Hey, we haven’t done anything for the snare drum in awhile— in my own practicing I’ve been preoccupied with Dahlgren & Fine’s Accent On Accents books, and Buster Bailey’s Wrist Twisters, and my students are […]
Year: 2013
VOQOTD: Erskine on Keltner and space
When you think of Keltner you think of these delicious, huge gaps, and when that backbeat comes down, it’s just sweet. And the reason it’s sweet is that it’s not filled up with a bunch […]
Groove o’ the day: Chico Hamilton — Conquistadores
Here’s a little 60’s funky LA cha cha (or guajira? Or something— it’s not a standard style) from the relatively unsung drummer/bandleader Chico Hamilton. This is Conquistadores, from his 1965 album El Chico: The right hand […]
Kenny Clarke plays an intro
Putting together a bebop podcast (which we’ll see here whenever I get it finished), this intro from 1941 by Kenny Clarke jumped out at me— the tune is Hot House, and the playing feels more […]
Page o’ coordination: another 5/4
OK, if you get burned playing a 5/4 because you haven’t practiced enough, don’t come crying to me. I’m doing all I can. This page is based on an ostinato that is sort of a […]
Crap!
A TECHNICAL NOTE: With the mid-90’s siren gif and everything, so you know it’s serious. Evidently our downloads have been, ah, down— inoperative— for a couple of days now, without my knowledge. The problem is […]
Transcription: Superstition — groove variations and fills
Experimenting with a different kind of transcription here. Stevie Wonder’s Superstition— from the album Talking Book, drums played by Wonder himself— is mainly a groove piece, but the groove is highly variable, and writing out […]
Perspectives on cymbals: part two
A recording engineer cries out: […] I’ve been giving some thought to the one thing that pisses me off the most when recording rock bands: drummers who incessantly bash the cymbals so they’re the loudest […]
Transcription: Alan Myers — Clockout
To celebrate Devo drummer Alan Myers, who just died, here’s a transcription of Clockout, from the band’s Duty Now For The Future album. There are some non-significant variations that happen on each repeat— just play, […]
Three Buddy Rich transcriptions
London-based drummer Caroline Scott has posted three Buddy Rich transcriptions— Big Swing Face, Mexicali Nose, and Love For Sale— sort of the big three of Buddy tunes for me, plus Ya Gotta Try. Very worth […]
Groove o’ the day: Freddie Waits — African Village
Here’s another afro 6 alternative— we haven’t had any new ones lately. Played by Freddie Waits, on the tune African Village on McCoy Tyner’s Time For Tyner, released in 1968: I’ve written this in a […]