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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn_UdBJZD5I
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn_UdBJZD5I
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Newly Remixed and Remastered
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Now on My YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3xJBN4vu2w
*With any web links, copy and paste or hi-lite and Right click.*
When you have been handling drum sticks for 57 years it must be time to make one of the most rare collections of songs out there - a drums-only album, right? Indeed. It caused me to chuckle, too but, why not?
It's the age of recording independence: a time when just about anyone can put their passions on a music media and share it with the world. Well, share it with friends, anyway.
Yes, I'm 66 years old. Yes, I had a stroke in January. Yes, it left its mark but, I thank God I can play at all, let alone at the level I had been. This project becomes a testament to drum set as a therapeutic element of physical, mental and emotional health. Studies have been done on this subject over the years and research proves the point: playing a drum set is good for you: good for your body and good for your brain.
Today, literally, children around this world, that can play at "professional" levels has become, almost common. It's astounding. With the entrance of video, the bar raised exponentially, decade by decade. No more listening to what drummers did. You could watch it all and absorb it that much more easily and work on things I could only try to figure out by listening when I was growing up. Instructional videos, from the finest players on the globe, are easily available; and even virtual lessons with many of them. It's a new world for learning the art of drumming. It has held the potential for driving the art of solo drum performance to higher and higher levels.
Can I share an album of soloing ideas and performance and have it be accepted and create any interest, at all? I'll see. I hope so. I believe so. To some degree, anyway. There are times in life when we must do things regardless of outcome. I admit, this is one of those times for me. It's a "now or never" kind of thing.
Drum solo/solo drums recordings are rare, as I said, and if you do a search or go to ebay or other online stores you'll see a fair list of those who have endeavored to place their lone thoughts and movements on a recording. More drum-central recordings exist, where drums are featured, rather than being totally alone. Warren "Baby" Dodds, a 'father' of Jazz drumming back in the early 20th century, Max Roach, father of Be-Bop Jazz drumming, Art Blakey, another giant in Jazz; these players ventured into solo albums or albums using the art of solo drum performance along with other percussion for a recording. Their bands offered musical performances that seemed to work around the drums rather than the drums working with the rest of the band. The solos by the band on Drums Unlimited have a very staccato-like sound to them, percussive in nature. Max takes a solo on each track, within the band or by himself. M'Boom (1970s) was a percussion ensemble Max put together featuring many Jazz drummers and percussionists. Art Blakey ventured into African rhythms, with traditional instruments, all kinds of percussion, as well as African voice and chants. Piano, depending on who you ask, can be considered a percussion instrument because the hammers strike the strings. Jazz piano can be heard on drum-central recordings, offering as much rhythm as the drums do.
I recently found out about an album by Max of just recorded drum solos, an album from 1977, entitled "Solos," or "Max Roach Solos." The first of its kind, to my knowledge. It's incredible. It might be a compilation but, it might also be an album of pre-recorded solos done again. Either way, it's a fantastic listen.
From these recordings you'll travel all the way through drum history into the 21st century with recordings from well-known and unknown, to one degree or another, players along the journey. Plus all the world percussion, classical percussion, and drum corps recordings, which, of course, have full marching bands employed but, the drum lines have gotten far more sophisticated, employing side-line drum sets and all kinds of percussion. Some players have their bands included, others just play improvised drum/percussion pieces of one type or another. All together they represent a literal blink of music history and drum/drum set performance and artistry. Some of these recordings I have, or have heard, and others I have not and I admit to being intrigued by some and will probably get them to add to those recordings I own.
Drums-only recordings are rare for a reason. Can the player come up with a full album of just percussive and musical ideas on drum set or with other percussion? No band here, for me. This is a true drums-only recording.
It's the age of recording independence: a time when just about anyone can put their passions on a music media and share it with the world. Well, share it with friends, anyway.
Yes, I'm 66 years old. Yes, I had a stroke in January. Yes, it left its mark but, I thank God I can play at all, let alone at the level I had been. This project becomes a testament to drum set as a therapeutic element of physical, mental and emotional health. Studies have been done on this subject over the years and research proves the point: playing a drum set is good for you: good for your body and good for your brain.
Today, literally, children around this world, that can play at "professional" levels has become, almost common. It's astounding. With the entrance of video, the bar raised exponentially, decade by decade. No more listening to what drummers did. You could watch it all and absorb it that much more easily and work on things I could only try to figure out by listening when I was growing up. Instructional videos, from the finest players on the globe, are easily available; and even virtual lessons with many of them. It's a new world for learning the art of drumming. It has held the potential for driving the art of solo drum performance to higher and higher levels.
