The Dave Walsh Podcast - Drums In The Shed

Hi everyone. Welcome back. I'm back after a week off. I hope all is well. This week I talk about being yourself. Having the self-confidence to go your own way, do your own thing, develop your own voice. As lockdown is starting to ease (fingers crossed) and you may have been (quite literally) in the shed for the past few months, things may have taken on a new perspective for you in your playing, or...

Hello everyone, This week (a bit later than planned) I'm on my own again sharing some thoughts about when to 'go for it' and when to air on the side of caution/controlling things a little more. I'm talking about playing live, recording, practicing etc... It's all pretty loose and is more about my head space at the moment, now we are starting to see the end of lockdown and the possibility of giggin...

Hi Everyone, Thanks for checking in. This week I speak (at length) to an old friend of mine, Elliott Henshaw, who has been a busy session drummer in London for the past 14 years. We've known each other for over 20 years and have a very similar taste in music, drummers and comedy (Chris Morris). This is a long one, so settle in and enjoy the chat. We talk about practising, life in London as a busy...

Hi there, I hope this finds you well. This week I talk about how my hardware (and other bits of gear) have changed over the years. I also discuss this evolution, or life cycle of 'new' drum stand design. How we've almost gone back to the heritage gear of the 1960's, but with obvious improvements in design and build quality. I also talk a bit about recording and some gear I've recently bought. It c...

Hi Everyone, I've got another treat for you this week (and me!). At the weekend I managed to catchup with my very good friend Seb De Krom and talk about his life (so far) as one of Europe's top Jazz drummers. We chatted about his early life and how his father encouraged him to get in to drums. The move to Belgium when he was a teenager and the opportunities to play jazz in 1980's Brussels. And the...

I hope you've all had a good week. On the back of last weeks podcast (my interview with Rich Kass. Go listen if you haven't already) I spent quite a bit of time writing music, practicing the drums and also reflecting on some fundamentals of time. So that's loosely the topic of this week's podcast. These thoughts also led me to consider that I might be taking some of the fundamentals for granted. I...

Hi everyone, This was a real treat for me. I got to interview Rich over Zoom during lockdown and it was great to talk to him about how he got in to the drums and the journey to becoming, in my opinion, a true innovator of the instrument. Rich is genuinely pushing boundaries on the drum kit and he talks about how he thinks the drum kit will evolve in the future. Also, his commitment to understandin...

Stupid title I know. And last weeks title was also a little misleading but I was trying to split these players in to different areas of my life. In the end they all inspired me and are only a handful of the many players who have help shape where I am today and continue to guide my development. I've not even mentioned tutors/mentors in here either because that's a different vibe altogether. So, the...

So, this is in no way a full list. It's just a brief overview of a few drummers who really influenced me. I do start with 3 British drummers who are not jazzers! But this then leads to a list of players who changed my way of thinking, playing and listening. This is part one of two. Thanks for listening. So the drummers featured this week are: Rick Butler Steve White Keith Moon Bobby Colomby Buddy...

Hi everyone, thanks for checking out this latest episode. This is #21. In this thrilling instalment I talk about my approach to soloing and how it's changed over the years. From the early days of epic 'Jazz Odysseys" to the more simple and melodic approach of where my head is at the moment. There are also some examples in this episode, played by myself. I talk about using melody as a springboard t...

Hi everyone, I hope you're well and staying safe. This week I'm talking about what I've been up to over the past week or so. I've been trying to get better at recording, trying to stay focused on practise. Trying to do some remote recording for people. Generally staying chilled and keeping things in a rhythm. I hope you've been able to find a rhythm that works for you. If not, reach out, speak to...

Hi everyone. I hope you're doing OK at the moment. I had a week off podcasting and I'm returning this week with a real treat for you all. This is a long awaited podcast that Stuart and I had chatted about doing a while ago. We talk about the old days back when we met in the late 1990's. We talk about some drummers that have influenced him as a musician. Myke Wilson, Luke Flowers and Richard Spaven...

