Groove...

Have you ever heard the term 'The Groove is King'?

It kind of means that the Groove is the most important thing to focus on when we play the drums. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to drummers who are playing 300mph around the kit playing polyrhythms and crazy odd time patterns, but ultimately, the drummers that just focus on a Groove and play what's needed are the most in demand players. I've always thought that it is super important to listen to as much music as you can. I've got to admit though, I was and still am a metal head and so focus mainly on them. Classic Rock and Heavy Metal are my forms of music, I love them both, but you really should listen to as much music in all the different genres to get a great idea of where your musical path is and to enhance your playing.

One of my favourite Groove players is Steve Jordan. He has played for many different artists and appeared on hundreds of albums. His work especially with John Mayer is outstanding! Check out 'Continuum'. It is an awesome album, each song is great. One of the tracks is 'Vultures'. It's such a simple pattern to be playing, but the way Steve Jordan Grooves on the track is kind of hypnotic. Incredible!



Ideally, you want to be a 'happy medium' drummer. The ability to throw in what you want on the drums, but also have a great groove.
A couple of drummers that I feel have the best of both worlds right now are Gavin Harrison from Porcupine Tree and session/clinic ace Benny Greb. They have all the chops you could ever want but still keep an incredible Groove happening.





I think Chad Smith can really be called 'One of Every Drummer's Favourites'. I've never met a drummer who doesn't like his playing with the Chili Peppers. During Modern Drummer's Festival in 2005 he showed perfectly what I'm trying to sum up in this post. While all the other drummers during the weekend were all over their kits, showing off their undoubtable rhythmical talents, he just got on his drums and did this -



So folks, start really focussing on your Groove! Make sure whenever you play a track with feel, move a little. If you aren't moving, how do you expect your audience to move? If you are a bit of a loose cannon on the kit, just take a few minutes to just play a basic beat making sure that you get the Groove going.

I hope this helps some people and that you enjoy the tracks on this post. Try some of the artists albums, you never know, you just might like them!

See you soon!

CT