In my own studies and while teaching, I find that it is easy to spend a lot of time learning something new while also making a lot of mistakes. The more mistakes you make while learning something new, the slower the learning process and the longer it takes to accomplish your goal. This is where visualization comes in. The visualization can be applied to any pattern or exercise and it is very simple. If you want to learn something new, the key is to picture it clearly in your mind. When you can picture it clearly in your mind it means that the mind has already gone through the process of learning the new information. In short, once you can say it, you can already play it. Take special note that this picture has to be completely clear in your mind, if it is not clear in your mind, this process will not work.

” Say it and you can play it “

The only way that I have found to truly make this work is when you – the student -counts out loud to the metronome. And when I say out loud, I mean loud enough that your ears can hear your count clearly. If you cannot hear your counting due to the volume of the drums, you are not counting loud enough. Additionally, your metronome must be set at a tempo slow enough that you can process this information. If the tempo is too fast or you are whispering the count or counting under your breath, this concept WILL NOT WORK. The louder (stronger) you count equals the confidence you will have when learning something new. Also, the louder you count the more you will command your limbs to do exactly what you are asking them to do. The result is total control over your instrument. Any pattern or groove is a few counts away from becoming reality. This will put you on the right path to successfully accomplishing your goals as a developing musician. Let me use an analogy to back up my theory. Have you ever heard someone yell at the top of their lungs before they knew what they were going to say? I haven’t. My point is that when you scream a word or statement you are putting 100% of yourself into that word or statement. This is the very reason young children learn profanity. It is not the word itself but the emotion that is put behind the word. This is how we tend to remember specific moments in time. The more emotional the situation, the stronger the memory is.

This concept can work for anyone – age does not matter. If you are attempting these concepts and they are not working, try slowing down the metronome and counting louder. I know it feels silly, but it works. Once the tempo is slow enough and the student can commit to counting out loud, I experience a 100% accuracy in my students. Initially, many students resist the concept but after seeing real results almost everybody says the same thing: “Counting out loud does work, darn it!”

Several things happen when you count out loud. One of the most helpful things is that you will stay focused and not lose your place, or get lost. I have found that it can be difficult to stay focused while practicing for even fifteen minutes. The other reason counting works it that you know exactly when you have made a mistake and where the mistake occurred. Many students do not realize that they are playing something wrong until I point it out to them. The simplest way to fix that is to get the student to count it out loud. There is a saying that I use, “If you can say it, you can play it”

” See it before you play it “

You can break down the visualization process by learning how to play a samba on the drum set with all four limbs. You first need to find a tempo where you can count and play comfortably. The traditional Americanized version of the Samba generally has the feet and the right hand playing the same pattern: 1&ah 2&ah 3&ah 4&ah. The left foot plays on the &’s while the bass drum plays 1ah 2ah 3ah 4ah. The left hand plays 1 & 2e ah(3)e ah(4)e&. To put this all together, play the right hand and the feet together while counting out loud to the metronome – again, loud enough to hear your COUNT CLEARLY. If you are not counting loud or strong enough, this process will not work. You will need to count 1e&ah2e&ah3e&ah4e&ah the entire time. As you are counting sixteen notes, realize these counts, 1 & 2e ah(3)e ah(4)e& will be what your left hand plays.

There are two different ways you can go about this process. (1) You can close your eyes and see your left hand playing the counts in your head (true visualization), or (2) you can keep your eyes open and imagine the stick hitting the drum as the counts go by. Remember that you have not actually played the snare drum yet. You are just seeing yourself go through the motions with out actually doing it. At this point, you may find that everything falls apart. That is okay. What is happening is that your brain is attempting to process this new information but is receiving too much information at one time – much like how a computer locks up if you give too many commands at one time. IF this happens, slow the tempo down a bit and try again. Once you can CLEARLY see your left hand playing the counts mentioned earlier, your mind has already gone through the learning process. Go ahead and play the count that you have seen your hand do whether you eyes are closed or open. Once you put everything together, do not stop. Try to keep the pattern going as long as you can without stopping. Several students will be overwhelmed with the sound coming from their limbs and freak out or stop because they are unfamiliar with the newness of what they are hearing. The more positive, mistake-free repetitions you can accomplish will put you closer to mastering that pattern or groove with less time wasted.

That’s it. You are now playing a complex pattern that I have seen students take days or even weeks to get under their hands. Don’t forget – you must count LOUD enough for your ears to hear clearly, and the tempo must be SLOW enough for your mind to process it. You have just experienced the power of visualization.

*Note – When we learn to play an instrument, we are learning in real time and the results are immediate.