What Metaphors Do You Use in Your Playing?

spleeeeen

spleeeeen

Platinum Member
When I was watching the Peter Erskine video Anthony posted, it got me thinking about the first time I saw him in a clinic setting (c. 1987). He was sweeping a brush pattern on a snare drum and talked about how, for him, it was like "stirring the soup."

This always stuck with me and I still find it really helpful. It's like I can smell the aroma and know that I'm gently contributing to making something that tastes really good.

Some of my other "go to" metaphors:

- Thinking of the time and groove as a wheel rolling smoothly down the street.
- Thinking of "simmering" the groove, giving just enough heat to keep it cooking but not too much to make it boil over.

Uncle Larry has give me a couple of good ones as well but I'll let him take ownership of those.

How about your? What metaphors do you get a lot of use out of?
 
After playing drums for about 45 years now, I've come to the conclusion that we as drummers are not responsible for "keeping time" as that's just so one-dimensional. Rather, we "draw the lines in the coloring book for others to scribble within".

As long as we keep the edges neat and the outlines strong it makes it easy for others to color in their parts, and the picture turns out neat and concise.
 
45 years playing the drums? How old are you BillRay? You look MUCH younger in your videos.

GeeDeeEmm
 
gdmoore28 said:
45 years playing the drums? How old are you BillRay? You look MUCH younger in your videos.

GeeDeeEmm
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I've been doing this for a very long time! I'll be 47 this year.

O7wYwUP.jpg
 
Percolating - I like to call that groove I lay down on one of the faster country songs we sometimes play that I'm "percolating". Bubbling along with that Lay Down Sally kind of groove.

Boom Titty - This is the beat that our fearless leader, guitar player and owner of our fabulous studio space calls the drum parts we figure out during rehearsals. He says, "your part goes boom titty boom titty". It's the metaphor for screwed up drumming.

Silky Smoove - This is the way I play songs like Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, Comfortably Numb, Dark Eyed Cajun Woman and Moondance.

Cookin' with Gas - I hate this one but sometimes our bass player says this after we nailed a song we've already played 200 times.

We Suck Less - This one is JR shouts out after I mess up an ending to a song.

That's a few ;-)
 
I love metaphors and analogies. I like to think of the drums as the trellis and the rest of the musicians like a tomato plant weaving in and out of the trellis. We are the support, which allows the fruit to flourish.

I also like to think of drums as the frame of the automobile. Everything gets attached to the frame eventually. The frame doesn't really get featured, but it's the common element that ties everything together. It's not glamorous. We are the grimy guys in the engine room while all the first class passengers drink champagne.

I equate playing drums to riding a bike. When you ride a bike, you are not looking at your pedals, your eyes are fixed on the road and where you are going. So when you play drums, you shouldn't be concerned with the mechanics (looking at the pedals of the bike) you should be focused on the road (the song and what the others are playing).

The goal is to get the mechanics portion of playing drums on auto pilot so your brain can be free to instruct your body what to do, (navigate the song) instead of using all your brainpower to just get the bike moving.
 
My favourite metaphors on drums

Rain on my wedding day

Free ride except I am already there

No smoking sign on my ciggy break
 
BillRayDrums said:
After playing drums for about 45 years now, I've come to the conclusion that we as drummers are not responsible for "keeping time" as that's just so one-dimensional. Rather, we "draw the lines in the coloring book for others to scribble within".

As long as we keep the edges neat and the outlines strong it makes it easy for others to color in their parts, and the picture turns out neat and concise.
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I like that analogy. It sounds pretty true to life. The only one that comes to mind for me is "we are in the drivers seat" We drive the band or the song, we control it's speed, steer it in the right direction, and get it safely through all the intersections of the music.
 
Been working on the Markus Williams fill this week.

At first, I sounded like four American footballs rolling down an up-escalator.
 
When there's a thunderstorm I usually jam with it.

BillRayDrums said:
After playing drums for about 45 years now, I've come to the conclusion that we as drummers are not responsible for "keeping time" as that's just so one-dimensional. Rather, we "draw the lines in the coloring book for others to scribble within".

As long as we keep the edges neat and the outlines strong it makes it easy for others to color in their parts, and the picture turns out neat and concise.
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I used to tell my last band that keeping time was everyone's job, not just the drummer's. I said my role was to make the expected "drummy sounds" to go with what they were playing.

My approach is also one-dimensional, just a different, and much less in-demand dimension :)
 
Drummers provide the rail upon which the rest of the band rides.
 
The band is a car, and I am the engine.

Sure people are looking at the flashy exterior and paint job (i.e. lead singer and/or lead guitar player), but it's the engine that is making the car move!

And like a car, it only runs as well as it's maintained (i.e. the band members being rehearsed and in sync).

The other one is one I'd tell my students, the music is like a train going down the tracks, time is going to continue not matter what you do, and you have to keep up or else you'll get left behind.
 
Dre25 said:
My favourite metaphors on drums

Rain on my wedding day

Free ride except I am already there

No smoking sign on my ciggy break
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Ironically, I was going to say the same thing...

I like Larry's trellis analogy. I've always thought of what we do as a sort of framework for the guys to hang their stuff off of.

Another one is, when I play, to "pull the sound out of the drum" as opposed to beating the drums into submission. Concentrating also on letting the bass drum beater come back off of the head.
 
Bill Ray,

I really like your analogy. Although different in nature, it reminded me of something Billy Ward said regarding drums in a jazz band. He said, "the music is like a cocktail party; the other instruments are the current events conversations, the small talk and such. The drums are all the happy chatter and laughter, clinking of glasses that makes it a party."

Or something like that.
 
Ah, I love this stuff!

Larry, I thought you might also discuss your "serving the food/brew, not consuming it" metaphor? One of my faves.

Keep 'em coming!
 
spleen said:
Ah, I love this stuff!

Larry, I thought you might also discuss your "serving the food/brew, not consuming it" metaphor? One of my faves.

Keep 'em coming!
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Oh I forgot that one. It's parallels brewing beer. The brewmaster can't be imbibing in the brew while he's brewing it. Meaning a drummer has to keep their head to a certain extent, and can't enjoy the music as carefree as a listener does. Of course there's enjoyment, but like driving a bus, there are still responsibilities to meet. We are not a passenger on the bus, and we can't get intoxicated from our product.

Or a preparing food parallel. A chef works his magic so all the others can really enjoy what he's prepared. It's not his/her time or place to fully enjoy his preparations, he is busy taking care of everyone else.
 
The guitarist in my band came up with this one:

prison pounding!

He used that to describe the outro of one of our song that is a straight 16th note double bass beat, not too fast but played really hard. Actually, he's come up with more but they are a bit too nasty to share.
 
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