{"id":29573,"date":"2021-07-28T07:45:30","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T14:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=29573"},"modified":"2022-08-22T09:36:41","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T16:36:41","slug":"why-every-drummer-should-learn-jazz-drums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/why-every-drummer-should-learn-jazz-drums\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Reasons Why Every Drummer Should Learn Jazz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Let\u2019s say you play in a rock, metal, or R&amp;B band and haven\u2019t checked out much jazz.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWhy should I learn jazz drumming? I just want to rock out!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/a-drummers-guide-to-jazz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Studying jazz<\/a> will make you a better overall musician and help you take your playing to the next level in every other style of music. The same skills you need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/first-jazz-lesson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">play jazz<\/a> can help you get more gigs and even teach you social skills to apply to every other part of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still not sure? Here are a few more reasons to give it a shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Improve your listening and interaction skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A drummer\u2019s number one job in a jazz group is to make all the other musicians sound better. <em>How can I do this?<\/em> By listening! In jazz, nothing is more important than your ears. You need to be able to hear what every other instrument is playing individually and how it all fits together with what you\u2019re doing. Just like in every other style, <em>you gotta know when to fill and when to chill.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Play with sensitivity, touch, and dynamics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Having trouble nailing the quiet breakdown section in a rock tune? Learning jazz will help you achieve a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_dbJwE3Dx9g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">greater level of control<\/a> over every note you play. This is both an \u201cears\u201d and a \u201chands\u201d thing and applies to metal, Latin, R&amp;B, and every other style. More control equals a better sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4VeTn1_9TEY\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Learn independence and enhance your technique<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Studying jazz means <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3rqZFh8AXgI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">freeing up all four limbs<\/a> to play different parts and interact with each other to create your overall sound. The best jazz drummers can play the bass drum quietly, use their hi-hat freely, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/5-iconic-jazz-licks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">play loose and melodic rhythms<\/a> on the ride and snare. This is great for metal, prog rock, and everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Improvise, adjust on the fly, and learn to be open-minded<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best things about jazz is that <em>you never know exactly what\u2019s going to happen<\/em>. Playing it can teach you how to take <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/NjFfu7HKOro?t=2621\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">mistakes<\/a> and turn them into incredible musical moments. Learning to expect the unexpected can bring you out of your shell creatively and be tons of fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Expand your musical vocabulary and play melodically<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Being able to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100002704179607\/videos\/2474068652693250\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">play melodically on the drum set<\/a> is one of the most important lessons in jazz. This concept will help you come up with ideas for your drum solos and open your mind to new rhythms you didn\u2019t even know existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yfabTGZjCEQ\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Learn to follow the form<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Jazz drummers might sound like they\u2019re just chugging along and playing whatever they want, right? Nope! They\u2019re actually counting like crazy the whole time to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/how-to-play-take-five-beginner-drummers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">keep the form<\/a>, mark all the sections, and hold the band together. Jazz players also know how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/how-to-learn-songs-on-drums\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">read and write charts<\/a> which will help you learn and memorize music more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/45Ue586twWA\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Improve your swing feel<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While it\u2019s important to play cleanly and with precision, drummers are not robots and jazz drumming has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W9GVF2AqZO4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">looseness to the feel<\/a> that translates to many other styles. Knowing how to use the concept of swing can help your rock shuffle, your singer-songwriter gig, and your R&amp;B playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step up your social skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Jazz is the ultimate democracy. Everyone gets a solo and supports each other to make the group sound better. It\u2019s a truly collective effort that can teach you empathy, patience, open-mindedness and camaraderie. These things can help you become a more well-rounded player and a better person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M6M4zr4hrpo\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Watch people call you for more gigs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Versatility is where it\u2019s at! Many of the best jazz drummers have gone on to mainstream commercial success by applying these skills to other genres. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/the-inside-story-of-david-bowies-stunning-new-album-blackstar-231351\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Mark Guiliana\u2019s work w\/David Bowie<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mOlyMvRlezI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Nate Smith w\/Vulfpeck<\/a> and Emily King<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ou70vvjE8k4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Steve Gadd\u2019s work with Paul Simon<\/a> (and everybody else)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YcShIVoA-gs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Omar Hakim\u2019s<\/a> playing with Madonna, Sting &amp; Daft Punk<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/AOrsdDvNL0Q?t=49\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Cindy Blackman Santana\u2019s time with Lenny Kravitz<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6Sk8itxAK8g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Keith Carlock\u2019s work with Steely Dan<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VRtMvWXSTr4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Vinnie Colaiuta\u2019s playing w\/Sting<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ki97mpo6Y_Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Stewart Copeland\u2019s playing w\/The Police<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ki97mpo6Y_Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Mitch Mitchell\u2019s time w\/Jimi Hendrix<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re a non-jazz drummer or an &#8216;aspiring Steve Gadd&#8217;, you can see why having jazz skills under your belt can help you across the board. What are you waiting for?<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every drummer should learn to play jazz drums &#8211; even you rock and metal buffs. Here&#8217;s why!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":29600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4016],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29573"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29573"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30500,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29573\/revisions\/30500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}