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Drumming and Singing
If You Have a Voice, Why Not
Use It While You're Playing Drums?
Although I take it for
granted now, I really enjoy being able to sing lead and backing vocals while
playing the drum kit. I have a tenor range, which allows me to sing many types
of parts. But, it also provides an additional challenge to just "playing". And I
like challenges.
There are a variety of
methods that a drummer can use to learn to sing backing and/or lead vocals while
drumming. But first, you must actually have the ability to stay on pitch, sing
from your diaphragm, and maintain a correct posture (to minimize motion while
you sing). If you CAN sing on-key, then you should learn to sing and play drums
- even with odd times and polyrhythms (gosh, I hate the term "odd" when
describing 5, 7, 9 beat per measure in music! But that's common western
terminology).
My Recommendations to
Develop the Skills for Singing and Drum Kit Playing:
1). Go
to a classical vocal instructor and have your voice evaluated. I took
classical vocal lessons for a year to learn the techniques necessary to breath
and project without damaging my vocal chords. This also helped me learn how to
setup my drum stool for optimum singing and playing posture (I brought my drum
throne to each lesson - and my instructor thought I was nuts).
2). As I was taking lessons, I slowly began learning backup
harmonies while playing in various bands - but I still didn't drum and sing into
the mics.
3). Before I "opened my mouth" officially behind the kit,
I found for me, that it was best to get all of my drum parts down "cold"
first. I figured this was the case because I wouldn't have to
consciously think "too much more" as I added a vocal part into the mix. Heck,
we're all already using all of our limbs when we play anyway! We have so much
more "going on" then most other musicians!
4). Next, I started learning singing parts "in sections" (and
not at a rehearsal). Personally, I would repeat a section of a piece until I
know that I was playing smoothly and was singing on pitch. I still find this to
be a successful approach. Based on this, I recommend that you don't move on to
the next vocal phrase until you've gotten both your drumming and vocal parts
down in the previous phrase. Oh, to know whether you're doing everything
correctly use a metronome (for time analysis) and a recording device (for
pitch). When you like what you hear, move on to the next phrase... and so on.
5). I recommend learning/singing backing vocal parts first.
These parts are not as constantly occurring as lead parts, but they still
require you attain the right words and notes while others are singing with you.
This allows you to gain confidence continually.
6). Use a headset mic for performing if you can. Even the best
overhead boom stands are distracting and take up too much space. One of the
absolute best headset mics that I've found for drummers is Crown's "CM 311
series" (and I don't work for Crown). This mic is able to reject essentially all
drum sounds (including the snare drum) while you sing and play! This is a very
unique capability - and a VERY important one.
Final Comments
Now that I've been singing
both lead and backing vocals for over 20 years, I find that my mind has become
"pliable" to picking up both drum AND vocal parts simultaneously (much like the
way muscle-based independent coordination works when we play the kit). It has
become second nature for me to both find harmony parts, or to sing a lead part -
"on the fly". Every now and then I do get challenged by a song (which is good).
The most important thing is that you can do
this too! If you have a decent voice, but you haven't bothered to learn to play
and sing as a drummer, then you're only limiting your playing opportunities (and
wasting your overall talent). Singing drummers are NOT the norm - and are sought
after. Thus, mastering this skill could make the difference between landing a
gig or not!
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