The Paradiddler

Blogging Your Passion

Omar — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:01:34 +0000

I’m going on a little tangent, if you will (well, not entirely).

As readers of this blog have guessed, I love drums! It’s been my favorite instrument for forever, and I derive a lot of pleasure not only playing them, but writing about them as well.

However, the drums are not always the neighborly pastime. In the article “The Thing About the Neighbors”, it was discussed how to have your cake and eat it too, per se, as far as playing the loudest instrument while maintaining the peace with those next door (or even across the street). Even after going through the exercise of ensuring you’re as quiet as possible, however, it may not always be possible to ‘keep the peace’, as it were. You’re still going to make noise, and at times it may even be annoying, even when compromises have been made.

So what to do? How was I going to be able to enjoy playing drums in a way that would not encroach on my neighbor’s right to peace and quiet?

At about the same time I was contemplating getting a drum set, I was also contemplating what things I was good at, or at least that I liked. Of course, playing drums was one. I realized, though, that I also like writing. I’m no novelist (hmm, or am I? ), but I always found that I could run my mouth on and on about a subject if I liked it enough. I started to look on the Internet for outlets for those who had a penchant for the written word, and I came across the concept of blogging, which I had not seen before. This was it! I could write about drumming when I couldn’t play, and that way I could always be engaged in the subject that most interested me. I didn’t have to play everyday, and still the passion for drumming would continue to kindle.

Hence TheParadiddler.com was born – perfect! I could write about drums when I couldn’t play, and that would keep me inspired so when I actually did play, it was more fun! It just made the playing experience more complete, at least for me.

At about this time as well, I came across a couple of gentlemen in the blogging industry that are highly regarded as the best at knowing not only how to have a successful blog as far as getting attention to it (no use having a web site if you’re the only one who sees it!), but also how to profit from it as well! This really appealed to me, since I figured, if I’m going to spend time on this, and I could also profit in some way where everyone would find something they want (a win-win situation for all), why not pursue that?

The gentlemen I’m referring to are Gideon Shalwick and Yaro Starak, from BecomeABlogger.com. I didn’t know how fun blogging could be until I came in contact with these guys, and it’s been an incredible run so far.

My message is this: if there’s anything at all that you like, or love, or love to talk about, or drive people nuts because you won’t shut up about it, then blogging is for you! BecomeABlogger.com will show you how to capitalize on your passion, and potentially create an ever increasing income stream. I have goals financially, as many do. I haven’t reached them yet, but if it wasn’t for this program, I couldn’t even dream of it.

The following are some things that you can profitably blog about:

Your favorite instrument of choice (obviously)
- Playing
- Teaching
- Events
Sports
- Stats
- Player profiles
- Local news
Gardening
- Vegetable growing
- Flowers
- Pest control
Finance
- Stock Market
- Personal
- Retirement investing
Audio/Videophile
- HDTV
- Home theater
- Car audio
Photography
- Studio
- Vacation
- Scenery
Anything at all that you like or know something about

And on and on and on. The ‘end is listless’. If you like something, even a little, you can blog about it, and even make money too!

I think it’s at least worth a look; there’s absolutely no obligation, but I’m sure your interest will be peaked enough to find out how blogging can make a difference financially in your life. Below is an invitation from BecomeABlogger.com. I highly recommend you check it out. If you’re reading this from the newsletter, then please forward the e-mail to anyone you think may be interested in making money through blogging. If you know someone that just won’t shut up, then definitely forward them the e-mail! If you’re reading this at TheParadiddler.com, invite others to check this page out as well. It will be time well spent – I promise!

Here’s the invitation:

Yaro Starak and Gideon Shalwick from BecomeABlogger.com are re-opening their Become A Blogger Premium video training program.

This course is by far the most popular video blog training program out there, with over 2,000 people having already participated during the last two times the course was offered.

On February 4th you will have a chance to try their program for $1, so add that date to your calendar.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, be sure to download the immensely popular report -

"The Roadmap To Become A Blogger"

Or simply..."The Roadmap"

If you're ready to claim your own copy now, just go here (it doesn't cost a thing):

"The Roadmap To Become A Blogger"

If you're new to blogging and still trying to figure out what exactly you're supposed to be doing with your blog, this may be the most important report you'll read all year!

The Roadmap report covers two key concepts:

1. The step-by-step "formula" that Yaro Starak used to create his amazingly successful blog

and very importantly...

2. Thirteen X-Factor strategies that you can implement immediately to put your blog into superdrive!

Inside this amazing new report, you'll discover...

- How to ethically exploit the biggest wave in technology since the invention of the telephone...

- How Yaro and Gideon stumbled upon the "X-Factor" For Blogging Success, and how it turned upside down everything they thought they knew about blogging...

- Why not deploying the "X-Factor" in your blog could cause your blog to crash and burn, never to recover...

- 7.4 million reasons why your blog will fail, unless you know how to take advantage of the intersection of two huge Internet trends...

- How a new way of using video, images and a blog turned a penniless actor into an Internet Superstar!

- 13 secret strategies to attract traffic to your blog like bees to a beehive, turn your competitors green with envy and help you make a huge success of your blogging efforts...

- And much MUCH MORE...

Ready to grab the report? - Here's the link:

"The Roadmap To Become A Blogger"

Yaro and Gideon really know what they're talking about when it comes to blogging.

For example, as of this invitation, there have already been 240,190 downloads of the complimentary videos on becomeablogger.com!

That's enough proof that whenever Yaro and Gideon speak, hordes of people stop what they're doing, and listen.

Also, it's no secret that Yaro Starak makes a very comfortable living from his blog...in October alone he made more than most people make in a year!

Just imagine...

You can learn from a blogging superstar like Yaro within a few minutes without paying a cent - it really is priceless!

Teaming up with Gideon Shalwick, Yaro's been able to leverage his knowledge with Gideon's clear and easy-to-follow presentation skills, and knowledge of social media and video.

Together, these factors combine for an explosively powerful environment for learning how to blog successfully.

But really, you should read the report for yourself. It will open your eyes to opportunities you never thought possible...

Here it is again:

"The Roadmap To Become A Blogger"

PS: There is some very time sensitive information inside The Roadmap To Become A Blogger report. If you wait too long before you get your copy, you may miss out on some very important opportunities.

So please, download and read your own copy right now before it's too late...

"The Roadmap To Become A Blogger" Interesting? Then pass it along!

DVD Review – “Unburying the Beater”

Omar — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:59:04 +0000

Resonance. Through it we hear what the tone of our drums sound like. Sure, at times we tend to mute certain drums in our kits to limit excessive ringing or overtones, but for the most part resonance is how we hear the tone, or note, of our drums.

To ensure we get the desired sounds, or tone, from each of our drums, we learn about dynamics, rebound, tuning, and the like. We don’t force the stick to stay on the head of the drum, but instead we learn how to work with the bounce of the stick off the drum head. We tune our drums a certain way, the snare and the toms, to get a particular sounding note, or a particular resonance. Then natural rebounding takes over, and the drums resonate and sound how we want.

But for some reason, these principles are not always applied to the bass drum. Many drummers, particularly in Rock, tend to ‘bury the beater’, as it were, and leave the beater pushed against the bass drum head between notes. As many of these drummers play the ‘heel up’ method (more on that method later), the bass drum is not allowed to resonate, but instead is limited to a quick ‘thud’, and then it gets ‘out of the way’. Quite the opposite of how we play the rest of the drums in the kit! In addition to the beater being pushed against the head, in many instances a pillow or other muffling device is placed inside the drum against the batter head to further impede resonance.

In previous articles, I’ve spoken about how I feel about the sound that I like from the bass drum. In “Great Snares of Rock” (ironically!), I talk about the sound of Simon Kirke’s bass drum sound on the song “All Right Now” by Free. Among other things, I mentioned the following: “You can hear the smack of the beater create the full, rich bass drum sound with fast decay. I like bass drums that are thick and fast, and get out of the way. But even though the bass drum here had a tinge of boominess, it fit the overall sound just right.” I tend not to like a bass drum that sounds too boomy. I do like a full, rich sound, a fast thud, and as I mention, then quickly gets out of the way.