Can I share an album of soloing ideas and performance and have it be accepted and create any interest, at all? I'll see. I hope so. I believe so. To some degree, anyway. There are times in life when we must do things regardless of outcome. I admit, this is one of those times for me. It's a "now or never" kind of thing.
Drum solo/solo drums recordings are rare, as I said, and if you do a search or go to ebay or other online stores you'll see a fair list of those who have endeavored to place their lone thoughts and movements on a recording. More drum-central recordings exist, where drums are featured, rather than being totally alone. Warren "Baby" Dodds, a 'father' of Jazz drumming back in the early 20th century, Max Roach, father of Be-Bop Jazz drumming, Art Blakey, another giant in Jazz; these players ventured into solo albums or albums using the art of solo drum performance along with other percussion for a recording. Their bands offered musical performances that seemed to work around the drums rather than the drums working with the rest of the band. The solos by the band on Drums Unlimited have a very staccato-like sound to them, percussive in nature. Max takes a solo on each track, within the band or by himself. M'Boom (1970s) was a percussion ensemble Max put together featuring many Jazz drummers and percussionists. Art Blakey ventured into African rhythms, with traditional instruments, all kinds of percussion, as well as African voice and chants. Piano, depending on who you ask, can be considered a percussion instrument because the hammers strike the strings. Jazz piano can be heard on drum-central recordings, offering as much rhythm as the drums do.
I recently found out about an album by Max of just recorded drum solos, an album from 1977, entitled "Solos," or "Max Roach Solos." The first of its kind, to my knowledge. It's incredible. It might be a compilation but, it might also be an album of pre-recorded solos done again. Either way, it's a fantastic listen.
From these recordings you'll travel all the way through drum history into the 21st century with recordings from well-known and unknown, to one degree or another, players along the journey. Plus all the world percussion, classical percussion, and drum corps recordings, which, of course, have full marching bands employed but, the drum lines have gotten far more sophisticated, employing side-line drum sets and all kinds of percussion. Some players have their bands included, others just play improvised drum/percussion pieces of one type or another. All together they represent a literal blink of music history and drum/drum set performance and artistry. Some of these recordings I have, or have heard, and others I have not and I admit to being intrigued by some and will probably get them to add to those recordings I own.
Drums-only recordings are rare for a reason. Can the player come up with a full album of just percussive and musical ideas on drum set or with other percussion? No band here, for me. This is a true drums-only recording.
Have you ever watched a video of a drum festival and seen some people out in the audience, arms crossed, head tilted, as if to say, "Go ahead. Impress me." I imagine they can rattle the minds of plenty of players invited to those events, if they catch their eye. "All drummers and their girlfriends," as they say, out in the audience. Of course, today, many of those girlfriends can be top notch players so, may as well just say, All drummers out in the audience. This is not a recording for that purpose. That is not what this project is about. Seeking to impress anyone with anything is an exercise in futility. If we try to be anybody but ourselves, we invite failure. Practically speaking, in 2021, what is left to impress people with? Speed? I believe the limits of human movement have been reached in that department. We have all seen or heard the fastest players known in their field. We have all seen "The World's Fastest Drummer" competitions. It's also labeled "Extreme Sport Drumming." It's a physical endurance test. It has nothing to do with making music in a general sense. Speed, is, indeed, an athletic expression when it leaves the bounds of making music, which is about melody, harmony, and rhythm.
A great example of the influence of speed in music, and its heights and limitations is "The Flight of the Bumble Bee," by Rimsky-Korsakov. It is a showcase piece that has been around since 1900. Does every musician alive have to master it before contributing to music, as a whole? No. Music has gone forward regardless of people being able to play everything in the Bach catalog, or other tremendously difficult musical exercises, just as drumming remains an art form that exists, regardless of every player having to master blast-beats at 300 bpm.
A great example of the influence of speed in music, and its heights and limitations is "The Flight of the Bumble Bee," by Rimsky-Korsakov. It is a showcase piece that has been around since 1900. Does every musician alive have to master it before contributing to music, as a whole? No. Music has gone forward regardless of people being able to play everything in the Bach catalog, or other tremendously difficult musical exercises, just as drumming remains an art form that exists, regardless of every player having to master blast-beats at 300 bpm.
