Learning Songs: Should you learn the exact drum part?

► Start Your FREE StephensDrumShed Drum School Trial Here: https://www.stephensdrumshed.com/sign... _______________ Learning Songs: Should you learn the exact drum part? -- I've gotten this question quite a bit since I started posting the gigging drummer series. When learning a drum part on the drums, should we learn it and play it EXACTLY like the recording every time? Should we ignore the recording altogether? Is there a happy medium? I've been doing paid cover song gigs (stage shows, clubs, weddings, artists, etc.) since the age of 16. So I have A LOT of experience in this area. Here's the first thing...learning a new song and the parts that are played is a way to learn a new player. To really dig in to their style. Secondly, it's a way to learn a new style. To learn what the main players in that style do. How they approach the songs. Many times there are smaller genres within a large genre and the differences have to do with the small nuances in a players parts. It's a fantastic learning tool. And thirdly...we have to leave room for our own selves to shine through. Some take this too far and completely ignore the original parts. I don't agree with this for the most part. But there is a happy medium (for me anyway). This is a really important topic. I have friends that play stadiums on a weekly basis...and they are literally playing a "cover" gig. They were hired by an artist to play that artist's songs and represent the album live. But they still manage to put a lot of themselves in to the show. You can check out the gigging drummer series here:    • AWARDS SHOW IN NASHVILLE | Gigging Drummer 1   But what do you think? Leave a comment and let me know! #StephenTaylor ___ FREE drum lesson series "Creating A Drum Fill Vocabulary": https://stephensdrumshed.ac-page.com/... FREE download "30 Days to Better Doubles": https://stephensdrumshed.ac-page.com/... Instagram:   / stephensdrumshed   Facebook:   / stephen.taylor.drum.lessons   Cymbal Setup From Left To Right: All Zildjian Hats: 16" EFX Crash on top 16" K Light Top Hat on bottom 18" Kerope Crash 22" K Custom Dark Complex Ride 22" Renaissance Ride Drums: Tama Starclassic Bubinga with Tiger Wood finish Sticks: Vic Firth 5A Drumheads: Aquarian Classic Clear on toms and snare resonant Response 2 on toms batter Hi-Velocity on snare batter Regularor (Ebony) on kick resonant Super Kick 10 on kick batter Alclair In Ear Monitors #StephenTaylor #BestDrumLessons