The Paradiddler » Editorials

Passion for Our Favorite Drummer

Omar — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:21:39 +0000

My, how we love our drummers of choice.

At different stages in our lives, we cling to our favorites for different reasons. When we were really young, say, five or six, we might have really liked the drummer of our big brother’s (or sister’s) favorite band. As we got a little older, we made up our own minds and either stayed with that one, or started liking someone else. This time, though, we might like the drummer because of the actual drumming, not because of the band as a whole.

For example, when I was very young, my favorite drummer was Peter Criss. Was he a great drummer? I think it instead more likely that he fit (perfectly!) what Kiss needed him to be more than that he was a great drummer. There were other drummers around that time (we’re talking the ‘70’s in this case) that could run circles around Mr. Criss as far as technique goes, such as Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd, and of course, Buddy Rich. But that didn’t matter to me – Peter Criss was ‘the best’! And I was passionate about it, even at a young age.

Fast forward a few years and I was introduced to Neil Peart, and he became to me what I now call my ‘reference drummer’: my base, my foundation, my main inspiration. That remains the case to this day, even though I am greatly inspired by many other drummers, for diverse reasons.

And so it is that through the years, we change, and so do our preferences. As far as our favorite drummers go, there are as many reasons to have a favorite drummer as there are drummers. I’ve seen, however, that some take their passion a little too far.

Ok, I’m not talking violence. It’s a lot of fun to banter about who our favorite drummer is, or who we think is ‘the best’ (even though I think there’s no such thing). That kind of debate is rampant in sports, and it’s never-ending. I’ve been to several drum forums where threads have been opened such as ‘Who’s the best drummer?’, or threads that are started about specific drummers. In the latter, you see all kinds of posts. Typical are:

debates comparing the drummer in question to another drummer
why the drummer in question isn’t good at all
why the drummer in question is the best

The ‘end is listless’. You might be able to guess the age of some of the posters. If you see really short posts saying things like “Mike Portnoy is no doubt the best drummer on the planet!”, you may assume that that’s a younger poster (hm, ‘no doubt’?). Sometimes others will go into long spiels extolling why this drummer is better than that one, and even have polls comparing, say, Mike Portnoy vs. Danny Carey, or Dave Weckl vs. Vinnie Colaiuta, etc. Pretty interesting to say the least, because those who’ve followed these drummers closely get very specific as to the technique of these players, and the result is an education on the drummers in question that we may not see elsewhere.

I personally consider any ‘vs.’ debate to be futile. There are just too many variables to consider when comparing drummers. I think of all musicians, drummers are the most different from each other. It is very unlikely that two drummers will have the exact same influences, so in addition to their innate ability, they’ll adapt their unique ability to try to imitate what their favorite drummer plays. What results is a completely unique drummer, shaped by their aforementioned ‘reference’ (or references), their musical taste, their talent, and their drive to reach whatever musical goals they have.

Not only that, but the drum kit is the most configurable of all instruments. Consider some of the variables:

number of shells
snare preference
tom positioning
cymbal placement
throne height

And that’s only the beginning! How many stick sizes are there, head thicknesses and materials, pedal configurations – gads, my head’s spinning (think I’ll stop now). The point is, even if two people are the same age, go to the same music classes, and listen to the same music – they’ll still be two different drummers.

So really, how comparable are drummers? There are certainly ones that can do certain things better than others, but that does not necessarily mean that one is better than the other in a general sense.

Let’s take a case in point. This is my opinion; you’ll have yours, but this is how I see it. I have a short list of favorite drummers. On it are Neil Peart (if you’ve followed my blog that’s obvious) and Thomas Lang. I’m very familiar with Neil’s work (as evidenced, for example, by my rating of his solos), but only recently (relatively speaking) have I been exposed to Thomas’ playing. But I’ve seen enough of his playing that, well, he’s at least one of the best drummers in the world. (If you’re subscribed to The Paradiddler’s newsletter, you would have received a sample of this. )

These two drummers couldn’t be more different. To me, Neil Peart is about composition; Thomas Lang is about technique. Does Neil have technique? Of course, but Thomas has more. Can Thomas compose a good drum piece? Certainly, but I think Neil is more creative that way.

As far as composing drum parts, Neil is a master. If you haven’t already, I recommend spending a few hours watching Neil’s DVD “A Work In Progress”, where he breaks down in verbose detail how he composed the drum parts to every song on Rush’s Test for Echo. Sure there’s technicality explained and demonstrated (even some exploration solo footage), but this is textbook Neil: drumming to suit the song, not the drummer. To me, that’s what makes a drummer shine.

As far as technique goes, Thomas Lang’s best selling “Creative Control” and “Creative Coordination” DVDs demonstrate Thomas’ absolute mastery of the kit. His drumming is so fluid and effortless, hands and feet. I watch in awe every time I see this guy play.

So I don’t consider either of these drummers better than the other. They both have tremendous talents to display, and no matter what genre of music we prefer, they certainly can give us a lesson or two on how to play.

Sometimes a great drummer (even a legendary one!) will get criticized when compared to someone’s favorite. I’ve read on certain posts that Neil is a boring drummer, with not much technicality, and that the solos are boring. When I read posts like that, I tend to think that the poster is missing the point. Sometimes the drummer simply won’t display certain technical chops because the solo or song doesn’t call for it. It’s very likely that when he practices, he’ll play certain rudiments and patterns for practicing’s sake. If something interesting comes up that he can use in a song or solo, it’s in. If the pataflafla doesn’t fit in the solo or song, it’s out, even if he knows how to play it.

Sometimes (actually, almost every time), it’s in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. What are you looking for in a drummer? What excites you? Many drummers cite Tré Cool (Green Day) and Travis Barker (Blink 182) as their favorite drummer, and sometimes passionately exclaim that they are the best. Like I said, the best doesn’t exist, so don’t bother! They are the ‘best’, though, because they personify what the beholder expects to see and hear in a drummer. In some way, these drummers inspire their drumming fans in a specific way, hence the adulations.

Sometimes the age of the drummer (meaning the pro drummer) is a factor too, and at what developmental stage they are in their career that inspires certain fans. When you’re young, who you thought was the best may stick with you as you get older, even though you may consider others just as good later on. I started to notice Neil Peart when he was a young drummer and he became my favorite, so the same thing may happen to any youngster who notices a drummer when they’re young. A young person can have the same passion for the drumming of a young Neil Peart just the same as a young person towards a young Tré Cool or Travis Barker.

Drummers of the caliber of a Neil Peart, Steve Smith, and others, tend to not stay with the same style throughout their career. These drummers evolve, one reason being is that they get restless when they take a certain style to it’s limit based on their ability, or just being bored playing the same style, and wanting to move on to something else. Neil Peart’s current style of play may not appeal to a generation used to speeds as exhibited by Thomas Lang, Marco Minnemann and others, even though they may recognize him as a drumming legend. I strongly recommend watching Rush’s live DVD Grace Under Pressure Tour, which was recorded in 1984. There you will see Neil display an incredible amount of speed, power, creativity, and limb independence (check out particularly “The Weapon” – the ‘Professor on the drum kit’ indeed!).

Drummers like Neil and Steve Smith move on. As good as Neil was in 1984, it might be boring if he still played like that. Steve Smith ‘scratched that itch’ when he finished playing rock with Journey, to go back to his more jazzy roots. Even as good as he is in this genre, he’s been messing with Indian rhythms as of late, just to challenge himself. These are the types of drummers that appeal to me.

