Making Your Drumming Easier

Cris: You seem like someone who is never done. You're never satisfied. You've made some big changes to your drumming technique which upset the balance in some respects because, for instance, you had to take time to learn the traditional grip.

Ben Sesar​ (drummer for Brad Paisley): It's all trying to make the gig easier. Because with Brad it is very demanding musically. There's a lot going on and the intensity is high. And there is something magical about having more at your disposal than you actually need. So that when you're just cruising along, it's that much easier.

Cris: In other words studying fast playing affects your slow playing as well.

Ben: Yes. It's like an Astin Martin versus a Volkeswagen Bug from the 60s. Both can go 70 miles an hour. But one is doing it easily. And then one is doing it at the top of its range. 

So that's the purpose. To increase your headroom so that everything you do just rolls off. That's how I look at it.