Hi there, Hope you're well. This is a slightly rambly episode (on another level from previous rambling-ness) with a mini Q&A that kind of runs through it. 1. My Setup (Recording/Video) 2. Consistency (What does this actually mean?) 3. Drum Health (seriously!) 4. Tuning Drums (This wasn't worthy of a whole episode with my limited knowledge) Hope you enjoy and stat safe and well.

Hello there, Hope you're all doing ok? This week I'm rambling on about 'process'. I talk a bit about learning a new snare drum piece, transcribing, learning from records. practicing coordination and working with others in the studio. There's even an 'audio example' embed in the podcast. Rare unpublished footage of an alternative drum take I did when recording with artist Tom McRae.

Strange times (understatement of the year so far...) So today I'm talking about how to stay motivated at the moment. Some useful tips about how to perhaps rethink your practice goals. Hope you are well and stay safe and healthy.

This week I talk about teaching. Well, it's more about the journey of learning how I teach. How I'm still adapting the way I communicate ideas to others and also how I understand others. It's quite a long one, mainly due to some early ramblings about how the incredible Rhode NT2a mic survived being posted through Royal Mail with no protection. Usual nonsense. Hope you enjoy.

This week I talk in more depth about my personal journey (so far) with cymbals. Cymbals have mapped my development, almost before changes in my playing have come to be realised and consolidated. As I changed from one sound world to another, cymbals have always been at the heart of it, every step of the way.

So, last week I was talking about a few different drum books I've used over the years. Thanks to everyone who sent me ideas about the books they use. This week, as a natural progression from that topic, I talk a bit more about technique, both in the feet and the hands. Lots of these ramblings connect in some way to each other and if you've been following previous episodes, you certainly get a tast...

This week I ramble on about some drum books I've used over the years. I'm also inviting you to send your favourite drum books. Drop me a line on Instagram @drummie_dave or drummied@gmail.com with your recommendations. There are 2 main areas reflected on in this episode. Using books to put 'concepts' in to place or just studying 'the book' ! Hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening.

This week is really rambling. The news is a bit all over the place and subjects jump around a bit. It does all make sense in the end, I promise. But I'm mainly talking about rudiments and some ways to think about making them more interesting. Making them your own. Adding character. Getting beyond the written material. I give a few examples on my practice kit. That's about it! Hope you enjoy.

Today I talk about what might be useful if you're considering becoming a 'pro' drummer. I run through some things to consider if you want to be a flexible and useful player, that's adaptable to the unpredictable world of playing gigs. Dealing with Venues, Musicians you don't know, Driving, Gear, Reading, and just being prepared. It's the usual rambling vibe. Hope you enjoy.

Today I ramble on about what to work on. Practice. Practise. (in the) Shed. Getting' your stuff together. Whatever that means to you, it's the actual material you work on during this time at the instrument that can make a real a difference to how quickly you get to the solution to the problem. I share some of my thoughts about this and also go off on a few (mostly) connected tangents.

... in your head. Well, in one's head. Today's episode is a little different. I'm sharing some stories about experiences on the band-stand or in the studio where we might be getting a little 'in our own head' about what's going on in the dynamic of the situation. There may be some stories here you might relate to. There might be times where you might be freaking out when you're playing with people...

In this podcast I start off by rambling on about new and old drums. It's all a bit random but basically I'm a little excited at getting some new drum love in my life. Then we get to the topic of the day, setting a new standard for yourself when you're practicing. I talk about my experience of learning to practice properly. I also talk about connecting to the drums both physically and mentally. The...

In this episode I talk about 'Time'. Not how to tell the time, but 'time awareness', Peter Erskine's brilliant book about collective time awareness. I talk about different ways to practice with the metronome. Make it a tool to serve, no something you have to be a slave too. I also touch on my time using the drumometer for 'time' practice. It's my usual relaxed ramblings, chatting through some pers...