Last night Drums 2 Go organized a clinic by Dave Weckl that's sure to be talked about for a long time. Sabian Regional Rep Gregg Zeller gave the introduction as well as some flattering remarks about the level of service there is to be expected at the Orlando drum shop.

 

"I've been to just about every drum store across the country and there aren't many, if at all that offer the type of quality and education to their customers that is seen here at this store." So before I begin I would just like to thank Shane, Michelle, and the rest of the staff at Drums2Go for having all of these great drum clinics and inviting us out to see Mr. Weckl perform.

 

The night started with Dave playing an improv solo for the crowd. Listening to the tone of the drums few people have the skill to play their instrument as melodically and cleanly as Dave seems to manipulate the sound at will. He is a very smooth and thoughtful performer, focusing on the groove at all times. When finished, he answered a few questions about the gear he uses and why Sabian became the cymbal of choice.

 

"I wanted a cymbal that when I touched it...it would respond beautifully without having to beat the crap out of it." He went on to mention that while his main inspiration for creating the  Ozone crash was the distinctive sound of Steve Gadd's cymbals. It wasn't until Weckl saw Gadd perform live that he noticed most of his cymbals were cracked! He instantly fell in love with the trashy sound they produced and pitched the idea around until he was FINALLY able to convince a cymbal company to put holes in them. "What's cool about Sabian is that they'll pretty much make whatever you want to make. If you ask nicely."

 

What was really insightful was Weckl's emphasis on teaching and not "performing" for the crowd so to speak, he really wanted to teach more than entertain so that people could take something withe them to apply to their everyday playing style. Tips such as stretching, warm up exercises, coordination drills, and staying relaxed while keeping your grip loose so you can use physics to play the drum. These are some of the techniques he picked up from one of his main influences and living legend, Freddie Gruber. When asked, Dave had this to say about his long time mentor. "Really, it's very simple. What Freddie teaches is not drums. Cause it's not about really playing drums - to be able to play. It's about understanding the laws of physics."

Action vs. Reaction - every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Action- producing the stroke

Reaction- rebound of the stick

So the action is the stroke, the reaction is the rebound; whether we let the stick rebound is up to us. Most of us are taught to get in our own way and stop that reaction. That's why drummers tend to have injuries, such as pain, blisters and other ailments as wel las damaged equipment because we're not allowing energy to get out of the body and keep it flowing out into the drums. Dave also emphasizes to hold the stick loosely with your middle fingers to create a pendulum effect. "A lot of the foundational type of practice for technique development can be done away from the drum set."

In addition to the regulars that came out to pack the house celebrity drummers John Blackwell (Prince, JT) and Casey Grillo (Kamelot) came out to share in the knowledge Dave had to offer. Be sure to check back with us  follow these two closely as we can expect some major announcements for special news events, clinics, and upcoming tour info.

 

Afterwards Dave was on hand to answer more questions and sign autographs. One thing he stressed was that there is something to be learned from EVERYBODY- and teacher, mentor, or instructor can't help you play the drums. All they can do is set a positive example and provide you with direction. The ability to play the drums, and play them well has to come from the passion you have inside yourself. And anything worth having takes hard work and dedication.

For the rest of the pics click here https://drummerconnection.com/v/Users/webadmin/DaveWeckl09_24_08/

For more info on Dave Weckl visit http://www.daveweckl.com/

Check out Drums2go at http://www.drums2go.com/

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