Perfection

[FuseU1]

Louie's post couldve well been mine...a few of the time[s] [img]wink.gif[/img]
But i feel i'm still workg at it too.

I've used a click or DM on many live gigs & some studio...practicing with them is a great learning tool...but they don't always have to be used in a live situation, esp fusion or world music...let it "breathe," man...

I think, just like the 80's excess rock guitar riffing, that even the overly-infatuated excessive use of them is eventually going to wane its course in live music & some recordgs, stylistically..it's going to get old, everything smack-precise on the beat all the time [if it hasnt already]...isnt this what some in here have bagged on DW, or say, the 2 "MMs," about?!] [img]wink.gif[/img] ...the "clinicality" & strict evenness of it all can become mundane-sounding to the ear after awhile...it's going to come 'round full circle...some things w them are a necessary evil, but some things need to breathe like a living soul...know what I mean?

I'm "over" the "over-use" of the DM...it's time to let a lot of music breathe again, people...I mean, even the high-level studio scenario often has the producers trying to take the "machine" OUT of the machines theyre using & breathe human LIFE into it, ya know?! That "real-feel" thing...even down to trying to master the PROGRAMMING of it into it! Ha! "Why dontcha just hire a REAL drummer, jerky!" [img]tongue.gif[/img]

...Tain, Ersk, Gadd, Hakim, Novak, Kennedy, Chambers, or Husband "dont need no f'n DM"...they ARE human "DMs"...

There's nothing better than a great drummer who can play all day long w a DM/click - playing w/OUT one...[you listening, DW?! You is already a bad mofro; now let's hear how bad you can really be]... J/K [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 20, 2004 12:27 AM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[Groovissimo]

I believe that it depends on what type of gig you have to justify being a perfectionist. If you are working 90% of the time in the studio recording for singers of different styles or hired to drum with different bands that are not yours, then you would have to be as perfect as they want you to be.

But, there is nothing like playing with musicians who exchange the same feelings on most "live" music. Then the idea is not perfection, but it"s the grooving and playing from the heart that surpasses being perfect. Gigging in clubs, outdoor festivals, etc gives you a chance of being yourself much more. There is more room to try new things, make some mistakes, and even get the chance to correct these mistakes as the set goes on.

Of course, making yourself a better musician needs a certain dose of perfection. For many working drummers, trying to be too perfect opens up doors to having less fun. And isn't having fun part of the whole picture ?

When you see a drummer who is a model of perfection, tell yourself that this same drummer is often a minority, but can also be a model for others. When you see guys like Gadd, Katch?, Vinnie, Weckl, Erskine, and others play, these guys have mastered being perfect for years.

So, the bottom line to me, is not letting perfection get in the way of having fun, grooving and playing from the heart.

Groovissiom

[FuseU1]

That's basically most of what i was trying to say...well said, groovis. [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img]

[Vdrummer]

I try to play as perfectly as I can - always. Perfect can mean many things. To me it means refining what I'm going for and being able to repeat it the same way easily. I always want good solid time and a deep groove.

By striving to be better than we are, and continuing to challenge ourselves to be better by striving for perfection, we continue to improve and hone our skills. When I make mistakes, I never get upset by them or get angry. They are a natural and inevitable part of progress. I note what went wrong and try and do it better again, but I don't attach any particular importance to a flub. The brain chemicals released with displays of frustration and anger interfere with mnemonic programming. Stress is the enemy of progress and learning. Stay loose, pay attention but don't worry.

Brad

[matricks]

I will tell you one of the BEST practice tools i have EVER used is Reason 2.5
Writing out parts on it via MIDI and then playing along with it. You can alter the type of quantizing you want, or you can quantize certain notes and leave others, or quantize them only to, say, 25% accuracy for a more human feel. You can even write your own schematic for custom quantize-ment. Quantizing from 1/2 notes all the way to 32nd triplets and down to 64ths and to a "true shuffle"... WONDERFUL practice tool. I only brought this up because we are on the subject of studio stuff and DM's. It is great because you can work on being "perfect" but can alter how perfect the tracks you are playing along with are. Like grooving perfectly with a bass line and click, but the bass line is quantized to 32nd triplet feel and only to 35%... that, to me, is great because you get to practice (in the comfort of your own home) making something that isn't mathematically perfect, perfectly musical and perfectly so damn grooving that even the most perfectly un-grooving-ist ass in the world can't help but throw down and shake it to perfection. Or something like that...

[matricks]

...So there...

[matricks]

...Take that...

[matricks]

...People...

[Andy Edwards]

I think the drum machine has changed the face of drumming drastically. Everyone (myself included) has become aware of 'the grid' which machines us to create their beats. All those quantized 'feels' in music software are really just different grids.

When I play in the studio now I always end up LOOKING at the music and everytime I play off from the grid I can see it before my eyes.

I am not sure this is a healthy state of affairs for music. Elsewhere drummers have discussed the lack of real drum legends to have emerged in the last five years or so. The guys who have (Marco, Lang, Virgil etc) seem to play in a very 'perfect' way (as opposed to Bonham, Blakey, Elvin etc)

Is this perhaps the concept of perfection being taken too far in music?

[FuseU1]

...even better said, Brad... [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]