Liberty DeVitto on How to be a Better Drummer

Liberty Devitto on How to be a better drummer 

 

Often times as musicians we can learn as much from people who don’t play the same instrument as we can from those that do. This is because musical concepts are the same on any instrument. So when I saw this video  from Liberty DeVitto (who was Billy Joel's drummer for years) I knew it would  be a valuable resource. Liberty talks about a lot of great points and does it in a very entertaining and understandable way.  

This video is a compilation of excerpts from a live presentation at a drum clinic and the first thing he says (in the video at least) is that “Drums are not a solo instrument” and goes on to  illustrate this point by say how you will never go to a restaurant and see a drummer playing solo in the corner.

Then he goes on to say that the most important thing in a rehearsal is not the drummer or the singer, but the song itself. And asks why you are playing that part in that song? What fits and what doesn’t fit?

He relates playing music to getting ready to go on a date. He says the groove on 2 and 4 is your pants, so after you put your pants on, you open your closet and see 75 shirts. The fills are your shirts. Then he states,”Not every shirt is going to go with those pants”….”Just because you know how to play it, doesn’t necessarily mean you should”  and rounds out that section stating to “Make sure your fills go with the song you are playing.”

He goes on to talk about how the style of playing is going to be dictated by the title of the song. He points out that you are going to play a song titled “I am going to love you forever” differently than the song, ”I hate your guts so badly that I am going to drive your parents car right through your house.”

The next point that the he makes is about how a great drummer knows when to sit out and not play. Then he talks about how drummers play half the time fast and the other half slow, and how it is important to play big in ballads ….but not the whole time….and using Billy Joels “Honesty” demonstrates how to build a part dynamically.

This video is short, but packed with a lot of great information on becoming a better musician, and if you substitute the word drummer for musician, it directly applies to everyone.  Take a look and then comment below.