You Got Lucky - Tom Petty

[Colquhoun]

Very straightforward beat. But I just COULD NOT get my hand and foot to do the open/close hi-hat part at the right time. Like a mental block.
Here's the tune for reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARgIC0L9dDc

It was driving me NUTS. I played it over and over tonight and always hitting the splash on the hi-hat in the wrong spot. I felt like such a fool, this is not a tough beat! But why can't I get my hand to hit it at the right spot?
Then it dawned on me....dummy, break it down in the measure. It took no time, as even Tom counted it out in the beginning....the splash occurs right on 3 in the measure. And the second I started counting it, I could do it....over and over again. I was laughing out loud.
Foolish man, back to basics.
When in doubt, COUNT fer cryin' out loud....
...it's all good now.

[stickinthemud]

For my part, I often find I have "learned" a particular groove, but had part of it wrong. Unlearning is often harder than learning...

[Michael Render]

When in doubt, COUNT fer cryin' out loud....

Quote of the day!

[Fig Newton]

Totally off drum topic.
I always loved the solo on that one.

[Sabre]

And the second I started counting it, I could do it....over and over again. I was laughing out loud.

I've tried this recently on some difficult passages in songs I'm learning, and it almost seems that as soon as I start counting, I lose just about everything else...

I've found that using audacity to slow the tricky bits down, really helps me learn them more accurately. And I'm not saying counting is bad, I'm actually using it more and more and I'm certain it will make me better in the long run, but like reading sheet music it's not always easy to incorporate... for me at least.

[rythm]

I've tried this recently on some difficult passages in songs I'm learning, and it almost seems that as soon as I start counting, I lose just about everything else...

I've found that using audacity to slow the tricky bits down, really helps me learn them more accurately. And I'm not saying counting is bad, I'm actually using it more and more and I'm certain it will make me better in the long run, but like reading sheet music it's not always easy to incorporate... for me at least.

[ramondo]

For my part, I often find I have "learned" a particular groove, but had part of it wrong. Unlearning is often harder than learning...

Yep, been there. Do you often think your interpretation is better?

I wonder if drummers sometimes make it deliberately difficult (e.g. change the bass drum pattern on each new measure) because they know there's going to be lots of drummers listening.

Or on some older stuff, say from the 60s & 70s, if they went into the recording studio without any fixed idea of how it was going to be played, and just went for it at the time. Much later they'd be asked "what was that thing you were doing?" and they'd say "can't remember, it's just the way it came out, man."

I suppose what I'm saying is I try as much as possible to get the same groove when doing covers, but I won't sweat too much over the finer details, as the original drummers probably didn't (unless they played with Steely Dan) - and they there are other interpretations that work just as well. Covers that sound exactly the same are more for your dedicated "tribute" band, I feel.