However, my feeling on this is starting to change just a bit. A while back, I attended a drum clinic by Will Calhoun, where he stated that he doesn’t use muffling very much. There was not muffling on the bass drum except what little came standard with the Remo Powerstroke bass drum head. He mentioned that he likes the drums to resonate, without being impeded by muffling. This went against what I believed, to a certain extent, but his bass drum sound was excellent, so I didn’t question it. I stored that little tidbit of information in the back of my mind (we’ll get back to this ‘tidbit’ later).

Fast forward to the present. As drummers we’re always looking for ways to improve our technique. It’s a lifetime endeavor. Sometimes we stick with our habits, for good or ill. Other times we’re wowed by a great drummer, and try to imitate their chops. And yet other times, we come across a teacher or instructional video that later we identify as a turning point in our playing, or at minimum makes us question our technique enough to make significant adjustments. In this case, the latter has occurred. I came across an excellent DVD that describes a fresh approach to bass drum technique that, if applied, can positively affect our bass drum playing, and help us to really get that rich, deep bass drum sound that many drummers look for. The DVD is “Unburying the Beater”, by Matt Ritter.

Matt has an extensive bio, where you can read all about him. Here are some highlights:

Graduated from the University of Hartford, where he studied music in the university’s Hartt School of Music
Worked as a production assistant at DCI Music Video, where he was involved in the production of videos featuring Steve Gadd, Max Roach, Omar Hakim, Neil Peart, and others
Studied with the legendary author/teacher Jim Chapin
Extensive professional drumming experience in genres such as jazz, rock, and musical theatre
Honored in 2003 with an invitation to the Vic Firth educational team
Is one of the leading drumset instructors in New York City, where he has been teaching lessons since 1996

“Unburying the Beater” is more than just a limited amount of techniques that one particular drummer uses for bass drum play. It is more like a system, a philosophy, an approach, per se. It centers around the notion that the bass drum, just like the rest of the drums in the kit, should be allowed to resonate and achieve it’s full, rich-sounding resonant potential without being hindered by the beater being ‘buried’ into the head, hence the name “Unburying the Beater”. The methods taught here, when applied, allow the beater to naturally rebound off the head, like it wants to do anyway due to the laws of physics(!). It involves using the whole leg, not just the foot, to achieve a method of bass drum play that will exploit the natural resonance of the bass drum.

In the video, Matt explains that, as a young drummer, there was much material around regarding bass drum rhythms, but not so much as far as the physical movements required to execute those rhythms. After many years of investigation and trial and error, he has now developed the instructional DVD for bass drum playing that he wished he had when he started out. New drummers will have a strong foundation for learning to play the bass drum more effectively. Experienced drummers can enhance their current bass drum skills, and add new tools to their repertoire.

Questions Drummers Ask

It was a little entertaining when Matt went into what questions drummers would ask each other if they struck up a conversation. One question would be, “Do you play traditional or matched grip?” Well, I’ve gone into detail on that subject (you can read about it here). The second question, which is more germane to our topic at hand, is, “Do you play heel up or heel down?” This question relates to the position of the foot on the bass drum pedal. It is a critical question because it is directly related to the methods expounded on in “Unburying the Beater”. Matt then goes on to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

As you can see from the picture above, with this method, the heel is down, and the foot is resting on the drum pedal. The beater is about one or two inches away from the batter head of the bass drum. This is what the foot and pedal look like between notes. Here are some details about this method as presented by Matt:

Heel Down Method… Advantages

Easy to play softly and with control
Allows beater to rebound cleanly, allowing bass drum to resonate naturally

This method is used a lot in jazz when the drummer wants to ‘feather’ the bass drum, in that they just barely strike the drum. This type of control can be achieved by using the heel down method.

The second advantage listed above is what Matt really considers the main advantage of this method. The whole point of “Unburying the Beater” is to allow the bass drum to resonate. Since the weight of the foot on the pedal is minimal when the heel is down, the beater will more easily rebound, and stay off.

Heel Down Method… Disadvantages

Challenging to play really fast
Foot is not free to move around; in a fixed position, so adjustments are more difficult to make based on tempo
Can’t use different parts of foot to play the pedal: toes, ball of foot, or full surface
Too strenuous to make powerful sound; can’t use thigh muscles

Matt goes into extensive detail on these points, the bottom line being that if your foot is fixed, there’s very limited flexibility as far as adapting to the different styles and speeds of the songs you want to play. If you only play heel down, there isn’t going to be much room for improvement. In addition, if you want to play combinations, like double strokes and triplets, and faster tempos, it can’t be done for a sustained length of time – the limited muscles used with this method will give out.

As we can see from the above picture, the heel up method involves raising the heel, so that the ball of the foot and toes are set on the pedal. Because the weight of the whole leg is now in play, instead of just the foot as in the heel down method, the beater is pushed into the batter head. There it remains between notes. The following are some details regarding this method, as Matt describes them:

Heel Up Method… Advantages

Because the heel is not anchored, a more forceful stroke is possible
Freedom to alter the angle of the foot or pedal to use whatever part of the foot is suitable for what’s being played

The above is why this method is used mostly by rock drummers, where force is required (or expected!). Faster playing is possible as well, since the foot is free to move and accommodate the different speeds and patterns. However, there are also disadvantages.

Heel Up Method… Disadvantages

Bass drum sound is muted, less resonance, since beater is held against the batter head
The beater, due to physics, wants to rebound, so a flamish-type note is produced
Calf muscle is constantly engaged

Again, Matt goes into great detail regarding these issues, but the second point deserves a further mention. Many, many drum teachers instruct their students to let their sticks rebound off the drum head, because that’s what it naturally wants to do – why resist nature? Well, that’s what many drummers do with the bass drum! The poor guy also wants to resonate, like the rest of the shells, but we don’t let it! It may be acceptable to get a muted sound from the bass drum, if that’s specifically what we want. But the bass drum will probably sound best if we let the rebound occur.

So after many years of studying the different methods, mining information from many drummers, and tweaking his own approach to bass drum play, Matt came up with this formula:

As mentioned earlier, the “Unburying the Beater” method is a combination of the advantages of both the heel up and heel down method. It’s an entire methodology that, when applied, not only helps you play the bass drum better, but also improves your drumming in general.

The DVD goes into detail regarding how to implement the “Unburying the Beater” method. I would classify it as a three-step process:

Your posture and position behind the kit
The placement of all the components of the kit
The actual exercises of the “Unburying the Beater” method

The following are pictures that illustrate the above:

Matt explains how to position your foot relative to your knee. Allowing the knee to be slightly behind the foot allows for greater flexibility.

Seat height is also very important. Matt goes on to show why having your hip one to two inches above the knee is the optimal height for bass drum play.

Fundamental to good drumming is balance, and being completely centered. Sitting in somewhat of an equilateral tripod stance will allow you to have the utmost balance, as well as being centered. This is why most drum thrones and cymbal stands are made with three legs.

In addition, Matt explains how to determine what the sweet spot is for your particular pedal. This is a very important component of the “Unburying the Beater” method.

This is one of the topics that struck a chord with me. Drummers who use only one bass drum tend to face that drum straight to the audience, making that the center of the kit. What Matt teaches instead is, the drummer is what should be facing the center of the kit, with the bass drum to the side. If the bass drum is the center, then the drummer is automatically off center. This tends to lead to a little more contorting than necessary to reach the lower toms. Instead, as shown in the picture above, put the bass drum to the side, and the hi-hit to the other side. Then your snare and toms should be placed right in front of you, the toms being mounted on a stand (as you’ll see in his kit). This will allow you to still be completely centered and have the utmost flexibility.

Matt then goes on to fill in the rest of his kit; here’s his:

You’ll notice that Matt is facing towards the center of his kit, where his snare and toms are, and the bass drum is to the side. Matt goes into all the details as to why this is the optimum positioning of one’s self and your kit.

And of course, there are the actual “Unburying the Beater” exercises. For as much detail as we’ve discussed so far, the nuts and bolts start here. Matt goes on to explain the actual exercises that will with practice and time allow you to have more control over your bass drum play than ever. He demonstrates the actual motion involved, and then how that motion translates into single strokes, multiple strokes, double strokes, and more.

The different speeds at which the examples are explained are illustrated, as above, so you can see the method in motion, as it were. This way you can more easily reproduce the exercises. Various tempos are displayed, and you are encouraged to try faster speeds to develop control over the motions presented.