What about independence? As fantastic as players have done with it, we only have four limbs and that avenue has been maxed out, as well, by the well-known, drumming master-mathematicians and cephalopods out there. In reality, when these masters display all that independence, it is generally in the setting of a solo performance at a drum festival. For most, save for those who use their independence in certain genres, like Afro-Cuban music, when they get back into the driver's seat in a band setting, their playing goes back to the foundations of set playing, while they throw in some personal prowess now and then. Having good time, imagination, and being a team player has far more to do with sitting in that driver's seat than speed and 4-way independence, and that includes soloing. Learning the basic skills of coordination is enough multitasking for a lifetime.
I remember playing a solo in a Legend concert where I stood up, played a rhythm with left foot on the hats, something else on the bd, other beats with each hand, and putting a mallet in my mouth, added a fifth on the bell of a cymbal. The audience found it entertaining but, independence has its limitations simply because only one hand and one foot can only do just so much by themselves. There are machine-like players that seem to defy that, like Mike Mangini but, for the rest of us mere humans, we seem far more content to use our limbs in forms of normal movement. We walk and chew gum at the same time. They walk, chew gum, and cook a ten course meal at the same time.
You watch the masters out there do this and think to yourself, I cannot do that, I am woefully inept but, that is not the reality. I often read comments on YouTube stating, after watching someone do something exceptional, they feel like putting down the sticks and calling it a day. That's a shame. The instrument, any musical instrument, in the hands of someone passionate about their music, can be made to inspire and educate, and entertain regardless of speed and 4-limb independence. The vast majority of music the globe listens to does not require mastering the heights of what can be done on musical instruments in the top tier of players. Most musicians forget that fact. That does not mean we should think about existing in mediocrity. It does mean the field is wide and long to have a place in music to express yourself.
So, what does that leave open, when YouTube portrays players with blazing speeds, sounding like a scientist putting deep space math formulas on a blackboard? For me? Music. Musicality. Something enjoyable to listen to, not because of flame throwing pyrotechnics or becoming a human percussion orchestra, per se' but, the overall sound of a solo as a piece of percussive music, whatever speeds and independence are employed.
"I listened to the CD. There is a lot of good info. I got a lot of great ideas. I tend to play just grooves or riffs like I’m playing to some imaginary music. Now, between improvising to a musical idea and using different tools to hit drums and cymbals, I’ll be good to go for a long time." Paul S., CT
So, what does that leave open, when YouTube portrays players with blazing speeds, sounding like a scientist putting deep space math formulas on a blackboard? For me? Music. Musicality. Something enjoyable to listen to, not because of flame throwing pyrotechnics or becoming a human percussion orchestra, per se' but, the overall sound of a solo as a piece of percussive music, whatever speeds and independence are employed.
"I listened to the CD. There is a lot of good info. I got a lot of great ideas. I tend to play just grooves or riffs like I’m playing to some imaginary music. Now, between improvising to a musical idea and using different tools to hit drums and cymbals, I’ll be good to go for a long time." Paul S., CT
I believe, for those who love drums and drum solos, this recording will be entertaining and hopefully insightful, including some principles and ideas you can read here. The concepts are simple. They are based on a lifetime of aural and physical observation, especially from the 1990s when I began a truly in-depth look at myself, physically, and the instrument, as a real musical instrument.
I also believe the experience of listening to drums, without the visual format, can be a pristine, focused, enjoyable and even enlightening one. Listening in headphones to the great variety of instruments and frequency ranges, with no other music or instruments involved, can be eye-opening and even mesmerizing for those who love drums and cymbals. It can even be relaxing. My wife began to go to sleep listening to a pre-mastered version of this recording. I fondly remember seeing my parents sleeping in the living room when I came upstairs from the basement after playing to a couple albums. Considering the music I played along to, mostly albums of Fusion and Classical Rock, I was amazed to see them sleeping like that. They also worked hard all their lives and when work stopped, so did they. They were always very encouraging of me and drums once they saw how much I got into it.
I also believe the experience of listening to drums, without the visual format, can be a pristine, focused, enjoyable and even enlightening one. Listening in headphones to the great variety of instruments and frequency ranges, with no other music or instruments involved, can be eye-opening and even mesmerizing for those who love drums and cymbals. It can even be relaxing. My wife began to go to sleep listening to a pre-mastered version of this recording. I fondly remember seeing my parents sleeping in the living room when I came upstairs from the basement after playing to a couple albums. Considering the music I played along to, mostly albums of Fusion and Classical Rock, I was amazed to see them sleeping like that. They also worked hard all their lives and when work stopped, so did they. They were always very encouraging of me and drums once they saw how much I got into it.
