I took up the drums in January this year. I need to do a post on the difference between the two instruments – the drums are simultaneously a lot easier and a lot harder than the piano at the same time. Learning both instruments at the same time is a really interesting experience and there is definitely a virtuous feedback loop between the two – especially if you habitually ignore rhythm at the piano, as I have tended to do.
My teacher, @LearnSomeDrums, recommended transcription as a way to improve my comprehension of the rhythm section of a track.
I chose Rod Stewarts “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” for no particular reason. The transcription exercise took me just under six hours over a period of three weeks.
It turns out that my teacher’s recommendation to transcribe was sage advice. It really forces you into actively listening. As with developing any new skill, it is mentally draining. That aside, I can already recognise a significant uplift in my rhythmic aural skills just from doing this one piece and I look forward to doing many more.
The transcription is on MuseScore: Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?