Some of the techniques that Matt goes into in great detail are:

Fast multiple strokes
Double strokes
“Bonham Triplets”
Toe/Ball double strokes
The Slide
and much more

After showing these specific exercises, Matt dedicates a good chunk of the instruction displaying these techniques in action. With multiple camera angles and a popular counting method, Matt shows the practical application of the “Unburying the Beater” principles that he teaches. So you not only get the exercises, you get to see how you can use them in the songs you like to play, and even incorporate them in your practice routine.

In addition to all the above, Matt also has a troubleshooting section where concerns are addressed regarding the application of this technique, and a frequently asked questions section where he answers some very common questions that have come up regarding the “Unburying the Beater” method.

This instructional DVD is very well done, a professional job. You can tell by everything Matt says that he was very studious in putting together all the material and presenting it in a way that is very understandable to the audience, without sounding dogmatic. His friendly manner is very inviting, and it seems that he is genuinely interested in your betterment as a drummer. You can tell that he absolutely practices what he preaches, and of every nuance of the method he’s teaching, he misses not one. I like his sincerity in admitting that he hasn’t necessarily invented this method, but has culled all the information from various teachers, and from his own experience, and now finally can present this method in a formal manner that hasn’t been done before. He gives credit to those before him that have helped him with his drumming, and this method of playing the bass drum (coincidentally, he also credits Will Calhoun, mentioned earlier).

As much as has been included here about the DVD, we’ve only scratched the surface. There’s so much content and instruction in the DVD that many viewings will be necessary to get the full benefit, and you will refer to it over and over for sure. It’s jam-packed with over two hours of instruction.

If there’s anything I would have liked to see that wasn’t included, is more coverage regarding how to implement this technique with double bass. In saying that, however, he does mention double bass players and briefly mentions (in the FAQ as well) how they can use the “Unburying the Beater” method for double bass play, but doesn’t delve into it as much as I would have liked. I have double bass pedals, always have had, so I would have liked to see more.

Even though he presented many practical examples of this method, I would have liked to have seen him play a song like Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times”, which Matt references and is a classic example of this method in action. Multiple camera angles, on the whole kit (maybe from behind), and on the bass pedal, would have been a good example in action.

As much as resonance is important, I actually didn’t like Matt’s bass drum sound too much! It was a little boomy for me, more like a big floor tom. But as I mentioned earlier, I’m starting to re-think my own bass drum sound, all because of this DVD.

Beforehand, and still to this point really, I like a thick, fast bass drum sound. I don’t like it to ‘boom’ too long after it is struck. But after seeing Matt’s “Unburying the Beater” method, I think the problem may not be the bass drum, but me! I think I may have been exposed as being a little lazy. This DVD has not only made me rethink the sound of my bass drum, but of every drum in my kit. Particularly for the bass drum, now I have to analyze if the sound I’m not liking from it is a result of poor tuning, and not enough experimentation. Am I putting the pillow inside the drum because I can’t tune it optimally, or rather, don’t want to spend the time tuning it correctly?

That may be the case, but then again, it can also be that I’ve tried tuning the bass drum and never got the sound I wanted (still too boomy), so in the pillow went. Even with the pillow inside, with the “Unburying the Beater” method, I might be able to have the best of both worlds: a thick, fast thud with a rich, resonating tone that only the bass drum can produce. Well, I have some work to do!

To me, this DVD is somewhat of a revelation, an approach to the bass drum that I never thought of before. It’s absolutely a fresh take that is worth the price: only $24.95. For less than the cost of one drum lesson, you can fundamentally change your bass drum play, for the better. A very strong nine out of ten paradiddles for “Unburying the Beater”. A must for every drummer’s catalog.

For more information regarding Matt Ritter, and ordering the “Unburying the Beater” DVD, click here.
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Sabian Live at NAMM 2010

Omar — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:09:13 +0000

NAMM is one of the busiest times of the year for the music industry. Every January, the largest music products trade show in the world hits Anaheim, CA, and droves of enthusiasts go to check out the various products, or show off products of their own. Then there are others who go for the music. And at The Paradiddler, the focus is drums.

Once again, I did not have the opportunity to attend in person (maybe next year?). Fortunately, we have sites like DrumChannel.com that streams the event. It’s Sabian’s yearly “Sabian Live”, with live entertainment from some of the best drummers that use Sabian cymbals. I, for one, use Sabian cymbals myself, and I’m very happy with them. Of course, the pros make them sound phenomenal.

Similar to last year, DrumChannel.com had various camera angles during the show that you could switch between (five to be exact), with the fifth one reserved for the backstage interviews. In reviewing DrumChannel.com’s Sabian Live 2009, I tried to glean from the interviews what I could while at the same time watching the live performances. That was a tall order! I missed some really great stuff on both sides, so I took a different slant this time. I decided to be more of a photographer, taking video stills from the live stream of the musical performances, and presenting them here for your viewing pleasure. Alas, I could not get the whole show (more on that later).

The event was co-hosted by Dom Famularo, drumming ambassador to the world, and Dream Theater’s own Mike Portnoy. Dom reminds me of Terry Bozzio, in the sense that they’re both so enthusiastic about drumming that it’s infectious. You can’t not like drums when you’re around those guys. And that’s just from watching them online! The only thing wrong with Mike Portnoy was that he didn’t play. Well, he was there to host and MC, so we’ll let it slip (this time).

Musical guests for Sabian Live were:

Little Kids Rock – students from the organization dedicated to putting music back in schools
Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats
Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin, David Torn and Pat Mastelotto
Steve Ferrone with The Master Volume All-Stars featuring Steve Postell, Leland Sklar, Kevin Ricard and other celebrities

Here are some highlights from the performances.

Little Kids Rock

Here’s the scoop on this fine organization, taken from LittleKidsRock.org: “Since 2002, Little Kids Rock has been dedicated to putting music back in schools. We provide students with free musical instruments and instruction that focuses on their favorite popular music styles, including rock, blues, rap and hip-hop. So far, over 1,200 schools in more than 23 cities nationwide have benefited from a Little Kids Rock program, and the response from kids, parents and teachers has been phenomenal.”

The kids at NAMM put on a pretty good show. They played two songs: “Aces High” from Iron Maiden(!) and “La Grange” by ZZ Top. Ok, I don’t even remember if I’ve ever heard “Aces High”, but these kids’ rendition of it was very well performed. I’ll have to give it up to the bass player, though: anyone (especially a kid) who can play bass like Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris is fine in my book!

Their rendition of “La Grange” was a little fast for my taste, but they got through it well enough. I think that’s a song that has to be enjoyed at the original speed, but that’s just me!

Here’s a pic from their performance:

Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats

I had not the chance to see any of this band’s performances until tonight. This was a real treat, because this group was fantastic.

I like Chad’s playing in Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I like his performances outside of that band more than inside. In the 2008 Buddy Rich Memorial concert review (2^nd article), I talked about Chad’s excellent performance in the show, one of the best of the night. I think his performance with the Meatbats was even better. It seems like he plays more liberated when outside of RHCP. That’s not a bad thing, however. When you’re in a band, it’s always about the song, and the best songs are those where the musicians put the song first before themselves. But with the Bombastic Meatbats, it’s more about jamming, and boy did they jam.

It was a very spirited set, six songs in all. At least, that’s what I counted. One of the songs sounded like a medley of three. Chad introduced the second song called “Oops I Spilled My Beer.” I’m positive many in attendance could relate J. The Bombastic Meatbats to me were the best part of Sabian Live.

Here are some pics from the performance.

Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin, David Torn, Pat Mastelotto

If Terry Bozzio’s going to be on the bill, you know you’re in for, well, complexity. This night was no exception. I should have timed the first song, because it took forever! It was a brooding, dark, menacing piece. The next day during DC at NAMM Terry mentioned that it was all improvised, and that for a lot of the performance he could not hear at all at least one of the other musicians. It sounded all in unison to me, which was very impressive. It seemed more like a progressive rock piece, kind of self-indulgent (in a good way though!). Tony Levin’s playing was just sick – it amazes me how he’s flailing away on his ‘bass’ and creates such beautiful melodies.

Unfortunately, it was at this point that the Drum Channel feed dropped for the longest time. But I did catch some pics of the performance, so here they are.

Steve Ferrone with the Master Volume All-Stars

Well, it was getting very late at this point, and the feed from Drum Channel was a little shaky, but I did get a few pics from this performance. I have to say that this was my least favorite part of the show, even though the drumming was very good. Steve had a very nice pocket going. He swears like a trooper, though! The song selection was not my cup of tea, but I like anything live!