At the opposite side of the spectrum, you have drummers that tend to sound and play the same throughout their career, such as Joey Kramer (Aerosmith) and Tico Torres (Bon Jovi). To me, these drummers sound the same throughout the tenure of the band they play in. That’s not to say that they’re bad drummers. It’s even possible that some cite them as favorites. They play what’s required for the music they play, and ultimately, especially if you play in a band, that is what’s most important.

So what’s the bottom line? This: ‘best’ is in the eye of the beholder. If you think Travis Barker is the best drummer in the world, and he inspires you, then more power to you. If you think that Phil Rudd is the best drummer because he lays down a fat four and gets out of the way, then more power to you too. If you think “Gadd is in the details”, then good for you too!

As for me, I’m staying out of the ‘this drummer vs. that drummer’ debate. They all have something to offer. Fortunately, drummers don’t mind having their ideas stolen (for the most part). So let’s study our favorites, forget about who’s best, and just enjoy the performances and individuality of these great drummers.

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Cheering Them On

Omar — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:49:59 +0000

In all different types of industries, awards are presented to the ones who excel in their field. ‘Salesman of the Year’, ‘Woman of the Year’, Pulitzer Prize winner, Grammy award winner, “and the Oscar goes to”, etc. How do you feel, personally, when you see these people (or hear them) accept their awards?

Unfortunately, some people feel very jealous of these achievers. Some would call them overachievers. Some will scowl and fret, espousing on all of the dirty things these people had to do to get to where they are, to get the success they are being acknowledged for. Others will say that these did not really work hard to obtain these awards. ‘It’s all about knowing the right people’, or ‘they’re so lucky’, or, ‘they were in the right place at the right time’, etc.

In many cases, these reactions are a commentary on the critics’ personal life. They may not have for themselves discovered what they truly like, and pursue it. Or they know what they like, but they succumb to fear of the unknown and never truly take the necessary steps to accomplish their dreams. They become comfortable in the daily routine because it gets them by (barely), secretly yearning, though, for the ‘what if’. Maybe at times they start putting in that little extra effort towards their dreams, but when they realize how much hard work it really takes, and when they see they’re not getting the ‘lucky breaks’, they stop way too short. As time goes on, as they never get acknowledged for the things they do, because they don’t do them whole-heartedly, they become more and more bitter over time at the successes of others.

This reminds of a few lines from one of my favorite songs by Rush, “Losing It”:

Some are born to move the world -
To live their fantasies
But most of us just dream about
The things we'd like to be

Sadder still to watch it die
Than never to have known it
For you - the blind who once could see -
The bell tolls for thee...

Tragic, hauntingly beautiful words. Some in the world, in whatever field they’ve chosen, have excelled. Regardless if it’s a famous field (Hollywood, for example) or not (mechanical engineering, for example), these have either received awards in recognition for their achievements, or have affected those surrounding them in such a way that they enjoy an internal satisfaction that drives them to continue to excel, not to rest on their laurels.

Yet others never pursue what interests them. Yes, they may be content with what they’re doing, but not fully satisfied. And it doesn’t necessarily mean being rich and famous, no. It means that they’re not happy with their course of life, and instead of doing everything possible to achieve their dreams, they not only abandon them, but criticize those who do achieve theirs. They make excuses for why the successful are, and why they are not. ‘The bell tolls for thee’ indeed!

I have to admit that at one time, I was like that. I would be jealous of those who seemingly attracted success, while I seemingly was not. Those in my field would get recognition for their hard work, while I did not. This gets very tiring after a while, and in the end, totally counterproductive. There is something else that can be done with all that negative energy.

Years ago, my wife and I decided that there would be two specific events in the year that we would watch together: the Super Bowl (for me), and the Academy Awards (for her). We both get to see the shows we like, no fussing, and with our favorite person! After a while, not only watching those events, but others where high achievers were rewarded, I started to come around regarding the rewarded. I started to realize (even though I knew it already) that these people work extremely hard to reach that level of professionalism and success. Every Super Bowl winning team deserved to win, and deserved all the accolades that came with winning. You’d be especially proud if the underdog won, like when the New England Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, or when the New York Giants beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

The above examples can be more easily measured, because there’s a winner, and a loser. In the case of the Oscars, the results may be more subjective. Who knows all of the criteria that goes into selecting the winner of “Best Actor in a Leading Role” or “Best Actress in a Supporting Role”? Many times there’s controversy regarding the winner. In any case, there is no question that for all of the nominees, the common denominator was hard work. Yes, some of these actors make millions of dollars. But the market will pay it, so if the money’s there, guess who gets the lion’s share? Those who work the hardest, who sacrifice the most. There’s no question that there is some luck involved, that at times it’s who you know, not what you know. And yes, many, if not most, of these actors and actresses were ‘at the right place at the right time’ to be discovered. But in every case, without exception, again, what’s common with all these cases is hard work.

So now I find myself happy for those who achieve excellence in their chosen field. I certainly am not jealous anymore. Now when I watch the award shows, I find myself cheering my favorites on, hoping they win. I like watching the acceptance speeches, and I find myself congratulating them (from afar, of course! ). Now I channel the previous negative energy to inspire me to excel in everything that I do.

That doesn’t mean I’m always excelling! I get frustrated many times, especially with drumming. As much as I love the drums, and everything about them, I find myself at times wanting to throw the sticks through the walls. Some do have a lot more ability than others, and I applaud them. But me – I have to practice a lot to achieve any level of satisfaction in my playing! And I don’t practice nearly as much as I should! Whoa, double whammy there.

I’m not saying, though, that I’m eternally mad at those better than me. If that were the case, I’d be eternally mad because there would always be someone better than me! Now I cheer them all on, and I watch in awe as I also try to glean what I can from them, so when I’m back behind the kit, I can make it more exciting for myself. I call that ‘exquisite torture’. I may never be as good as the drummers I admire, but I’ll sure have fun watching and listening! It will only make me better.

Year after year, magazines like Drum! and Modern Drummer have awards in various categories for drummers that have achieved a high level of proficiency in their craft. I admire these drummers’ dedication to the instrument I love most, and I thank them for inspiring me to play better, learn more, and for unselfishly showing us their secrets. I know I’ll never play like those whose skills I admire the most: Neil Peart, Steve Smith, Thomas Lang, and the like – but that’s not the point! The point is learning from those who inspire us, congratulate them for their successes, and channel that positive energy into improving our lives, whatever it is we choose to do.

So I’ll watch the award shows, the concerts, the drum clinics, the DVDs, and the like. I’ll be cheering on my favorites along the way, and hopefully that will make me better at what I do. Hopefully that will make you better at what you do too!

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Brute Force Learning

Omar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:02:55 +0000

Those of us who are X-Men fans may recall a particular scene in "The Last Stand" where there was a competition of opposites. On the one, you had Shadowcat. She had the mutant ability to phase or move through solid objects. Very graceful in execution, seamless. On the other, you had Juggernaut. He had the mutant ability of super-human strength and invulnerability, in addition to possessing a helmet which protected him from psychic attacks. Pure brute strength. Although opposite, they at one point had a single goal: to reach Leech, the mutant that could neutralize any mutant's ability that got near him. This was the mutant who's DNA was used for the 'mutant cure.' In any case, one mutant wanted to reach him to destroy him, the other to protect him.

Their methods to reach Leech were polar opposites. While Shadowcat whisked through the walls, leaving nary a trace of her passage, Juggernaut bulldozed his way through the walls, leaving ample traces of his passage! Eventually, both reached their destination. Shadowcat was first. She finessed her way through the walls, making the necessary adjustments to be able to reach Leech first. Juggernaut was just bumbling his way through, although he did eventually get there.

