I sing back up for our band while drumming - it is the best feeling in the world - your brain is so much in flow there are no intrusive thoughts. And if your voice is not lined up with the groove, or syncopated, it really feels like you have grown another limb. Thank you!
I've been playing for 30 years and singing for even longer. I sing lead on about half a dozen songs per night in my band but do the main BVs on every other song. Whenever I play with new bands, they're always happy with my drumming but they're usually more impressed by my ability to sing so well while I do it. A lot of pub bands are let down by their BVs and harmonies (either because they're shit or they just don't do it) and my harmonies definitely get me repeat gigs.
@@kanesanders6669 Totally!! Every working drummer can hold down a groove, but being able to sing BGVs puts you in a category of your own. And most importantly, gets you the gig.
Oh my gosh, thank you SO much for sharing this!! I'm a beginner(ish) drummer, more experienced singer. These tips are really helpful, particularly #3 and #4 - I'm excited to start practicing! :-) Just don't expect me to do math equations while drumming ... I don't math on a regular day LOL
My guitarist gave me some great advice. I had to pick up singing (and screaming), along with my guitarist, while playing at the same time since my band couldn't ever lockdown a consistent singer. He said "you already know how to play the drums, just focus on the singing." I don't know if this will be helpful to all but it was sure helpful to me.
Heather's analytical approach is fascinating to me. That's because when I was in bands (and even before), singing and playing was simply natural to me. I never thought about my breathing, or charted out on which hand I would sing each note. I just sang as I played, without another thought. It didn't matter if what I was singing was against the beat I was playing. I just did it. What I couldn't do was talk while playing. Still can't. If a band mate were to say something to me that I couldn't answer with a nod or one-syllable word, the only way I could reply was to speak in the exact rhythm that I was playing. I'm not trying to say anything negative about Ms. Thomas' analytical approach. I have no doubt that her work and discipline have made her a far, far better singing drummer than I ever was, or even thought I was. As I say, this is fascinating to me. Hats off to you, Heather Thomas. You have a beautiful voice, and you play beautifully as well.
I sing and play as well and all of what she says is totally correct. It is total coordination of all limbs and breathing, posture, confidence in your groove is all so important. I am so glad this video came out. Thank you Drumeo!
Don't know how many tabla players here, but I guess my brethren know that even we face the problem of singing or reciting compositions while playing the theka(rhythm/beat) simultaneously. This is informational. Thanks!!
Thank you for the tips. I'm also a singing drummer. It's very complex to do both, but there's nothin better. I had a few solos at church while I played my kit. It was unforgettable. I love to sing and play, but to do both is the best of both worlds.
Nice! Paulina the drummer from the warning plays and sings since she was 8 years old, now she's a monster and she's only 18, go check her out, her sisters are prodigies too (:
Heather!! You cease to amaze us @drumeoedge. So, this really help me in trying to keep up with Deeno "The Beast" Castronovo..as I'm always running out of gas. Gr8 tips.."Thank You"!
Excellent video! Do you have any tips for holding sustained notes while playing and doing backing vocals? I'm fine with singing, but the long "ooohs" and "aaahs" always come out wobbly because of the movement of my arms vibrating my upper body.
Fantastic video! GO, Heather. Dropping a super solid groove "while doing math equations"! Great topic and Heather is super talented. Thanks for posting!!
Thanks for sharing:) pretty cool to sing and drum. You have really good points here! I never would’ve thought lol, singing drumming just happen natural. Very good lesson here, sounds great!
damn . I'm a brand new drummer and a life long singer. It's nearly impossible for me to practice drums without singing. It gets boring. how do you all do it??? All the videos I'm finding on singing and drumming are saying the same thing (that i don't want to hear lol), which is you have to get your groove down before adding vocals. baby steps. wahhhhh.
This is great man... she reminds me of the late karen carpenter... and hope next you will bring Proscriptor McGovern from Absu. This guy also can sings while drumming a freaking blast beats....
