The Ironing Board in Chicago

00:00:06: Hi everyone and welcome back to the BennyGrab podcast.

00:00:10: Well, I told you last time that i wanted to release these episodes around the end of each month or The beginning is the next one And being the punctual German that I am... ...I'm already about two days behind schedule

00:00:25: But there's a good reason for that as mentioned

00:00:29: in our last episode of moving both my studio and home, so these days are filled with not only playing drums occasionally or

00:00:39: pad

00:00:40: but I'm also building holders for acoustic panels

00:00:45: drawing

00:00:45: room-acoustic plans.

00:00:47: Moving boxes around doing all kinds things that suddenly become very important when you're creating a new space.

00:00:54: Also cleaning some spider webs by the way But that delay shouldn't beat to your disadvantage,

00:01:00: quite the opposite.

00:01:02: While I'm preparing next guest interview for next month... ...I was thinking about how could i still give you something valuable in meantime?

00:01:11: First of all

00:01:12: thankyouforallthegreatfeedbacki'vereceivedsincethelastepisode.

00:01:16: It seems that quite a few have checked out my book Effective Practicing For Musicians which is wonderfultohear andin many ways as a companion to this podcast, so thank you for the support.

00:01:31: What fewer people seem to

00:01:33: know though is

00:01:34: that there's also complete audiobook version available at bennigrap.com narrated

00:01:40: by yours truly!

00:01:43: So I thought i'd share little gift

00:01:45: with today what your about.

00:01:48: here are two chapters from the audiobook for free, they're easy to jump into packed with practical ideas and both revolve around a topic that feels especially relevant.

00:01:58: To me right now.

00:02:00: how do keep practicing when circumstances aren't ideal?

00:02:04: One chapter is about finding ways... ...to practice when you set up your room or situation isn't perfect.

00:02:10: The other explores ways to practice even without instrument.

00:02:14: Yes!

00:02:14: That's possible too

00:02:16: And sometimes it really makes sense Whenever you're traveling between practice spaces or simply trying to make the best of time and resources available, I hope these chapters give some useful ideas for inspiration.

00:02:30: One thing before we get started... Because they come directly from a book, They have more workshop-ish and interactive feel than a typical podcast

00:02:41: episode.

00:02:43: So don't just think as something to consume passively.

00:02:47: if possible.

00:02:48: There are some key takeaways and some practical ideas in there that you can treat almost like homework assignment, things that you could immediately apply to your own practicing or environment at home.

00:03:01: So don't hold back!

00:03:03: Try this

00:03:03: stuff

00:03:04: out experiment with it because as always the real rewards do not come from hearing ideas.

00:03:10: they came form putting them into action.

00:03:15: With that in mind, sit back and enjoy.

00:03:17: And let's jump right in!

00:03:21: Practicing anywhere Although it is ideal to practice in an environment that feels nice and comfortable complete with all the resources we need.

00:03:33: We shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking this is only way to be productive.

00:03:39: The feasibility of practicing a instrument Is usually determined by three factors The size The volume it produces, what the neighbors usually call noise and its portability or immobility as the case may be.

00:03:58: The bigger louder and more cumbersome your instrument... ...the more limited your practice opportunities may seem but we can drastically expand our practice options by being resourceful in identifying smaller quieter & more portable alternatives.

00:04:16: The ironing board in Chicago.

00:04:19: I will never forget the time i was invited to perform at a drum festival In chicago.

00:04:24: master drummer steve smith and i were scheduled To close, the show with a duo piece using brushes as an encore.

00:04:33: As usual there wasn't much Time to prepare And since we hadn't seen each other in A while We planed to meet backstage for a rehearsal where the Other acts Were performing on stage.

00:04:44: Since the sound generated by a couple of snare drums would clearly be too loud during this show, I resigned myself to the idea that we'd just discuss form and peace on certain cues.

00:04:57: At least it's better than nothing,"I

00:04:59: thought."

00:05:00: When i entered backstage area there among usual sagging couches in Hollywood light bulb mirror was Steve smiling with brushes?

00:05:12: Hey Benny, remember when we did Salt Peanuts with Jeff Hamilton a couple of years ago?

00:05:18: Come on around the board here.

00:05:19: Let's play it.

00:05:21: before I could stemmer The what board he started to casually Play A swing beat On an ironing board that two my ears produced this sweetest brush sound i had ever heard.

00:05:35: This stupid household item which can be found in most hotel rooms delivered all the nuance and responsiveness you could ask for.

00:05:45: It was beautifully quiet, And as an added bonus even stood at a comfortable height for playing.