So how does the above relate to drumming? Yes, I know you were wondering! Some of us may have had an interest in drums, and at a young age (or even not so young) we had older ones who saw the advantage of providing structured lessons for us. With someone monitoring our progress directly, they could see whatever bad habits we may have been developing, and corrected them on the spot. They could also steer us towards proper technique, practice routines, and the like. If we continued with this structured learning, it would be possible to learn to play with some type of, well, finesse. Some of the nuances that our mentors mastered would be passed on to us. They would possibly even teach us to read sheet music, so potentially we could play a song after maybe hearing it once, then looking at the sheet music, and then pretty much know how to play it based on the music as it is written. Shadowcat.

And then there's another group of drummers (we'll keep this at the amateur level for both examples) who either never took lessons, or started later in their lives to hit the skins (or both!). They may have been a fan of the instrument and of certain people who played them, and watched them in awe. It's possible that they were very into air drumming (see "The Emergence of Air Drumming"). Eventually, they get a drum set of their own. With all these favorite songs in their head, they start playing, and discover that, well, drumming is hard! The pro drummers, many times, either took some type of formal lessons, or went to a musical college, or the like. So they play with finesse. But this amateur may think he (or she) knows how to play, but they discover they don't know more than they do know. But they have a good idea how to play, so they try out some songs. After playing a few times, it doesn't sound bad at all! They get through the songs, beginning to end, and maybe even with good timing. It may not be totally pretty, but the job gets done. Juggernaut.

In both cases, the drummers can play the songs (the goal). But they get there via different methods. Neither one is bad; it just depends what you want to do with what you know. If you want to be worldly famous, you may want to take the route of the Shadowcat-type drummer, because that type of drummer will know better how to play certain styles, even heavy rock if necessary. The Juggernaut-type drummer may also play the same music, but they may take longer to get there. And on the way (and even when they arrive), it may not look pretty. But they get it done.

I've been scrutinizing my style of playing lately, and I've come to the realization that my style is more Juggernaut-like. I learned to play via a term I call brute force learning. Without taking any lessons, I grabbed a kit and started playing away, without any concern for reading music, rudiment knowledge, etc. Don't get me wrong: drumming is downright fun ('even if it sounds bad')! I could get to the end of songs, but only because I know what it sounds like. I may miss a few nuances, but I'll get there, and it can turn out to be a pretty good performance, if I do say so myself! But ultimately, I'm missing the nuances of Shadowcat.

We'll continue to use myself as an example. If you take a look at my YouTube channel, you'll notice several types of videos that I've produced over time. There are some promotional videos, how-to's (i.e. 'Rudiments In Action'), and drum covers.^* You're encouraged to watch them all if you like, but for the moment we'll focus on the drum covers. My first drum cover was "Crawl Away", by Tool. It's my favorite Tool song, and I had heard it several times already. I was testing out a video camera I was considering purchasing, so I decided, without practicing, to play to the song. I had never played it before, but I had heard it enough times that I thought I could play it. Plus, I had finally put my kit together, and I wanted to test it out! All in all, not bad for a first time playing a song through to the end. I was also testing the headphones, of which I determined quite hastily that I needed drummer-quality headphones (I got the Vic Firth headphones which you see in subsequent videos; they are excellent).⁺

Anyways, I was very rough around the edges. It was proof that air-drumming is not enough to play good drums - you actually have to play them to get any good! I was aware of that, of course, but this video session was what I needed to start growing as a drummer. It exposed my weaknesses, and showed me what I had to work on. It was invaluable in that sense, and I encourage anyone who has the equipment to record yourselves playing with a video camera. That way you can watch yourself play and notice what you do wrong (and right!), and turn around and just listen as well; sometimes the eyes can deceive you.

Fast-forward to my latest drum cover, "Girl Gone Bad" by Van Halen (well, after you've seen the other ones!), and there's noticeable improvement. I'm hitting the drums a little harder, I'm playing with more authority, I'm better aware of the placement of each piece of my kit - it just looks like I'm playing with more confidence. Of that I am proud, because it does show that if you play enough, you'll come around! I'm constantly trying to develop an ear for music, because I like the satisfaction of knowing that I can play a song just by hearing it a few times. But all of these videos have taught me something - I need more.

Way back when, I wrote an article called "Rudimentary, My Dear", where I talked about the importance of the drum rudiments. These drumming sessions have made me realize that I need to take a step back and start focusing on the vocabulary of drumming, the rudiments. Sure, I could play any song if I hear it enough times, and I'd be playing rudiments without even knowing it. But it's more satisfying if you know the language, the 'vocabulary', so to speak. So I've taken a somewhat drastic measure and broke down my kit (as in 'I took it apart'). The only thing I have set up currently is the practice pad on the snare stand. I want to scrutinize every aspect of my playing and how I can better it. I'll be examining my posture, how I relax, my stick technique - really fundamental stuff. Then, when I've done this for a little while, I'll start putting the kit back together little by little, at each step ensuring that I only progress, and not regress.

This move is not unprecedented. Many professional drummers, after many years of playing a certain way, take a step back and examine their style and see how they can improve. One noticeable example is Neil Peart, who after the Counterparts tour in the mid '90's determined that he took his style of play as far as he could take it, and basically re-invented himself, with the assistance of Freddie Gruber (you can read more about this in the article "Neil Peart Solo Number Two - Counterparts, 1994"). Even as recently as within this past year, Neil, under the tutelage of Peter Erskine, only played his hi-hat for a couple of months to work on his hi-hat technique. Steve Smith went through similar changes (although not as drastic, methinks). Take a look at the kit he used in the 80's vs. now - very different, but I think now he's a much better drummer.

Now am I putting myself on the same level as these drumming greats? Heck yes! Ahem, I mean, no. I'm just saying that sometimes you may need to take a step back and determine what it is you need to work on, and focus on it. Taking my kit apart was the only way I was going to focus on my fundamental play. Does this mean that if the situation comes up where my kit is needed that I won't put it together? No! Maybe I'll come to the conclusion that I really can play that song that I thought I couldn't play before, and I'll set it up again and play it (and record it!). But it just won't be the focus for now.

I'm using a couple of instructional materials to aid me in my 'rudimental discovery' section of my training. "Stick Technique", by Jim McCarthy, is an excellent book that covers the essentials of gripping your sticks properly, effective practicing methods, etc. You can read my review of the book - I highly recommend it. Another tool I'm using is Mike Michalkow's "Drumming System". This is a DVD/CD collection that is chock-full of tips and guidelines for better drumming, from hand and foot exercises and practice schedules, to sheet music lessons and learning different styles of beats, from Jazz to Rock to Latin. An absolute plethora of information that I'm still combing through. (For a review of the "Drumming System", click here).

Till now, my method of learning (and playing, actually) has been by brute force. I bulldozed my way through the songs. I may have not known exactly how the drummer played the original, but dang it, I'm getting to the end! Even if I had to knock down some walls. Does it work? Yes. Is it pretty? Not always. But maybe I'm the only one who's noticing. The crowd may still love it! But in the end, I neither want to be Shadowcat nor Juggernaut. My goal? Easy: I want to be Wolverine.
________
^*One of my drum covers, "Future Times/Rejoice" by Yes, is not on YouTube due copyright issues with YouTube. You can read about it (and view it) via this link.

⁺For more on this experience, check out "Education of The Paradiddler"

Interesting? Then pass it along!

“Exquisite Torture”

Omar — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:05:18 +0000

Do you remember the first time you were absolutely blown away by the ability of a drummer? Maybe you were a wee little lad (like me) who saw Peter Criss' monstrous kit (at least to me it was) and watched how seemingly gracefully he handled the whole thing. Or maybe you heard a song for the first time on the radio who's drumming sounded just amazing, really fast hands, great technique, who made you beg the question, "Who the heck was that?!" Or maybe you watched Buddy Rich vs. Animal on "The Muppet Show", and after picking your jaw up off the floor you exclaimed, "No way! How can anyone be better than Animal?" (Ok, this was also me ).