Been trying to learn how to do this. Really great tips! I’m decent at singing harmonies while playing but singing a main vocal line while playing has been the hardest thing for me to learn in a long time.
Wow this video is amazing!!!! She's really talented i have to see more of her, I kinda loss hope in drumeo with the triple speed lesson but now I got hope
I been drumming for a yest and I only just started trying to sing while playing. I've never sang before either aside from in the car haha but I've been getting "Melancholy Hill" by Gorillaz down pretty good. I'd recommend it as a starter song for playing and singing along!
I'm not a big fan of her as a drummer. But I have to say that she's doing a really great job playing and singing together. I can't even talk over a single stroke.
@Luke McAllister hmmmm - don't tell Phil Collins, Don Henley, Karen Carpenter, Roger Taylor, Sheila E, or Peter Criss - just to name a few....their feelings might get hurt when they learn that they couldn't do both well
I sing backing vocals for my band and I use a headset mic so I never have to worry about it being in the way of my sticks and it always stays in the same position relative to my mouth no matter where I'm looking when my vocal entrance comes.
Headset-style microphones do have that advantage for sure. I imagine lots of singers (either drumming or not drumming, or maybe not even playing any instrument) use headset mics without me even realizing it.
Pau from The Warning uses one of those. It lets her be a lot more expressive with her drumming when she doesn’t have to stay close to the mic. It does slip sometimes but she can fix it with one hand while still keeping the beat. She learned the drums when very young which probably helps with the coordination and playing without thinking.
@@markjames8664 I had a feeling Pau was using one :) it just makes sense. Also I think her singing sounds so pretty! :))) I like pretty-sounding singing! pretty pretty pretty! :)) OK, now I'm just being goofy at this point. I'm gonna shut up now :))))
I have a more technical question... How do you make your vocal mic not pick up too much of the noise coming from the drums? Are there any mixing tricks for this? And I don't mean singing and drumming separately. I mean reducing the background noise while I'm singing and playing at the same time.
Being a singing drummer, it really helps with my posture which is great, but at the same time, with a stationary microphone i can't quite have the same stage presence, going full throttle without spacial limitations, throwing my head around and just have a good time. It's hard!
balanced seating...like she's sitting on the front edge of that drum throne, using both feet and hands AND is singing on top of it all...mylady, i'd like to have some of that balance myself pls xD i'd instantly fall over if i sit on the edge like that :D impressive tips and video tho
Great tips for beginners; don`t get me wrong I know how hard it is to sing and do rhythm at the same time, but the singing is never going to be as organic when you only concentrate on it, so you`re kinda compromising the music/artistry. Her drumming is amazing, but the singing is like a midi part.
I sing lead in my covers band for Place Your Hands by Reef. It's the greatest feeling in the world belting those vocals out whilst drumming. I struggle with odd time sigs and find it so hard to remember lyrics. Esp on stage. Not ideal!!!!
Click the link for a workout with Heather from the book "Stick Control" th-cam.com/video/Du31MCIlYO0/w-d-xo.html
Clicked. Bookmarked. Thanks!!
I THINK THIS DRUMMER TOOK THIS LESSON WAY TO SERIOUS 👇
th-cam.com/video/2vSDKobWED4/w-d-xo.html
I sing back up for our band while drumming - it is the best feeling in the world - your brain is so much in flow there are no intrusive thoughts. And if your voice is not lined up with the groove, or syncopated, it really feels like you have grown another limb. Thank you!
No one ever told me how important singing while playing would be before I got hired for tours. So valuable!!
I've been playing for 30 years and singing for even longer. I sing lead on about half a dozen songs per night in my band but do the main BVs on every other song. Whenever I play with new bands, they're always happy with my drumming but they're usually more impressed by my ability to sing so well while I do it. A lot of pub bands are let down by their BVs and harmonies (either because they're shit or they just don't do it) and my harmonies definitely get me repeat gigs.
@@kanesanders6669 Totally!! Every working drummer can hold down a groove, but being able to sing BGVs puts you in a category of your own. And most importantly, gets you the gig.