00:05:52: This is resourcefulness The opposite of I would if i could but can't To finish this story that night we actually ended up performing the piece on the ironing board on stage and myself received a standing ovation, I believe in that order.

00:06:16: Ever since that experience i tend to view hotel rooms & greenrooms as merely a big playground of surfaces that offer different degrees of rebound for different practicing purposes.

00:06:28: You might say well sure drummers have it easy here.

00:06:31: what about my upright bass?

00:06:34: I hear you but at least don't need a PA an electrical outlet.

00:06:39: No single trick or piece of equipment will work for everyone everywhere, but I do encourage you to think some options on your particular instrument that might not have been considered until now.

00:06:52: Here are examples.

00:06:55: Drummers can use all kinds practice pads both hands and feet including little ones.

00:07:00: you can strap onto the knee or practically any surface with a towel on it.

00:07:05: Trumpet players can use a dampener plus headphones for significantly quieter practice.

00:07:11: An electric guitar can be strummed, unplugged so to speak almost anywhere.

00:07:17: Vocalists may not able sing at the top of their lungs when taking public transit but they don't have to hall set up and tune any additional gear once they arrive On-the road.

00:07:30: I've seen writers and arrangers produce entire soundtracks and ad campaigns using just a mini USB keyboard, and laptop while others complain about all the wasted time spent waiting around on tour.

00:07:46: Find value in exploring your options If you haven't already try to shift mindset of this.

00:07:53: Sure!

00:07:54: You can see it as compromise less than real thing.

00:07:59: Some drum educators even talk practice pad if was chore that sucks but one that you have to do in the sense of, You gotta eat your veggies!

00:08:10: I've never understood this.

00:08:12: For a start practice pads has actually helped me improve because i find it way easier to hear certain inconsistencies on the pad compared to the snare and Practice Pads have gifted me with some wonderfully productive practice sessions from early mornings at The Beach To late nights At home With my son asleep That I wouldn't Have experienced otherwise.

00:08:35: Be resourceful and reap the benefits of a whole new world of practicing options.

00:08:42: Key points.

00:08:44: Number one, consider the three parameters of size volume and portability And how they apply to your instrument.

00:08:53: Recognize How They might pose limitations To Your practice time.

00:08:58: number two Research alternatives and brainstorm about ways to change these parameters or even free yourself from these limitations.

00:09:08: Number three, review the settings in your daily routine and think about how you could transform them into new practice environments.

00:09:17: Look at traveling and waiting times Your living space

00:09:21: Your

00:09:21: workplace Vacation stays And so on.

00:09:26: Number four Set up a satellite or stripped down practice area In your home Especially if You are used to practicing.

00:09:36: Could you squeeze in some practice time while someone else takes a nap?

00:09:41: Number five, develop an appreciation for these alternative practice setups and the advantages they offer.

00:09:49: For instance I made a list of places & day times i can practice with pad where couldn't with real drum set.

00:09:58: Number six lastly brainstorm about ways to gain access.

00:10:06: Some people conclude too easily that they have to live with a stripped-down version all the time.

00:10:13: Could you ask a friend, music school community center or church about spending time with real piano and drum set one night a week once per month?

00:10:24: Ask around!

00:10:26: You might be surprised to find your efforts rewarded.

00:10:33: Practicing without instrument.

00:10:36: Let's take it step further.

00:10:38: Since most of us think practicing requires spending time with the instrument, we might be overlooking some exercises that could help develop our skills and improve the way we

00:10:48: perform.

00:10:49: In some cases it's simply not necessary to have your instrument nearby.

00:10:54: but apart from being practical in terms offering more choices for practising I believe its actually advantageous to do certain exercises away form the instrument.

00:11:05: Practicing music in this way can help solve, or even uncover all kinds of challenges that have nothing to do with what we usually regard as technique.

00:11:15: Identifying tips for focusing on these areas can help us sharpen our musicality in many ways.

00:11:22: In medicine there is a saying The correct diagnosis Is half the cure.

00:11:28: It's so easy to blame our stupid hands Or lack coordination and fine motor skills when the real problem might be an absence of clarity and vision about what we actually want to play in the first place.

00:11:42: This is like a guy who runs to the doctor, find out whats wrong with his vocal cords after he could barely utter something intelligible When His secret crush boarded The Elevator.

00:11:54: Here are just some ideas.

00:11:58: Learning song forms.

00:12:00: Have you ever struggled to play a song from beginning-to-end or classical piece, top-to bottom?

00:12:06: Then why not make sure that you really know it well?

00:12:09: so those little moments of doubt don't cause a hiccup and prevent you playing a passage.

00:12:14: You could easily play if there wasn't the question mark in your head about what comes next.

