The Purdy Shuffle...
9.15.2008
8.13.2008
3.31.2007
Dynamics & Self-Editing
I was rehearsing for my first gig, which was going to be in the mountains at a Four-Square church. Consequently, the band was going to be called "Cool Frankie & The Four Squares." We were in this little church and the bass player, also the Pastor of this church, turned around and said that I needed to "play with more dynamics." At the time, I was 17 or 18, and I said, "What are dynamics!?"
You might be asking the same thing and to be fair, sometimes that word is thrown out, but the meaning is different. For the most part, dynamics refer to playing with a curve between loud playing and soft playing. Energy never has to be sacrificed and sometimes volume isn't even the issue. This is where I get the concept for "self-editing."
Let's say for example that you break up any given tune into parts, which I have talked about before. The "A" section is a verse, the "B" section is a chorus and the "C" section is a bridge. Between these sections, there are musical interludes, usually 4 to 8 bars and most times, just a repeat of the introduction. Now, during the introduction, or musical interlude, open up the hi-hat, crash on the cymbals more frequently and throw a tom into the mix. When the "A" section starts, close the hi-hat, and minimize to snare and kick. During that "A" section, just keep it solid. Don't feel that you have to crash or add anything spectacular at all. Perhaps you will play at the same volume level, but what has happened is that you have created contrast, which is a way to express "dynamic."
When those instrumental sections and bridges come up, open things up a bit more. This is the easiest way to begin playing dynamically.
Another way to approach being a dynamic player is by choosing other sticks for different parts of the list. Almost every list I play, I tend to "spread the wealth" a little bit. For the first two tunes, generally fast tunes, I use my sticks. For the more contemplative tunes, I will tend to use Pro-Mark Hot Rods or Lightning Rods. I have found that using brushes in the conventional, jazz sweep way, has been ineffective for lack of volume. But they are great when played like a stick. When I incorporate all of these sounds in a given list, I give the impression that I am a much more dynamic player than I actuall am, and that makes all the difference.
Of course, I would be remiss if I did not say that you should learn to play quietly without losing the groove or energy of the tune. That is, of course, essential. Practicing that skill is key as well. I would put that before trying to be fast, as in church music, playing quietly is at a higher premium.
Hope This Helps.
Blessings,
Frank
You might be asking the same thing and to be fair, sometimes that word is thrown out, but the meaning is different. For the most part, dynamics refer to playing with a curve between loud playing and soft playing. Energy never has to be sacrificed and sometimes volume isn't even the issue. This is where I get the concept for "self-editing."
Let's say for example that you break up any given tune into parts, which I have talked about before. The "A" section is a verse, the "B" section is a chorus and the "C" section is a bridge. Between these sections, there are musical interludes, usually 4 to 8 bars and most times, just a repeat of the introduction. Now, during the introduction, or musical interlude, open up the hi-hat, crash on the cymbals more frequently and throw a tom into the mix. When the "A" section starts, close the hi-hat, and minimize to snare and kick. During that "A" section, just keep it solid. Don't feel that you have to crash or add anything spectacular at all. Perhaps you will play at the same volume level, but what has happened is that you have created contrast, which is a way to express "dynamic."
When those instrumental sections and bridges come up, open things up a bit more. This is the easiest way to begin playing dynamically.
Another way to approach being a dynamic player is by choosing other sticks for different parts of the list. Almost every list I play, I tend to "spread the wealth" a little bit. For the first two tunes, generally fast tunes, I use my sticks. For the more contemplative tunes, I will tend to use Pro-Mark Hot Rods or Lightning Rods. I have found that using brushes in the conventional, jazz sweep way, has been ineffective for lack of volume. But they are great when played like a stick. When I incorporate all of these sounds in a given list, I give the impression that I am a much more dynamic player than I actuall am, and that makes all the difference.
Of course, I would be remiss if I did not say that you should learn to play quietly without losing the groove or energy of the tune. That is, of course, essential. Practicing that skill is key as well. I would put that before trying to be fast, as in church music, playing quietly is at a higher premium.
Hope This Helps.
Blessings,
Frank
3.27.2007
11.25.2006
11.21.2006
Buddy Rich On The Merv Griffin Show, 1978
The more things change... Great playing as always, but an equally engaging interview. Anyone care to discuss? Leave a comment.
