Are you a drummer or a musician who plays drums?
As drummers, it’s easy to get caught up in fast chops, complex rhythms, and flashy licks. And yes, that stuff is exciting. I love checking out the latest jaw-dropping fill from my favorite players as much as anyone.
But here’s the thing: when technical skills start to dictate our musical choices, they stop being a means to an end and become the end itself.
That’s when we risk losing something essential. Because playing drums isn’t just about being skilled. It’s about being musical.
Using the drums as a way to connect, express emotion, and communicate something meaningful. Playing only what the music needs — not a single note more — in service of the song.
Technique and theory are essential, but they’re not the destination. They’re just tools to help us express something deeper.
Music isn’t just about what we play — it’s about how and why we play it. It’s about creating art that has an emotional impact.
While some musicians are naturally tuned into this, most of us have to develop it deliberately.
That’s why I created this method: to help you grow not only in your technique, but also in your awareness, your artistic identity, and your ability to express yourself musically.
Inside, we’ll explore concepts, philosophies, and practical tools that go straight to the heart of your playing – and are often overlooked:
- What it means to play, to create, and to make art with the drums.
- The physical, logical, and emotional sides of drumming.
- Your sound, style, and feel as a drummer.
- Sound exploration and experimentation.
- Self-expression, presence, creativity, and awareness.
- Improvisation, soloing, interplay, and interpretation.
- Realizing your artistic vision.
- How to practice, improve technique, and overcome both technical and creative blocks.
- How to develop musicality and play a song.
- Optimizing your performance.
- Understanding and avoiding different kinds of mistakes.
My goal was to bring together high-quality material that could truly help drummers grow into musicians who happen to play the drums.
The full method includes over 140 pages and covers more than 30 topics. It’s not your typical drum book (actually there are no notes in it). It’s for those who feel that these deeper aspects of music really matter.
In this free excerpt, I’d like to share a few selected passages from chapters that are quite different from one another:
- What It Means to Make Art.
- Awareness.
- Overcoming the Artist’s Block.
- Soloing
- The Different Kinds of Mistakes.
I arranged these pages to serve as a kind of mini introductory course on the more philosophical aspects of drumming.
You can download it here:
As a reference the table of contents of the method is included at the end of this 19 page PDF.
To find out more and to buy the method you can visit the dedicated page here:
‘Art & Musicianship’ – Altitude Drumming – Volume 10
Share
