Acoustic bassdrum + Technology

Over the last year or so I have been experimenting with the Roland TDW-20 series digital drumkit. I love the sounds that this monster has and if you have the time you can get almost any sound that you can imagine. The way you play and get inspired completely changes just like going from a monster drumkit with double bassdrum to a little 4 or 5 piece jazz kit. You get inspired to play completely different. There are however a few things missing from the digital over an acoustic drumkit. When you hit a bassdrum, there is an air movement from within the drum that resonates outwards that you feel. It hits you in the gut but it feels good, hell yeah! With digital the sound is there but the air movement is not.
What does any of this have to do with acoustic + technology you might ask?

Well I just aquired an acoustic black Sonor 18" x 16" Force maple shell bassdrum. When you hear the sound this makes it gives you chills, lots of punch with great overtones but wouldn't it be great to combine that sweet sound with some nice layers of a much deeper bassdrum. Well I also just bought a Roland RT-10K trigger (pic to the right). Man this this is awesome and simplistic to use. It just clips to the inside rim of the bassdrum and you adjust the sensitivity on the brain and works with the TDW-20 brain. It also now allows me to have that feel of the real bassdrum plus that awesome sound that comes out of it as well as allowing me to add whatever bassdrum sound I want to add from the digital TDW-20 brain. Now I can layer whatever other sounds that I want with this acoustic bassdrum. You get the best of both worlds all wrapped up in todays technology. The possibilities are truly endless when you combine both into a drumkit. Back in the 80s there were never really these options that you could choose from or at least not very good options. Today if you do not embrace what is in the marketplace you might just get left behind depending on what or who you are playing with.
Some drummers might never require this technology for their sound but what harm does it do to just know that this exists in the event that you might need this someday. You only become way more versatile with your own unique sound. Man this is really cool!!!!!!!
Stay tuned or go phlat ........

Making a cover song your own

The band that I currently play with has a few "disco" type songs in their repertoire. I've never been a fan of that type of music and run from it if given the chance. Playing drums makes it hard to run away! I had to learn a few songs this week and had a hard time getting into the groove. I think it is due to the fact of not liking what I was learning and the songs that I was learning were very straight forward so it wasn't really a challenge playing these disco songs but I do believe that you should put 100% into whatever you play or don't play it. I had to find my groove for these songs so I looked to one of my idols to see how he pulled some of these grooves off. Jeff Porcaro was one of my first choices. This guy has an unbelievable list of dudes that he has played with and makes whatever he plays sound good, how?

 

Some drummers have that very unique style of finding that groove in any song, adding some subtle changes to a regular beat and all of a sudden that rhythm section just sounds killer. Jeff used to add in ghost strokes on his snaredrum in between a regular beat and it makes all the difference in the world. I mean you can always add in some phat drum fills that you just feel in the groove but what else could you do if the song is that easy to play and you feel bored ......

If you are a right handed drummer, try playing left handed. Do the entire beat playing on the hi-hat with your left hand. Start all your drum fills with your left hand. In theory all drummers should know how to do this but let's face it, most drummers don't switch back and forth from left to right handed.
I find that if you feel bored during a song it will come across in your playing and as the backbone to any band, what you do will bring the whole band down.

Experiment with several ways of playing songs that you just can't get into to find that special something in every song that peaks your interest. Remember as a drummer you are the driving force behind every band so own the beat and make it your own. Stay tuned or go phlat ........

Feeling like listening to something different?

I always like to put my ipod on shuffle of all songs and all artists so that you never actually know what your going to get when you turn it on. It's like a little surprise at every song that starts and I have a lot of songs.

When you hear the words "flamenco" what do you think of? I don't normally listen to flamenco but on this occasion it played on the ipod so I listened to it. I find it very interesting how quickly music can lift your spirits. I decided for the day to listen to the Gypsy Kings to see how it affected my mood. With the music being so upbeat I found it hard to lose that overall good mood, not that I tried too hard! I thought I would then try to see how easy it was to pick up playing this music on the drums. Some things are easier than they seem. The beats were fine to pick up but it totally relies on the feel / rhythm to make these songs what they are and that was the hard part.To feel the rhythm and get into that groove it takes more than a quick listen. You really need to immerse yourself in that rhythm if you want to do it really well.

It still amazes me how some things sound and look so easy until you actually go to mimic that style. These guys are truly amazing musicians in everything that they deliver, and they do it with such class. You don't have to like the style of music but rather just appreciate it for what it is.
Take today to listen to something new, live on the edge, how did it make you feel?
Stay tuned or go phlat ........

How it all began

I believe everything happens for a reason. One such event helped shape my musical career and influences that I look for in every aspect of music today.
My family moved out to South Africa in the early 70s. We only stayed there for a little over 2yrs but what an experience it was. We would go see the tribes that would perform in the gold mines. These tribes would come from all over and perform for the locals and tourists alike. The local tribe to where we stayed was the Bantu tribe. These performances would go on all night long and you couldn't help but get into the whole beat, that feeling of joy would overcome you and before you knew it everyone around you was feeling it. It was magical. When I returned back home to Scotland I still had those beats swirling around my head just waiting to come out.
This was my first influence and without me knowing actually guided me to drums. These rhythms stay with me and every time you hear these beats you feel warm, that smile appears and you just can't help but feel good.
I managed to find some of these tribes on youtube with some of the same sounds that I once heard.
Zulu war dance and Zulu dance are just two such rhythms. African music has influenced many of what we listen to today The African influence on pop and jazz musicians It is truly amazing what influences we are completely unaware of in todays society. Africa rhythms was my first influence. Stay tuned or go phlat ........