Basically: Treat your vocals as an additional limb.
P.S. Lovely voice!
I can't sing or play drums, this might be above my skill level...
Oh my gosh, thank you SO much for sharing this!! I'm a beginner(ish) drummer, more experienced singer. These tips are really helpful, particularly #3 and #4 - I'm excited to start practicing! :-) Just don't expect me to do math equations while drumming ... I don't math on a regular day LOL
My guitarist gave me some great advice.
I had to pick up singing (and screaming), along with my guitarist, while playing at the same time since my band couldn't ever lockdown a consistent singer.
He said "you already know how to play the drums, just focus on the singing."
I don't know if this will be helpful to all but it was sure helpful to me.
did you do it?
You perfectly explained the steps I go through when singing and playing guitar at the same time. Super sweet!
Heather's analytical approach is fascinating to me. That's because when I was in bands (and even before), singing and playing was simply natural to me. I never thought about my breathing, or charted out on which hand I would sing each note. I just sang as I played, without another thought. It didn't matter if what I was singing was against the beat I was playing. I just did it. What I couldn't do was talk while playing. Still can't. If a band mate were to say something to me that I couldn't answer with a nod or one-syllable word, the only way I could reply was to speak in the exact rhythm that I was playing. I'm not trying to say anything negative about Ms. Thomas' analytical approach. I have no doubt that her work and discipline have made her a far, far better singing drummer than I ever was, or even thought I was. As I say, this is fascinating to me. Hats off to you, Heather Thomas. You have a beautiful voice, and you play beautifully as well.
Ah I completely feel this too! It's the same for me with trying to talk while playing😂 I think singing is easier because it's in time!
She manages to engage with the audience as a performer, not just singing and drumming. Great talent and great tips for singing and drumming.
Thank you Heather, this was very helpful.
I just tried this out this morning with don't let me down...I'm getting better each time!
I sing and play as well and all of what she says is totally correct. It is total coordination of all limbs and breathing, posture, confidence in your groove is all so important. I am so glad this video came out. Thank you Drumeo!
If you put subtittles un spanish, we appreciatte the job. Sorry for my english. Rock on brothers, greatings from Spain.
🙂 Be sure to check out our channel in Spanish: th-cam.com/channels/w-S9SuQhYU10jp4dGCZCqQ.html?view_as=subscriber
@@DrumeoOfficial Omg, Me he suscrito 🤙
Mondejillar dude great English. Seriously! 🤙
Mondejillar un to in*. Better than 90% of the people I know jaja, disfrutar como un enano carnalll 🤙
Don't know how many tabla players here, but I guess my brethren know that even we face the problem of singing or reciting compositions while playing the theka(rhythm/beat) simultaneously. This is informational. Thanks!!
Great stuff. She solidified what I thought I needed to work on and inspired me to try new songs
She sings while playing, then looks into the camera, she's someone above than Instant crush! ❤️
Look up Paulina the drummer from the warning she's badass and beautiful and she leads sing in many songs, her sisters are beautiful too
@@chewingpiano I'll check out! Thanks!
I love when drumeo put Heather on their videos. Now I see why she have a incredible technique, nice voice.
Queen's Roger Taylor used to belt out "I'm in love with my car" - a lovely heavy rolling 6/8. Awesome version on their "Live Killers" album.
Thank you for the tips. I'm also a singing drummer. It's very complex to do both, but there's nothin better. I had a few solos at church while I played my kit. It was unforgettable. I love to sing and play, but to do both is the best of both worlds.
Using every part of your brain to be able to do this for sure
It sure looks convenient how there's no need to talk around the drums with this mic setup. You guys should do it like that every time!
Nice! Paulina the drummer from the warning plays and sings since she was 8 years old, now she's a monster and she's only 18, go check her out, her sisters are prodigies too (:
Yes, yes, yes! you mentioned The Warning! :) I have a lot of respect for those girls.
great tips! made my think of Jellyfish! More Heather pleaseee!
