Developing drum brain (5 steps to learn songs more efficiently)

Being a drummer is not only having coordination and steady time, but also a whole way of thinking and organizing information. I like to use the term "drum brain" with my students. It represents a general strategy for breaking down music (either from reading or listening), so that you can learn and memorize songs quickly.

Let me explain this using 5 steps. Starting on a more micro level and gradually zooming out to see the full song.

1. Read music top to bottom, not left to right

The drum kit is unique among instruments because it is purely rhythmic. There are no melodies or harmonies, just rhythms. So instead of reading left to right like in a book, it's more useful to ask, what is each limb doing? Most likely, the right hand is keeping time on a cymbal, the left hand is playing the backbeat on the snare, the right foot is playing a bass drum pattern, and maybe the left foot is keeping time on the hi-hat. Having the ability to allow your mind to focus in on each limb separately is a big hack to learning beats.

2. Find the patterns of each limb

The next step once you are able to separate the limbs is to start defining the exact patterns inside the measure. Start with the low hanging fruit first, such as the right hand pattern. Ask yourself, is it 8th notes, 4th notes, 16th notes, something else? This really helps as you begin to construct the musical grid of the measure. Once the grid gets into focus, count out the patterns of the snare and bass drum. Make sure to use numbers as you go through each limb, such as snare drum is on beats "2" and "4", and bass drum hits are on beats "1" and the "and of 3". Putting numbers to parts keeps them consistent and defined.

3. Define the musical phrases

Now it's time to look beyond individual measures, and start hearing the bigger musical phrases. Phrases are where musical ideas repeat. This is typically connected to the main melody, but other instruments also play a role in defining them, such as a chord progression on the guitar. Look for groups of 2, 4, or 8 measures as a starting point. A common phrasing would be a vocal melody that is sung over 4 measures, that 4 measure melody is then repeated a number of times. Hearing music in phrases is vital as a drummer because it simplifies what needs to be memorized. Instead of counting one measure at a time, think bigger chunks and how many times they repeat. Remember not every song has even number phrasing, Everlong by Foo Fighters famously uses 7 measure phrases.

4. Write out the arrangement

Zooming out again, now it's time to organize the arrangement of the song. This is where you want to put names to parts such as, verse, chorus, pre-chorus, bridge, solo, interlude, etc. I almost always write this part out and would recommend you do the same. Count out the measures of each section and organize them into their phrases. Hopefully by this point the whole song will start to become more in focus. If you can count and play verse 1, then you can probably play verse 2, 3, and beyond because they will most likely share the same beats. This tends to be even more true for the choruses. Some song arrangements are obvious and others less so. Bullet with Butterly wings by The Smashing Pumpkins starts with a verse of 14 measures, then pre-chorus of 10 measures, and then chorus of 8 and a half measures! Lesson here, always count.

5. Play through the whole song, and then fill in the gaps

Once the entire song has generally been mapped out you want to try and play through the whole thing as best as possible. I can't stress how crucial this step is. Don't get bogged down with every fill or a tiny nuance that only happen once in the song. Simplify the tricky parts enough to allow you to finish the song, AND THEN tackle them one at a time. You really want to avoid getting stuck at the same part every time because It can quickly start feeling defeating and overwhelming just because of one measure, or even one note. Strip down parts as much as needed to make it though top to bottom without stopping. It's the smart way to build a song.

Try using this 5 step strategy next time you work on a new song. Start small and then slowly zoom out until you can see the whole picture. Finding repetition and patterns are a drummer's best tool and these steps are designed to put those in focus.