. Stewart Copeland.
They’re all incredibly talented drummers. I am not. But, I still love playing the drums and messing around with a few of my musician friends from time to time.
Me behind my drums. Photo by coreanscribe.
I wish I had more time to dedicate myself to playing and studying the drums.
When I do get the chance I try to make the most of it.
I’m not musically gifted enough to come up with and play complicated patterns and movements, but I pride myself in keeping time and holding a steady beat. That’s why it’s so exciting for me when I do occasionally come up with a fun or original beat or rhythm. It’s a great rush. It usually happens when I’m jamming with my friends on the weekends.
Rudiments and rolls. Photo by coreanscribe.
When I’m alone with my kit I’m usually playing along with a song or trying to figure out how to play it. In January I decided to take it more seriously and concentrate on learning the drum part for one rock song every month.
To kick things off I picked U2’s classic “I will Follow.” It’s not complicated and I like that; it’s also a great song. U2 also happens to be my favorite musical group and I find myself imitating Larry Mullen, Jr.’s drumming style a lot. He’s a great drummer and really underrated.
Last month, I chose “Tomorrow Never Knows” by the Beatles. Again, rhythmically it’s not complicated but I love how dynamic Ringo’s creative beat is and how well he performed it on the record. It demonstrates how powerful simplicity can be. It’s also one of my favorite songs by the Beatles.
This month, I selected something a lot more challenging: Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain.” John Bonham is my favorite rock drummer. He always was. He always will be. In my mind, he will always be the greatest rock drummer.
I’m still learning the “Fool in the Rain” shuffle. So far, I’m failing miserably but I still have some time; it’s still just the middle of the month. I have a couple more weeks and it starts this weekend. I’ll be in the rehearsal studio. Wish me luck. Hoping the ghost of Bonzo helps me out a little.