Here are a few pics from this performance:

And that was the show!

As far as the sound goes, it was much, much better this time around than last year, so Drum Channel got that right this time. Chad Smith’s drums sounded just fantastic. Like I said, that was my favorite part of the show.

In a future article, I’ll put out pics from some of the interviewing that went on backstage during the performances. It’s very difficult to cover everything from afar (hm, I’ll have to assemble a team for the next one!). In any case, it was a good time, with very good performances. I believe Drum Channel will be posting these performances on their site in the near future, so watch out for those.

And that’s a wrap!

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Great Snares of Rock

Omar — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:51:38 +0000

DW Edge Snare

No other drum in a drummer’s kit stirs up more emotion than the snare drum.

It is a very unique drum. As individual as the drummer themselves. Some drummers go through a painstaking sampling process to determine which snare drum sounds just right for them. For those who can afford it, many snares make it to the inventory, for when the occasion calls, there’s the perfect snare waiting in the wings.

For some drummers, even though they have their snares, that sound doesn’t define them. Maybe the whole of the kit defines them. Others are known for their snare sound, and even have their own signature snare made for them. In any case, it’s a special drum.

In the article “Leave That Snare Alone!”, I talked about how special the snare is, and how attached drummers are to them. Sometimes whole kits come and go, but when we hit the sweet spot with the snare, it stays. Some even stay with the same drum (not only the make and model, but the actual drum) for decades. ‘Leave that snare alone’ indeed!

Being that the case, over the years I myself have grown fond of this drum. I currently have only two snares at the moment, but my search is on for the snare (or snares!) that I’ll fall in love with. Ever since I was little, this drum has always captivated me with the sheer power of being able to penetrate through so much amplification. You have to respect the snare drum.

So many different snare sounds as well, with their different sizes, differing snare strand counts, different tunings on both top and bottom heads, throw off, throw on, ringing, muffling – ‘the end is listless’. It’s so much fun.

All that being said, after many years of listening, I’ve come up with a list of my top five favorite snare sounds in all of Rock. Of course, there’s Jazz, Country, and whatever other genres, that use the snare too, but I grew up in a little town north of Boston listening mostly to Rock. Hearing all these songs and bands on the radio, vinyl, 8-Track, cassette, CD, mp3, etc., well, you get to hear a lot of different snare sounds, if that’s what you’re looking for specifically.

Admittedly, this top five is very subjective. Like I said, there are as many snare sound preferences as there are drummers; these are just my favorites. There are more snare drum sounds that I truly love as well, but I’m limiting my countdown to five.

When I started researching for this article, I figured that, if I could, I would find out from the artists themselves what specific snare drum they used. Some of us may want to imitate those sounds on our kit as closely as possible, so why not hear ‘from the horse’s mouth’ what the artist played? I was thrilled to get responses from the very artists who produced these awesome snare sounds.

The descriptions I give about what I hear are strictly how I hear them. Someone else may hear something very different, or not agree at all. Or maybe you’ll wonder, “What’s that snare doing on this list?” Sometimes it’s not just the sound of the drum, but it’s also how the music makes you feel (see “Not Just About the Drums”). You’ll also note that there’s a common thread among these snares, which I’ll emphasize in the end. So without further ado, here’s TheParadiddler.com’s list of the top five snare sounds in Rock.

Number 5: Simon Kirke, Free, “All Right Now”

The first time I heard this song on the radio, the drum sound immediately stood out. Yes, you have the recognizable guitar riff, but to me, the snare sound was just beautiful. Actually, I really love the bass drum sound too. You can hear the smack of the beater create the full, rich bass drum sound with fast decay. I like bass drums that are thick and fast, and get out of the way. But even though the bass drum here had a tinge of boominess, it fit the overall sound just right.

But I digress! Back to the snare. When I first heard it a long time ago, I couldn’t describe why I liked it – I just did. It felt so right in that song. I like the snare’s innocent pop, but it’s also very pronounced. I don’t like snares that have a lot of delay, as if the snares are loosely set, or by post-production (a la Def Leppard’s Rick Allen) – this snare was totally the opposite. Fast, quick, responsive, slightly thick – a thing of beauty, a feast for the ears.

The sound I describe is mainly during the verses of the song. Because the volume of the singers seems to go up a bit during the chorus, the snare doesn’t sound as pronounced. Another thing I noticed is that the drums sound better on the radio than they do on my computer playing as an mp3. Not significantly better, but enough for these ears to notice. All I know is, whenever “All Right Now” comes on the radio, I must listen to that snare.

So what did Simon Kirke play on for this recording? Well, TheParadiddler.com inquired, and he was gracious enough to answer me directly! Not only did he give specifics of the snare, but of the whole kit. It wasn’t a complicated kit, but here’s what Simon says (couldn’t resist the game reference ):

“The kit was a Ludwig Super Classic. Regular size snare, 14x5.5”. 22x14 kick, 12x8 and 14x14 toms. Paiste cymbals. No special tuning. A bit of duct tape on the snare.”^*

Well, that setup produced one of my favorite snare sounds of all time. Some muffling on the snare is interesting, since I tend to try to eliminate the ringing of my snares as well (check out “The Ringing In My Ears”). All in all, great sounding kit, greater sounding snare – it’s, well, ‘all right now’.

Number 4: Keith Moon, The Who, “My Wife” from The Kids are Alright

When I was very young, my brother took me to the cinema to watch a movie. I had no idea what the movie was – I was just glad my brother was taking me out! We went to see The Kids Are Alright. It remains one of my favorite movies. It had such an impact musically on me as far as expanding my Rock palate. Suddenly Kiss wasn’t the only band in the world! Wow, these guys were fun, crazy, funny, and immensely talented musically.

The funny thing is, the snare drum sound I extracted from this movie was not from the movie itself, but from the soundtrack. “My Wife” (the performance occurred at the Gaumont State Theatre, Kilburn, in London on December 15^th, 1977) did not appear in the movie originally, but what an impression the drumming made on me! Well, the drumming made an impression on me before that, but this song awakened my awareness to what a snare with personality sounds like. It has such incredible presence in this song.

It showcases such a rainbow of sound with each strike. It almost sounds like it has microscopic jingle bells – I can almost hear the bells with each strike (within the context of the snare, very fast), almost trebly. It has a fat, punchy sound, but fast and pronounced – it is never drowned out by any of the other sounds in the song, instruments or voice.

We all know about Keith Moon’s prowess on the kit. I actually think this is one of his best drumming performances. There are no holes drumming-wise in the song. He fills all the gaps. He uses the whole of the kit, and the snare is featured very prominently throughout.

I hadn’t heard this song in a long time, but I always knew that the sound of the snare impacted me from the moment I heard it. I definitely stored it away in my mind as one of my favorite sounding snares. If I had one phrase to describe the sound of this snare, I think it would be: “an orchestra of sound in one strike”.

Now, as beautiful as the sound of this snare is, that’s equally how hard it was to figure out what the snare drum is! We all know that Keith played Premier drums. The January 2010 issue of Drum! magazine stated that he used Ludwig and Gretsch snares. I inquired of several sources to determine if anyone knew specifically what snare Keith used on this recording. That may have been a tall order, but alas, it was to no avail – no specific answer (yet). As soon as The Paradiddler finds out, it will be posted.

Nevertheless, this is one of the best snare drum sounds I’ve ever heard, very difficult to duplicate. But then again, so is the drummer!

Number 3: Alan White, Yes, 9012 Live

I had a friend in middle school that was a Rush fan as I was. However, he was also just as much into Yes. I didn’t understand his obsession. I knew about “I’ve Seen All Good People/Your Move” and “Roundabout”, but that’s all I knew about Yes. (Actually, I liked “Roundabout” a lot, because of one of the most famous bass licks in Rock that Chris Squire plays.) He tried to get me into them by playing “The Gates of Delirium” from Relayer. Suffice it to say that I just didn’t get it.

My older brother one day secured tickets to see Yes during their Big Generator tour. It was a week after having seen Rush for the first time (best back-to-back concerts ever). I said, “Oh well, what the heck. Free show, right?” To this day it was the best sounding concert I’ve ever been to. Once they played “Heart of the Sunrise” (I believe it was the second song in the set list), which I’d never heard before, Yes was instantly my second favorite band ever (Rush was and still is number one). Now I understood my friend!

