Are you a Groove Player or a Technical Player?

It's difficult, Larry. I try to take it one day at a time. How does one keep at bay intrusive thoughts of precise 16th note subdivisions, 4-limb coordinated independence and deep control of internal dynamics?

Then there are the nightmares ... I'm in a labour camp and David Garibaldi is forcing me to tap quarter notes at 40bpm until I can bury the click ... I wake up screaming "The flams ... the flams!"

You go girl. Anon La Ply. So much better than she suggests. What a great drummer she is. Pay no attention to her self effacing-ness, the woman can really lay it down nicely.
 
Personally, I am definitely more of a groove player. It really depends on the kind of music and what the music calls for if you ask me. I think its so cool to hear a great groove but some crazy ass off the wall fill in sections. Latley with all the jazz and reggae stuff I have been learning, I will say I am leaning more towards the groove feel. I think StickIt would agree (I think he is the only person that has heard my playing lol.) but anyways yeah definitely more groove like. :p
 
the woman can really lay it down nicely.

I can play a bit of drums too!

I think I'm the only one to admit being a technical player and I'm dead simple with less technique than the vast majority of regulars here. I think this reflects what appears to be a stigma against the naturally ungroovy.

So why should a simple drumming bozo like me claim to be "technical"? I'm not an emotional player - I don't express myself through drums (I do that much better with words). I'm a bit unco and goofy, and not really a groovy kind of gal ... eg. I can't dance to save my life and my attempts at stick tricks are laughable. I'm constantly in trouble and my process of playing is a series of small recoveries.

But I can analyse a track and think things through - working out effective (somewhat minimal) drum parts through a mix of logic and instinct and have developed reasonable timing and a fair bit of theory for a totally untrained 100% non-pro hobbyist.

To me, that's more technical-minded and nerdy than "groove", although if I get the timing right then some drum parts will naturally groove.
 
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Heavens help us !
You guys are turning self deprecation into an art form !

Please, allow yourselves the credit you are due for what you do.
You groove ..............objective 1
You will use technique to achieve that.

If something else is required, you apply available technique with 'taste'....objective 2

The thing that 'sits under' technique is soul/ spirit/ individuality.

By the way, I'm defining technique as the ability to hit the right things in the right order.

Enjoy !
 
I'm constantly in trouble and my process of playing is a series of small recoveries.

You take the self-deprecation too far sometimes (you're a fine player, whether you know it or not), but this is really funny, Grea. The kind of thing one puts in one's forum signature. Well done.
 
I have always been more of a technical player...always trying to get everything perfect. I focused so much on tightness in my playing that I never learnt to groove.

Kinda sucks actually.
 
You take the self-deprecation too far sometimes (you're a fine player, whether you know it or not), but this is really funny, Grea. The kind of thing one puts in one's forum signature. Well done.

Way kind, Mr L, but my brain is one that likes to linger and, well, mull over things in detail. Meanwhile music goes by quickly.

So it's rare that I'm thinking of the next note while playing the current one, which I understand is the Zen zone. I'm usually mentally playing catchup and tidying up whatever train wreck I happen to be inadvertently concocting ...


Josh, nothing wrong with not being a groover if that's who you are. Groove is in vogue, but it was a mere, um, 40 years ago (yipes!) that prog was popular with the masses and many drummers were approaching the playing in a more cerebral way rather than the funky, groovy, get-down-baby approach that's everywhere today. It's okay to be white and nerdy ... or in the words of Weird Al ...

I edit Wikipedia
I memorised "Holy Grail" really well
I can recite it right now and have you ROTFLOL
I got a business doing web sites
When my friends need some code who do they call?
I do HTML for them all
Even made a homepage for my dog!
Yo! Got myself a fanny pack
they were having a sale down at the GAP
Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap
POP POP! Hope no one sees me gettin' freaky!
 
Think of all the drummers known for their chops. I don't even have to drop names. They groove like crazy. It does't have to be either/or. I strive for both though I don't have monster chops. Yet!
 