Concepts for Solo Drum Set is a collection of 13 drum solos based on various ideas for creating solos for those who play more from what they feel and how they think, than what's written out on sheet music or in rudiment instruction books. It's a more organic approach.
Max Roach, a true statesman of the instrument once said, everything a player does is based on one, two, or three strokes. That's a pretty foundational concept. From single stroke rolls, to every other rudiment known, that's the breakdown, with some finer details involved in the drag rudiments. My purpose is not the technical side, though. My purpose is the side which operates on what sounds good to me, on the drum set; what I hear inside, outwardly expressed on the kit. If all you like to play is double stroke rolls, so be it. The concepts work with whatever you like to do. They are not 'rudiment-based," in nature. They are... well... nature-based, in nature.
In actual fact, I never really gave rudiments a thought until I heard the work of Billy Cobham back in the early '70s. Up to that time everything was basically single stroke rolls, press rolls, and paradiddles. His application of rudiments in beats and fills was astonishing to me, and opened up a whole new world of drum set artistry. The entire Fusion genre had players employing elements of Jazz, Rock, Funk, and Classical stuff that changed the way a generation of drummers saw how the set can be played.
Max Roach, a true statesman of the instrument once said, everything a player does is based on one, two, or three strokes. That's a pretty foundational concept. From single stroke rolls, to every other rudiment known, that's the breakdown, with some finer details involved in the drag rudiments. My purpose is not the technical side, though. My purpose is the side which operates on what sounds good to me, on the drum set; what I hear inside, outwardly expressed on the kit. If all you like to play is double stroke rolls, so be it. The concepts work with whatever you like to do. They are not 'rudiment-based," in nature. They are... well... nature-based, in nature.
In actual fact, I never really gave rudiments a thought until I heard the work of Billy Cobham back in the early '70s. Up to that time everything was basically single stroke rolls, press rolls, and paradiddles. His application of rudiments in beats and fills was astonishing to me, and opened up a whole new world of drum set artistry. The entire Fusion genre had players employing elements of Jazz, Rock, Funk, and Classical stuff that changed the way a generation of drummers saw how the set can be played.
Every player develops their own preferred vocabulary when it comes to fills and soloing. I am no different. As varied as we try to be, those same comfortable paths around the kit always show up. What helped me play with a more varied approach were the tools I used and the concepts; the variations of the solo themes. It wasn't just a solo spot in a gig. It was 13 solos in presentation of ideas. That helped keep things somewhat different, even if those same go-to fills cropped up now and then. Playing a large set also helps me stay varied. Lots of pitches to mess around with. I think players will enjoy the sounds and feel of the project, overall. I can tell you my wife already has her favorites.
And let it be said, this is an album for those who love drum solos (and my wife is not really into them): the energy, the explosions, the ebb and flow, the beauty, the power, and the audio spectacle of them. Not everybody can be into 70 minutes of drums. That goes for Taiko or Djembe, as well. I can watch master Indian percussionists without notice of time. It's just the way I'm wired. I love Hummingbirds. I see a Hummer and I think - Classical music and violins. I also love watching video of some massive, mountainous Elephant or Walrus in action, as well. What causes a composer to rev up the music more; Buffalo grazing or a Buffalo stampede? I'll watch the stampede every time. I guess that's a reason I love the drums. There's a lot of "nature" and energy in them. Many animals, making sounds or actions from throat or body, are said to be "drumming."
"I'm listening now! This is ferocious! A lot to take in, but what a valiant effort, my friend. Gonna dive into this with headphones..." Steve S., OK
What is a drummer, a “drumist,” if you will? Drum set artistry. What is it? Some woods, plastics, metals, mechanical parts, and a human. Time, tempo, drive, energy, propulsion, passion, stabilization, consistency, “pocket,” “foundation;” the person sitting behind the cylinders, membranes, and disks, holding the tools of the trade, has a major function in modern music. If you get the time, the opportunity, the placement in the program to take a solo... what to do?
All solos down through history, on any musical instrument, contain two basic elements: what you know and what you feel. Together, they put a combination of rhythmic ideas and information from your brain and mind; your character - your thoughts and feelings - into passages of movement on the drum set as quickly as 150 ms (miles per second) for your arms, hands, legs and feet. The more you know by practice, the faster execution can take place from memory of the execution. Solos involve great multi-tasking and swift thinking when they are improvised. Factually, even improvised solos are still pulling from a bank of moves and fills one knows by having done them. Every once in a while a player may do something new to them; a set of moves they had not played before. It may not be new to the mind, if they saw it or heard it performed before and just forgot about it. It may also be the mind and body coordinating in a way that never happened before, as well. We think, we feel, we execute. New things happen.