Blessings,
Frank
11.09.2006
Lessons From Teaching My 3 Year Old
As many of you know, I am living in Spain with my family at present. Because we have little in the way of entertainment value, we decided a fun, bonding exercise would be to teach Caleb about the drums. To be honest, I was not crazy about the idea at first. I have had my share of bad teaching experiences, and most have come from very young people who lacked dedication, while I lacked a flexible teaching style.
So now, I am returning to the teaching seat with my son Caleb. I know that his only interest in drumming right now consists of the usual random noise. He may not take it very far, and I am not wishing that for him. But what I am seeing is that he is having fun with his chosen instrument. And that fun is contagious.
Generally, we are trying to identify how to sing note values up to 16ths and have a name assignment for every drum. My final goal would be for Caleb to know what goes where on which beat. Perhaps it's lofty, but he has sung "1 e an ahs" for Dad now twice. So after I have had him at least work with me on this, I let him bash away on the Tama Church kit. And his enthusiasm just sets a fire off in me and I have to sit down and play a little bit too. Except that I am trying to imitate him.
I can't think of a better way to stay fresh and inspired than to take someone and teach them about this wonderful craft that we enjoy. More than that, you might just get a new sub out of the deal, especially as you pass on why we drum for the Lord. Even more than that, isn't it exactly why God has given us any talent in the first place, namely that we might share it with others?
If your feeling a bit dry, one good way to shake it off is to keep your eyes open for a student to teach. You likely won't have to look farther than the stage after any given service.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
So now, I am returning to the teaching seat with my son Caleb. I know that his only interest in drumming right now consists of the usual random noise. He may not take it very far, and I am not wishing that for him. But what I am seeing is that he is having fun with his chosen instrument. And that fun is contagious.
Generally, we are trying to identify how to sing note values up to 16ths and have a name assignment for every drum. My final goal would be for Caleb to know what goes where on which beat. Perhaps it's lofty, but he has sung "1 e an ahs" for Dad now twice. So after I have had him at least work with me on this, I let him bash away on the Tama Church kit. And his enthusiasm just sets a fire off in me and I have to sit down and play a little bit too. Except that I am trying to imitate him.
I can't think of a better way to stay fresh and inspired than to take someone and teach them about this wonderful craft that we enjoy. More than that, you might just get a new sub out of the deal, especially as you pass on why we drum for the Lord. Even more than that, isn't it exactly why God has given us any talent in the first place, namely that we might share it with others?
If your feeling a bit dry, one good way to shake it off is to keep your eyes open for a student to teach. You likely won't have to look farther than the stage after any given service.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
Finally, YOUTUBE AND BLOGGER BETA!!!
The great Peter Erskine doing the job! And some serious horn work from the Brecker Brothers!
NICE!
Take Care All.
F.S.
10.15.2006
"I Am A Member Of The Body Of Christ..."
Before I was a drummer, a Pastor or a worship leader, I was a member of the body of Christ. This statement is purposely stated incorrectly for effect. If you are a person who serves on the worship team and this statement seems just fine, then it helps to illustrate my point further. I am a member of the body of Christ and therefore I serve. Seems like there is only a semantic difference, but there truly is a dangerous undercurrent for all church personnel. It is the temptation to boil down my involvement to what it is that I am doing, and consequently shun the other very important functions of the local fellowship.
What do I mean? It is tempting to come in and "do my job" or "put in my time." Many churches will accept such service and even welcome it, just so long as the program is served. However, this is not what the Lord wants for His children. He wants us to be intimately connected to the church we serve and the people who make up the rest of the body. Neglecting such things reflect poorly upon us and place us in great spiritual trouble.
It's subtle, but soon, we mark our Christianity by the services that we provide, rather than our deep heart felt commitment to the Lord. As we tune out Bible Studies, and make fellowship an option, we lose our spiritual edge. Soon, our attitudes are effected and the people we are called to serve become annoyances.
Not only is this the case, but we are robbed of the opportunity to operate in areas of giftedness that we may not otherwise have known. We lose out on being a meaningful friend, or a helpful counselor. Other areas of ministry might also be affected.
And what about the example that others see. "Oh, he just comes to church when he's playing..."