Of course, this type of experience is not limited to drums. My alter-ego favorite instrument, the piano (no I can't play it - yet) has on several occasions made me just watch in awe as the keyboardist painted a most wondrous story. Rick Wakeman is my favorite keyboardist, as he not only has just 'sick' chops, but as I hear his playing I not only see (or hear) his technical ability, but I also hear how he crafts and phrases the notes and chords, and how he interplays between the different keyboards - an absolute master.

We can go on and on! We may have read story after story about how, when seeing certain guitarists for the first time, the observer immediately wanted to play the instrument. Seeing or hearing Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eddie Van Halen, among others, influenced entire generations of artists with their wizardry of the strings.

So we see our favorite drummer, or keyboardist, or guitarist, and what do we do? We air-play, of course! We want to imitate our favorite musician. Next, if we're so fortunate, our parents afford us our instruments of choice (or we work for it, which is even sweeter). So we go about learning to play, either via lessons from someone else, or self-teaching ourselves with CDs, DVDs, or other self-instruction media. We're so excited as we embark on our journey towards becoming 'monsters' of our instruments, just like our 'idols'.

Well what happens? For many of us, we never achieve Neil Peart or Eddie Van Halen status. Some lose interest, and others, because of more pressing obligations, stop lessons entirely. Still others, if their goal was to play in a band and become rich and famous, are for the most part disillusioned with the competition and the cruel reality that the music industry can be. Some of these, still for the love of the music, end up playing in local bands ("not that there's anything wrong with that!"), hoping maybe one day to be discovered.

During all of this time, we may go back and revisit our first jaw-dropping experience. We may even have been fortunate enough to see these players live. We may also have picked up on other favorites, and tried to learn their style of play. Alas, but we just can't do it! These players make it seem so easy, so fluid, so effortless. And after much effort ourselves, we come to the realization that we just can't play like these guys (or gals, a la Sheila E.)!

But all in all, these scenarios aren't necessarily bad. We may delight in the virtuosity of our favorite players, and be content with that. I've discovered a wonderful phrase that captures the essence of our amazement of these players: 'exquisite torture'.

I'd like to say that I came up with that phrase, but it was not I. It came from one of the special features on the DVD "Nights In Rodanthe", a fantastic movie adapted from the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. Some of us may know of Mr. Sparks' penchant for writing stories of romantic tragedies (i.e. "A Walk to Remember", "The Notebook", etc.). Drumming aside, this is a movie that should be watched with a loved one, so you can appreciate what you have while you have it, because you never know when that special someone won't be there anymore. I haven't given anything away because Mr. Sparks' novels follow this theme for the most part.

In the movie, one of the main characters is actually the house where most of the movie takes place. It's a spectacularly beautiful house on the beach, a survivor of many natural disasters. In this house there is a particular room that has many mystical artifacts: statues, pictures, and the like. In one of the special features of the DVD, Diane Lane, who plays one of the main characters, states that her character goes to this room and sees all of these artifacts, and it reminds the character of something (or things) that are elusive to her, as if the things she wants to embrace are within reach, but she just can't quite reach them. To the character, it's like 'exquisite torture'. There is beauty, there is elegance, and she's always drawn there, knowing that these items represent to her things that are just beyond reach - 'exquisite torture'.

When she used that term, a light switch went off in my head. This is exactly what happens to us admirers of specially gifted players! We love what we see, we want to play like them, we practice long hours, but it's just quite not reachable. We cover our favorite drummer, or guitarist, but as many times as we play it, something's always just barely missing. We know the notes, we know the groove, but it's just not the same. But we keep watching! But we keep listening! Why? Because we're masochists! We'll watch these players over and over again, knowing we'll never play like that! Oh but we just love it anyway!

So really, 'exquisite torture' is more of a positive thing. Some of us actually attain a level of play that is very satisfying, and if we play in local bands and the crowd reacts in a positive way, that may be good enough for us. Many of us continue to wish we played like our favorites, but we're content with either just watching (or listening), or playing to a level that we're at peace with.

Of course, there's another extreme. In the article "The Emergence of Air Drumming", I wrote about those who may never even own a kit, but they sure feel like they can play! If you watch some of these air drummers, it looks like they would know what to do when placed behind a kit. But if they were to play for real, they'd soon realize they've been had! Let's just call that being tortured in an exquisite way, so to speak. I do believe air drumming is a good teaching tool, however.

But seriously, do we really need to play like our favorites to enjoy playing? Of course not! Everyone is different - we each have something to offer. We're all unique, and even though we may never achieve Thomas Lang or Mike Portnoy status, we'll sure have fun trying! 'Exquisite torture' - hmm, I think I can live with that!

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The Emergence of Air Drumming

Omar — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 23:07:41 +0000

If we look around in the drumming landscape, we'll notice that air drumming is garnering a little bit of attention lately.

For example, the movie "Adventures of Power" glorifies wannabe drummers and shine the spotlight on the guilty pleasure of thinking we know what the real drummer is doing! Recently as well, DrumChannel.com hosted an air drumming contest with Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chickenfoot) where you could submit via video your air drumming prowess in hopes of winning a prize for the most views.

So what's the deal? Is air drumming for real? Are those who are pretty accurate in their renditions able to seamlessly transfer their skill to the drum kit? Transfer, yes! Seamlessly, well, no. But it's a great place to start.

Much can be said about the power of visualization. There have been studies conducted that have shown that if you visualize a specific task repeatedly, you are more likely to execute it successfully (notice I said more likely - I didn't say definitely; but visualization helps!).

Here's something you can try to test for yourself if you like (or you can take my word for it and not try it, but it works!). Now, this is an example - it could be any activity you want, but this is simple enough. Say you absolutely stink at shooting free throws (if you don't know what a free throw is, then you really stink! ). Or maybe you just want to shoot a higher percentage of them to impress others on the court.

As you go to sleep at night, picture yourself (that's a moving picture) shooting free throws. Don't picture yourself missing. Picture yourself making the shot every time. Remember yourself standing at the free throw line, you're bouncing the ball, you look up at the hoop. You figure out more or less how far the hoop is. You process that you have to toss the ball at a certain arc so that it's not shot like a bullet, so that it doesn't ram the front or back of the rim. You then bring the ball up, properly holding it, so you push up and forward at the arc required for the ball to travel the allotted distance, and then swoosh!

You can visualize layups, shooting from three-point range, whatever. But the point is you make a strong visualization of success. What happens after a while? You've visualized successful free throws so much in your head that when you actually get to the free throw line, you're better prepared! Will you make the shot every time? Of course not! Not even the pros can do that. But your likelihood of success will increase because you've familiarized yourself with the process.

Back to air drumming (finally!). What has the air drummer been doing all that time? They've visualized the drum set, where the hi-hat is, snare, bass drum, cymbals - the whole kit. They most likely have watched, at least in video, their favorite drummer, what the kit looks like, and how the drummer plays. What happens when you sit that air drummer behind a real kit?

Ok, they won't be as good as the original (obviously!), but at least they have a good frame of reference. Air drumming - actually, visualization - will have been a valuable tool in learning how to play. This does not negate the fact that, if you want to play well, you have to practice. Regular practice is what will make you a better player (or a better anything). Air drumming is just a tool you can use to improve your playing, especially since you may not always have access to the real thing. Of course, if all you want to do is air drum and nothing else, then by all means, just do that, and have fun!

