Ask a Pro: Mike Portnoy

Q: I’m a fourteen-year-old progressive drummer starting a band, and I look to you for some inspiration and flair. Can you tell me what drum setup you used to record Awake? Also, I’m working hard on double-kick rolls (with my feet) and single-stroke rolls and variations (with my hands). Do you have any tips on increasing speed? Finally, how do you go about creating a drum solo? A lot of people have tried to teach me, but when I try it, it sounds poor.

Karl

Western Australia

A: Thanks for your letter and the long-distance compliments! You can find a complete description of my Awake drumkit in the Ask A Pro section of the July ’95 Modern Drummer. However, I have recently retired that kit and have switched back to Tama drums, playing their fantastic new Starclassics. The new setup is almost identical to the Awake setup, but it can always change depending on my mood!

The two most important keys in developing speed and accuracy are: 1) Play to a metronome, and 2) Start slow and build up the tempo gradually. (You have to learn to walk before you can run.)

To me, a drum solo is an opportunity to pull out all the stops and just let all the chops hang out. I do try to have a basic blueprint in form – but I always improvise within that blueprint. I also try to use a lot of dynamics throughout the solo – going up and down constantly from moments of total chaos to moments when you could hear a pin drop. In addition, I try to use my solo spot to show a bit of my personality. For instance, because I am a huge boxing fan, my solo always begins with Michael Buffer announcing, “Let’s get ready to rumble.” I’ve also played a lot to sampled riffs of bands I dig, from Pantera and Slayer to Public Enemy.