I made a note to start listening to as much of Yes as my friend could give me. I was particularly interested in Alan White (even though every musician that has played in Yes is superb). He was such a great timekeeper, explosive when he needed to be, reserved when needed - a consummate drummer.

Eventually I procured Yes’ VHS release of 9012 Live (recorded at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Canada, on September 28^th and 29^th, 1984), and I absolutely loved it. My favorite versions of “I’ve Seen All Good People” and “Starship Trooper”, to this day, are from that performance. “It Can Happen”, to me, is epic. But of course, from a drummer’s perspective, it’s the snare drum that stood out from Alan’s playing.

As the dynamics rose at the beginning of “Cinema” (the first song of the show), I was floored by the power and finesse that was emanating from the snare. The ghost notes were very pronounced alongside the powerful strikes. You can hear the echo of the snare in the coliseum as if you were there. Well, if you have your VHS (or DVD) hooked up to your stereo system, you can hear Alan’s snare pack a powerful punch.

Maybe it was unintentional, but even though his kit as a whole sounded good, his snare sound to me was so much better as compared to the rest of the kit. It had boomy pop, of sorts. It responded perfectly to however Alan played it. It’s almost like Alan and the snare made each other play and sound better. I think the snare, more than the bass drum, was the driving force of Alan’s performance. The finesse and power which came out of the snare particularly during the Würm section of “Starship Trooper”, was a triumphant climax in a stellar performance, playing and sound-wise.

This was another one of those cases where it was not only about how the snare sounded, but also about how it made me feel. To me this snare sounded awe-inspiring, perfectly tuned, perfectly mic’ed - a perfect storm of a snare.

Ok, so what snare did he use that night? Fortunately, Mr. White himself personally answered TheParadiddler.com’s inquiry, and I’m very grateful for that! I know that drummers usually have several snares in their arsenal, but sometimes there’s one in particular that’s a favorite. Here’s what Alan said about his snare that night (or those two nights, actually):

‘Ludwig 6.5x14” hammered bronze snare with die-cast hoops, Remo heads and a 12-strand snare. Still using the snare on current kit.’

The fact that he’s still using that very snare on his current kit is a testament to the outstanding sound this drum produces. I sense it’s a favorite of Alan’s, and it’s one of my favorites as well!

Number 2: Neil Peart, Rush, Counterparts Tour, Auburn Hills, MI, March 27^th, 1994

Following the career of Neil Peart has brought much musical joy to me. He, together with Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee, to me, form the best trio in Rock, due to their creativity, endurance, and never, ever, just going through the motions.

Many times they’ve had to stick to their guns, creating and playing music that was satisfying to them, and not necessarily the record company’s (a la 2112). This also applies to the equipment they use as well. If it sounds good and it works, why not continue with it? This applies more to Neil’s choice of snare drum than anything else.

For the longest time, from the time he joined the band, all the way up to the Counterparts tour, he used a 5x14” wooden Slingerland Artist snare that he bought for $60.00, secondhand! This ended up being a very versatile snare, and throughout the years Neil got a lot of different sounds from it. I really loved how it sounded on Exit… Stage Left, both the video and the LP (later CD). Maybe because that’s when I started liking Rush, and Rush fans tend to like most the Rush era when they got into their music.

But it would not remain that way. Along came Counterparts in 1993, and I was floored by the dynamic sound of that CD. A very raw, loud (but not distorted) sound, in your face. All three musicians stood out – to me, this is one of Rush’s best sounding recordings. The drums really stood out. And obviously, so did the snare. The same snare as always, but there was so much punch to it, very solid. I don’t think I ever heard Neil’s “Number One” sound so good.

The goodness of this snare’s sound carried on to the tour. I (lamentingly) didn’t get to see this tour in person, but I got a hold of a bootleg of the performance mentioned above (no I didn’t buy it, nor did I sell it, but someone had it, and I had to watch!). I was floored by the sound of the snare on this performance.

I’d have to describe the snare as having a ‘snap of the whip’ type sound, but obviously with much more power and projection. I think the acoustics of the venue served the snare drum quite well. The fast fills were very well defined, and when Neil hit the snare with mighty force, the full-bodied snapping sound penetrated all other sounds fiercely. One of the songs that particularly highlight how great the snare sounded that night was “Double Agent”. I’m hoping someday that Rush release that show on DVD (one can hope!).

We were very lucky to have an authorized release of part of the show, anyway. In the article “Neil Peart Solo Number Two – Counterparts, 1994”, which was part of an exhaustive ranking by TheParadiddler.com of all of Neil Peart’s published solos (you can read the beginning of the series at “Neil Peart’s Solos Ranked”), it was mentioned that this solo was included in the Anatomy of a Drum Solo instructional video by Neil Peart. That, actually, was the qualifier for including the solo in the countdown, and I’m very glad it was published for the general public. Such a great solo. Neil’s drums always sound great, including of course, his “Number One” Slingerland.

This tour ended up being the Slingerland’s swan song, because it was retired in favor of some DW snares that Neil had grown fond of. I’m sure it’s still a favorite in his heart. As for me, it produced some of my all time favorite snare sounds.

Number 1: John Bonham, Led Zeppelin

One thing we can say about the sound of John Bonham’s snare drum is that it was very consistent. The sound varied little from album to album, even to live settings. But it was always vintage Bonham. It’s very difficult to nail down a specific performance that exhibited the snare’s best sound, because it always sounded consistently great.

This is one of my favorite snare drum sounds, if not my favorite. It is so powerful, yet when played softly, it whispers. It plays ‘fat’, but the fat sound is gone as soon as it comes, giving it a complex, full sound. It has nice bottom and high end frequencies, giving it a multifaceted voice. I can’t say enough about its sound: it absolutely rocks.

There’s something else about this snare that I’ve never been able to figure out to this day. I think it’s only me, but who knows. It seems like when Bonham struck the snare, it sounded like there was always a ‘ghost note’ struck simultaneously. Sort of like an ever-so-slight echo, but right before instead of right after the main strike. Ok, not every single time, but way enough times for me to notice. I don’t think I’ve heard this phenomenon with any other snare (or drummer?). At least it’s what I hear. It’s hard for me to explain, but it only adds to the drum’s mystique.

So what snare drum is it that JB played? It was the Ludwig Supraphonic 402, 6.5x14", chrome plated aluminum alloy. For those who want to reproduce as faithfully as possible the John Bonham sound, many try to obtain these models made during the time Bonham was playing. But according to Shane Kinney of the Drum Center of Portsmouth, NH, this is not necessary.

Shane demos lots of the gear sold at the store on their YouTube channel. He does a great job, especially with their snare drums, to explain the virtues of the drum, and for the snares he demos their sound with low, medium, and high tunings. One of the snares he demos is a new Ludwig Supraphonic 402 6.5x14" snare. According to Shane, you don’t need to seek out a ‘vintage’ 402 to get that Bonham sound - the new ones sound just as good. To see for yourself, here’s a video of Shane demonstrating the sound of one of the most awesome snares in Rock.

It has been noted that Bonham later used a 42-strand(!) snare on his drum, so if you really want that JB sound, you may want to experiment with different snare strand configurations, in addition to the one that comes from the factory.

So what conclusion can we arrive to after all is said and done? As far as Rock goes, Ludwig rules. Four of the five drummers on this list used Ludwig snares. And although Neil Peart wasn’t known to use Ludwig snares, from Rush’s Hold Your Fire release in 1988 up until the Counterparts tour in 1994 (thereabouts), his kit was Ludwig (when he then switched to Drum Workshop). So again, across the board, Ludwig rules in Rock.

Of course, there are many, many brands of snare drums, and each drummer has their own preference. I’m of the belief, and I’m sure I’m not alone, that the snare drum should be brand independent in a drummer’s kit. It’s a unique drum in a drummer’s kit, and the one many are very passionate about.

I hope this little countdown of my top five snare sounds in Rock has created a little spark, encouraging you to experiment in duplicating your favorite snare sounds, or configuring a sound all your own. As for me, the next time I’m in the market for a new snare, at least I know what brand it will be!

__________
^*All manufacturers mentioned here can be accessed from the Drum Directory of this web site

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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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The Next Note

Omar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:31:31 +0000

In a previous article which appeared back in September ’09, Brute Force Learning, I came to the realization that I had to back away from the kit for a bit, and focus on technique, from many different angles.

