Practice Interview #3 of 5. Jack Towers, Drums.
Photography: Kate Stroud
Do you have a practice routine? If so, what is it?
I try and vary my practise as much as possible. I’m still trying to find the perfect routine for me. At the moment, it’s writing down a list of things I want to achieve in the session. I’m really into maximising efficiency in the practice room with as little wasted time as possible. I mix between technical exercises, playing along with records and counting out loud. All of those aspects are really important to me in my regime.
I also spend a fair amount of time just playing the drums and listening to their sound, trying to keep it consistent. If I hit a drum on way, I try and make that sound the same every time I hit it, not only pitch wise, but dynamically as well.
I think it’s very important to spend time away from the kit, figuring out how best to approach a session, so you’re not sitting there wondering what to cover next.
What do you think is a productive and efficient practice routine?
Staying focused is extremely important for a meaningful practice session. You have to keep it interesting for the entire period of time. I can’t just sit there and mindlessly read notes on a page all day, it has to be varied and I have to be challenged.
At the moment I’ll do one technical exercise, and then playing along to a track on a record, and keep repeating between the two. It makes practise more musical than just doing technical exercise after technical exercise.
Setting long and short-term goals is very important, too. I make sure I go into a practice session knowing what I want to accomplish.
What are you currently having the most trouble with in your practise? How do you go about overcoming this?
Keeping focused is really hard at times. It’s very easy to get frustrated with something I’m working on if it’s not working for me, and I just slack off and start improvising.
You just have to put your head down and keep working at it. There aren’t any short cuts and there’s no substitute to hard work. If you keep at something long enough, you’ll eventually get it.
What do you enjoy practising the most, and why?
I really enjoy a technical challenge. I also like watching other drummers play their chops and copying them, and then putting it into a musical situation.
I recently checked out a drummer, Thomas Pridgen, and copied one of his fill ideas; it was highly technical. I started playing along to songs and every fill figure I would do what he did. Sometimes it would fit, sometimes it didn’t, but it helped me understand the musical application and limitation of that particular figure.
Playing along to records is always fun and extremely important for groove.
Do you practise with other people? If so, can you describe the pros and cons of doing this?
Jamming with other musicians is great! I would say probably 90% of my practising is in the woodshed, headphones on and playing to a click, but playing with a band is a whole other thing.
Having a jam with another drummer is eye opening, too. Everyone has their own sound, own style and own influences. These jams can go anywhere, through many different feels and grooves, and it’s great to see how someone else plays the same groove as you, just interpreted completely different. I’ve learned a lot about a drummer and my own playing by doing this.One of the biggest challenges of playing with a band is to not overplay. You’ve got to play for the music, not for yourself. It’s a great exercise in listening and cooperating.