Thankfully I can play my own drums.

Drums were my first instrument. I switched to sax while in Junior High School, and picked up guitar, bass, and keyboards traveling in a road band so on songs with no horn parts I could double on other instruments.

Since the drummer sang, I could still play drums and since the bass player was also a good guitarist, when not playing rhythm, I could play bass and let him 'duel it out' with the regular lead player.

We'd make a big deal of switching instruments for the right audiences, because switching instruments was good 'show biz' back then (probably still is).

Later I added flute, wind synth, and voice.

Learning drums requires a few things. (1) a good percussion MIDI controller (2) learning the drum rudiments {the drummers equivalent to scales} (3) listening intently and emulating the great drummers of pop music like Hal Blaine, Pretty Purdy, John Bonham and so on.

So when making my backing tracks, I put the basic drum track in first. I might modify it later.

When making Band-in-a-Box styles, I record a long take on a MIDI sequencer with all the instruments I want in the style and all the variations I want. Drums first. I can add or subtract before I'm done. Then I take snippets from 2 beats to 2 bars and import them into the StyleMaker.

I firmly believe that playing the drums in real time adds the life to the rhythm section. Something you can't get with step-entering or the drum grid.

Playing all the parts live, drums included, makes the song sound more cohesive and organic.

Insights and incites by Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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