10 Things I Learned at the Drumshop : Zack Grooves Drum Clinic

The Drumshop recently welcomed the incredible Zack Grooves to host a drum clinic. In case you missed it, here’s ten things that I learned from the experience…

1. The dangers of being an internet drummer

First of all, Zack Grooves acknowledged the power of social media and how it can be utilised to get yourself “out there” and in front of the right people.  He mentioned the opportunities that may present themselves from it eg) sponsored advertisements, brand endorsements and gig opportunities with big artists.

On the other hand, he also covered the fact that you can get so caught up in the external validation that comes from increasing followers and likes that it takes away from the music. He said he knew people that have become so obsessed with seeing the numbers growing that if/when that number goes down it can ruin their day, if not their whole week. Zack’s advice? You can’t let the numbers affect you and make sure that you can play the whole set, not just the viral 15 second section of the song. Zack had some anecdotal evidence of his peers getting discovered off the internet, booked for a gig and then sacked from the gig as their playing in real life didn’t live up to the portrait of their drumming they had painted on their online profile - be wary of this.

This reminded me of a quote that reads “Artists don’t get burnt out from making art. They get burnt out from making content.” Zack poked fun at certain creators that you wouldn’t necessarily want to play in your band, yet they rack up millions of views on TikTok.

Ultimately, social media is a great way to express yourself and share your drumming, just try not to get too caught up in it and remember what your priorities are, there’s nothing wrong with being an “internet drummer” if that’s what makes you happy. However, if you want to play live shows, make sure your skills translate from your bedroom, onto a stage.

2. Mary had a little lamb GROOVES

Zack spoke about the importance of melodic drumming and emphasised this by having everyone sing the famous nursery rhyme “Mary had a little lamb.” He then tasked an audience member with playing along to the ditty on his Dixon kit.  The hard part comes when you have to play complex rhythms, whilst singing, and making sure that the audience can still pick out the vocal melody in your playing.  This is how you make your chops flow in a song and complement the melody.

3. The possibilities with improvisation are endless

Pick a subject. This can be anything from a rudiment to a style and then riff around that idea. Don’t be scared to get things wrong or try out things you never have before. This is how to get creative and come up with new things. Examples of subjects that Zack improvised on and around were inverted paradiddles (RLLR LRRL,) hertas and a 6 stroke roll (RLLRRL RLLRRL.)

4. Treat your practice routine like your gym split

One audience member asked about Zack’s gym split during the question round at the end of the session.  He explained that he is currently on the “bro split” a.k.a the Arnold split and the importance of staying fit as a drummer.  He also looped back to the idea of planning your workouts when asked about his practice routine.  Zack explained that you should have the same approach to your drum practice routine that most people have toward their gym routine - this might look like working on your independence on Monday, your rudiments and hands on Tuesday and that new song you have to learn on Wednesday and so on…  This is a great way to change your mindset, hold yourself accountable and prioritise practice.  It takes the decision of WHAT to practice out of the equation and makes the habit all that bit easier to slip into.

This is definitely something I will be implementing into my own practice routine going forward as it reminded me of one of James Clear’s (author of Atomic Habits) laws of behaviour change when it comes to forming habits.  Pre-planning what you are going to do and the exercises you are going to work on makes the habit easy and obvious and in-turn reduces the friction between you and doing the work.  

5. Time management

A lady in the front row of the clinic praised Zack on his time management skills as it seems he does so much and structures his days meticulously.  On the topic of working out, he explained that at the start of his day he does 45 minutes on the stair master and that he doesn’t even view it as exercise.  This may sound ludicrous but he clarified this statement by saying that he views that time as a chance to respond to emails and structure his day down to the minute, despite the fact that he is drenched in sweat from the constant cardio.  He has a productivity app where he can time block his day and will even include menial tasks such as dog walking, eating lunch and cleaning.  

As the name would suggest, time blocking is splitting your day up into manageable chunks which allows you to start each day with a specific plan and set of tasks rather than an never-ending to-do list which can feel overwhelming and allows room for distraction to hinder you.  I would recommend time blocking if you are prone to distraction or even if you just want to be more intentional with your time, yielding greater results and achieving your goals faster.  

6. Be likeable

Zack argues that being likeable is just as important (if not more important) than your playing.  Who wants to share a tour bus with somebody that’s hard to get on with? He reminisced about times he’s been offered gigs over a drink in a bar because the person liked him and they got along. Do not underestimate your social skills when it comes to getting the gig. Be polite, be reliable and be likeable.

7. Great things never come from comfort zones

What’s worse than drumming in front of 60 people? Drumming in front of 60 drummers. Despite the room being filled with the most supportive people you could wish to meet, who all truly don’t care how good (or how bad) you may be, the idea of playing in front of other drummers is always going to be daunting.  Zack picked on two lucky individuals to play his Dixon kit in order to help them out with their own personal playing journeys. Everyone watching was amazed by their skills and courage to get up on stage and grace our ears with their drumming.  Watching the two audience members get up was definitely inspiring and a reminder to step outside of your comfort zone every once in a while - who knows you might even get a free pair of sticks out of it.  

8. How to write a drum part

During the question time, somebody was struggling with writing drum parts that fit with the guitar lines that his band mate had come up with.  Zack’s advice was to pick out certain rhythms or melodies that the guitar is playing and lock in with that.  Also consider the vibe or energy that you want to create.  Want the song to feel primal?  Play something on the toms.  Want a funky feel?  Lock in with some tight hats and syncopated bass drum pattern.  At the end of the day, just make sure that you are complementing or highlighting the other musical ideas in the band whilst keeping the beat.  In addition to this be aware of dynamics and where in the song you want to build or release the tension.  

9. Great artists steal and so do drummers 

Zack asked Ethan from the audience who his top three favourite drummers are. Ethan replied II (Sleep Token,) Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters) and Zack Grooves. Flattered, Zack asked him to come on stage and “play like II”  Ethan ripped a solo which imitated the way that II stereotypically plays. He did the same for Taylor Hawkins, this time playing a steady rock beat filled with power. For the third time, despite admitting that “this feels weird to say out loud” Zack asked Ethan to “play like Zack Grooves” and he did just that.  At the end of this demonstration Ethan was finally asked to play like Ethan. Personally I felt as though this was his best performance yet as you could tell he was owning his sound and it had an air of authenticity to it. 

I saw the process of how he got there which allowed me to appreciate all the characteristics of his favourite player’s drumming that he had adopted and sprinkled subtly throughout his own playing. This demonstrated how everyone's playing is just a mosaic of the greats that came before them. Zack explained that there is no shame in taking inspiration from iconic players and using that to find your own sound behind the kit. 

10. The importance of community

The clinic was completely sold out and it was magical to see so many like-minded people come together to celebrate the art of drumming and expand their knowledge together.  It was lovely to connect with some old and new friends and the clinic served as a reminder of how great the drumming community is. See you at the next one!