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ten months pass...
arrrrg it makes me so irrationally angry to watch Peart, only because he should have been sitting higher (or positioned much of his kit lower). No wonder he developed chronic tendonitis in his arms and shoulders: his shoulders are so stiff from constantly having to keep them at the necessary height to reach most of his kit. Sit higher, relax your shoulders, and use gravity!
I dunno, didn't Peart consciously seek drum lessons later in his career, to change things up and correct bad habits? He definitely changed his style, you'd think they'd correct his form, too.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 October 2022 14:58 (one year ago) link
I'm not a drummer, but I watched Peart's instructional/concert DVD, and doesn't he have to reach because he had such a huge kit? All that hardware has to be placed either upwards or further away.
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 7 October 2022 15:11 (one year ago) link
didn't Peart consciously seek drum lessons later in his career, to change things up and correct bad habits?
Yep, he studied with Freddie Gruber on the recommendation of (I think) Steve Smith. I don't know if it was bad habits that Peart was trying to get rid of necessarily, but there is a visible change in his form, for the better. As he said in the first Rush doc, the focus was no longer on the hit, but on the motion leading to the hit (I'm paraphrasing). Compare the Letterman solo to, say, the "Anthem" video: in terms of movement, it's night and day. Prior to studying with Gruber, Peart was using a mostly forearm-centered approach (the guy in Dave Matthews Band plays like that). But after Gruber, Peart started employing his upper arms -- you can see in the Letterman clip (around 1:59) how his arms are at right angles, elbows out. When done right, that approach is much more efficient, allows for far more control over dynamics, and is less taxing, making one far less likely to develop tendonitis in the elbows.
doesn't he have to reach because he had such a huge kit?
To some extent, yes, and that's one of the frustrations that drummers have: drums have to be this size to get this sound, and that limits the possibilities for placement on a kit. That said, Peart is still sitting too high, which you can see in relation to his snare, which in turn necessitates all the other drums being placed higher. Also, if he angled his toms towards him, rather than being at a nearly flat angle, they'd be much easier to reach/hit. There'd be that much less movement and physical effort/force necessary.