In my case, for many years I did not have access to a kit. So my method of learning was almost exclusively air drumming. I did other things too, like watching videos of drummers (especially my favorite ones) when I could, observing them, then just copying them. I'd then, when I had drum sticks, just bang on pillows trying to see how fast I could drum roll. Yes, I did get access to a kit for a very short time when I was a teenager, and actually, I was pretty good right off the bat! I didn't have time to develop the real skills until later, though.

The hugest disadvantage of air drumming in regards to transferring your skills to the kit is that, obviously, you're not learning a sense of feel, or rebounding. You're just bouncing off the air. You're not really hitting that tom in exactly the same area every time. There's no way to practice dynamics with air drumming. That can only be learned when you're actually hitting something! This was (and is!) one of my biggest challenges as I now do have access to a kit. Dynamics are one of the tools that makes your drumming not only about timekeeping, but about being musical. You could say that, the shells and skins are the beat, the cymbals are the voice, but the dynamics are the music.

In any case, I'm a huge fan of air drumming (the jury's out on the "Adventures of Power" movie). It was one of the biggest tools of mine to learning how to play. In addition to watching instructional videos, going to concerts, listening to drummers, practicing rudiments, etc., air drumming can be one of the tools to use to help visualize what you will be doing at the real kit.

All that being said, air drumming can be just for goofing off! This article has more of a serious slant, extolling the virtues of air drumming and how it could be used as a practice tool. But it's loads of fun. What's more fun that air drumming a song from Rush, Van Halen, or Metallica? Maybe nothing! So air drum on, drumming fans! Don't let anyone take our fun away! And after our sister, Mom, Dad, or wife (or husband!) tells us how crazy we are, we just say "Yup, you're right - ridiculous! Who air drums? Please!", we close the door, and we just keep on air drumming!

Drum on.

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A Perspective on Drum Covers

Omar — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:12:45 +0000

Drum Covers - A Perspective

How many times have we heard a great song and thought, "Man, if I could play like that!" This not only applies to the drums, of which this web site gives the most emphasis, but to guitars, bass, piano/keyboards - the 'end is listless'. I for one favor the drums (although piano/keyboards are my 1b favorite instruments).

As I was growing up and through my adult years, my appreciation for drummers grew and grew. Many times I thought that they were under-appreciated, though now I know better. Drummers are crucial to the sound of their band, and percussion in general can create many landscapes in all forms of music (see the article "Beyond the Drum Kit"). There were several drummers that if one day I had my own kit, I would play their songs.

It would be well into my adulthood that I would finally be able to play these great songs, but it's a dream come true. I absolutely love playing, and you know what I say: even if it sounds bad, just have fun! I was sounding pretty bad at first since I was so rusty. But with practice comes accomplishment, and I've posted several of these covers on my YouTube channel, with more to come.

There are many approaches one can take when playing a drum cover. Some take a song and make it completely their own, adding extra fills, or changing the ones in the song, to the point where the original drummer is somewhat drowned out. Others try to play exactly, note for note (or strike for strike), what the original drummer played. To me, both of these are extremes and somewhat unnecessary.

I have a great respect for drummers and the role they play in music. And although many people think that it is easy to play drums, just ask any of them to play even as simple a beat as a song from Creedence Clearwater Revival (no disrespect to CCR - more on that later), and just watch them fall flat on their face! It is no simple task to be the backbone of a band. The drummer keeps the song moving in a familiar direction, maintaining control of the groove while every other musician can do whatever they want. Now before the other musicians start throwing tomatoes, guitar strings, and amplifiers at me, I want to make clear that I'm not degrading any role that everyone in a band plays towards maintaining the beat of a song. Everyone has a role; everyone counts (i.e. 1-2-3-4), but it's the drummer's role to maintain that beat, that groove, and many times just get out of the way and let the rest of the musicians do their thing. Phil Rudd of AC/DC is a classic example of this. One of the greatest rock bands ever, and Phil lays down the heavy beat, no frills, and lets the rest of the band shine. It works for them!

For a very long time, I would be frustrated when listening to a drummer such as CCR's Doug "Cosmo" Clifford. To me he just did nothing for the band. He could have added at least a fill or two to many of the songs he played. But that was not his role. It's all about the song, and although we may not remember CCR for their drumming, we most definitely remember them for their songs, which in the end is the most important thing.

So back to the extremes. Although making a song completely your own may have its place, it's not the way I would cover a song. I'm more of a 'copier' than an original. I can hear pretty much what the drummer is playing, and I'll play to that. I like to show the drummer I'm covering respect for deciding how best that song should be played, and for the most part, I'll stick to that. That's right, I said for the most part (more on that later).

At the other end, we have the drum covers that try to play note for note what the drummer is playing. This is almost impossible, so I tend not to do it this way either. Heck, even the original drummer plays their songs differently every time! Even if the original could play exactly the same, they most likely won't because it becomes boring very quickly.

However, I tend to lean toward the latter extreme, but not all the way. Out of respect for the drummer, I will try to play just like they did. They know better than I do how best the song sounds, after who knows how many iterations. I may add something to the song, but only if I think that's how the drummer would play it themselves. Basically, it becomes a guessing game, but a fun one at that!

Here are a few examples for you. When I covered System of a Down's "Toxicity", I wanted to make sure that I played the ghost notes as closely as possible. They are so a key part of the drumming that I couldn't ignore them without sounding too different. I practiced quite a bit, and even after my finished version, there still could be improvement. But I wanted to catch at least the essence of that technique, since John Dolmayan plays it so well. However, at the end of the song when the lead singer belts out the final scream, I added an extra snare strike (double-snaring, if you will). I added it because, for one, I like how it sounded! And two, it sounds like something John would do, so it didn't bother me to add it in.

Now when I cover a Rush song, I pretty much leave it alone (yeah, I 'leave that thing alone'!). There really isn't anything to improve upon, since each note seems to be meticulously selected. The last Rush song I covered was "Dreamline", the live version from the Snakes and Arrows tour. This is one of my favorite versions, and I wanted to cover a version that hasn't been out for too long. There are minor differences between my playing and Neil's, purposely so. But the differences would be how Neil would play, say, on another night of the tour. At least I'd like to think so!

On one of my covers I took a few liberties and added a fill or two extra. U2's "I Will Follow" was a request from a fellow Twitter user who said he might want to see me play what could be Twitter's theme song, so I decided to cover it. Larry Mullen is not my favorite drummer, but again, it's all about serving the song, and his style fits perfectly what U2 is all about. I always want my drum cover, regardless of how much (or how little) I change it, to seem like how the original drummer would play it as well.

Of course, there's no hard rule. It's all about having fun, and it also depends on your audience. So go out there and have some fun playing to the songs you love! Even better, record yourself as much as possible, so you can see steady progress, which will serve as encouragement to continue. And whatever your goal may be, you'll be able to show others that you can play some of the best drumming songs of all. Now go impress!

Interesting? Then pass it along!

Beyond the Drum Kit

Omar — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:17:10 +0000

Over the last few months, I've been making attempts to reach out to other drummers in the music community, through various forums and the like. I've tried to write articles relating to drumming that are interesting, at least to me, and hopefully to the rest of drum-world. But you never know who you'll meet.

I've always had a keen interest in the drum kit side of percussion. Growing up in a Latin family, where music such as merengue, bachata, and salsa were prevalent, percussion was a given. Congas, bongos, cowbell, guira, etc. But as much as I liked the music, this type of percussion was not very appealing to me. I was always drawn to the drum kit. When I saw drummers such as Peter Criss, Bun E. Carlos, and the like, all that went through my head was "I want to play those!"