Heather!! You cease to amaze us @drumeoedge. So, this really help me in trying to keep up with Deeno "The Beast" Castronovo..as I'm always running out of gas. Gr8 tips.."Thank You"!
This is a promising lesson for me, I'm solid in the kit but i would really like to be the lead singer while holding down the rhythm
Excellent video! Do you have any tips for holding sustained notes while playing and doing backing vocals? I'm fine with singing, but the long "ooohs" and "aaahs" always come out wobbly because of the movement of my arms vibrating my upper body.
The best way to play music is with your entire body
The Voice
The Heart
The Breath
The Groove
The drumkit sounds beautiful too.
I love the bass tone of the kit.
Thank you so much for this video! I'll try out your tips. Greetings from Germany :)
Fantastic video! GO, Heather. Dropping a super solid groove "while doing math equations"! Great topic and Heather is super talented. Thanks for posting!!
Thanks for sharing:) pretty cool to sing and drum. You have really good points here! I never would’ve thought lol, singing drumming just happen natural. Very good lesson here, sounds great!
I’ve been singing and playing drums for 15 years and it’s still hard sometimes. I’ll use some of these techniques that is guys!
HEATHER! these drumeo videos are awesome! miss ya!
That kick drum sounds very nice.
I wanna be her when I grow up!
Paulina from the warning was like her when she was 8 years old, so you can be like her now right now (:
Practice, Practice, Practice
A very valuable lesson!
damn . I'm a brand new drummer and a life long singer. It's nearly impossible for me to practice drums without singing. It gets boring. how do you all do it??? All the videos I'm finding on singing and drumming are saying the same thing (that i don't want to hear lol), which is you have to get your groove down before adding vocals. baby steps. wahhhhh.
Freakin awesome!
I’ve been singing and Drumming ever since I was Little luckily for me I just played and sang along Yes Proplerly Breathing is Important
Well, if I'm wanting to play extreme music and singing i'll have to take some breathing classes. Cool tips there.
This is great man... she reminds me of the late karen carpenter...
and hope next you will bring Proscriptor McGovern from Absu. This guy also can sings while drumming a freaking blast beats....
Ouch! This is really the next level of brain separation after getting fairly comfortable playing with limbs. Awesome, Heather!
nice song, too!
Been trying to learn how to do this. Really great tips! I’m decent at singing harmonies while playing but singing a main vocal line while playing has been the hardest thing for me to learn in a long time.
Solid gold. This is great information.
THANK YOU LOVELY LADY
Great tips! I tried to sing and drum at church rehearsal today and wow it's difficult!
I sing while playing drums when our vocalist won't able to attend our practices. Great video it will help me to improve. Thank you very much!
I can tell how hard it was, keep up great work!!
Thanks this is so helpful! Great video as always
It’s hard but after I watch this video I will sing and play better while I am signing
I be the biggest singer and drummer in the world 🙏🙏🙏🤟🤟
Tq u..im inspired
Wow this video is amazing!!!! She's really talented i have to see more of her, I kinda loss hope in drumeo with the triple speed lesson but now I got hope
Check out more of Heather's lessons here: th-cam.com/video/Du31MCIlYO0/w-d-xo.html
@@DrumeoOfficial I saw it
thnk you very much for sharing 😍
I want you in one of my songs that you will be there as soon as I get the opportunity I swear god
I been drumming for a yest and I only just started trying to sing while playing. I've never sang before either aside from in the car haha but I've been getting "Melancholy Hill" by Gorillaz down pretty good. I'd recommend it as a starter song for playing and singing along!
I'm not a big fan of her as a drummer. But I have to say that she's doing a really great job playing and singing together. I can't even talk over a single stroke.
@Luke McAllister hmmmm - don't tell Phil Collins, Don Henley, Karen Carpenter, Roger Taylor, Sheila E, or Peter Criss - just to name a few....their feelings might get hurt when they learn that they couldn't do both well
Great video HT!
