STEVE STEVE STEVE!

Hey Steve. I'm new here and I must say dude, you freakin' rock. I saw your band's video and was wondering if you PLEASE could do a little Instructional Video on what you were playing on that video. I mean, I practice ghost note (e.g. paradiddle stuff etc. . ) all the time and that has set me apart from half the other drummers here in the Cincy music scene. I LOVE Vinny C. and want to play like him and man when you were playing that stuff I thought HE could only play that! lol. You've given my hope. Now, please give me HOW! lol. Thanks Steve, God Bless. I mean, I can transcribe Carter Beauford stuff and Weckl stuff pretty well but when it comes to Vinny. . No flippin' way. It's a blessing to have someone like you at your finger tips. I'm buying your video.
Take care,
TBF

Hi TBF and welcome to this fantastic forum. You're right of course, Steve is a fantastic player and has definitely worked hard at getting to the level that you saw on his video clip. Vinnie is a different matter altogether, he as you will have gathered and I know that I speak for most of the people on this forum, is undoubtably a rare and very special talent.
I just wanted to say that when I read your comment about wanting to play like him, I had to reply. You, me and everyone else will NEVER play like him. We can take a number of his licks so other drummers might recognise where we got it from, but remember that he was heavily influenced by the great Tony Williams, studied with Gary Chaffee at Berkley and developed his OWN sound/voice on the instrument. Vinnie sounds like Vinnie and no-one else.
I have been playing the drums since I was 8 and am now 30. I have been gigging since I was 15 or so and I can honestly say that it is only in the last year that I have started to be comfortable with MY sound and who I am on the kit. For years I struggled with finding my voice. I have been influenced by tonnes of jazz, pop and fusion players (to many to even begin to list here) and as we all have done and should do as part of our learning curve, taken bits and pieces from all of them, whether it is licks, grooves, fills or whatever. But for years I have been frustrated by myself as depending on who I was playing with, would change my sound and style to what I thought they would like to hear. BIG mistake!
I would play with a certain bassist and think 'well I know that he plays with so and so, so I'll play like him'. I would get together with a group of people and say to myself 'well I know that they are into this music scene, so I'll play like this drummer'. As I said, it is only in the last year and I now realise that it's probably me just maturing as a person and a player, that I now feel comfortable with my sound. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that my musical journey is over, I simply mean that it has taken me YEARS to get behind the drums and simply PLAY and more importantly, play the MUSIC. I now don't attempt to emulate other players according to who I'm playing with, and who I think that they are into, but I am finally happy with who I am on the kit and don't get neurotic about who I sound like and more importantly what other people think of my playing.
Of course, If I'm doing for example a big band playing Basie charts, I will have that sound in my head and will think of Butch Miles or Sonny Payne. Likewise if I get asked to do a pop shuffle type tune, then I'm going to have Jeff Porcaro or Gadd at the back of my head, but I now no longer obsess about sounding like these players.
Good luck to you on your musical journey TBF, but you will impress and please other musicians more if you sound like YOU. Be the best player that you can be and develop your OWN sound. Of course you are going to be influenced and copy your favourite players as we ALL do, but what is the point of trying to be a Vinnie clone? It frankly doesn't impress me when I hear people that so obviously sound like their favourite players as it is clear that all they have done is sat down for hours copying them without thinking of their own sound or more importantly, how to serve the music and make the players that they are playing with feel comfortable.
It would be fantastic if somewhere down the line, you could post us an example of you playing and have us comment on how great you sound and more importantly, that you have your OWN personality on the kit. I would rather hear you and your own voice instead of thinking that you may have the most amazing technique etc, but you simply sound like Vinnie, Gadd, Philly Jo Jones or whoever. What's the point? Think to yourself how may hundreds of Weckl and Gadd clones there are out there, all sounding exactly like each other.
Anyway the most important thing is to have fun. Do take things from your favourite players and I hope to hear you in the future, but please BE YOURSELF!!

Agreed, Dazzler. Be yourself.

I've been playing for 15 years as a hobby drummer myself and had a few chances to get some real work with a guitarist buddy of mine back in '92, but he ended up snagging someone else who didn't sound like Neil Peart all the time... LOL.

True story, broke my heart, etc., etc., but it also humbled me. I still buy Rush albums when they put 'em out, but I've long since abandoned the multi-timbre-tom-toms-galore fill associated with The Professor.

I just play what feels right for the song now.

You guys are so right. I totally agree with you. Sometimes it's hard to have your own sound because it's all pretty much been done you know? But yes, I am trying. I just want to learn what Steve was doing on that video! Lol. That's the stuff I can't transcribe. Two of my favorite drummers are Carter Beauford and Vinny C. I'm trying to go in between them, you know? Not as Jazzy and drum corp as Vinny but still have that pop Jazzy type Groove as Carter plus his drumset sound(not that vinny can't). But man, you are right. I need to really focus on my own sound and my own bag of tricks. Thanks.

I think it's apparent who my influences are but it is important to to me to play my own stuff.
I think drumming is very much a language, and it's up to you what you want to say.
I like the way my favorite drummers speak, I speak in a similar manner but I am not even able to say the things they are saying, nor do I want to. I have my own things I want to say! =)

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 21, 2003 01:47 PM: Message edited by: Steve Holmes ]</font>

Hey Steve.
But seriously, do you think you could do a little video on what you were playing on that video? Or maybe an audio file or something? That's just stuff I can't transcribe. Thanks Steve.
TBF

Agreed. Be yourself. Take what you learn from others and mold it into something totally you. Check out Billy Ward. I'm 48 and have been doing this since the age of four and have been going through "stages" all my life. The last 10 years have been like the advice of Yoda, "Don't try, do." Be patient, experience is a great teacher.

Dazzler, loved your reply. you hit it right on the head, man.

Long live the sick-minded Vinnie; Ya gotta love him!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 22, 2003 01:45 AM: Message edited by: G. Donnelly ]</font>