I don't intend this to be a guilt trip. Not at all! I have had to call myself on the carpet regarding this issue as well. God is calling us to serve His body, as musicians, but also as counselors, prayer warriors and encouragers.
With that in mind, look for opportunities to minister away from your instrument. The Youth always need people. Ushers could use a hand once in a while. See if they could use a hand in the nursery...ok, maybe you don't want to go that direction. There are many options and chances are, you might already have a direction. At the very least, stick yourself in the pew every week and ask God to direct you to other non-musical ministry. I know that He will answer that prayer.
I pray that you won't miss out.
Blessings,
Frank
What do I mean? It is tempting to come in and "do my job" or "put in my time." Many churches will accept such service and even welcome it, just so long as the program is served. However, this is not what the Lord wants for His children. He wants us to be intimately connected to the church we serve and the people who make up the rest of the body. Neglecting such things reflect poorly upon us and place us in great spiritual trouble.
It's subtle, but soon, we mark our Christianity by the services that we provide, rather than our deep heart felt commitment to the Lord. As we tune out Bible Studies, and make fellowship an option, we lose our spiritual edge. Soon, our attitudes are effected and the people we are called to serve become annoyances.
Not only is this the case, but we are robbed of the opportunity to operate in areas of giftedness that we may not otherwise have known. We lose out on being a meaningful friend, or a helpful counselor. Other areas of ministry might also be affected.
And what about the example that others see. "Oh, he just comes to church when he's playing..."
I don't intend this to be a guilt trip. Not at all! I have had to call myself on the carpet regarding this issue as well. God is calling us to serve His body, as musicians, but also as counselors, prayer warriors and encouragers.
With that in mind, look for opportunities to minister away from your instrument. The Youth always need people. Ushers could use a hand once in a while. See if they could use a hand in the nursery...ok, maybe you don't want to go that direction. There are many options and chances are, you might already have a direction. At the very least, stick yourself in the pew every week and ask God to direct you to other non-musical ministry. I know that He will answer that prayer.
I pray that you won't miss out.
Blessings,
Frank
10.13.2006
Pet Peeves!
Somewhere between Moreno Valley and Hemet, I came upon an interesting set of thoughts. I was listening to the morning’s tunes that I was about to play, readying myself for the worship experience. The 2nd song of the set was going to be somewhat new for the congregation I was going to serve. And without saying the name of the artist or the tune, I will comment that this song’s drummer played the most unimaginative, boring part I had heard in a long time. It was what the pros call the “Money Beat.” The “Money Beat” is the first beat that every drummer learns, kick on 1 & 3, snare on 2 & 4, 8th notes on the hi-hat. As I was listening, the simplicity just bugged me, as I thought, “Why not just let the machine do the work?” There was no creativity, no passion, just pure time.
Now that being said, who knows why this took place. There may be a perfectly valid reason and we’ll leave it at that. Suffice it to say here, the end result was a drum beat worth forgetting.
Then I came to the very next song. This song was a real groove tune, with an R & B feel to it. Unlike the rock tune that had come before, it was very creative. It began in the first verse with a classic sidestick/hi-hat groove. I enjoyed the song as it went into the chorus with a nice snare transition. Then, it got thoroughly weird. The next verse featured a snare off/tom-tom combination. All of a sudden I was thrown and was listening to the drummer’s creativity. His patterns were very random and it seemed like he was making things up as he went along. Making matters worse, he had a third, completely different interpretation of the 3rd verse which was even more wild and out than the 2nd verse!
Again, let’s assume someone told him to approach each verse differently. At that point, the truly tasteless approach to the song falls on that leader.
Alright, next song. Classic 6/8 ballad. Probably the same drummer and sort of the same problem. Accept this time, the only thing that changes is the bass drum pattern. Every verse and chorus had a different bass drum pattern, while everything stayed the same on top.
Now, before I move on, I realize that I sound like the world’s most harsh critic and in this moment and with these examples, it’s likely that I am! It’s just that these three scenarios represent my three pet peeves. Lack of imagination, lack of stability and lack of cohesion.