I have always found drum solos an exciting thing to hear and see. Many players have no real interest in them. They find solos an exercise in self-absorption. For them, keeping that steady time, that foundation for the other musicians around them, is the prime and only objective. That's fine. Keeping that foundation solid for the rest of a band, in constantly changing ways and tempos and all; keeping great time, is an art in and of itself.
And let it be said, this is an album for those who love drum solos (and my wife is not really into them): the energy, the explosions, the ebb and flow, the beauty, the power, and the audio spectacle of them. Not everybody can be into 70 minutes of drums. That goes for Taiko or Djembe, as well. I can watch master Indian percussionists without notice of time. It's just the way I'm wired. I love Hummingbirds. I see a Hummer and I think - Classical music and violins. I also love watching video of some massive, mountainous Elephant or Walrus in action, as well. What causes a composer to rev up the music more; Buffalo grazing or a Buffalo stampede? I'll watch the stampede every time. I guess that's a reason I love the drums. There's a lot of "nature" and energy in them. Many animals, making sounds or actions from throat or body, are said to be "drumming."
"I'm listening now! This is ferocious! A lot to take in, but what a valiant effort, my friend. Gonna dive into this with headphones..." Steve S., OK
What is a drummer, a “drumist,” if you will? Drum set artistry. What is it? Some woods, plastics, metals, mechanical parts, and a human. Time, tempo, drive, energy, propulsion, passion, stabilization, consistency, “pocket,” “foundation;” the person sitting behind the cylinders, membranes, and disks, holding the tools of the trade, has a major function in modern music. If you get the time, the opportunity, the placement in the program to take a solo... what to do?
All solos down through history, on any musical instrument, contain two basic elements: what you know and what you feel. Together, they put a combination of rhythmic ideas and information from your brain and mind; your character - your thoughts and feelings - into passages of movement on the drum set as quickly as 150 ms (miles per second) for your arms, hands, legs and feet. The more you know by practice, the faster execution can take place from memory of the execution. Solos involve great multi-tasking and swift thinking when they are improvised. Factually, even improvised solos are still pulling from a bank of moves and fills one knows by having done them. Every once in a while a player may do something new to them; a set of moves they had not played before. It may not be new to the mind, if they saw it or heard it performed before and just forgot about it. It may also be the mind and body coordinating in a way that never happened before, as well. We think, we feel, we execute. New things happen.
I have always found drum solos an exciting thing to hear and see. Many players have no real interest in them. They find solos an exercise in self-absorption. For them, keeping that steady time, that foundation for the other musicians around them, is the prime and only objective. That's fine. Keeping that foundation solid for the rest of a band, in constantly changing ways and tempos and all; keeping great time, is an art in and of itself.
For others, the expression of who and what you are as a player, in a drum solo, is a height of artistic expression on the kit. The 'solo' need not be 'alone.' Some players love doing their thing while the rest of the band plays a repeating phrase. Players like Dave Weckl are masters at that. On Miledge Muzic recordings, those are the only type of solos I play, weaving it all within the things Tom is playing on guitar. And you do not need to play 1000 strokes a minute to play enjoyable drum solos. In some cases such speed can ruin a solo. Yes, it can. How? Its place in the music, meaning, speed could be out of place.
Consider two solos in drumming history. Ginger Baker, Cream, Toad and Steve Gadd, Steely Dan, Aja. Neither solo displays lightning speeds known back then and today. Both solos are classics, though, because they followed the pace of the music. Some will say neither Baker or Gadd employ(ed) great speed. That is true. They are not known as top-tier, fast players. And that did what to hurt their careers? They both had individual voices and that is always more important when it comes to expression in music.
Your audience can relate to the waves of speed as a physical blurr. Rarely can they relate to the actual flurry of notes or pitches that can be played in demonstrations of great speed. Most of the time it's a blast of cacophony for them, when the entire set gets involved.
Your audience can relate to the waves of speed as a physical blurr. Rarely can they relate to the actual flurry of notes or pitches that can be played in demonstrations of great speed. Most of the time it's a blast of cacophony for them, when the entire set gets involved.
