What's the best thing you've learned from a clinic?

PorkPieGuy

PorkPieGuy

Platinum Member
If possible, try to limit this to one specific lesson or philosophy. I'd also like to limit this to actual clinics and not your average drum lesson.

Thanks!
 
I've attended and worked at more drum clinics than I can even remember.

The one that stands out by far was Greg Bissonette in the late 80s.

Mostly because he was so nice and was just a go-with-flow kind of guy. Since this was in his David Lee Roth era, we had a big 9pc double bass Pearl BLX. His rider said maple, but he didn't even flinch at it being Birtch. I was helping him with the clamp to the hi-hat onto the 2nd bass drum and positioning the 10" tom above it, but for some reason, we couldn't get the 10" tom to sit correctly above the hi-hat. After a while, he just said, "oh, don't worry about it, we'll just put the 10" over here (to the left of the hi-hat), it will be cool. " He was just so undemanding with no ego. Quite the opposite of many other name drummers whose clinics I worked at. Sound check was a breeze.

Then in the clinic itself, you have to remember, this was before youtube, before his VHS tape, when all anyone was expecting was the guy who played drums in the Yankee Rose video. No one was expecting his versatility. His ability to flow through styles was incredible. Balls to wall double bass one minute, jazz the next, big band, fusion Latin, he just made it all seem effortless.

More than any other clinic, I went home with the intent to practice with more seriousness and be intentional about what I was practicing. But mostly, I learned to just go with the flow and not get too hung up on anything.
 
Not many specifics that I can remember. Russ Tincher at the Berkeley jazz fest in '89 had some good things to say about time.

Elvin clinic in the early 00s, somebody asked him about his “style”, and he was dubious that he had a style, which got me thinking about that topic, rethinking what it means.

Dom Famularo was hitting his cymbals on the edge with the shank of the stick, for a harmonic kind of sound, which I've done a lot ever since.
 
Todd Sucherman's finger technique for hihat/ride or just about anything coming from a match grip. Bissonette's RLLKKRLKK fill formula in triplet form - I use it alot for noise making at the end of songs, but for some reason it wasn't available to execute after a year off from playing.

Here I am trying to get back into the drumming thing and maybe this is all just the yearly spring frenzy to get gigs in time for summer. Am I really a drummer?? LOL
 
DrumEatDrum said:
I've attended and worked at more drum clinics than I can even remember.

The one that stands out by far was Greg Bissonette in the late 80s.

Mostly because he was so nice and was just a go-with-flow kind of guy. Since this was in his David Lee Roth era, we had a big 9pc double bass Pearl BLX. His rider said maple, but he didn't even flinch at it being Birtch. I was helping him with the clamp to the hi-hat onto the 2nd bass drum and positioning the 10" tom above it, but for some reason, we couldn't get the 10" tom to sit correctly above the hi-hat. After a while, he just said, "oh, don't worry about it, we'll just put the 10" over here (to the left of the hi-hat), it will be cool. " He was just so undemanding with no ego. Quite the opposite of many other name drummers whose clinics I worked at. Sound check was a breeze.

Then in the clinic itself, you have to remember, this was before youtube, before his VHS tape, when all anyone was expecting was the guy who played drums in the Yankee Rose video. No one was expecting his versatility. His ability to flow through styles was incredible. Balls to wall double bass one minute, jazz the next, big band, fusion Latin, he just made it all seem effortless.

More than any other clinic, I went home with the intent to practice with more seriousness and be intentional about what I was practicing. But mostly, I learned to just go with the flow and not get too hung up on anything.
Click to expand...
I can attest to that same perception - attended a master class at Chicago Drum show a few years ago. Greg was very engaging as an instructor and everything was made very easy to understand. Best class I ever took and for only $25.
 
In 1990 I attended a [free] clinic put on by Kenny Aronoff. It was held at a local motel's very small banquet room and there were about 20 people there. Everyone was expecting a few stories about Mellencamp tunes but he slayed our minds with a shocking 15-minute drum solo. No joke: everyone was slack-jaw at his power & virtuosity. When he was done, I asked, "Why aren't we hearing that kind of drumming on Mellencamp tunes?" He then proceeded to tell us about his first year in the band, when he was almost cut from the group due to him trying to impress the band and manager with his "righteous chops".

Lesson learned: no matter your skill level, play to the song.
 
DrumEatDrum said:
I've attended and worked at more drum clinics than I can even remember.

The one that stands out by far was Greg Bissonette in the late 80s.

Mostly because he was so nice and was just a go-with-flow kind of guy. Since this was in his David Lee Roth era, we had a big 9pc double bass Pearl BLX. His rider said maple, but he didn't even flinch at it being Birtch. I was helping him with the clamp to the hi-hat onto the 2nd bass drum and positioning the 10" tom above it, but for some reason, we couldn't get the 10" tom to sit correctly above the hi-hat. After a while, he just said, "oh, don't worry about it, we'll just put the 10" over here (to the left of the hi-hat), it will be cool. " He was just so undemanding with no ego. Quite the opposite of many other name drummers whose clinics I worked at. Sound check was a breeze.