First, each drum part that we are creating must be creative. It must reach out from time, or machine like quality to being musical. Otherwise, we are just machines! Let’s say it’s a 4 on the floor pattern. One can still spice it up by working on the hi-hats and adding ghost notes on the snare drum. There are a million, creative ways to approach even the most elemental patterns.
Second, when creating a part, that part should be the part for each of the verses, each of the choruses and every instrumental break in between. This is not just good drumming. It’s a service to the people you are playing with, and a service to the congregation you are playing in front of. Stability of playing helps the musicians create their parts and helps the audience “settle in” for the given song.
Finally, cohesive bass drum work is key to settling into the groove. Find a pattern that works and stick to it. Marry it! Your bass player will thank you and rhythm partners, like the rhythm guitarist and pianist, will be able to do their work of filling around the empty spaces that your pattern on the kick creates. All of a sudden, the kick just becomes one of the rhythmic threads which make up the dominant pulse of the tune.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
Now that being said, who knows why this took place. There may be a perfectly valid reason and we’ll leave it at that. Suffice it to say here, the end result was a drum beat worth forgetting.
Then I came to the very next song. This song was a real groove tune, with an R & B feel to it. Unlike the rock tune that had come before, it was very creative. It began in the first verse with a classic sidestick/hi-hat groove. I enjoyed the song as it went into the chorus with a nice snare transition. Then, it got thoroughly weird. The next verse featured a snare off/tom-tom combination. All of a sudden I was thrown and was listening to the drummer’s creativity. His patterns were very random and it seemed like he was making things up as he went along. Making matters worse, he had a third, completely different interpretation of the 3rd verse which was even more wild and out than the 2nd verse!
Again, let’s assume someone told him to approach each verse differently. At that point, the truly tasteless approach to the song falls on that leader.
Alright, next song. Classic 6/8 ballad. Probably the same drummer and sort of the same problem. Accept this time, the only thing that changes is the bass drum pattern. Every verse and chorus had a different bass drum pattern, while everything stayed the same on top.
Now, before I move on, I realize that I sound like the world’s most harsh critic and in this moment and with these examples, it’s likely that I am! It’s just that these three scenarios represent my three pet peeves. Lack of imagination, lack of stability and lack of cohesion.
First, each drum part that we are creating must be creative. It must reach out from time, or machine like quality to being musical. Otherwise, we are just machines! Let’s say it’s a 4 on the floor pattern. One can still spice it up by working on the hi-hats and adding ghost notes on the snare drum. There are a million, creative ways to approach even the most elemental patterns.
Second, when creating a part, that part should be the part for each of the verses, each of the choruses and every instrumental break in between. This is not just good drumming. It’s a service to the people you are playing with, and a service to the congregation you are playing in front of. Stability of playing helps the musicians create their parts and helps the audience “settle in” for the given song.
Finally, cohesive bass drum work is key to settling into the groove. Find a pattern that works and stick to it. Marry it! Your bass player will thank you and rhythm partners, like the rhythm guitarist and pianist, will be able to do their work of filling around the empty spaces that your pattern on the kick creates. All of a sudden, the kick just becomes one of the rhythmic threads which make up the dominant pulse of the tune.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
10.06.2006
Google Beta Video Link Of The Week
I'm still trying to get my Blogger Beta blogs a video feed, either through Youtube or Google's Video. Neither will accept my username and password. So paste and enjoy. This drum battle is EPIC!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-238233054317875548&q=Dave+Weckl&hl=en
Enjoy!
Blessings,
Frank
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-238233054317875548&q=Dave+Weckl&hl=en
Enjoy!
Blessings,
Frank
10.04.2006
Ah, Paradiddles!
When I think about what really made the difference in my playing over the last 6 or 7 years, I have to point to paradiddles. Paradiddles are a combination stroke, singles and doubles. The sticking, if you are not familiar is R L R R L R L L. It’s a 16th note subdivision, so it can easily be counted in the usual “1 e an a” method. Now, not wanting to take credit where it is not due, I learned a very basic exercise from the Dave Weckl video “Back To Basics.” After you learn the stroke, break it up over your snare and hi-hat. The kick will be on the 1 and the 3.
What is real important is that you differentiate, radically at first, the accented stroke and the unaccented stroke. This will make a huge difference physically in how you approach the accented and unaccented notes. You will be thankful for it later.
