Doing sessions in the recording studio is one of the most exciting things for a drummer. Let's try this experience with this simulated studio session. We are going to record a Pop/Rock piece entitled ‘Hot Night’ (by Alex Grohl) in two versions, a note-for-note take and an interpreted take, to learn what the differences are and become better drummers in the process.

The secret is throwing the sticks. That's the way my mentor, Alfredo Golino, put it, and there's no better way to summarize what effortless drumming is about. We don’t force the movements, we don’t hit too hard, we just let the sticks fall, and let gravity pull them down naturally and do the work.

Cymbal articulations are the set of nuances related to the way we play the Hi-Hat or Ride cymbals: which notes are accented, how are the accents supposed to be played, how open or close is the Hi-Hat. These elements, which may seem insignificant details, are actually incredibly powerful in personalizing our beats, and knowing how to use them will contribute to take our groove and drum arrangement skills to the next level.

Learning, improving, and honing our chops is a lifelong process, and definitely a long term goal for any serious drummer. Can we express all we feel and have to say, with what we are able to play? Unless the answer is yes, we need to go practice some more. Here is an action plan.

In playing a hybrid Drum Set there are three main challenges: 1) Getting used to the specific response and rebound of electronic pads. 2) Effortlessly moving back and forth between acoustic and electronic drums. 3) Playing rhythms that involve both acoustic and electronic sounds simultaneously. The exercises we are going to work on are devised exactly to address these situations, and help us become comfortable no matter what the setup.

Today entry level gear is so affordable that there is no reason why we shouldn’t set up our own personal studio in the space where we practice. Let's discover how to start building it.