Former Drum Instructor Says NEVER Water Down Parts Especially When...

For anyone writing for percussion or drumlines, I hope you find this to be an interesting topic!

So back in February, I had the opportunity to work with a middle school-aged group that I write for called Bravehearts based in the Bronx in New York and this topic was something that came up in conversation with the Bravehearts Staff.

With my writing, sometimes it would take the students a little longer to learn some parts because I may have written some parts that are a little too difficult for them.

So then, after talking with the staff about this, the question arose, “Should we dumb the parts down?” aka: “water the parts down?” aka: “Should we simplify the parts by removing some diddles or flams?”

From an instructor standpoint, the overall goal is to produce parts that are achievable and consistent. 

So should they have watered the parts down?

Well, there are some cases where this is the best course of action. But sometimes, it’s ok not to water down parts.

There should be a balance between the two in some cases. 

In the video below, I mention that Victor, one of the instructors with Bravehearts, is against watering down parts and instead asks the students to step up to the level that I wrote for them. This forces them to step up and get better in the long run which I appreciate from a writer's perspective. 

Here are some reasons it is valuable to not water down parts: It helps students step up to the standard of the music, It helps them know how to reach a new standard in an audition situation, and it helps them expand their vocabulary in what they can play. 

Overall, there is value to watering parts down and also not watering parts down. Finding when each one is most valuable is the true challenge. Drum Ins

For an additional perspective, be sure to watch the video below!