Now, what will you will hear will shock you at first. Things will sort of come in and out and it will sound really unbalanced at first. Of course, start slow and you will begin to feel the way that it is supposed to sound.
Doing this exercise accomplished three things for me: 1) It gave me a better sense of time, 2) It radically helped my ghost notes and 3) It made my groove solid and “feel” complete. Over time, I started to learn the rest of the paradiddle family, ie. double paradiddles, paradiddle diddles and flamadiddles. Adding these to my “bag of tricks” really helped to stimulate my playing.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
What is real important is that you differentiate, radically at first, the accented stroke and the unaccented stroke. This will make a huge difference physically in how you approach the accented and unaccented notes. You will be thankful for it later.
Now, what will you will hear will shock you at first. Things will sort of come in and out and it will sound really unbalanced at first. Of course, start slow and you will begin to feel the way that it is supposed to sound.
Doing this exercise accomplished three things for me: 1) It gave me a better sense of time, 2) It radically helped my ghost notes and 3) It made my groove solid and “feel” complete. Over time, I started to learn the rest of the paradiddle family, ie. double paradiddles, paradiddle diddles and flamadiddles. Adding these to my “bag of tricks” really helped to stimulate my playing.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.27.2006
YouTube Link Of The Week...
Unfortunately, because I am using the Beta option of Blogger, I cannot post video here directly...yet! Hopefully, Blogger will be able to resolve that problem soon. Until then, paste the link and check it out. This week, a classic drum battle between two of the most iconic drummers of all time. Hope you enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eZeOgx6wUQ
Blessings,
Frank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eZeOgx6wUQ
Blessings,
Frank
9.20.2006
Opening Creative Doors
Over the many years of playing, I have often found myself in creative ruts. If you have been playing for any length of time, you know what I mean: All your fills sound the same, the same physical actions are stuck in maintnenance and even the beats you are coming up with are dry and boring.
This is a common problem, with a pretty easy set of solutions. First, if you have the luxury of playing with multiple types of musicians, this can be real easy. Maybe you spend time making music with a violinist or a sax player. Second, if that is not a possibility, try playing on someone else's kit. The different tuning and feel of foreign drums almost always inspires new thoughts.
But one thing that all of us can do is change our set-up. Say that you are used to a double-kick, 3 tom, 3 cymbal set-up. Remove the double pedal. Then, take out the middle tom. Now, remove the cymbal on your left side. Grab those sticks and see what comes out.
Next, try to move your ride to the opposite side of normal and set up a tom on by your hi-hats. Play for an hour and see what comes out.
Changing the way I set up really made me stretch and really cool new ideas opened up to me, just because the physical motions required something new of me.
Then on the other hand, sometimes our ears need new stimulus. Exploring new sounds can lead to good creativity as well. Try tuning your snare down, or loosening the actual snares themselves. Just like computers, what is done can easily be undone! Tighten that first tom; take off the bottom heads. Play with different types of sticks: Brushes, Multi-Rods, mallets, empty coke bottles! Try playing with your hands!
Go back to having fun and watch that creativity begin to flow in a healthy way again.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
This is a common problem, with a pretty easy set of solutions. First, if you have the luxury of playing with multiple types of musicians, this can be real easy. Maybe you spend time making music with a violinist or a sax player. Second, if that is not a possibility, try playing on someone else's kit. The different tuning and feel of foreign drums almost always inspires new thoughts.
But one thing that all of us can do is change our set-up. Say that you are used to a double-kick, 3 tom, 3 cymbal set-up. Remove the double pedal. Then, take out the middle tom. Now, remove the cymbal on your left side. Grab those sticks and see what comes out.
Next, try to move your ride to the opposite side of normal and set up a tom on by your hi-hats. Play for an hour and see what comes out.
Changing the way I set up really made me stretch and really cool new ideas opened up to me, just because the physical motions required something new of me.
Then on the other hand, sometimes our ears need new stimulus. Exploring new sounds can lead to good creativity as well. Try tuning your snare down, or loosening the actual snares themselves. Just like computers, what is done can easily be undone! Tighten that first tom; take off the bottom heads. Play with different types of sticks: Brushes, Multi-Rods, mallets, empty coke bottles! Try playing with your hands!