If you peruse TheParadiddler.com, the drum kit for sure is what is most emphasized. However, I want to expand my kit to include more percussion-type pieces, even if it means replicating those sounds via a pad sampler. My reference drummer uses many percussion items in his kit, and that definitely influences the direction I want to take my kit.

As I ponder these things continuously, as I mentioned at the beginning, I've been making small strides in meeting people in the music industry with similar interests as my own. One vehicle I've used (and am using) is Twitter. I don't have to go into the popularity of Twitter and the millions of users there, but like I said, you never know who you'll meet.

One person I 'met' on Twitter is new age artist Marcomé. She's a Canadian-based singer, with a beautiful ethereal voice. The funny thing about Twitter, at least in my case, is that I really don't remember how I meet most of the people I come in contact with there, but some bear fruit. Marcomé was very generous in allowing me to write an article exclusively for her blog. Of course, in listening to her music, I didn't think that her audience would appreciate an article based solely on the drum kit. So percussion comes full circle!

New Age isn't bursting with percussion, compared to, say, Rock, but it's definitely there. Percussion can be said to be the framework of all music, so that is the premise I used for the article titled "The Many Faces of Percussion". I tried to make it appealing to lovers of all kinds of music. Let her know what you think of the article! While you're there, check out other sections of Marcomé's web site. She truly is an exceptional singer and musician. For a great interview of Marcomé, go to her interviews page for a closer look at her and her music.

In the meantime, I continue to try to expand my percussive horizons, and hope you all come along for the ride. Enjoy! Interesting? Then pass it along!

Neil Peart Solo Number One – Snakes and Arrows, 2008

Omar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:13:13 +0000

source: Snakes & Arrows Live DVD

Arrival

Well here it is. We've been waiting a long time for this, and now it's here! The number one solo on the Neil Peart solos countdown is "De Slagwerker"^* from Snakes and Arrows Live, 2008. This performance occurred on October 16^th (or 17^th), 2007 at the Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Why do I feel that this solo is an 'arrival', of sorts, for Neil? Because both chronologically and artistically, to me this is the solo that Neil has been striving for his whole career. All the other solos prepared him for this one.

The previous solos were very similar to each other in some form or fashion. But even though this solo is unquestionably Neil, he introduces new patterns, triggers, and arrangements that are unique to this solo. In the Anatomy of a Drum Solo DVD, Neil stated the following (very important!):

"I'm not going to go through and demonstrate and tell anyone how to play my solo. The point is really just to help inspire you to play your solo, find your voice, and by example show where some of my tools and concepts have come from, and trigger your own imagination."

By golly, Neil took his own advice! He's always mentioned that he analyzes the solo from the previous tour, and sees if there's still something there that he wants to 'say', or expand on a concept that he feels hasn't completed fruition. Well not only did he do that in this solo, he also drew inspiration on how to develop the new solo for the Snakes and Arrows tour, found his own voice, dug into his tools and concepts, and let all this trigger his imagination. What resulted was a solo that has power, grace, complexity, comedy, restraint, serenity, and is downright fun to listen to!

There are so many changes and variations in this solo, but at the same time it seems fluid and logical. It really feels like every strike is deliberate and has a purpose. Several sections had Neil strike the skins with such force, such as in the beginning, then after he engages the snares on his snare drum, with some stop and go patterns, and then during the big band trigger before "Cotton Tail". And speaking of that, it was nice for Neil to vary the jazz section at the end of the solo (will he change it again next tour?).

When I heard this solo for the first time, I was mesmerized. There were just certain sections where I wondered, "How is he doing that?", for example, that drum pattern right before the cowbell section (which was a totally new arrangement also). This solo was refreshingly new. There were familiar parts, but they took a backseat to the new ones. Also, I heard no missed strikes - the solo flowed unobtrusively.

I also think that Neil stepped away a little from a comfort zone of sorts. There were many new parts in this solo, which I'll highlight shortly. The signature fills were there, but the new parts definitely stole the show. The familiar patterns complemented, rather than overtook, the new ones.

And now, on to the stellar clips from the solo.

Many solos before this one included Neil playing his toms in a random fashion over a driving 'drum also waltzes' beat with bass drum and hi-hat. This time around Neil uses a different pattern. Instead of the usual 3/4 pattern of the waltz, he's playing the random toms over an upbeat 4/4 pattern^#. You could sum up the four beats in the pattern this way:

Bass drum 16^th note
Hi-hat 8^th note
Nothing struck
Hi-hat 16^th note

The above differs from the waltz pattern, which are quarter notes in a 3/4 pattern. The above beats are repeated over and over during the beginning phase of the solo. You'll also notice that Neil's hitting those lower toms with authority. This is one of those spots where the aforementioned power is being used. Here's a sample of the beginning of the solo:

New Random Toms Underlying Beat

Next clip is one that has me confused to this day. It's like he's picking a sloppy pattern out of thin air, completely random, just to go into a beautifully organized (and somewhat comedic) cowbell pattern. And dare I say, do I hear a variation of the paradiddle in there?

Unexplainable Pattern & New Cowbell Lick

Next clip we've heard before. Way back at #7 on the countdown we introduced the double-handed crossover pattern. Each time Neil played it subsequently, it was very aggressive. However, I don't know if it's just me, but this time around it feels like Neil's holding back the power a little bit. But I like it! Even with a familiar pattern Neil finds something different to do with it. You can tell more in the video than in the audio-only version. And if you think I'm just hearing things, explain to me how the tone of the snare goes down towards the last second of the pattern?

Restrained Double-handed Crossover

Now we really start to go where no Neil has gone before! Again, we have something old, something new. We've all heard Momo's Dance Party a bunch of times, but never like this! Seems like the party got raided by machine gun totin' intruders! They join the party, and what results is a fiesta of all sorts of machine gun sounds (and all sorts of other sounds that I can't recognize). I don't know how Neil came up with this idea, but it's fascinating. The different patterns, random and yet organized, he comes up with here are simply spectacular. This section of the solo is one reason why, to me, Neil is truly a unique soloist.

Machine Guns at Momo's Dance Party

No modern day Neil Peart solo would be complete without some form of "The Drum Also Waltzes". Oh it's included in this solo, but yet again, something old, something new. For the first time that I recall, Neil uses his waltz pattern on the electronic kit instead of the acoustic one. Not only that, but he creates a sort of dreamy, walking through the pastures-type waltz that takes you to some serene place you just can't make out where. It is so creative, so out of the blue. It's amazing he remembers what each drum and cymbal sounds like. I think Dancing With the Stars could actually use this in one of their routines! But I digress. Here's the clip of the dreamy waltz:

A Waltz, Perchance to Dream

The familiar theme of 'something old, something new' pops up yet again towards the end of the solo, with a new big band arrangement. This one has Neil again striking the lower toms very hard, sort of the antithesis of jazz, with all its intricacies and nuances. Neil just slams it in your face. Oh well, I'll take it!

New Big Band Arrangement

And finally, Neil finishes off with "Cotton Tail", which he performed on the Burning for Buddy tribute, which again, is different from previous tours.

The very first time I heard this solo, I thought, "My goodness, this might be Neil's best solo ever!" I had that feeling then. I had heard by then the Counterparts tour solo, which is one of my favorites, and the YYZ solo from Exit... Stage Left, which is a huge favorite among Rush fans (me included!). But in my [humble] opinion, this solo tops them all. It really does have a little bit of everything, many totally new patterns and sounds, new arrangements, new time measures - it just has a little bit more than the rest of the solos do.

I had the privilege of seeing them during the second leg of the Snakes and Arrows tour in Atlanta (Alpharetta), GA on July 22^nd, 2008 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park (chronicled in my review of the DVD). I thought the solo Neil performed that night was the best I've ever seen him. Ever. In fact, I was thinking the same thing about the entire band, and wondering, "How do these guys still do this?"

