Clarity + Consistency = Articulation

[Frank Godiva]

Daniel Glass

 

[Pre ‘72]

I would swap definitions between clarity and articulation.

 

[5 Style]

For me, I feel like this has been where almost all of my improvement is happening. I try to learn new concepts and licks, but I'm very slow to really incorporate any of that into my playing, so I end up playing variations on the same old stuff. I think though that I'm able to come up with new combinations using the old stuff that I know and that I can sound better playing them than I could in the past. This stuff really is just one way to state the idea that how you play something can be just as important as what you play... something that I think a lot of younger players don't really understand. I know that I didn't quite get that early on, but now I do...

 

[dingaling]

To me articulation on drum is the sound difference between sounds played differently, like singles and doubles for example. 6 singles have a different articulation than a double paradiddle.
Or a short and long sound on the same cymbals or drum.

 

[Seb77]

In the end you want a clear sound. In order to achieve this, you need a clear execution but also a clear imagination of the sound you want to make.

 

[three dots]

It dont mean a thing if it aint got that Swing

 

[311Club]

It dont mean a thing if it aint got that Swing

Couldn't agree more! Should be on top of this list

 

[pwc1141]

I am not sure about what I do or how I get there but my stick playing was once described as articulate which I understood at the time to mean clearly defined strokes. That in no way argues against your definitions but rather my interpretation of articulation the only time it was mentioned to me by a drummer.

 

[toddbishop]

I think articulated would be better than articulation there. You'd have to rephrase it of course.

Articulation can be good or bad, it doesn't imply that something is clearly and consistently played, articulated does.

And to me that muddles things, because articulation is also a category of the way something is played-- slurred, staccato, marcato, etc. In drumming, a dead stroke, buzz stroke, rim shot, flam or ruff, etc.

The general idea there is not real helpful to me-- maybe it's true, I don't think that way.

 

[jabrams]

I am not sure about what I do or how I get there but my stick playing was once described as articulate which I understood at the time to mean clearly defined strokes. That in no way argues against your definitions but rather my interpretation of articulation the only time it was mentioned to me by a drummer.

I think articulated would be better than articulation there. You'd have to rephrase it of course.

Articulation can be good or bad, it doesn't imply that something is clearly and consistently played, articulated does.

And to me that muddles things, because articulation is also a category of the way something is played-- slurred, staccato, marcato, etc. In drumming, a dead stroke, buzz stroke, rim shot, flam or ruff, etc.

The general idea there is not real helpful to me-- maybe it's true, I don't think that way.

I think PWC1142 has the right idea.
Whether slurred, staccato, legato; dead stroke, buzz stroke, rim shot, flam or ruff, it's the precise execution of sounding the note, at any dynamic level from a whisper on up.
That has to be there and, be there note after note, beat after beat. Clean and sharp makes for a great sound and grooves. That's how I think of articulation.

It's one thing that drummers so often ignore in their practice. I know did too for a long time. And on the kit especially where hands & hands and feet fall together ; they have got to be exactly together, no flaming. Something to work toward.
__________
for me, i had to switch to 'up-stroke' wrist technique to even start approaching that goal , i simply couldn't make push-pull, free rebound stroke, finger technique work
i had hit a wall and finally had to take stock and admit to myself that i had to abandon those techniques that everybody seemed to promote. also about the same time that i switched to matched grip, which makes more sense to me for playing a kit.
i guess if i ever find myself with my drum kit on a sling over one shoulder hanging angled to the right by my side, i'll switch back to traditional grip for the left hand.
id like to see that ! Anybody here got drawing / graphics skills?