Go back to having fun and watch that creativity begin to flow in a healthy way again.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.14.2006
Sensitivity
I have remarked in other entries about how thorough I am when it comes to preparation for any given worship session. I thoroughly, when given the information, think through the "list" and ready myself to play it. I would imagine a similar process happens for a "show" drummer, where every detail is sketched out and performed routinely, accurately and without any deviation. Worship is a very different "musical animal."
This is not to say that you should not prepare. But it IS to say that you should also prepare yourself for unplanned, unexpected changes in any given set list.
There are things as worship drummers that are just not in our field of thought on any given Sunday, Wednesday, etc. When I stepped out from behind the drums and began to connect myself to a guitar, I was forced to see the affects of my lists. In the practice prior to the session, the songs would often work out great, but it was the little things that I noticed when people got into the room that often made me reconsider the way we presented our songs.
For example, I remember many times when I started tunes too slowly and needed to change the tempo mid-tune. Other times, I recognized that some songs seemed too heavy handed for where the worship was going, so I asked my drummers to play a tune or two with brushes, to soften the list. Many times, especially in the more intimate night services, I asked the drummer to not play for a few tunes, just because I could see the faces of the worshippers, and how engaged they were in what was happening and I did not want that to be broken for them.
Now, I never heard either Richard or Isy ever complain about not getting to play certain things, but I remember back when I was younger, often feeling frustrated when I did'nt get to play the whole list! Now, I see that I could have been more sensitive to what the Spirit was doing on those nights. I could have trusted my leaders and let them lead what they were seeing more clearly than I could.
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." NLT
Be sensitive to the situation. Tune yourself into the mood of the room. Sacred moments are happening right in front of you. Ask the Lord to teach you to play appropriately for Him.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
This is not to say that you should not prepare. But it IS to say that you should also prepare yourself for unplanned, unexpected changes in any given set list.
There are things as worship drummers that are just not in our field of thought on any given Sunday, Wednesday, etc. When I stepped out from behind the drums and began to connect myself to a guitar, I was forced to see the affects of my lists. In the practice prior to the session, the songs would often work out great, but it was the little things that I noticed when people got into the room that often made me reconsider the way we presented our songs.
For example, I remember many times when I started tunes too slowly and needed to change the tempo mid-tune. Other times, I recognized that some songs seemed too heavy handed for where the worship was going, so I asked my drummers to play a tune or two with brushes, to soften the list. Many times, especially in the more intimate night services, I asked the drummer to not play for a few tunes, just because I could see the faces of the worshippers, and how engaged they were in what was happening and I did not want that to be broken for them.
Now, I never heard either Richard or Isy ever complain about not getting to play certain things, but I remember back when I was younger, often feeling frustrated when I did'nt get to play the whole list! Now, I see that I could have been more sensitive to what the Spirit was doing on those nights. I could have trusted my leaders and let them lead what they were seeing more clearly than I could.
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." NLT
Be sensitive to the situation. Tune yourself into the mood of the room. Sacred moments are happening right in front of you. Ask the Lord to teach you to play appropriately for Him.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.13.2006
"Anchoring"
One concept that I feel has tremendously helped my groove has been what I call "anchoring." An anchor keeps the ship in a stationary position, and until that anchor is brought up, that ship is not moving. Relating to time and groove, I have found one note to be most potent in this regard.
It is the offbeat 8th note, the "an" of any note. Somehow, when I get this happening, the time and groove seem to be so interelated and effortless that the music becomes a joy. Now, how I manifest it is simply either one of two ways. I can either accent that note on the hi-hats with my right hand or I can play that note with my foot on the hi-hat. Somehow, in my mind, just hearing that note accented, MAKES me play to that. All of a sudden other notes start coming from my left hand, ghost strokes that fill out the rest of the rhythmic spectrum, and it happens quite naturally.
How do you develop this? It takes work and mental energy. Start slow, but play an 8th note groove on the ride cymbal. Get that going for 4 bars. Then at the 5th bar, get quarter notes happening on the hi-hat with your left foot. You should have a duplication of 8th notes. Now, simply begin to remove the quarter notes. This will take some time to get used to, but when you hear it, I think something will begin to click.