Don't get me wrong. Speed has been the basis for excitement in solos, on any instrument, for centuries and I employ it a lot. With a drum set, it can become a blitzkrieg of sound, though. Just the way it is with the instruments in a drum set. It's the flurry of movement and sound that drops jaws but, it isn't necessarily musical. It does not have to be constant, and it does not mean you must execute the highest speeds known to man to play a drum solo. No way.
Take advantage of what your general audience can relate to and you can play interesting and enjoyable solos at medium tempos. Think "In-a-gadda-da-vida," Iron Butterfly's 20 minute anthem of late 60's heavy Rock, and Ron Bushy's drum solo, one I learned, note for note, as a teenager, and half an entire generation of youth knew instantly what it was when they heard it. Sure, it isn't as fast as people played solos before then, during that era or beyond it. That was not the point. The point for Bushy was using the ability he had and creating something his audience could relate to on a very organic level that followed the path of the music. When the album came out, one reviewer proclaimed it was a "belly dance" solo. Chops? No. Musical and cool? Yes.
"Got them -- . . . Listening . . . Incredible stuff !!!! You are clearly a force of Nature. It will take time to digest because of the enormity of the universe you have created." - Tom C., VA
"Got them -- . . . Listening . . . Incredible stuff !!!! You are clearly a force of Nature. It will take time to digest because of the enormity of the universe you have created." - Tom C., VA
I employ speeds I am capable of, in my 60's; knowing I am not quite as fast as I was in my 20's. I am smarter, though, and I believe smart drumming is more valuable than fast drumming any day of the week. In the last decade I have seen more and more well-known pros comment on the proliferation of notes and fills from drummers in certain genres of playing. This can be quite subjective but, logically, most listeners are not equipped to hear percussion constantly exploding.
Think of the 4th of July, here in America. Independence Day. A fireworks display builds to a climax. Even the finest, honor-worthy, award-winning fireworks displays pace things out. If you just explode right off the bat and keep exploding, it just becomes a barrage of noise. The essence of art is lost. Music is about the space between notes, as much as the notes played. After all, the finale of a fireworks show, is the finale.
I'll add this. Terry Bozzio changed the art of solo drum performance. Arpeggios, ostinatos, independence, compositions and all the rest, with incredible drum sets, with more instruments than any mom and pop music store. Yet, the fact is, probably most drummers in history played fantastic solos on four piece kits and that includes players with two floor toms with one that got sparingly used, and a traditional set-up of a few cymbals and hats. I could list players for an hour who mesmerized audiences on the traditional 4 pc kit. Yes, I love big drum sets. I always have. It provides a lot to play with. ToysRus on an 8x11 rug. Don't let that sway your viewpoint, though. Masters played on 4-pc. kits and still do, and will, till traditional drumming fades away into the night of technology.
Think of the 4th of July, here in America. Independence Day. A fireworks display builds to a climax. Even the finest, honor-worthy, award-winning fireworks displays pace things out. If you just explode right off the bat and keep exploding, it just becomes a barrage of noise. The essence of art is lost. Music is about the space between notes, as much as the notes played. After all, the finale of a fireworks show, is the finale.
I'll add this. Terry Bozzio changed the art of solo drum performance. Arpeggios, ostinatos, independence, compositions and all the rest, with incredible drum sets, with more instruments than any mom and pop music store. Yet, the fact is, probably most drummers in history played fantastic solos on four piece kits and that includes players with two floor toms with one that got sparingly used, and a traditional set-up of a few cymbals and hats. I could list players for an hour who mesmerized audiences on the traditional 4 pc kit. Yes, I love big drum sets. I always have. It provides a lot to play with. ToysRus on an 8x11 rug. Don't let that sway your viewpoint, though. Masters played on 4-pc. kits and still do, and will, till traditional drumming fades away into the night of technology.
I remember the day I heard Simon Philipps play alternating strikes on his toms in a roll around the kit. Something so simple and yet so beautiful. Tom 1 to 3, then 2 to 4, 3 to 5, and 4 to 6. So simple and so cool. As I messed around with that I ended up playing straight descending rolls one or two toms apart, around the kit. It sounds wild because we all get used to playing rolls around the kit on one tom at a time. I think of marimba players when I do it. Such entertaining epiphanies can strike us at any moment and something gets chiseled into our minds for the rest of our lives.