So as I progress further along this drumming journey, I'm beginning to sense there are two basic approaches to drumming. Some people are striving for a groove kind of feel to their playing and some are trying to be as technical as possible. So I'm just curious, what's your approach or goal when playing?

I definitely want to become a drummer that someone listens to and say...Man, that girl can groove! I don't care about hitting 225 bpm or doing some Neil Peart 10 minute monster solo. Not a darn thing wrong with that but it's just not where I'm at.

So...Groove or technical?

The separation is real in some instances and nonexistant in others. Someone with technical skill can lay down a seriously fat groove; it is all a matter of temperament. I've heard some amazingly technically skilled drummers lay down morbidly obese grooves.

On the other hand, someone with good groove skills might not be able to play very technically. That's not a matter of temperament but of talent and skill.
 
I spent waaaaaaay too much time on being "technical" as a young player. Maybe it was a good thing, for sticking in "hip" licks and beat displacements here and there but I've found that being a groove-minded player gets you more gigs and keeps them. Sadly I've never had to play a 13 over 5 polyrhythm in a gig. Maybe someday...

I think "technique" and "technical" might mean different things to different people. The ability to pull good tones out of drums, play clear and crisp fills and have dynamic control is essential to making grooves work and sound good. To be "technical", you could say a Vinnie Colaiuta is about the best there is, but he has such an incredible time-feel that it's certainly inspired me to keep up my chops while always playing for the song.
 
I'm definitely a groove player, but in most cases one needs to have good technique in order to groove. Soul Vaccination, Rosana, Funky drummer are all groovy tunes, but demand great technical control
 
The question itself I believe can lead one to a sad place. On one hand, if you play a groove (good or bad) you're doing so with a certain technique. Most of the greatest groove players have some pretty well developed technique that allows them to be as such. And a "technical" player with no groove is un-listenable to me.

I believe these two elements are actually very closely tied together.
 
Up to this point, mostly a groove player. But the technical player is just itching to break out.
 
I'm still working on my technique, and I'm focused on that. I don't work on "groove" at all, and probably won't, so far as I know what it is. Just to be clear: not diminishing an approach in any way, it's just not something I listen to or work on.
 
I'm still working on my technique, and I'm focused on that. I don't work on "groove" at all, and probably won't, so far as I know what it is. Just to be clear: not diminishing an approach in any way, it's just not something I listen to or work on.

I still say that "technique" and "technical" are slightly different meanings, in terms of drumming. You can have great technique in terms of playing crisply, relaxed and are able to play with great dynamic control and get a great sound out of the drums like a Curt Bisquera. Curt however, will admit, he's not a Dave Weckl or a Vinnie. Playing 19/16 grooves with all kinds of over-the-barline phrases and still being able to hit all the accents in the phrase, would be "technical" and also does require a lot of technique. I think you CAN have great technique but not approach playing music from a technical angle... if that makes sense.
 
The question itself I believe can lead one to a sad place. On one hand, if you play a groove (good or bad) you're doing so with a certain technique. Most of the greatest groove players have some pretty well developed technique that allows them to be as such. And a "technical" player with no groove is un-listenable to me.

I believe these two elements are actually very closely tied together.

Perfectly stated. It's a 2 prong approach. It's like saying, do you prefer your right leg, or your left leg? So they are joined together. That's why they call it hip lol.

I think everyone must past this mile marker in the journey. The groove vs feel threads from the past are classic battles. I don't think Mary realized that she just naturally stumbled upon a burning question that most drummers ask at some point. Which Bill really crystallized.
 
I think everyone must past this mile marker in the journey. The groove vs feel threads from the past are classic battles. I don't think Mary realized that she just naturally stumbled upon a burning question that most drummers ask at some point. Which Bill really crystallized.

You are correct...I seem to have created a monster but I must say reading the responses has been enlightening and entertaining. I'm glad to see this one revived.
 
This monster has been to this town a number of times....and I bet this isn't the last we will see of it/him/her/Watso
 
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