| "How did you get started.....?" |
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I get asked this question quite often. And "why don't you play acoustic drums?"
I do play acoustic drums, but I love to play electronic drums.
Acoustic drums have a younger brother - electronic drums. Being a producer who
feels his role is to create ... what could be better to create full length compositions than
the drums?. Electronic drums give me endless drum kits from all styles, ie., jazz,
latin, raggae, rock, etc. Many drummers look at electronic drums like they are the
enemy, but electronic drums actually help you to become a better acoustic player. And if you are a session drummer working in a recording studio having electronic drum experience adds to your roster. Many producers look for electronic drum experience. Acoustic Drums/Electronic Drums, Acoustic Piano/Synthesizer, Upright Bass/Electric Bass, Human Voice/Voice Box - these are all tools which help an artist in creating songs, compositions and arrangements. Use any tool or instrument that will help you to be the best. If you are considering buying electronic drums, consider the following: start out with a small, basic kit with 5 pads. You should have 3 toms, 1 kickdrum, 1 snare, 1 hi-hat, and 2 cymbals. Get a drum module that's easy for you to understand and play. And stay within your budget, some electronic drums can be quite costly. I would suggest going to your local music store and talking with the salesperson in the drum department. They can provide invaluable information. That's how I got started. Keyboard synthesizers - what a way to have fun! I started playing synthesizers in 1980 - it's been a long time. It started in my best friend's basement. His parents bought him an electric keyboard that had a few simple sounds such as piano, organ, strings and flute. And guess what - I was the only one playing it! He got bored with it fast so I made good use of it. Then it dawned on me - I could make a lot of music with this thing! Everyday, week after week, year after year, until he finally said, "why don't you take it?". I did. That was the beginning of a whole new world of music for me. Throughout the years, synthesizers have improved so much. They are so advanced that sythesizers are now considered work stations and their sounds are endless. And the sounds they produce today are so realistic that if you know how to mix it into the track, it sounds as if it's a real musician. It takes time and dedication to get that element to work right. If you're in the market to buy a synthesizer, I would suggest buying a basic model as a starting point. Something that's easy to learn. If you take piano lessons, you'll have a wonderful tool to help you get better as a pianist. Talk to the keyboard salesperson at your local music store. Have him explain the differences between all those available but remember - start out simple and stay within your budget. And pick up some beginner "How To" books on synthesizer. They can be a great help. Who wants to be a bass player? Many times when groups are being formed, there are 2 guitar players in the band but 9 times out of 10, there's no bass player. So the guitar play who has a few licks is handed the bass and asked to be the bassist. So he or she is playing this instrument and they're not really happy. We can all understand why. They never wanted to play it in the first place. There are two sides to every coin. If they go a little deeper with the electric bass, they will discover endless beathy. Bass guitars have come a long way. They are made lighter and more powerful. They have a serious EQ system. They are active or passive. Whatever YOU prefer. There is something about a beautiful wooden bass that looks good and sounds good. A lot of people think, "why would you want to play that bass, it's only got 4 strings?" "It's not challenging enough", or "the instrument doesn't say much." Well, let me tell you - there's a lot to those 4 strings. First, there are four avenues to remember with electric bass, one being rhythmic. Two being harmoney. Three, you're pushing the composition forward. And four, the bass makes a person feel a certain way. That's the warmth and beauty of electric bass. Through my years of studying electric bass, I have found that it's an instrument that truly stands alone. That's why I adopted the bass. It's an instrument that you can be very, very creative on when composing and arranging a composition. Bass is truly beautiful. It's all in the hands. If you're intersted in learning to play bass, visit your local music store and speak with a professional bassist. Start out with a very basic and simple bass. And if you take lessons you'll have a good solid foundation. Sound Engineering - That sound guy, I tell ya! Sometimes I wonder..."does he know what he's doing"? The drums are too low, the bass is too loud, the vocalist can't be heard and everybody in the band is upset. Where do you go from there? Through my years of study in sound engineering I've found that the way to get started is to listen to a lot of recording (CD's, albums, cassettes, radio, TV) and try and get a sense of structure. Listen to where the drums are in a particular piece, bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals, background vocals, etc. Then, starting out with a small 4-track recorder (which is 4 channels) spend time analyzing these 4 tracks. What is their purpose? What can you do and not do? That is the first step in recording. PA is a whole other ballgame, but they are related. A PA is for live entertainment - concerts, halls, stadiums, things of that nature. It is a band oriented type of mixing board. A recording console board is for a closed environment. I would suggest picking up books at your local music store on mixing and mixers to give you a general idea about sound engineering. Let's talk power - meaning power amp. Make sure you get enough sufficient power to run the mixing console and the speaker system. Be very picky about MIC selection as far as miking drums go because drums will take up half of your recording channels, so use them wisely. Good cabling is a must. Put your vocalist and background vocalists on decent microphones. Recording and mixing music will take you years to feel comfortable and confident with, so be patient. It will come with time and trial and error. Don't be afraid to make mistakes because that's where the best ideas come from. I suggest checking out live concerts and watching what the sound man is doing. You can learn much by just watching and listening. If you are interested in being a professional sound engineer, go to your local music store and talk to a professional sound person. Start out small, stay within your budget, take your time, and Do It Your Way. That's how I got started. |