Another way to approach this is to play a brush groove on your snare drum, 1 & 3 on the kick. Instead of accenting the 2 & 4 on your hi-hat, accent the offbeat 8ths. See what happens.
Now, as with anything, learning to intuitively make this musical is an art. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR EVERY SONG. That said, you might be able to employ it in many songs, at certain points in the song, perhaps a chorus or a bridge. What it will do is help your groove develop in new ways and your time will feel more steady.
For a master study on this concept, check out Bernard Purdie's work on the Steely Dan album "The Royal Scam." Rick Marotta is also credited on the album at http://www.steelydan.com/citizentracks.html, but if I was a betting man (I'm not!) I would say that the tracks that best represent what I am talking about were played by "Pretty" Purdie. For this concept, check out "Kid Charlemagne," "The Fez," and "Green Earrings."
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
It is the offbeat 8th note, the "an" of any note. Somehow, when I get this happening, the time and groove seem to be so interelated and effortless that the music becomes a joy. Now, how I manifest it is simply either one of two ways. I can either accent that note on the hi-hats with my right hand or I can play that note with my foot on the hi-hat. Somehow, in my mind, just hearing that note accented, MAKES me play to that. All of a sudden other notes start coming from my left hand, ghost strokes that fill out the rest of the rhythmic spectrum, and it happens quite naturally.
How do you develop this? It takes work and mental energy. Start slow, but play an 8th note groove on the ride cymbal. Get that going for 4 bars. Then at the 5th bar, get quarter notes happening on the hi-hat with your left foot. You should have a duplication of 8th notes. Now, simply begin to remove the quarter notes. This will take some time to get used to, but when you hear it, I think something will begin to click.
Another way to approach this is to play a brush groove on your snare drum, 1 & 3 on the kick. Instead of accenting the 2 & 4 on your hi-hat, accent the offbeat 8ths. See what happens.
Now, as with anything, learning to intuitively make this musical is an art. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR EVERY SONG. That said, you might be able to employ it in many songs, at certain points in the song, perhaps a chorus or a bridge. What it will do is help your groove develop in new ways and your time will feel more steady.
For a master study on this concept, check out Bernard Purdie's work on the Steely Dan album "The Royal Scam." Rick Marotta is also credited on the album at http://www.steelydan.com/citizentracks.html, but if I was a betting man (I'm not!) I would say that the tracks that best represent what I am talking about were played by "Pretty" Purdie. For this concept, check out "Kid Charlemagne," "The Fez," and "Green Earrings."
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.11.2006
"Intuition"
Let's see: How do I put this mess all together? Hmm... Some parts of drumming are subjective and it is sometimes a mystery as to how one drummer is favored over another. For one band, one drummer is the best. For another, well, they will get by with or without him/her.
I was talking with a music friend yesterday about this issue. He brought up the term "intuition." He defined it as "just being able to hear a suggestion, and then giving something back." Sort of like a music conversation.
For example, the worship leader, thoroughly a fine musician but never a drummer, turns around and tells you, "I really want more of a driving beat." Now, at that point, us drummers have the opportunity to reach into our bag of tricks and pull out something that we would describe as "driving." Then the worship leader says, "Well, not like that. More like..." and then he flails his arms and makes drum noises with his mouth, apparently unaware of the blank stare that has come across your face.
Intuition is the ability to reach for many options in that moment. For example, driving might mean four on the floor with a low tom mimic, heavy backbeat and a washy crash ride combo. Maybe it's the low tom, interspersed with a backbeat and the other toms thrown inbetween. Maybe it's open hi-hat 8th notes, accents on the backbeat (2 & 4) with a cymbal...
You see what I mean? Reaching into your bag of tricks, trying to make a term come to life which will serve the music.
But then, there's that bag of tricks. You might just be a one trick pony, which is never good in the musical context.
Before I move on, this is probably the most subjective part of music. One part of you might say, "I am what I am and that's all that I am." Well thank you Popeye! The other part will say, "I need to learn and expand that bag of tricks, but how?" It's to you that I write.
Our proverbial bags will be expanded when we open our minds to other types of music and truly explore the nuances of what makes that type of music special. For example, an R&B drummer has certain sound and feel. Same goes for the Heavy Metal drummer or the Jazz drummer.