Concepts for Solo Drum Set contains elements of who and what I am as a player: on the "self-taught" side of the spectrum. My approach has always been more organic than schooled. It has to be. I am not a schooled musician. I don't really read music. A long time ago someone gave me the name, "Drums in his heart" (in Lakota Sioux), because that is where it comes from for me. It also comes as a talent lent of God. Every atom, every cell, every letter of code in our DNA all comes from the Great Designer. We each have that connection. For me, call it musical coordination. Call it a sense of hearing and seeing rhythm all around me. God gave it to me and I use it to give back to God and others, what I see, hear, think and feel.
Some things to think about, in no particular order:
Playing a drum solo is often a frightening thing, especially for younger players; even those with fine skills. Confidence is a must and confidence comes from various aspects of who you are and what you do. Practice figures in, and playing with other musicians is a must at some point. You can play drum solos in your basement, bedroom or garage all day and night and never realize the live feeling and education you will get playing with other musicians and the ideas that can bring forth. Playing with other musicians literally breeds confidence. It develops because you have to listen to others, and in listening to others you remove yourself enough to think past what you normally do on the set. Ideas develop, just from listening to other musicians and how you respond to them. Assurance builds within the player, at all playing levels. That ends up morphing into soloing. It's a circle, too. Things they do impress you and things you do impresses them. They hear a lick you play, and onto the guitar, bass, horn, reed, piano, keyboard, whatever, it goes for them. Interaction creates confidence. Not pomposity or arrogance but, more confidence, assurance and more love and creative thought will go into what you do.
Relax and breathe. I cannot emphasize that enough. Even the most seasoned players can forget that when the big, fast fills come up. Players seem to automatically hold their breath when the monster moves arrive. Not good. Your body requires oxygen, all of it. Blood carries oxygen to your muscles. Tense up, forget to breathe and endurance levels drop dramatically. Learn to relax and stay breathing. Forget the big breath intake and holding it. That is fine for going underwater. Playing drum solos? Not so much.
Loving the instrument and being passionate about playing it is important. Ever read of drummers who got into playing just to meet girls and party? Whether they have talent to solo is not their concern. Those who really love playing and improving on the instrument, and practice, practice, practice, are far more likely to play a good solo and enjoy doing it, which helps them relax in the execution of it, stroke for stroke, move for move.
Some things to think about, in no particular order:
Playing a drum solo is often a frightening thing, especially for younger players; even those with fine skills. Confidence is a must and confidence comes from various aspects of who you are and what you do. Practice figures in, and playing with other musicians is a must at some point. You can play drum solos in your basement, bedroom or garage all day and night and never realize the live feeling and education you will get playing with other musicians and the ideas that can bring forth. Playing with other musicians literally breeds confidence. It develops because you have to listen to others, and in listening to others you remove yourself enough to think past what you normally do on the set. Ideas develop, just from listening to other musicians and how you respond to them. Assurance builds within the player, at all playing levels. That ends up morphing into soloing. It's a circle, too. Things they do impress you and things you do impresses them. They hear a lick you play, and onto the guitar, bass, horn, reed, piano, keyboard, whatever, it goes for them. Interaction creates confidence. Not pomposity or arrogance but, more confidence, assurance and more love and creative thought will go into what you do.
Relax and breathe. I cannot emphasize that enough. Even the most seasoned players can forget that when the big, fast fills come up. Players seem to automatically hold their breath when the monster moves arrive. Not good. Your body requires oxygen, all of it. Blood carries oxygen to your muscles. Tense up, forget to breathe and endurance levels drop dramatically. Learn to relax and stay breathing. Forget the big breath intake and holding it. That is fine for going underwater. Playing drum solos? Not so much.
Loving the instrument and being passionate about playing it is important. Ever read of drummers who got into playing just to meet girls and party? Whether they have talent to solo is not their concern. Those who really love playing and improving on the instrument, and practice, practice, practice, are far more likely to play a good solo and enjoy doing it, which helps them relax in the execution of it, stroke for stroke, move for move.
Knowing your skill level and working with it is important. Create and be musical within that level. That will always help get you to the next level. If you can't do the move, improve. Most all drummers take chances at one point or another. In a song, you might blow a new fill you aren't totally sure of and you just press on. Blowing a solo, taking constant chances... risky stuff, and a recipe for a train wreck. We don't want to remain static and get in ruts. You find that ground where your skill level gets to a place of enough familiarity with the instrument that improvising on it becomes more naturally enjoyable. Of course, those who can write out and play that solo are on a different level. For me - my experience and love for the instrument - it's the sounds that inspire me and cause creation to come out of me for playing a solo. You can memorize a solo and play one that way. That's fine. It doesn't have to be totally improvised. Neil Peart will be fondly remembered for his crafted and constructed solos.
