How to Keep The Form on a Jazz Tune

Today's lesson is about keeping the form in a jazz tune.

As I explain in the video, it was almost an afterthought to me.

For years, I just ate dirt onstage and in class whenever somebody called a tune with a hard form...

...then, it just seemed to get better.

Like many who learned something in a crucible, I had assumed there was no other way.

Which explains my response to many of the comments, emails, and texts I'd get over the years: "meh - is that really a problem?"

But it turns out, yes.

In fact, keeping the form on a jazz standard is the lesson topic that, over the years, people have requested more than any other.

Recently, it occurred to me that my view on the topic wasn't congruent with my other views around drums, music, practice, and learning.

Since college, I've of course had a personal renaissance when it comes to getting better; realizing, among other things...

-That practice is at least as important as talent

-That good practice can accelerate a growth curve

-That bad practice can stunt it

Why, then, was I continuing to approach jazz forms as if...yea it's gonna suck for a lot of years then it's gonna get better.

(Especially when players of other instruments don't see it that way:P)

What's more, there were some low hanging fruit tools to make learning forms one of the easier things to practice.

Smash cut to this week's lesson.

Hope you enjoy.

My Top 7 Oh SH!# Musical Moments - Subscribers Only

To the long list of “don’ts”, which includes never mentioning “the movie” by name…

…I want to add the thing that’s obliquely the subject of this week’s lesson: Never commenting on reaction videos.

Reaction videos are a thing.

Sometimes they’re positive, particularly when the video that’s being “reacted to” has fewer viewers than that of the “reactor”, so it’s getting extra eyeballs. No issues.

And that’s the last thing I’ll say about reaction videos.

Except to say, despite the obvious comparison, it actually wasn’t the recent gold rush or drum reaction videos that inspired today’s lesson.

Almost 2 months ago, the idea hit me when I was listening to Le Havre (not in the lesson).

“There’s so much cool stuff I want to show my peeps, and it’s all stuff that, unfortunately, I can’t put a cool/controversial/click-baity/viral title on.”

“French guy tries to sing - you won’t BELIVE what happens next”

“Guy with beard DESTROYS drums (2 meters at once)”

So I’ll still give you that Oli/Le Havre lesson at some point, because I think they’re the most underrated act in music, but for this week’s lesson, I confined my parameters:

What were 5-10 of my literal favorite moments in music.

It’s a risk, because they don’t even all involve drum licks. (Though all have drums.)

Also, self-conscious about simply reposting other people’s content, I decided to choose songs/drum beats/drum licks I could transcribe and break down.

The result - a lot of work…

…but hopefully this will be a solid “meat and potatoes” episode, with some really juicy drum stuff…

…even if it won’t make me a viral star.

Please enjoy.

Is All Drum Practice Created Equal? (Subscribers Only)

I wish somebody had told me about keyword research before I became the number 2 search result for “8020 principle drums”. A keyword with…let me check…ah…zero monthly searches.

I would have named my channel “How to Get Rich Playing Drums”, or “Best Practice Pad Reviews”.

(Sidebar: why does everybody think it’s the gear?)

But, alas, I planted my flag as defender of the 8020 Pareto Principle in music. Truly a tree falling in the woods.

So, it’s come to pass that it’s probably time to own the association.

The catalyst, as it often is, was a YouTube comment.

“Is your channel named after the Pareto Principle? Can you explain the origins?”

And, like a lemming unable to resist a good cliff dive, I took the bait.

What I’m saying is…prepare yourself for a pretty…academic lesson.

But, I’d argue, an important one.

Even early comments on the lesson demonstrate just how far off-the-mark many people’s understanding of practice is.

One guy essentially said “the 80/20 of practice is practice - beyond that it’s mostly academic”.

Another said “I’ve had more success with un-structured practice”, implying that I was somehow advocating rigid practice routines, when, in fact, I’m doing almost the opposite.

I love when the lesson itself is the best rebuttal to the comments on the lesson.

I’ll let you watch the video, and decide for yourself, but the question I try to resolve are:

• Is there a such thing as “better” and “worse” practice?

• If “yes”, is the difference between better and worse a matter of minor degrees, like height distribution, or “night and day”, as you see with economics or pea plants?

• Finally, if there are better and worse things to practice, what are those better things

If you’re a wonk, and truly care about getting better faster, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

How Good Are You? (Subscribers Only)

The story of how the Dunning Kreuger effect appeared on my radar is a circuitous one…

Before I even published the talent lesson, I had written “How to tell how good you are at drums” in an Evernote, along with all the other lessons I want to make this summer.

Sure - I thought maybe it would get clicks.

More importantly, I was fired up enough to have “interesting” things to say about it.

Even then, I’d started getting extremely strong opinions in my comments threads…

…and they almost always lead to YouTube channels with between zero and 2 videos.

Not judging at all. It’s great that these people put themselves-out-there, and I appreciate all constructive critiques.

Still, it was hard to ignore that all of the strongest opinions seemed to come from people with the least direct experience with the subject matter.

Two events brought it all home.

First, the Talent episode went live. And there were literally dozens of extremely strong opinion on the nature/nurture debate…

Second, I was discussing it with a friend with his own YouTube channel, asking if he’d received similar comments, and he said, “oh, definitely. Have you heard of the Dunning Kreuger Effect?”

I had. In passing. Probably on The Fighter and The Kid. But I hadn’t given it much thought.

Turns out, that strong opinion/little experience thing isn’t a coincidence. It’s a proven cognitive bias.

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” I thought.

I remembered my own history with the drums, and how I was probably most arrogant earlier in my drum “career”…

…and how time, and regular opportunities to get “schooled” had bloodied and beaten my ego into somewhat submission.

“I wonder if this is a thing with other drummers?” I thought.

Only one way to find out.

In today’s lesson, I speak about my past failures, Dunning Kreuger, and some practical ways to put ourselves more deeply in touch with how we really sound.

Hope you enjoy:)