Practically everything I know about drumming comes from air drumming, and studious observation. You could say that my ‘formal’ training began for me much later in life, instead of at the beginning. Because of this, my playing is somewhat ‘rough around the edges’, as it were. I may know the ‘what’, but not always the ‘why’. The ‘how’ may come instinctively because of observation. I’m trying now to focus on the ‘how’ and ‘why’, but I’m discovering that there are as many explanations on technique as there are drummers. Not a bad thing, but it goes to show that this thing we call drumming is a lifelong endeavor.

In addition to just practicing on the practice pad (which I still don’t do as often as I should), I’m watching many more videos of drummers, be it professional or amateur. There is a wealth of information you can gather from these drummers. Make sure to hit up on YouTube regularly and look for these gems.

For example, you could search for any of your favorite drummers and find many videos where they showcase their talents not only in solos, but in songs. Thomas Lang comes to mind. So incredibly fast, impeccable technique; something to aspire to, yes, but will I get there? Let’s just say that I’ll enjoy the journey, ‘cause it’s gonna be a long one!

Occasionally, though, you come across an incredible amateur talent that just makes your jaws drop. In the article "Musicians Helping Musicians", Jerome Flood II, Guitar Center’s 2008 Drum Off champion, was showcased. He’s an example of someone that, when you watch, you wonder how he does what he does, and it makes you want to imitate him. It makes you want to go to the kit and try out what you can figure he’s doing. Musicians helping musicians! (A link to the video of his winning performance is in the article.)

I came across the video of another one of these amateur drummers that just inspires. I’m a big fan of drum solos, and although I’m not the soloing type (at least not now), I’m always looking for what to glean. I wrote an entire series on Neil Peart’s published solos, which if you haven’t read it, I encourage you to do so. Very enlightening. In any case, Dylan Elise, 16 years old at the time, put on a ten minute solo at the Tauranga National Jazz Festival in New Zealand. His technique is very similar to Thomas Lang’s, at such a young age! So inspiring, I thought I’d post the video here so you can be shocked and awed, as I was.

However, when it comes to drumming for a song, the scene changes. In a solo, you’re pretty much free to improvise. Some drummers have a general framework that they want their solo to have, and improvise within those frames. Other drummers, within their solo, will have well-rehearsed sections, and will also have improvisational sections. As long as you remember your ‘frame’, per se, the playing can become quite instinctual, ‘in the moment’. You’re all by yourself, no other musicians to worry about.

In a song, there are several things to worry about: groove, tempo, being in sync with the other musicians, and not forgetting the drum parts of the song! Whereas in a solo you don’t really need to know exactly what you’re going to do next, in a song it always helps to always know what ‘the next note’ is.

Obviously, because music moves forward, beginning to end, each beat or note is measured. If the drummer is always thinking two, three, or four notes or more ahead, the playing will be smooth. The transitions will be easier. There will be a flow to the playing, almost effortless. When a drummer plays like this, it looks like they’re not even thinking (even though they are). It becomes more about feeling the song instead of thinking it, hence smoother play.

On the other hand, if in a song you’re just trying to play the note at hand, your playing may be a little choppy. Since the next note is suddenly upon you, your movement to play that note may come off as a little hectic. Yes, you may get through the song, but the frantic pace of ensuring you get all the notes might drain you, not allowing you to play relaxed. And that is precisely one of the things that I discovered that plagues my playing.

You can check some of my drum covers on my YouTube channel, but particularly on “I Will Follow”, “Toxicity”, and “Girl Gone Bad”, in looking back at those performances I look a little, well, tense, tentative. If you’re going to do a drum cover, or play in a band, the more far ahead you think as far as what part of the kit you’ll strike for those notes, the smoother and more relaxed you’ll play. This is something I certainly need to work on.

I have a deep respect for live performers (I have a soft spot for drummers, of course!) who can pull off remembering so much music, and playing with aplomb. When I hear some of the live performances of Yes, for example, particularly in the 70’s, with all of those epic 20+ minute songs, with all their complexities, there’s no doubt that to play that music the musicians must be thinking about ‘the next note’, and beyond. It’s one of the reasons Alan White is one of my favorite drummers. He was not only a great timekeeper, but he was rhythmic when needed; melodic when needed. There’s no question that he understands the concept of ‘the next note’ (“The Gates of Delirium” is a ‘wondrous’ example of this).

I also tend to gravitate towards drummers that are more compositional than just rhythmic. ‘Compositional’ drummers must be thinking of the next note and beyond to ensure the group of notes convey what they want to express with those notes. Strict timekeepers don’t need to remember as much if for the most part they’re playing straight fours (‘not that there’s anything wrong with that!’). One of the reasons I’m such a huge fan of Neil Peart’s style of play is that it irks him to play the same pattern more than once in a song. He may transition from one verse to another playing a certain pattern, but when the song returns to a similar transition, he plays a different pattern. And if that same motif appears yet again, he’ll play yet another pattern! That requires more than just knowing what the next note is going to be. That requires thinking verses and choruses ahead! Neil is a masterful song drummer, which is why, percussion-wise, Rush songs are very colorful - always have been.

So, coming full circle, the dismantling of my kit has allowed me to take a step back and notice certain aspects of my play I didn’t notice before (in addition to the videos). I’ll still be ‘rough around the edges’ when the kit comes back together, but at least I’ll have more ‘instruction’ to go by. In the meantime I’ll continue to admire and learn from the great drummers, the masters of ‘the next note’.

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Instructional Video – Vex Pro Touring Double Bass Pedal (Round Two)

Omar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:51:04 +0000

Way back in February of 2009, I produced a video (split in two, actually) about how to configure the Vex Pro Touring Double Bass pedal, particularly the slave pedal. You can read about the whole experience here, but suffice it to say that, well, some people wanted more!

Initially, I thought that everyone would be having the same difficulties that I was having. But as time went on, I realized that many were having different types of problems configuring their Vex pedals. There were problems with both pedals, but predominantly it was the left, or slave, that prompted most of the questions and concerns. That is why I chose to make the aforementioned videos about that part of the pedal.

Unfortunately for customers, Vex’s customer support leaves something to be desired. In their defense, I know what they’re doing. They’re determining where would their money be better spent: on advertising, or in the product? If they spend more money on advertising, then they would have to increase the price of the pedals, which they want to make accessible to as many people as possible, for as little as possible. Since they chose to invest more dollars into research and development, the quality of the product may go up, but customer/technical support is not as good as some of the other drum companies. Their pedal may be a great bargain based on a feature comparison with other pedals, but the others may have the edge support-wise.

The above then prompts end users many times to fend for themselves, trying to figure out what to do when things go awry. Fortunately, I am one who has fended for himself, and won! Anyway, what I decided to do is produce a follow-up video to the first two, which pretty much covers all the bases as far as how to configure these pedals. It is very likely that some of these concepts can be applied to many other brands and models of pedals, so from an educational or referential standpoint, all should benefit. Feel free, of course, to comment on your experiences with these and other pedals, for everyone’s benefit. I’d also love to hear if these videos have helped you solve the ‘vexing’ riddle of the Pro Touring double bass pedals.

I tried to make the video ten minutes, but there was just too much information to be presented, so again it is split in twain. These videos pretty much supersede the previous two, so you could get away with watching these new ones and not miss the other two. But it doesn’t hurt to review!

Have fun double-bassing!

Interesting? Then pass it along!

Stewart Copeland Answers Questions From The Paradiddler

Omar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:22:52 +0000

Stewart Copeland – quite the character; amazing drummer.

A while back, The Paradiddler reviewed the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival DVD, a part one and part two series of articles. The second article expounded on Stewart’s appearance in the show, which of course was very impressive. However, I found his interview to be even more appealing.

I won’t go into all the details here (you can just read part two of the review!), but one of the things I found most interesting was his explanation of why he finds he plays with more power with the traditional grip vs. matched grip. As is the common belief, more power is achieved when playing with matched grip, where traditional grip is reserved for more nuanced type play. Even as he explained it, and demonstrated it, I still found it very difficult to do (I still do). I wanted even more details, but for the moment I was content with his explanation.

Just recently, Stewart released his book, “Strange Things Happen: A Life With The Police, Polo, and Pygmies”, which has received rave reviews. Before the release of the book back in September, HarperCollins Publishers^* of the UK offered fans the opportunity to ask Stewart questions regarding the book, or whatever else they wanted to, and Stewart would answer some of the questions. Well, I asked him three questions, and he answered all of them! That is what I want to share with you.