The point is to be able to reach down and at the very least, fake a feel for any given song. That is what intuition is about. It is part negotiation, in that you should be able to provide several examples for a nebulous, magical part. But the other part of intuition, is to reach down into the bag of tricks and confidently copy some one else's work!
I told my shuffle story, so I won't repeat it. But there have been many other experiences where I was able to provide my "drum term illiterate" worship leader with something close to what he was hearing.
I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
I was talking with a music friend yesterday about this issue. He brought up the term "intuition." He defined it as "just being able to hear a suggestion, and then giving something back." Sort of like a music conversation.
For example, the worship leader, thoroughly a fine musician but never a drummer, turns around and tells you, "I really want more of a driving beat." Now, at that point, us drummers have the opportunity to reach into our bag of tricks and pull out something that we would describe as "driving." Then the worship leader says, "Well, not like that. More like..." and then he flails his arms and makes drum noises with his mouth, apparently unaware of the blank stare that has come across your face.
Intuition is the ability to reach for many options in that moment. For example, driving might mean four on the floor with a low tom mimic, heavy backbeat and a washy crash ride combo. Maybe it's the low tom, interspersed with a backbeat and the other toms thrown inbetween. Maybe it's open hi-hat 8th notes, accents on the backbeat (2 & 4) with a cymbal...
You see what I mean? Reaching into your bag of tricks, trying to make a term come to life which will serve the music.
But then, there's that bag of tricks. You might just be a one trick pony, which is never good in the musical context.
Before I move on, this is probably the most subjective part of music. One part of you might say, "I am what I am and that's all that I am." Well thank you Popeye! The other part will say, "I need to learn and expand that bag of tricks, but how?" It's to you that I write.
Our proverbial bags will be expanded when we open our minds to other types of music and truly explore the nuances of what makes that type of music special. For example, an R&B drummer has certain sound and feel. Same goes for the Heavy Metal drummer or the Jazz drummer.
The point is to be able to reach down and at the very least, fake a feel for any given song. That is what intuition is about. It is part negotiation, in that you should be able to provide several examples for a nebulous, magical part. But the other part of intuition, is to reach down into the bag of tricks and confidently copy some one else's work!
I told my shuffle story, so I won't repeat it. But there have been many other experiences where I was able to provide my "drum term illiterate" worship leader with something close to what he was hearing.
I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Frank
9.01.2006
"I Wish I Would Have..."
Hindsight is always 20/20. Knowing what I know now, I would have done things different. Of course, the trap is that if I had done things different, I might not be the person I am now. Oh, what a tangled web! However, here are some of my top thoughts about what I wish I would have done back when I was a young drummer.
- I wish I would have enjoyed the time I spent with my fellow musicians more.
- I wish I would have obsessed less about all the minute things that would go wrong during a service.
- I wish I would have been more open to other types of music earlier that were not my taste.
- I wish I would have taken the time to see more live music and meet more of those musicians.
- I wish I would have paid more attention to the formal side of training for drums.
- I wish I would have taught my students to enjoy their instruments more.
- I wish I would have practiced better when I had all the time in the world, rather than fiddling around with my favorite beats.
- I wish I would have invested more time in people who wanted to learn about the drums from me.
Maybe you could add about a hundred things yourself. The beautiful thing about such lists is that people who are on the other side of time can avoid the pitfalls of my past. The beautiful thing for me is that my past does not have to dictate my future. I can learn and grow from here.
I pray you would do the same.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
F.S.
- I wish I would have enjoyed the time I spent with my fellow musicians more.
- I wish I would have obsessed less about all the minute things that would go wrong during a service.
- I wish I would have been more open to other types of music earlier that were not my taste.
- I wish I would have taken the time to see more live music and meet more of those musicians.
- I wish I would have paid more attention to the formal side of training for drums.
- I wish I would have taught my students to enjoy their instruments more.
- I wish I would have practiced better when I had all the time in the world, rather than fiddling around with my favorite beats.
- I wish I would have invested more time in people who wanted to learn about the drums from me.
Maybe you could add about a hundred things yourself. The beautiful thing about such lists is that people who are on the other side of time can avoid the pitfalls of my past. The beautiful thing for me is that my past does not have to dictate my future. I can learn and grow from here.
I pray you would do the same.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
F.S.
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