Woodshed: The Beginning

I've tried woodshedding before, unsuccessfully. I think it was because I didn't have a set time, a set routine, or even an actual woodshed...

Times. They are a-changin'...

I just finished day number 4 of my current attempt at woodshedding. Drum woodshedding. Tools include a practice pad on a snare stand, sticks, kick drum practice pad, single kick pedal, hi-hat stand (just added tonight), and the Tempo Advance app on my iPhone. Oh yeah, the book Stick Control, too...

I'm not gonna lie. Running has partially groomed me for woodshedding. They're both solitary activities, and you get a lot of thinking done during both activities. You can't quite zone out the same way while drumming... or maybe it's a different type of zoning out... I already feel more connected, more "zen" while doing the drum exercises. I'm incorporating 4 limb coordination with the hat on the quarters and the kick on 2 and 4 and tonight it felt as if I was really connected, truly actually physically and rhythmically connected... It's not about being pretty, I could feel my eyes closed and grimaces and frowns and funny faces, but the groove was happening. It's only the beginning and I have a long way to go, but I feel like I'm on the right track and I can't wait to see if I can be patient and stick to the plan and put in the work and start to see results just like running...

You can do it, Glynn. You can do it. You. Can. Do. It...

Oh yeah... I also love my woodshed. It's our garage. Actually it's the little nook that is supposed to be a storage space in our garage. But I get to climb a little ladder to get up there and it's super hot and the neighbors can't hear but I can hear when cars go by and it just feels... like a woodshed. A private place to devote to the development of musical skill... And I love it...

Inspiration- Drummer- John Stanier

I was a freshman in high school and had played on an actual drumset a handful of times. My brother-in-law had given my sister some CDs of music that he liked. One of these CDs was Helmet's In the Meantime. I listened to that CD on the way to and from every single football game I went to that year. It was a truly awesome year and a turning point in my life.

Unsung is one of the reasons I wanted to become a drummer. John Stanier absolutely kills it in this song. The variations on the ride at the beginning, the kick drum- snare interplay throughout the whole song, the half time feel that complements the guitars, the quick groove between the 1st chorus and 2nd verse... there are so many things I love about this song. And He Feels Bad is a perfect example of not playing too much. And Better with its straight ahead groove underneath the syncopated guitars. Stanier always has that pocket groove.

Then the intro of I Know off of their album Betty... so heavy yet musical and always complementary to the song. And the triplets at 2:15... I always hit rewind and just sit back...

Stanier has gone on to drum in several other bands including Tomahawk with Mike Patton and his current gig with Battles. Drool at the chance to see him on October 16th at the Glasshouse... might have to make that happen...

Running and Drumming

There are so many common themes between running and drumming.

Physical activities. Coordination (hand eye, between limbs). Timing. Technique. Dedication. Muscle memory...

I ran for 4 months last year and have been running for the past 4 months this year. Today was day 2 of my most recent dedication to developing better (or actual) drum technique.

I'm in the best shape of my life after 4 months of running. I'm interested to see how I'll be doing after 4 months of drum exercises...

I just need to take everything that I've gained from running and the development I've seen and the fitness I've experienced and relate it to drumming. Because right now I'm slow and not so coordinated and nowhere near where I want to be. But it was the same at the beginning of my run training. Just stick with it and develop a program and realize there will be ups and downs and stick to the program and have fun and keep track of goals and have fun and integrate the exercises into your actual drumming...

See. Easy. Now get to it...

The Beginning

I started working on drum rudiments today. And it was tedious and boring and not super fun and it's only the beginning so I know I have plenty of work to do before I start to see the results but then I thought about how difficult running was when I first started and now I'm almost done training for a 10K and I'm in the best shape of my life and if I can just apply that to drumming I wonder how far I can go?

Baby steps. Focus. Don't cut corners. It's just the beginning, but you have to start somewhere.

In other news, Primus is awesome. Seeing them in October!!!

Chemistry

It's so difficult to come by.

Chemistry. Communicating without speaking. Finishing each other's sentences (or musical phrases). Sharing a bond that goes beyond time spent and experience shared, transcends gaps in time, occurs naturally and without motive or artifice.

I've been lucky to share chemistry with some tremendously amazing and awesome and giving and downright rad people.

My wife. My brothers in music.

A new chapter is beginning. And current chapters are in full swing. It's an exciting time. And I can't wait to keep putting in the work...

I Just Didn't Feel Like Running...

And now I feel guilty.

But I've earned a rest day, right? I've been training so well and have upped my mileage every month and have put in the time to achieve my 10K goal and have gotten into much better shape and pretty much done almost everything I've set out to do when I started running again back in May...

But I still feel guilty.

Which is good because it means I'm still hungry, still not satisfied, still pushing to do better, still aware that improvements can be made.

I'm still ready to achieve my peak on September 17th.

The guilt is good. I'd be worried if I didn't feel guilty...

Just start typing...

... especially if you can't think of anything to type.

Just start typing. Something will eventually happen.

Can't think of a good song. Just start playing. Any random chords, any random notes, hum something then try to pluck it out on the guitar, sing nonsensical phrases, stream of consciousness, sing about something you did today or yesterday or seven years ago, play one chord and sing over it for 10 minutes, vary the meter, vary the strum pattern., remember to hit record on your iphone, because genius might happen, or it might not, but it sure is fun to try, isn't it?

If you're stuck, if it feels like you have no plan, if you don't know the next step... just go, start, write, play, go, go, go... better to be active than just sit there waiting...