00:12:20: Particularly with new material most our internal CPU becomes occupied with precisely what we need at each moment.

00:12:30: If you add a dash of insecurity about what comes next, it can overload your system and lead to a crash.

00:12:37: This is what happened to the guy in The Elevator.

00:12:40: His vocal chords were not the problem.

00:12:43: his ability to speak wasn't at fault but when he found himself taken by surprise In an nerve-wracking situation He simply didn't know What To Say.

00:12:54: Try this exercise Pick A Song You Think You Know Very Well Pick the right tempo, count it off and sing in your head.

00:13:04: Don't speed up!

00:13:05: don't slow down.

00:13:07: Do you hear the intro on your mind?

00:13:09: Exactly how long is this?

00:13:11: Does singing start right away or do we first here some instrumental chords?

00:13:16: Try to make a recollection of that song as specific and accurate as possible.

00:13:22: If you get thrown-off, make note compare with recording then try again.

00:13:28: Don't get discouraged.

00:13:30: This exercise can be harder than it sounds.

00:13:34: You might discover that most if not all of your repertoire is Not as clear in your mind, as you thought It was and That's okay.

00:13:42: Just repeat it a few times.

00:13:45: You'll find that knowing the song better In a deeper way will reduce stress And free up more bandwidth for you to actually play Rhythmic Vocabulary.

00:14:02: It's pretty common for drummers to think they have little to do with chord progressions or melody.

00:14:08: We've all heard the jokes that a drummer is not a musician, but the converse also true of singers violinists pianist and guitarists who thinks essential timing exercises just aren't top priority.

00:14:24: whether you're a percussionist A lot can be done to improve your confidence and awareness of rhythmic phrases even when away from the instrument.

00:14:36: If you need ideas, I suggest you check out The Language Of Drumming available as a book or video course at my website.

00:14:44: It offers a simple but complete system that helps prepare for almost any musical phrase.

00:14:50: in relation with a quarter note pulse I'm constantly getting great feedback from guitarists, bass players and classical musicians who have used this system to widen their repertoire even though they don't play the drums.

00:15:04: Gap Click App.

00:15:07: Keeping a consistent tempo is another basic skill that's far too often under-emphasized in A Musician's Practice Regimen.

00:15:14: This is great for everything from trying to tap out the quarter note through the gap, To working on singing phrases over-the-gap click cycle.

00:15:30: By leaving some of the metronome beats silent it gently forces you to state the tempo on your own.

00:15:38: When the click comes back in You'll immediately feel if you've slowed down or sped up.

00:15:43: If do this regularly It will quickly improve and serve well In any style music regardless of what instrument you play.

00:15:52: If you have a smartphone, check out an app called GapClick which was designed by a certain very handsome and intelligent German drummer who's also very humble but seriously.

00:16:04: this app lets to easily select how many bars the click will be audible How long it'll silent And whether the click should appear on different note of the subdivision every two bars.

00:16:15: This gives you the ability to test and train your sense of tempo, awareness & accuracy of subdivision.

00:16:22: Again it's a great exercise that can do almost anywhere!

00:16:27: When figuring out more complex songs I usually start by clapping on quarter notes for first time.

00:16:33: through this way You'll really feel any possible insecurities or question mark moments that attack later.

00:16:42: A more challenging version is to clap on the offbeat or the second sixteenth of each quarter note.

00:16:48: I could go on like this forever, but i think you get the idea.

00:16:53: anything that deals with tempo time and song form is easy to do when away from your instrument!

00:17:00: And hey we have to work on these elements anyway.

00:17:03: so why not focus on them when we can't practice anything else?

00:17:09: I can focus on the things that really require me to be sitting at my instrument.

00:17:42: Come up with a list of all the ways you could practice without your instrument.

00:17:47: Note this isn't an either or scenario.

00:17:51: some things You've practiced exclusively on your instruments so far can show up here as well.

00:17:58: number three Choose one song, you are working on and take a few complete passes only in Your head then play it on your instrument And see if there's been any improvement.

00:18:10: Number four be resourceful.

00:18:13: Download a metronome app like GapClick by BennyGrab, which will help improve your ability to keep tempo and heighten awareness of subdivision whether you're with or without instrument.

00:18:38: And if you do, I'd love to hear your feedback of course and learn what you got out of it.

00:18:52: Now also hope that you'll join me again next month when

00:18:55: i will be back

00:18:56: with another guest interview from the archives.

00:18:59: in those conversations are always try dive

00:19:01: deep into practice habits

00:19:03: routines learning strategies some truly inspiring musicians.

00:19:08: but whatever you doing next wish all the best.

00:19:11: have a great day.

00:19:12: thanks for listening.