Then in the clinic itself, you have to remember, this was before youtube, before his VHS tape, when all anyone was expecting was the guy who played drums in the Yankee Rose video. No one was expecting his versatility. His ability to flow through styles was incredible. Balls to wall double bass one minute, jazz the next, big band, fusion Latin, he just made it all seem effortless.

More than any other clinic, I went home with the intent to practice with more seriousness and be intentional about what I was practicing. But mostly, I learned to just go with the flow and not get too hung up on anything.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Bissonette has no fear of hard work, clearly. Everything he plays seems to clearly have thousands of hours of careful practice behind it. It’s humbling
 
Probably the clinic that Dom Famularo did over here years ago.

It was an indirect philosophy........

Don't take yourself too seriously, any part of the drum kit can be an orchestra of sounds and just being a good, decent human being.

Thank you Dom, I will never forget those lessons.

Oh, during the intermission I went outside the venue for a quick walk.

The local council was doing some work on the road nearby and left a manhole cover off.

I walked over it and tripped over.

So another big lesson from a drum clinic........watch where you are walking outside a drum clinic venue.
 
DrumEatDrum said:
The one that stands out by far was Greg Bissonette in the late 80s.
Click to expand...

I was also thinking of a clinic with Greg Bissonette - in Scotland in 2000s I think. Someone asked for his best piece of advice for a working drummer and he said if someone asks if you can sing backing vocals say yes. I'm not a great singer but I took this on board and sometimes that has brought in gigs that I wouldn't have got if I'd said no. Simple practical musical advice - thank you Greg!

Caroline
 
toddbishop said:
Elvin clinic in the early 00s, somebody asked him about his “style”, and he was dubious that he had a style, which got me thinking about that topic, rethinking what it means.
Click to expand...

Do you mind writing more about this? I'm curious as to what your thoughts are after that clinic.
 
Displacing bass drum notes - one to four and all points between paying attention to beater contact and sustain .

Dave Mattacks clinic .
 
Clinics by @Gavin Harrison , Gregg Bissonette, Thomas Lang and Virgil Donati stand out in the memory. All of these guys showcased the advantages of versatility combined with a desire to push their physical/mental capabilities to the max. To a man they seemed happy to be there and were all very humble and approachable despite their ridiculous next level prowess behind the kit… :) (y)

Edit: Honourable mention for Omar Hakim whose left foot hi-hat work and veggie diet were an inspiration!
 
Last edited:
PorkPieGuy said:
Do you mind writing more about this? I'm curious as to what your thoughts are after that clinic.
Click to expand...

It's hard to say. The question was actually about something else, but the guy mentioned "your style" in asking it. So Elvin clearly wanted to address that word in particular. It seemed funny because he's thought of as being very distinctive in his "style." So if he's not thinking about that, what is he thinking about?

Partly jazz musicians don't like being called stylists, which I guess suggests somebody featured to do their one thing. Usually jazz musicians are more versatile, especially rhythm section players. As a rhythm section player you're not thinking delivering a style performance, you're thinking about time, form, accompaniment, energy. I gather that that's a good part of it.
 
You'd think that my going to Todd Suchermans clinic twice, I'd remember more details. (And he admitted to the two of us that had been previously, right from the start that it was going to be the same clinic, which we had no problem with at all)

As someone earlier mentioned, his hi-hat technique is the one that I wish I could apply and improve with. Pretty much his entire presentation was awesome, and his attitude about all things related to drumming was what made such an impact, and made me go back a second time to see the same presentation. And yes, I'll go again, if/when he comes back.
 
Last edited:
DrumEatDrum said:
I've attended and worked at more drum clinics than I can even remember.

The one that stands out by far was Greg Bissonette in the late 80s.

Mostly because he was so nice and was just a go-with-flow kind of guy. Since this was in his David Lee Roth era, we had a big 9pc double bass Pearl BLX. His rider said maple, but he didn't even flinch at it being Birtch. I was helping him with the clamp to the hi-hat onto the 2nd bass drum and positioning the 10" tom above it, but for some reason, we couldn't get the 10" tom to sit correctly above the hi-hat. After a while, he just said, "oh, don't worry about it, we'll just put the 10" over here (to the left of the hi-hat), it will be cool. " He was just so undemanding with no ego. Quite the opposite of many other name drummers whose clinics I worked at. Sound check was a breeze.

Then in the clinic itself, you have to remember, this was before youtube, before his VHS tape, when all anyone was expecting was the guy who played drums in the Yankee Rose video. No one was expecting his versatility. His ability to flow through styles was incredible. Balls to wall double bass one minute, jazz the next, big band, fusion Latin, he just made it all seem effortless.

More than any other clinic, I went home with the intent to practice with more seriousness and be intentional about what I was practicing. But mostly, I learned to just go with the flow and not get too hung up on anything.
Click to expand...
I had the same experience with Gregg too. And this was before David Lee Roth and when he was with Maynard Ferguson. Just a monster player and an excellent human. He even got to see me participate in one of those Guitar Center drum-offs decades ago, but he never told me anything 😉
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top