Awsome! Great Tips! 😀
Roger Taylor from Queen - my favourite singing drummer!
Yes
dang they dropped the ball on the audio which is unusual for drumeo. ur amazing, heather! these r great tips
I’ve found that if you know a song by heart, it makes it so much easier to sing/drum to it.
hello greetings from england cool work
I sing backing vocals for my band and I use a headset mic so I never have to worry about it being in the way of my sticks and it always stays in the same position relative to my mouth no matter where I'm looking when my vocal entrance comes.
Headset-style microphones do have that advantage for sure. I imagine lots of singers (either drumming or not drumming, or maybe not even playing any instrument) use headset mics without me even realizing it.
Pau from The Warning uses one of those. It lets her be a lot more expressive with her drumming when she doesn’t have to stay close to the mic. It does slip sometimes but she can fix it with one hand while still keeping the beat. She learned the drums when very young which probably helps with the coordination and playing without thinking.
@@markjames8664 I had a feeling Pau was using one :) it just makes sense. Also I think her singing sounds so pretty! :))) I like pretty-sounding singing! pretty pretty pretty! :))
OK, now I'm just being goofy at this point. I'm gonna shut up now :))))
@@justinnaramor6050 I never would object to someone praising her voice.
@@markjames8664 Right, I agree, and I was just being a little too goofy at that point :))
I'm doing the hasil Adkins thing where I play my guitar and drums I put a pedal on my snare next to my high-hat
Thank you very much ... I'll drummer and singer. I hope so. Kisses.
Don't plan on adding singing to my repertoire anytime soon but this was very informative and interesting anyway 🤔
Do you do any type of tutoring, such as zoom since you are with Drumeo? Cause I definitely need this support ☺️
I have a more technical question... How do you make your vocal mic not pick up too much of the noise coming from the drums? Are there any mixing tricks for this? And I don't mean singing and drumming separately. I mean reducing the background noise while I'm singing and playing at the same time.
I love Heather
I couldn't for shit sing and drum. Not even if my life depended on it. I admire a lot people who can.
Thanks
Being a singing drummer, it really helps with my posture which is great, but at the same time, with a stationary microphone i can't quite have the same stage presence, going full throttle without spacial limitations, throwing my head around and just have a good time. It's hard!
Microphone not to the side? Matt Helders please help me out here
Depends how much you sing, I think
She does a lot of singing, so the mic needs to be front and center so she has proper breath support
been singing and drumming 8 years, have to sing zeppelin while playing it, tough stuff
goals
Ładna Pani :)
Nice one
Interesting
Love from Ghana
Skbeatz Records
Hermosa
To be real honest
The Rev. Backup vocal while drumming heavy metal brought me here
Sick!!
SÜPERRR
What is the name of this music in the beginning?
Nice😍😍
balanced seating...like she's sitting on the front edge of that drum throne, using both feet and hands AND is singing on top of it all...mylady, i'd like to have some of that balance myself pls xD i'd instantly fall over if i sit on the edge like that :D impressive tips and video tho
Can you cover Motherload by Mastodon? Their drummer sings.
Jen ledger is a perfect example for this.
Cool🙂
Step one get one of them MacDonald mics
Great tips for beginners; don`t get me wrong I know how hard it is to sing and do rhythm at the same time, but the singing is never going to be as organic when you only concentrate on it, so you`re kinda compromising the music/artistry. Her drumming is amazing, but the singing is like a midi part.
Anyone know the opening song title?
I sing lead in my covers band for Place Your Hands by Reef. It's the greatest feeling in the world belting those vocals out whilst drumming. I struggle with odd time sigs and find it so hard to remember lyrics. Esp on stage. Not ideal!!!!
The new Karen Carpenter has risen.
She sounds and looks like an Angel as well
HOW DO YOU NOT BREATHE OUT IN ON MIC
🙏🙏🤘🤘
somebody pls help me to find the above song!
She's gorgeous ❤️
she reminds me of Zooey Deschanel
Штанишки прикольные :))