As of today, from what Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee have said in the press, it looks like Rush will eventually write new material, and tour again. As for me, I'll look forward to that. But this time, I'll try to get the best seat I can, so I can view one of the greatest soloists to ever don the drum kit. Congratulations, Mr. Peart, on an outstanding career as a soloist, and in achieving legend status as a drummer. Your refusal to play mere rudiments and flashy displays of chops (even though you incorporate those as well!) has given your fans a plethora of solos that we can enjoy, depending on our mood! You've left us complex solos to dissect and analyze, and continue to wonder, "How the heck did he do that?!"

"De Slagwerker", Neil Peart's best published solo ever. What's next? I can't wait to see!

Number 2

_______

^*This solo clocks in at eight minutes, two seconds
^#Many thanks to Nate Sanders of the band Kadense for helping me sort out the musical notation of these solo parts. You can check out his bio and of the rest of the band at the Kadense official web site

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Neil Peart Solo Number 2 – Counterparts, 1994

Omar — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:49:19 +0000

source: Test for Echo tourbook

The End of an Era

Number two on the countdown towards Neil Peart's best solo is from the Counterparts tour. This performance occurred on March 27^th, 1994 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan.

Well, obviously we now know which solo is number one, but that's all I'm going to say about it at this point! It's time to give this solo its due. We got very, very lucky that this performance was included in the Anatomy of a Drum Solo instructional DVD. This undoubtedly was one of Neil's best performances on a solo, for the reasons we'll discuss shortly.

Neil is a solo machine. He's performed thousands of solos, and all of them are different. From what he's explained to us in copious detail, although there are some elements in his solos throughout a particular tour that remain constant, the other parts are random. This allows him to not get bored night after night performing the same solo, because, in fact, they're not the same. This countdown singles out eight of the best solos, the ones that encapsulate the essence of a Neil Peart solo, and how they've progressed in complexity throughout the years.

Due to the above, Rush fans, and more specifically fans of the drumming of Rush, always crave new material. When the band releases a CD, they gobble that up, and then the band goes on tour. We've been fortunate lately that Rush has been publishing a CD/DVD of their concerts, so bootlegging may not be as 'glamorous' as it used to be. But back then, videos (VHS mostly) and cassettes, LP's and the like, would leak to hungry fans wanting access to out-of-reach performances. I never bought any of these myself (really, I didn't!), but if someone already had access to these recordings, you know I wanted to hear and/or see it! One of these just happened to be the entire show on the date above. I missed that tour. My brother and a friend went to the show, and boy was I depressed! They were rubbing it in as to how 'The Boys' played exceptionally well. Counterparts is one of my favorite Rush albums, and it must have been incredible to witness this tour.

But now we have a solo from that tour where Neil definitely had it that night. He was simply awesome, and his solo from start to finish was a phenomenal display of technique, control, creativity, and balance. It was amazing to see, in this video, how 'all over the place' he was playing, and absolutely did not miss a beat. This solo is everything the previous solos were, while encompassing elements of future solos, without overdoing it. The solo clocks in at about 7:15, which is just long enough to contain, well, a little bit of everything. The video quality is not that good, and the video producers took certain liberties in the presentation (like the fast in and out zooming, which was a little annoying at times, but mostly amusing), but the solo more than made up for those minor inconveniences.

You really have to see the solo to really appreciate it. Neil dominates the kit. Yes, he always does. But it seemed like he wasn't thinking at all - it was instinctual. Any of the other solos we see you may surmise that he's thinking at some point. But not this one. He's in absolute, complete control. From the look on his face throughout, it seemed like he was feeling the solo more than he was thinking it. This allowed it to have a fluid, organic feel. Even the electronic parts, when he switched to the back kit, seemed very smooth and not choppy. The transitions between movements were fast and not drawn out, like some of the longer solos in this countdown. For everything we know about his solos before and after, the length of this one is perfect.

It was a little difficult to pick sound bites from this solo to present here because, basically, we've heard many of them on previous solos in the countdown. But some are worth noting anyway, because he does them better here than in some of the other solos.

This is the first solo chronologically where Neil employs the waltz pattern. Even though this pattern is relatively new for him, the tom combinations he plays over the pattern is one of the best, if not the best 'drum also waltzes' piece of all of his solos. Observe also the 'crazy tom' combination towards the end of the piece. It's one of my favorite passages of all of the solos.

Crazy Toms Also Waltz

This next clip features the best Pieces of Eight passage of any of the solos, where Neil displays incredible interplay between the snare and toms, while maintaining the driving beat with the bass. First we have a driving beat leading up to it, a beat unique to this solo as well. Then after the Pieces of Eight clip, we have one of Neil's best displays of dominance over his kit: start-stop, splash, toms, cowbells, snare to toms to snare, double-bass, you name it - it's in this clip. Again, one of my favorite passages of all his solos:

The Best of Pieces of Eight

A venerable display of bests continue with what I think is the best version of "Momo's Dance Party" and "Scars" of any of the solos on the countdown. You'll notice that it's the fastest version, where you'll be able to sense the urgency. Also, this is the only version of "Scars" (from the solo perspective, of course) where towards the end Neil's playing triplet eighth notes with the bass, instead of the straight fourth notes. What results is a very energetic and engaging electronic kit solo.

The Fastest Momo's Dance Party and Scars

Another section in this solo presents us with a unique pattern again not found in any of the other solos. It has to do with alternating floor tom combinations, between the floor toms found to Neil's immediate right and left. I happened to attend the Roll the Bones tour way back on December 10^th, 1991, at the Worcester Centrum in Massachusetts. This was the first tour where Neil dropped the second bass drum in lieu of the double-bass pedal. This configuration allowed better room for another floor tom to his left. Very interesting alternating floor tom combinations between the left and right floor toms resulted (as in, for example, Bravado). I specifically remember in the drum solo how, while driving with the snare and bass, he would alternate between the right and left floor toms, which I thought looked and sounded incredible. Well, not only does he repeat it in this solo, he does it at a faster pace, without losing a single beat. He then quickly incorporates the tom toms, alternating between them and the snare in random but organized patterns. Still driving with the basic snare and bass, he then goes into the famous double-handed crossover pattern. A unique cowbell pattern is next, one we won't hear again on any other solo. You'll just have to hear for yourself.

Alternating Floor Toms Plus the Driving Beat

And finally, the big band ending makes its return. We've heard it before in the countdown (at number six, The Rhythm Method on "A Show of Hands"), but this version is hands down the best big band ending, pre-"One O'clock Jump". Besides all the great fills in between the horns, the alternating floor toms return for a big ending.

Best of the Big Band Endings

For a long time, my favorite solo was the "YYZ" solo on Exit... Stage Left (ESL). Once I heard this one, though, my opinion changed. This solo is a grown-up ESL solo. Neil doesn't waste any time transitioning between movements, which makes this solo very efficient. There are many unique patterns in this solo as well. This is an overpowering solo. It's a solo that needs to be viewed as well as heard. You get the full impact of Neil's mastery if you see and hear it.

This is an interesting time in Neil's career. He was at the top of his game. For 30 or so years, and for 20+ years with Rush, he had developed a style, a certain persona, and honed it to its conclusion. In the instructional DVD (originally VHS) A Work In Progress, Neil mentioned that at about this time he was starting to get restless, not in a smug or overconfident way by any means. But he felt that he had taken that style of playing to its conclusion, that this was the best of him. He was somewhat at a crossroads with what he wanted to do next drumming-wise. After learning from his colleague Steve Smith that drumming master Freddie Gruber had helped his drumming immensely (which Neil graciously admitted), he felt it was time for a teacher (that was Freddie!) to help him learn a new approach. Neil basically reinvented himself, incorporating new techniques in drum positioning, more use of the traditional grip, a different view about, for example, the space between the beats, and so on. This 'new' Neil was evident from Test for Echo onward. It was the Neil we knew, with an added dimension.

