It’s no secret that Yoda is one of the wisest masters in the galaxy. Despite having three stubby claws as fingers, if Yoda were to pick up a pair of sticks, he’d be good...really good. Why? Because Yoda’s wisdom would give him the appropriate guidance to master Book Reports and the Paradiddle Pyramid in no time. But what is it about Yoda's philosophies and teachings that would produce such great results? Well, you'll just have to read through them to find out for yourself. Here is Yoda’s Guide to Rudimental Drumming:
Obi-Wan Kenobi defines the Force as “an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” The Force for rudimental drummers is time; it surrounds us and binds our rhythms together and penetrates us through our internal sense of pulse. To rephrase Yoda’s saying: A rudimental drummer’s strength flows from time. You can apply this wisdom to your rudimental drumming by practicing timing exercises. Be sure to practice them with a metronome while counting out loud and marking time. By doing this on a regular basis you will develop a stronger sense of pulse and a better understanding of rhythm. The more you do this the stronger your rudimental drumming will become because you’ll be able to flow across time with a solid sense of internal pulse.
A lot of people fear taking on new challenges in the rudimental world. Learning advanced exercises, signing up for an audition, or performing solos are just a few examples of things that rudimental drummers often fear. But in order to advance and take your playing to the next level, you have to face your fears. In order to get rid of these fears, you need to determine what they are and acknowledge that you’re afraid of them. If you always push them under the rug and ignore them, you’ll never get yourself to the next level and become the best rudimental drummer that you can be. You can apply this wisdom to your rudimental drumming by naming your rudimental drumming fears. Write them down and next to them write out What other opportunities or skills they're holding you back from. After you’ve listed those two things, brainstorm ways to take on the challenges and conquer them. Apply these steps to your practice and start working on overcoming one of them at a time. You’ll feel great when you do!
To truly become the best rudimental drummer that you can be, you need a master to challenge you and teach you. This can be your drumline instructor, a drumline tech, a private lesson teacher, or online via Drumline Chops. Whatever your preferred method is, you need to have someone more experienced than you pushing you and guiding you. The reason this is so important is because your "master" or teacher has far more experience than you do. They can see the bigger picture and will be able to show you clear paths on how to get from Point A to Point B in your playing. Having this guide is an extremely helpful resource and will help you achieve your goals sooner than you would be able to on your own. You can apply this wisdom to your rudimental drumming by finding a master and keeping an open mind as you listen to what the she or he has to say. Practice their teachings diligently and ask for help whenever you don’t fully understand something. By doing this you will be able to accelerate your learning process and improve your skill level.
In order to be a Jedi Master of rudimental drumming, you must have control. You must have control of your technique, tone quality, heights, tempo, dynamics, body, and mind. You must be able to coordinate your feet with your hands and control the weight of your drum as you march and play. To apply this wisdom and gain control over all of these aspects, you must practice each one of them individually and develop consistency. It is a time consuming task but one that is definitely well worth the energy as it will provide you with an incredibly stable foundation to continue building on.
If every rudimental drummer were to keep all the knowledge they learned to themselves, the activity would cease to exist. When you have accumulated knowledge as an apprentice or student, it’s your duty to pass the information on. The entire activity is built on information being handed down from one generation to another. As each generation passes it off, they add something new to it and the activity evolves. To apply this wisdom to your rudimental drumming, take some time every week to share what you’ve learned with others. You can do this by drumming a new exercise with your friends, posting your experiences and stories on the Drumline Chops Forum, or helping out a younger member of your drumline.
What would a list of Yoda lessons be without this one? Trying to be a rudimental drummer (practicing occasionally, being lazy at rehearsal, and never challenging yourself) won’t get you anywhere. If you’re going to be a rudimental drummer - do it! Go for it with all that you’ve got. Practice on a regular basis, max out every repetition at rehearsal, and constantly work on new ways to improve your drumming. In the long run it will make your experience much more enjoyable and you’ll learn a lot more in the process. To apply this wisdom to your rudimental drumming, work on maximizing your practice and rehearsal time. Do your best to avoid distractions and max out every single repetition that you get.
You’ve now learned Yoda’s Guide to Rudimental Drumming. He’s a pretty smart guy so if you apply his teachings to your drumming there’s no doubt you’ll get good results.
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Pat McLaughlin is the founder of Drumline Chops. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in music education and is currently the percussion director at West Bloomfield High School.
