Introduction
DRUM EXPO 2014: Behind Travis Barker's DIY punk aesthetic lies a trained drummer and musician with massive respect for the past and optimism for the future.
Last year Travis kick-started a YouTube lesson series called Crash Course, in which he gives fans insight into his own development along with examples to help push drummers forward.
Travis’ background in music during his formative years at school included marching, orchestral and jazz band. In between, he was hitting some of the classic drum books with a private teacher. He tells us: “Stick Control [by George Lawrence Stone] is an amazing book. Jim Chapin’s book [Advanced Technique For The Modern Drummer]. [Ted Reed’s] Syncopation. I went through that and plan on taking my son through that book as well.
"I didn’t have a bunch of videos or VHS tapes. I think my dad got me Zildjian Day In New York, but that was it. I didn’t have a lot of instructional videos that I learned from. It was books, reading and lock your door, play the drums!”
From his North Hollywood studio, Travis talks us through some of his favourite stickings inspired by those legendary tome, and we've provided notation so that you can work through them yourself.
Paradiddle exercises
“All through elementary school I was learning jazz. There weren’t many teachers who taught you how to rock! It was, ‘Here’s this jazz chart, catch all the accents, set up the accents. I want a two-bar fill on the ‘&’ of ‘2’, two measures from here.’
"That really set me up for reading. Then they’d make me do the same thing with my my left [as with my right hand] so I could play with my left hand.”
Paradiddle Exercises
“I love going through paradiddles, single (RLRR LRLL), double (RLRLRR LRLRLL), triple (RLRLRLRR LRLRLRLL), inverted (RLLR LRRL), diddlepara (RRLR LLRL).”
Click the links to download notation...
Flam and triplet exercises
“In high school, I really dove into music. I had an amazing drum-line teacher named Perry Hall. It was my first taste of what drum-line would be. Being in a real drum-line with six snares, four bass drums, three quint players... It was awesome!
"Then I really got into drums. I started a band in high school and we played everywhere locally. That was my education. I never went to college. I never tried out or attempted to go to drum corps. I started touring two years after high school. I was content with that. All I wanted to do was tour with a band.”
Flam exercises
“It all stems from rudiments for me. It’s all inspired by rudiments.”
Click the links to download notation...
Triplet warm up
“Try three strokes to a hand [played with a triplet rhythm], then go to doubles [as 16th notes]. Starting at a slow tempo and building it up, trying to make everything sound the same [no accents].”
Click the links to download notation...
Triplet variation
Travis also demonstrated a variation of the triplet exercise, moving the accent over one note each measure (first measure, on the beat, next measure, on the “trip-”, next measure on the “-let”) while playing quarter notes with feet.
Click the links to download notation...
Hands and feet exercises
“Chops from marching band really got me in a routine of always practising. Then it was a matter of making up my own exercises that would keep my chops sharp when I was on tour.
"Whether it be sitting around playing on a practise pad or going and playing bossa nova patterns with my feet and trying to solo over them, [I was] always challenging myself.
"I think once you’re given the fundamentals it’s up to you to grow. It’s always been something that’s grown over time. I still love practising, pushing and challenging myself, and coming up with new ideas or chops.”
Hands and feet
“In these examples it's singles between my hands and my feet. Paradiddles between my hands and feet [mixing combinations, R hand, R foot; L hand, L foot; R hand, L foot; L hand, R foot].The same exercise you would do on your practice pad, but do singles, doubles, triples between your hands and your feet.
"Get the tempo up. Put on a metronome. I’ll geek out for 30 minutes! Getting the tempos up to where it’s still consistent and everything’s even.”
Click the links to download notation...
For more great interviews with the world's best drummers, check out Rhythm magazine.