This is why this solo signified the end of an era. The Neil Peart we knew before Test for Echo was summed up perfectly within the 7:15 of this solo. Neil was a more aggressive drummer before. After Counterparts, he was more melodic, colorful, and inventive. The aggression is there, but only in spots, where it serves the song (or solo!). And to this day, he is a better drummer for it.

Well now we come to it. As good as this solo was, it's not the best. We now know which solo is Neil Peart's number one solo of all. Next installment we'll discuss it in detail. In the meantime, let us know what you think of this solo! Enjoy.

Number 3 | Number 1

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Neil Peart Solo Number 3 – Rush in Rio, 2003

Omar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:03:57 +0000

source: Rush in Rio DVD

Grammy Excellence

Number three on the countdown towards Neil Peart's best solo is "O Baterista" from the Vapor Trails tour, as presented on the Rush in Rio CD and DVD. This performance occurred at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 23^nd, 2002.

I know what you may be thinking. "Grammy excellence and Rush? Who cares?" The two have not really fared well with each other. Rush has been nominated several times for their instrumentals, and lost. But this is the first time Neil's solo was nominated. How many solos are nominated for a Grammy? At least it's not the majority. As much as Rush fans don't care very much for these types of accolades, the big wigs at the Grammys found this solo to be worthy of nomination. That just means that this solo has mass appeal, beyond even the casual Rush fan. And that's worthy of note. Can't say that about any of the other solos in the countdown! I'm certain that Rush themselves appreciate the recognition too.

This solo really is a complete 180º from the previous solo, chronologically speaking. "The Rhythm Method" (TRM) from Different Stages, as mentioned previously, most likely was not Neil's best night on that tour (at least in my eyes), and finished last in this countdown. The other solos in the countdown had few errors, if any, whereas TRM 1998 had, well, a little more than a few. It seemed like Neil analyzed his solo and really scrutinized where he could improve, and he accomplished that with aplomb. Also, it is well chronicled the very painful trials and tribulations Neil went through after the Test for Echo tour, and all wondered if the band would ever even consider playing again. But play they did - it was a sensational tour.

In the Anatomy of a Drum Solo DVD (gee, we always seem to go back to that, don't we? Fitting!), Neil mentioned that that night in Rio 'became a totally transcendent experience where the band and himself and the drum solo elevated to a previously unattained level'. I would have to concur with him! Such a great DVD (Rush in Rio), great crowd, great musicianship by all three members. And the drum solo was no exception. You'd think that they would at least look tired, being this the last show of the tour. But apparently, they saved the best for last.

We mentioned at the onset that this solo has mass appeal. And it did right from the start. It looked as though Neil was very happy to be there - he didn't seem as stern-looking as usual. It was such a crisp, tight, and articulate solo - yet another flawless performance. Although it showcased many of the signature Peart fills, the 'beat' of the solo was more, well, danceable! Mostly towards the beginning of the solo, you could see the crowd clapping and dancing to the beat of the solo, more so than in any other solo in the countdown (this crowd also sang "YYZ", so that may have something to do with it [nothing wrong with that!]). There were several different patterns and fills that were not played on other solos (and weren't played again), which make this solo very unique.

The 'dancing snare' at the beginning had some rhythmic patterns that are unique to this solo, in addition to the sound effects that he incorporated in it as well. The single stroke rolls were very fast and precise, unfaltering. Here's what I mean:

Dancing Snare

A signature of Neil's later solos is when he's just playing randomly across the whole kit over a sustained 'the drum also waltzes' pattern. This allows him to vary his solo night after night to make it interesting for him (and for the fans!). Interestingly, in the aforementioned DVD Anatomy of a Drum Solo Neil mentions that it was during this time period where he finally was free of time, that he could play over that sustained waltz pattern an array of different time signatures, be it 4/4, 7/8 (and other signatures, be it implied or inferred), or even, as displayed on the solos, completely random. He had already done this in previous solos, but I guess at this time is when he got completely comfortable with it. I've tried this myself. Let's just say quite bluntly that I can't, so I won't! It's amazing how well Neil pulls this off. But on this occasion, more than any other I think, as much as he tries to randomize the tom-striking, a pattern seemingly emerges. The next clip takes place during the waltz pattern right after he throws off the snares (I just love how he does this so inconspicuously, during solos and songs - you have to pay attention if you want to catch it!) During the clip he starts off very randomly, but from about the middle to the end erupts a beautiful pattern, almost as if he can't help it!

The Drum Unavoidably Patterns

The 'floating snare' technique (I guess you could call it a technique) has become a staple of Neil's solos as of late. In this solo, however, it doesn't float, it drives - hard. The next clip displays how the snare not only floats, but is very prominently in the forefront. Not only that, but what I call the 'magic drum', although prominent throughout the whole concert, is played very pronouncedly in this section. It's the 9x13 tom. I'm not sure if it was because there was no sound check, but this is the sweetest (and fattest) sounding tom in all of the solos! I just love it.

Driving Snare and Magic Tom

What Neil Peart solo would be complete without the 'chaotic organization' section? The following clip contains the last part of the "Pieces of Eight" section (which we've heard before on the countdown). What's unique about this section is the 'stop-and-go' nature of it. I love it when Neil's flailing away on the drums and then out of nowhere suddenly stops - then flailingly starts right up again. You'll hear it here. His use of the lower toms here are also very pronounced, and there's even a new cowbell pattern! (There's also another new cowbell pattern later in the solo). Notice also at the end of the clip the bass-splash-snare pattern, which you won't hear on any other solo (at least not that I could tell!).

Stop-and-Go Chaotic Organization

After a most excellent display of the double-hand crossover pattern (do we ever get tired of seeing that? And thank goodness for those supreme camera angles!), the big band triggers arrive. However, for the first time, Neil plays with the seemingly real big band on the debut of "One O'clock Jump", the shout chorus. Here's another reason why this solo has such mass appeal. Even though Neil played to a big band trigger before, I don't think we ever thought of him playing jazz in a Rush concert until this solo. And he pulled it off big time! The solo went beyond just the drummer - it was grand. Neil became not just the drum soloist, but the big band leader.

One O'clock Jump Debut

All in all, this solo definitely deserves to be rated one of the best. At this level, they're almost interchangeable, and subjectivity starts to get in the way. When this solo came out, I had a hard time convincing myself that any other previously published solo by Neil was better. But now that we have eight, well, as good as this one is, it ranks at number three.

I believe this solo to be better than the previously rated Exit... Stage Left (ESL) "YYZ" solo at number four, because after all is said and done "O Baterista" is more dynamic, more varied, and appeals to a wider audience due to its diversity. The ESL solo was very linear, the best that could be done going in that direction. "O Baterista" has more height, width, and depth, if you will. If this were a boxing match, the ESL solo would be pounding "O Baterista" in the early rounds, but the latter would eventually win by points (be it by unanimous or split decision!).

However, as good as this solo is, the two remaining have something more going for them. Yes, this was a statement solo. Neil was definitely back to stay, and he reminded us why he's one of the best drummers in the world. But the remaining ones are almost epic in their scope. Which one will be number one? How can we justify their positions on the countdown?

Stay tuned, 'cause the best Neil Peart solo smackdown is gonna come down hard soon!

Number 4 | Number 2

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