I still had the question regarding the power of his traditional grip, so I asked:

The Paradiddler: What is it about the traditional grip that you prefer over the matched grip? How do you get more power out of it where most “power” drummers swear by the matched grip?

Stewart Copeland: My theory is that the thumb is a stronger digit than the forefinger. And the pressure is applied to the stick more directly by the thumb then by the combination of fingers that matched grip employs. My own preference though, is just about early training.

I find this to be very interesting. The last thing he says is the most significant to me: “My own preference though, is just about early training.” It’s almost always an issue of what you started out training with, which grip you learned in the beginning. Drummers who for most or all of their lives play traditional grip will find a way to maximize power using that grip, and Stewart explains exactly how that’s accomplished. So for those who insist on sticking to traditional grip, Stewart provides an important key for generating power.

Next question from The Paradiddler to Stewart Copeland:

TP: What drummers or other musicians influenced you most during your tenure with The Police? How about today?

SC: Burning Spear Live and the Clash’s first album were major guiding lights. Nowadays I’m invigorated by that flash bastard Joey Jordison in Slipknot.

Now I understand yet again reggae’s influence on The Police’s music, evidenced in a song such as “Walking On the Moon”. Burning Spear has been around for, like, forever, and even though I am not into reggae as much, I know that genre has influenced many other genres and bands, The Police and Stewart Copeland no exception. And it is difficult not to marvel at Joey Jordison’s chops, both hands and feet. Phenomenal.

Final question from The Paradiddler to Stewart Copeland:

TP: What do you find more enjoyable: composing, or playing live? And why?

SC: Composing is way more enjoyable but performing live is way more exciting.

In the above-mentioned review, Stewart did talk about his passion for composing, much more than being in a band. But his performance on the show was very lively and fun, and you could tell he was having a good time.

Speaking of passion for composing, Ben Hur Live^®, an arena production currently storming through Europe (as of this article), showcases the music of Stewart Copeland. You can go to his official web site to check for dates.

I am in awe of Stewart Copeland’s talents. Some day (hopefully) soon, I’ll be playing a drum cover to one of The Police’s songs, but I know it will be a tall order, due to the nuances that Mr. Copeland plays with. He is one of the great drummers of our time, and certainly a great composer as well!

If you want to obtain a copy of his latest book, “Strange Things Happen: A Life With The Police, Polo, and Pygmies”, click here.

_______
^*Many thanks to Robin Harvie at Harper Collins for facilitating the Q&A between Stewart Copeland and The Paradiddler.

Interesting? Then pass it along!

The Thing About the Neighbors

Omar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:09:25 +0000

"Rock-a-Bye Bear" by MGM

Since I love drums so much, I inevitably find instances, experiences in life that parallel, or even in the remotest sense, have something in common with drumming. The experiences may not only be related to the actual playing of the drums themselves, but also to the environments in which we play them. An experience early on in life may have an effect on our playing today.

When I was very young, my father used to work the night shift. This obviously meant that he had to sleep during the day. Unfortunately for him, he had four sons who always had the potential of making some noise: TV too loud, creaky floor, unintentional door-slamming, book dropping to the floor, etc. Unfortunately for us, he was a very light sleeper. And he was cranky. One peep out of us, one wood creaking of the floor, and all of a sudden you'd hear some screaming from the master bedroom, "Who's there? Who's there! Come here! Come here!" That caused all of us kids to get paranoid by even the slightest sound when he was sleeping.

On one occasion, I was headed for my bedroom to go to sleep, tip-toeing all the way. Right before I entered my room, the wood floor creaked just a little. I froze. All of a sudden I heard the screaming from my Dad's room, "Who's there? Who's that? Come here!" I rushed to my bed and pulled over the covers. My Dad actually got up and came to our room to see if he could tell who 'intentionally' roused him from his needed slumber, but I made as if I was fast asleep. He went away, and I dodged a bullet (or actually, his authoritative backhand).

Today, my brothers and I joke about that, and we crack up laughing when we mock how our father freaked out when he lost a minute of sleep (it's ok though, our father knows we kid about it; we even do in front of him now, and he just laughs ). It reminds me of one of the funniest cartoons ever, a classic called "Rock-a-Bye Bear" by MGM. It's about a bear (apparently a hibernating one) who hires a dog to make sure everything's quiet while he sleeps. Of course, he's yelling all of the instructions to the dog ("I hate NOISE! Can't stand NOISE!"), yells goodnight as he's stomping away, and slams the door behind him. In a little soft voice, the hired dog says, "Goodnight," only to have the bear come back screaming at the dog, "SHUT UP! QUIET! I SAID QUIET! What's the matter? You DEAF or somethin'?" Hm, reminds me a little of my Dad!

Well that episode in our lives left me and my brothers somewhat traumatized. We laugh about it now, but if anyone is sleeping in the house we're in, be it our own or visiting, even if it's a baby, we hear a noise and we freeze. It's almost comical, but we just can't be at ease, ever, if someone's asleep in the house.

But since we love music, what is the instrument of choice for someone who 'can't stand noise'? The drums, of course! How comically tragic. What's a drum lover to do?

This 'traumatization' has affected me to this day, and it's taking a lot of effort on my part to overcome it. I'm still working on it. Take, for instance, my first drum cover I posted on YouTube, "Crawl Away" by Tool. Now there were a few circumstances surrounding this cover. I was testing a camera, I was testing out the drum tuning, and I was playing the first full song on the newly acquired kit without ever having practiced it before. The synchronization of the audio with the video was not, well, in sync, and you can tell that I'm playing very tentatively. The latter could have been because I hadn't played the song before, or I had just started playing drums in earnest - finally (check my story to see what I mean). But the real reason I'll attribute my tentative playing to is what I call the 'neighbor syndrome'.

Ok, I'm pretty sure I didn't coin that phrase, but I'm applying it in this case to a drummer with neighbors, which I would say are most drummers (if you live in your own house with no neighbors close by, then you don't suffer from the 'neighbor syndrome', but keep reading anyway!). I cringe when I feel like I'm bothering someone with noise; it's just in my blood. I've tried very hard to overcome this, and I've made strides.

Just for comparison's sake, check out the latest drum cover that I recorded, Van Halen's "Girl Gone Bad". You can tell that I'm playing much more forcefully, beating those drums and slamming those cymbals. You'd figure that for a song like "Crawl Away" I'd play with at least as much force, being that Tool is at least a hard rock band. But I had not gotten over the 'neighbor syndrome' yet. Even for "Girl Gone Bad", I could've played it even harder, but by then I had gotten over most of my 'neighbor syndrome'. How did I do this?

For starters, I still don't want to bother the neighbors! So I always ensured that I never played after dark. My usual cutoff was 5:00 or 6:00pm at the latest. This enabled me to respect the right of my neighbors to have peace and quiet.

Next, I took the initiative and spoke with my neighbors and let them know what I was up to. I let them know that I played drums and recorded myself, and that I would be posting these recordings online. One neighbor actually said that she now lived next door to a celebrity! Flattering, yes - I'll take that compliment! I let them know when I would be playing (generally, not specifically). You never know if you have a neighbor who works the graveyard shift, and you don't want to intrude on their rest. Letting your neighbors know beforehand when you would be playing gives them warning so they know what to expect, and they'll more likely respect that you took the initiative.

Yet another step you can take for dealing with the 'neighbor syndrome' is to take measures to soundproof your playing room as much as possible. Where you play could influence what type of soundproofing material you use, or if you need sound absorption vs. sound blocking. Some may use corrugated foam or fiberglass rigid boards for soundproofing, but this isn't always the best solution. Audimute, whose slogan is "We Make Soundproofing Simple", has many solutions specifically tailored for drum rooms, garage bands, professional studios, and more. For example, their Absorption Sheets are, well, sheets, made of sound-absorbing materials that you can hang on the walls. They have videos with testimonials and customer profiles with applications that may give you ideas as to how you could soundproof your playing room. You can also call them at 866-505-MUTE (6883) for more specific inquiries. Of course, Audimute isn't the only company that sells this type of product, but they're a great place to start.*

Yet another option we have to combat the 'neighbor syndrome' is to have muting pads, or silencers. These can be placed on the drum heads depending on their size, and even on the cymbals. An example of this is Vic Firth's Drum Mutes. More ideal for practicing than for performance, these mute the sound of your drums (and cymbals!) so you don't drive your neighbors and family members nuts while you practice your rudiments. And unless they give you a totally unexpected sound that you like, take them off for the show!

