Stevie Wonder, as most people will know, is blind. Yet he’s a kick a*se drummer! He has a rather abrasive style as he cant SEE where the drums and cymbals are to hit them, he has to keep pushing the stick through until he actually feels a connection, however his groove and timing are phenomenal. Check out this drum solo and see just how quickly he can move round a kit that he can’t see! It’s a shame that the picture and sound don’t quite match up, but still, it’s well worth a watch!
Here is the break for the intro and the 1 bar break in the middle of the track. It is a mixed subdivision break and is therefore pretty tricky to get right, so make sure you count correctly! Failing that just have a good guess!
I have also added the stabs to be made with the band at the end of the chorus’
This week I’ve chosen Smooth by Santana feat. Rob Thomas because it’s one of my all time favourite tracks and I can’t believe I haven’t put it on here sooner!
It’s a pretty straight forward track with plenty of opportunities to try out lifts, added notes and fills. The only slightly tricky bit if the intro and the break as it involves triplets. Most people will be able to do it by ear if they listen to it enough, however I recommend (obviously) that you count it to make sure it’s exactly right!
I’ll give you the breakdown today and I’ll write out the stabs and breaks for you next time.
Section No. of Bars
Intro (break) 1
Inst 8
1st Verse 8
2nd Verse 8
Bridge 10
Chorus 8 (stop on the “1” of 7th bar and play stabs with band)
Inst 4
3rd Verse 8
4th Verse 8 (stop on the “1” of the 1st bar for two bars then kick back in)
Bridge 10
Chorus 8 (stop on the “1” of 7th bar and play stabs with band)
Break 1
Inst 18
Chorus 8 (stop on the “1” of 7th bar and play stabs with band)
As I’ve said before, almost all musicians hit a period in their playing where they feel really un-enthused and lack inspiration. I think one of the best ways to get out of this rut is to watch another drummer play. Get some inspiration! The other night I went to see Ne-yo play at the Hammersmith Apollo in London and I was massively inspired, not because the drummer was doing all this fantastic stuff that I’d love to be able to do, but because in actual fact everything he was doing I can already do! This inspired me to really try to get out there and perform more as I just love the energy of being up on that stage and looking out on the crowd.
Here are the top 10 most popular DVD’s out at the moment so if you’re in need of some inspiration maybe this is a good place to look.
Top Ten Drumming DVDs in Europe August 2008*
Top Ten 10 Drum DVDs in Europe Aug 2008
1. Jo Jo Mayer, Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer
2. Jo Jo Mayer, Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer, German Version
3. Steve Gadd, Master Series
4. Mike Portnoy, In Constant Motion
5. Thomas Lang, Creative Coordination
6. Drum Legends, John Bonham Total Accuracy
7. Absolute Beginners Drums Music Sales
8. Thomas Lang, Creative Control
9. MD 2006, 4 dvd set
10. Tommy Igoe, Groove Essentials
* info taken from Mikedolbear.com
Here are the verse and chorus grooves for Get on the Floor by Michael Jackson. I’ve put the chorus groove 1st as it is before the 1st verse in the track. Here you should focus on the quality of the lift going from the “1” to the “2”. Click here to open the file in PDF format.
This week I have chosen Get on the Floor by Michael Jackson from his “off the Wall” album. I haven’t heard this track in ages but I remembered what a cracking-ly funky track it is! It’s great practice for your four to the floor groove if you have one (and if not it’s a great time to get one!). This track is about precision and consistency so do try to achieve that when playing. I’ll write out the verse and chorus grooves for you next time.
Section No. of Bars
Intro 12
Chorus 8
1st Verse 16
Chorus 8
Chorus 8
2nd Verse 16
Chorus 8
Chorus 8
Inst 4
Breakdown 24 (start with 2handed 16ths then build up to bring snare in… listen to track)
When people see proper music notation they always ask questions like “why does this one have two lines and that only have one?” or “how do you know which notes are which?”. Well, I’ll give you a bit of info today and a bit more later in the week so it has had time to sink in!
Different notes are much like different letters of the alphabet, but instead of having 26 we only have around 6 notes. (whole-32nd)
When describing notes we use the following terms:
Hollow note head (used for whole and half notes)
Solid note head (used for everything else)
Stem (in everything except whole notes)
Tail/s (for 8th – 32nd notes)
When notes are in the same section their tails join up to make “joins”. So two 8th notes would have 1 join (as they have 1 tail each) four 16th notes joined would have two joined (as they have two tails each). Follow??
8ths can be joined to 16ths and so on but you have to make sure the right stem have the correct amount of joins attached.
Phrases can then be made up with different note values (like letters to make words).
The Slapstik drumstick might sound funny, but its manufacturers are hailing it as a “revolution in drumming” not seen since the invention of the double-bass drum pedal. Its defining characteristic is its flexible tip, which enables drummers to play at speeds not possible from your average stick.
It’s certainly a novel idea, but like the aforementioned double-kick, these built-for-speed tools will surely raise the eyebrows of many a drum-traditionalist. Chris Barnes editor of Rhythm magazine “The Slapstik is a very innovative and unique product and, to my knowledge, there has never been anything like this before”.
“Demonstrations I’ve seen suggest it makes playing easier, in the same way a double bass pedal can offer a drummer more playing options without needing a great technique. The purist in me considers these sticks in the same vein as the double pedal and believes that you cannot compete with a pair of regular sticks and a finely honed technique”.
You can also watch a video of the sticks in action on the company’s website to help you make your mind up.
This week I’ve chosen Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I haven’t heard it in a while and it came on my iPod playlist the other day and I remembered what a good tune it was! It’s a goodone to play to as it’s not too fast or fancy, though it’s good for your counting practice as there are a number of sections with an odd amount of bars in so you do have to concentrate to get it right!
If you’re a beginner you can choose to just keep it real simple, maybe just moving from the hi hat to ride from verse to chorus. If you want to jazz it up a bit it allows for it so pick your approach!
Section No. of Bars
Intro (just drums) 2
Intro (+ inst) 4
1st Verse 8
2nd Verse 9
Chorus 10
Inst. 4
3rd Verse 9
Chorus 9
Middle 8 8 (stop with a flam on the “3” of the 8th bar)
