Building Vocabulary- time frame?

[Josiah]

If so, could you share them?

Play with just the HiHats. Or Just the Snare. Just the kick drum. Just a tom.

Play grooves with just snare/kick. Just hats/snare. kick/hats.

Play with your hands. Brushes. Routes. Mallets.


Do all of that, to a click of course, in even time, odd time, shuffles, swung, etc

[scrowdrlrr]

Mike mangini has an inteesting take on this, found in his rhythm knowledge books, its something like an 90mins a day for 4 days a week, for three weeks. IM TOTALLY PARAPHRASING THERE, SOMEONE WITH THE BOOKS TO HAND PLEASE CORRECT ME! But hes the only person ive ever seen but a quantifyable 'time limit' on getting the stuff into your playing.

Those numbers refer to developing a specific motion/technique, not necessarily licks.

I studied with Mike for a number of years, and used 90-minute blocks for learning techniques and increasing speed, but not necessarily for learning vocabulary, songs, etc. Those things can happen in shorter sessions since the object there isn't to build muscle, which is what those numbers (90 min x 4 days/wk x 6 weeks) are talking about.

Although, practicing the same lick for 90 minutes straight certainly isn't going to hurt your playing either.

[Josiah]

Quality time in = Quality time out.

Practice makes permanent. Practice the wrong stuff, you'll regurgitate the wrong stuff. Practice licks, you'll regurgitate those licks. Practice greatness.


How to learn is a WELL studied area. It's not hard to look up the findings, here's the basic gist as applies to drumming and muscle memory (the primary factor in playing percussion). It's a simply concept that applies to all forms of physical training.

Have several different areas of practice, mental, physical, reading, technique (different then physical), musicality, phrasing, etc

Practice all or most areas every day, but randomize the order always. Always push it. Whatever it is, always push your own limits. Learn something and move on.
If you find yourself playing the same lick, phrase or otherwise. Make a big note on your snare head, or whatever. Don't play that anymore for a long time. It's a major common hole to fall into.

Practice EVERY day. Muscle memory is not a mental thing, it's a physical thing. It needs daily reinforcement, particularly given how much we use our hands and feet for OTHER motions all day every day.

If you follow that basic concept, be it 30 minutes a day or 4 hours a day, you will see incredible improvement.

Don't worry about the time, quantity of notes or whatever else your using to quantify your practice time. Use your own improvement as the measuring stick.