The Drum Panel: Chick Corea's cheap but good advice for playing music in a group PART ONE

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This episode is a new installment of The Drum Panel, and it’s Part One of Two diving into Chick Corea’s Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music in a Group. I’m joined by good friend of mine Rafa Vidal, who also plays with the band Almost Monday, who are currently killing it, and of course Eric Somers-Urrea is back on the panel. We start off reacting to a post from Tommy Igoe about drum education and who should really be setting the agenda in lessons. That opens the door to a bigger conversation about intention, listening, and what it actually means to function inside a band. From there, we break down the first six pieces of Chick’s advice and what they look like in real life: Play only what you hear. If you don’t hear anything, don’t play anything. Don’t let your fingers and limbs just wander—place them intentionally. Don’t improvise endlessly—play something with intention, develop it or not, but then end off, take a break. Leave space—create space—intentionally create places where you don’t play. Make your sound blend. Listen to your sound and adjust it to the rest of the band and the room. We also get into a Rafa's new endeavor called Touch Grooves. Check out more information on that HERE --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and

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The Drum Panel: Chick Corea's cheap but good advice for playing music in a group PART ONE is an episode from Big Fat Five: A Podcast Financially Supported by Big Fat Snare Drum by Ben Hilzinger.

This episode is 41:43 long.

This episode was published on Feb 11, 2026.

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