How to Use a Play Along CD: The Best Way For Drummers to Practice on Their Own
When we first learned how to play the drums, we learned a few basic beats, and maybe a fill or two. But taking your drumming to the next level requires more.
You’re a beginning drum student. Or maybe you’re an experienced drummer hitting the clubs and working the scene. But no matter what level you’re at, one thing is a constant: practice.
Unfortunately, this usually requires playing with other musicians, which is not always possible with everyone’s busy schedule. Another drawback is there may come a point where you’ve outgrown the people you play with and need more challenge to continue improving.
Perhaps you get labeled as playing a certain style, and are unable to get a gig in another genre. Maybe you’re a Funk drummer who wants to play country. Or a Jazz player who wants to rock. Once you’re associated with a particular form of music, it can be quite difficult to be seen as anything else. Take Garth Brooks, for example. He was the biggest name in country music, but when he tried to put out a rock album his fans turned on him.
But what choice do you have? Well, the only other real option until now was to practice playing drums on your own. And as you know, this can be tedious or even downright boring. (Think about it… how many times can you play Wipeout or Zeppelin’s Rock & Roll without finally wanting to stick a drumstick in your eye?)
It’s a new tool called a play along CD. Lets discuss what it is as well as how to get the best results from using it.
A play along CD is simply a recording of a song with one or more of the instruments removed from the track. You can think of it like a Karaoke track for musicians. Just like Karaoke removes the vocals so you can sing along, play along CD’s remove certain music lines, which allows you to play your part of the song.
As a drummer, for example, you pick up a drum play along CD, jam it in the player, dig in behind your kit, and start playing right away. You get the whole band in the room with you. Even better, it allows you to get extremely creative with the music, maybe even coming up with something cooler than the original track.
Every drummer has to practice. Sure, you could get some in with a metronome and a set of sticks, but whats the fun in that? To be a great drummer, you have to be able to do more than just keep the beat. Professionals are masters of timing, meter, and feel. And to master these things, you have to play with a band, either live or with a play along CD. Do that, and you’ll be the one getting all the calls for the next gig.
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