Breathing

Pretty much anything that doesn't help you do what you're trying to do should be viewed as a "bad" thing (holding your breath, weird motions, facial contortions, grip anomalies, etc.). Humming will cause you definite problems when recording. You don't want to force the engineer to try and EQ out some pitch you're humming, screwing up your drum sound.

Keith Jarrett and others have had the same problem.

Thanks for all the input from you guys, I will definitely check out Omar's and Erskine's vids. Indeed Klemme, that bad habits sneak in very fast. When I played three groupings of 5 and had to play the last sixteenth with my foot and another one to be on the 1 again, I noticed that during the groupings I put my bassdrum downwards what resulted in a soft or too late bassdrum note. When you discover this it takes you long to get rid of this again. Just stupid mistakes but hey, we are only human [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img]

Yep. I'd gotten into this very same habit long ago, of humming, which is, like was said, basically prolonged exhaling, & then having to breath quickly to "catch up"...not nec a good thing...

As was said, yes; just focus on relaxing the breathing, & "evening it out," for your next couple of wks of practicing/jamming, whatnot...treat it like an adaptation of technique, think about it while playing, & sometimes when not, focusing on it...it'll straighten out.

Rod M used to do this a LOT [humming]. So does M Camilo, & other pnsts...I think I've heard the Tooch doing it during some of his amazing bass solos.

Haven't heard too many horn players who do it, tho... [img]graemlins/gulp.gif[/img] [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ June 02, 2005 12:37 AM: Message edited by: got_a_match_grip? ]</font>

I've been singing for as long as I've been playing drums. A percussionist I worked with in college noticed that I was breathing in phrases when I play much the same as a horn player or vocalist and I attribute that to having been a backup singer for so long.

You might want to find a good voice teacher and take a couple of breathing lessons. Just let him or her know what you are trying to accomplish. Learning to breath in phrases can be extremely valuable to a drummer. If your body is breathing with the music it stands to reason that your playing will too.

Rythm makes a good point. If you breathe like a singer you wont be tightening your throat, neck, and chest. If you find yourself humming, loosen your throat and upper body and direct your attention to your stomach muscles and breathe from there. You can isolate these muscles by lying on the floor and do "push-ups" with your stomach. Lift yourself off the floor when you breathe in, hold it for a second, slowly exhale and go back slowly to the floor. It helps if you turn your head, with one arm at your side and one extended on the floor upwards. Try not to over do it cause you will feel like you did a thousand crunches.

For me, breathing becomes sort of a posture check. If I'm slouching I become aware of it if my breathing is not right. Sometimes I'm amazed at the drummers who do hum. Listen to some of the clinic stuff that Vinnie does. Very insightful. The Bonham stuff that someone posted was quite ear opening as well. I love Keith Jarrett's playing but after a while he starts sounding like a bad Jerry Lewis imitation. Ugh!!!

Clint