If all else fails, you can always get electronic drums. This is the ultimate in silence: just plug in the headphones and you're good to go. They are very flexible as far as play-alongs and playing to and recording to songs and sequences. You can also program the pads to almost any sound you want, if you really want to put on a show. But these may sacrifice the feel of an acoustic kit, and for those that refuse to give in to 'the dark side', you may, if you can afford it, just incorporate the electronic triggers to your acoustic kit.

Of course, you may not care about the neighbors, you don't have 'neighbor syndrome', and you're just going to bang away to a Slipknot or Metallica cover no matter what anyone says. In that case, then maybe the above is not for you! But your life (and your neighbor's) won't be easy. But you can have your cake and eat it too. If you follow some of the suggestions herein, you and those near you will even enjoy your playing, and maybe even become fans! If you have more suggestions on how to deal with 'neighbor syndrome', by all means, they are welcome!

Oh, you didn't think I wouldn't include the "Rock-a-Bye Bear" cartoon, did you? Well here it is. It's so funny I still quote it to this day, that's how funny it is. Enjoy!

___________
*For a fantastic source of information on soundproofing subjects, go to SoundProofingPlus.com

Interesting? Then pass it along!

Enter the Skins, Revisited

Omar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:38:59 +0000

About a year ago, I embarked on a journey that I didn't know where it would lead.

In one of the first articles on TheParadiddler.com, "Enter the Skins", I entertained the notion that I was on a quest (well, it was more than a notion) to find me a drum set. I mentioned that at one point in my life, I had a drum set, but it was short-lived since my father grew tired of them very quickly (for the more extended version of the story, click here). I vowed someday to have a new set.

Well, many years later, I was finally in a position to buy me a kit. I did mention that I was on a strict budget, so I endeavored to find what I liked within my price range. There were a few directions I could have taken here. One, I could just buy a whole kit from a local music store. The plus there is that I could just buy it, take it home, put it together, and start playing. Also, if I had questions about the kit, I wouldn't feel so bad asking them anything about it, since I bought it there. On the minus side, usually this is not the cheapest route. Also, if you're new to playing, you may find that the kit doesn't sound like it did in the store, and you may need to invest in some education that will allow you set up the drums properly, tune them, and oh yeah: play them (something like Mike Michalkow's "Drumming System")! You may also find that those cymbals that came with the kit really don't sound very good, and you may end up buying cymbals of a different brand or quality anyway. More money spent that maybe could have been avoided.

Or you could order your kit online. You may be able to get a kit cheaper online than at the local store. You can look at the same kit and compare between different vendors, and even within different models within the same brand. The downer to this is that if you order drums, and you change your mind, it might be a pain to ship back because of their size. I know many people order drums this way, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. But imagine that the bass drum arrives damaged, or it's the wrong color, or whatever the case may be - shipping that bad boy back would be a pain in the... well, back.

There is another route you could go as well: you could buy you kit piece by piece. You would make a list of the things you want in your kit, and you would keep your eyes open for any opportunity that comes along. Your list might look like the following:

5pc kit (the shells)
ride cymbal
crash cymbal
hi-hats
bass pedal
hi-hat stand
two cymbal stands
throne
drumsticks

The above list constitutes a basic 5pc kit. You've hence listed exactly what you want, and now you look for deals regarding each piece of the kit separately. I believe that this is the buying option to pursue if you want to spend the least amount of money for good quality equipment (best bang for the buck, as they say). In fact, making a list and buying the kit piece by piece is how I bought my kit, and I'm very happy with it! There's really only one piece of my kit that I'm not crazy about, but it definitely was not a deal-breaker (you'll have to read "To Crash-Ride or Not to Crash-Ride" to figure that one out!).

To buy a kit in the aforementioned way, however, requires something that seems to be more and more scarce these days. It's patience. If you want the best deal on the equipment you really want, you might have to wait for a good deal to come up. This is especially true if you know what brands you want right off the bat. For example, as far as the drums went, I wanted a brand that my favorite artists either currently play or played in the past. This had some advantages, the main one being that I already liked the sound of those drums, and two, a recognized brand more likely will have better support (this applies to most industries and markets, by the way). Any of the following brands would work for me: DW, Tama, Ludwig, Yamaha, and Sonor. Same story with the cymbals: Zildjian, Sabian, Meinl, or Paiste. These are not all-inclusive lists by any means, but it would ensure that I would focus on obtaining very good quality drums, while keeping my eyes open for a great deal.

There are also several sources where you could search for and purchase your equipment, such as:

Again, the above is not an all-inclusive list. But it's good to have options, because the more you have, the better the deals you can find. Let's also not forget private sales, which are usually found in the aforementioned Craig's List, local newspaper listings, and the like. Great deals can be found here, but you have to have a plan. You have to know what your limits are (financially speaking), what you're looking for; this will ensure you get the best price, for the gear that you prefer, and for the most part, you won't have to settle.

In the end, I got some great deals. You can see a complete description of my kit in this video. (It's one of my older videos, but it does the job!) On the kit in the video, I saved over 40% off buying from various sources, instead of just from one. I saved over 65% off the retail cost! On one of the items on my kit, I saved over 50% off of normal online prices, and over 70% off of retail - and it was brand new, not used! I think that's pretty significant, considering how tight budgets are these days. As far as the Arts go, many times it is the first cut in a budget. What to do with all these budding drummers?

I think it's important to have hobbies, distractions, activities to entertain the mind. It's very refreshing to do something you love to do (after doing the things you have to do). It gives you energy to get back and get done things that need doing. Maybe if the items we wanted were just a little cheaper, we just might take the plunge (for ourselves or for our children).

Well I'm here to help! I'm working on a publication, a how-to, if you will, on how to obtain the equipment we want, at the price we want. Many times we just want the newest, but the newest doesn't always mean the best value. Sometimes we want the cheapest in price, but that doesn't always mean a good deal. I will try to dispel the difficulties in buying the equipment we want, and show how to get them for a great price. Some of the topics that will be covered will be:

The key to finding great deals
How to pick what brands to buy
Purchasing methods, and pros and cons of each
Detailed, step by step examples that you can follow on how to buy equipment at great prices
and more!

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything there is to know about saving money buying drums, but I will show you exactly how I did it, so you can copy me. Most of what you'll learn can also apply to buying anything, not just drums. If any of you have experiences you want to share as far as how you got a great deal and think others may benefit, please e-mail me at omar@theparadiddler.com. I may include it in the publication and give you full credit if I do!

Ultimately, my goal is to show the readers how they can save huge amounts of cash on the equipment they want. We may have put the purchase of our drumming equipment on hold due to the economy, but with potentially so much to save, we might just be able to make that purchase after all! You don't always have to settle; there are many, many deals out there to be had. You just need to have the right tools and know where and how to look. So stay tuned to The Paradiddler! If you know of others that my benefit from this information, by all means, steer them to this article, sign up for the free newsletter, and be on the lookout for news of when the publication is to come out. Till then, have fun with what you have!

Interesting? Then pass it along!

The Paradiddler

Blogging Your Passion

DVD Review – “Unburying the Beater”

Questions Drummers Ask

Heel Down Method… Advantages

Heel Down Method… Disadvantages

Heel Up Method… Advantages

Heel Up Method… Disadvantages

Sabian Live at NAMM 2010

Little Kids Rock

Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats

Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin, David Torn, Pat Mastelotto

Steve Ferrone with the Master Volume All-Stars

Great Snares of Rock

Number 5: Simon Kirke, Free, “All Right Now”

Number 4: Keith Moon, The Who, “My Wife” from The Kids are Alright

Number 3: Alan White, Yes, 9012 Live

Number 2: Neil Peart, Rush, Counterparts Tour, Auburn Hills, MI, March 27th, 1994

Number 1: John Bonham, Led Zeppelin

Cheering Them On

The Next Note

Instructional Video – Vex Pro Touring Double Bass Pedal (Round Two)

Stewart Copeland Answers Questions From The Paradiddler

The Thing About the Neighbors

Enter the Skins, Revisited

Number 2: Neil Peart, Rush, Counterparts Tour, Auburn Hills, MI, March 27^th, 1994