A good solo, an interesting one, for me, regardless of speeds, is one that is rhythmically musical, and employs well-placed accents, breaks and pitch changes from patterns in the execution of fills. The newer style of what is called "Gospel Chops" employs some of that today but, down through time, as far back as you want to look, the great soloists knew how to throw in well-placed accents; whether "bombs" on their bass drums, or rim shots, stick shots, or other things to alter the flow of notes they played. Consider the simple example of someone who speaks in a rather mono-tone way. They get the point across. Most people would find someone more animated in their speech patterns more interesting to listen to.
If you consider the drum set a time keeping instrument you'd be correct. That is the bulk of its use in modern music. If you consider the drum set a collection of musical instruments, I believe you are more likely to be creative in the concepts of soloing on those instruments. That's the bottom line. Just being really fast without being you, musically, is an athletic exercise and not much more. There comes a point where speed is rather useless. I say that by way of time. Lots of Jazz players had incredible speed. Then the Fusion players came along and blew people away, not just with their speeds but, their use of big drum sets to display it all, rolling the tank of big sets past some of the Big Band greats. Progressive/Classical Rock drummers, the same. The Metal players reached for the heights and have reached their limits of bpm. It all causes me to keep coming back to you being you, musically. Who and what are you as a musician, a creative musician?
"I dig the sound you are getting out of the drums (quick tom patterns with some quieter strokes/some more pronounced) Really cool stuff!" - Rene D., TX
If you consider the drum set a time keeping instrument you'd be correct. That is the bulk of its use in modern music. If you consider the drum set a collection of musical instruments, I believe you are more likely to be creative in the concepts of soloing on those instruments. That's the bottom line. Just being really fast without being you, musically, is an athletic exercise and not much more. There comes a point where speed is rather useless. I say that by way of time. Lots of Jazz players had incredible speed. Then the Fusion players came along and blew people away, not just with their speeds but, their use of big drum sets to display it all, rolling the tank of big sets past some of the Big Band greats. Progressive/Classical Rock drummers, the same. The Metal players reached for the heights and have reached their limits of bpm. It all causes me to keep coming back to you being you, musically. Who and what are you as a musician, a creative musician?
"I dig the sound you are getting out of the drums (quick tom patterns with some quieter strokes/some more pronounced) Really cool stuff!" - Rene D., TX
Dynamics: forces or movements that produce change in a system.
Every great drumist down through time will tell you dynamics are important and key to interesting solos, and playing, in general. Volume dynamics, velocity dynamics, texture dynamics, aural dynamics, contrasting dynamics, whatever you want to call them, all play a part in creating musical solos, the same as music, itself, is filled with dynamics. If you want to just bash away, go ahead but, find any, single activity in life, any, that produces good results from bashing. Not a single sport, not a single trade, not a single anything conducts itself in bashing and produces a desired end; whether hammering a nail, chopping a tree down, hitting a baseball, even the work of a linebacker has a dozen things involved before and besides the impact of a tackle. I am unaware of any musical instrument on the Earth that is played with bashing. The dynamics of change in a system, in our case a set of drums and cymbals and percussion, is really crucial to playing an interesting drum solo.
Obviously, an album like this is not only rare and novel but, made for a very specific audience far smaller than typical musical genres. Playing a drum solo in a program may be just 60 seconds to, maybe a few to several minutes. Only the big names, playing in big name bands, in big venues, play the time-stamped solos like were done back in the 60's and 70's: 10 to 15 minutes long and a mini-show in and of themselves. So, in reality the term "solo," itself, for the drummer, usually means - hardly enough time to get really worried over. Unless you are invited to a drum festival, you really don't have a lot to figure out from your mental catalog of rhythms and fills for that solo spot, whether it be recorded or live. And if you are recording, you can think about things ahead of time.
Be brave. Be cautious. Be adventurous. Be solid. Be creative. Be stable. Be musical. Work hard. Stay humble.
Every great drumist down through time will tell you dynamics are important and key to interesting solos, and playing, in general. Volume dynamics, velocity dynamics, texture dynamics, aural dynamics, contrasting dynamics, whatever you want to call them, all play a part in creating musical solos, the same as music, itself, is filled with dynamics. If you want to just bash away, go ahead but, find any, single activity in life, any, that produces good results from bashing. Not a single sport, not a single trade, not a single anything conducts itself in bashing and produces a desired end; whether hammering a nail, chopping a tree down, hitting a baseball, even the work of a linebacker has a dozen things involved before and besides the impact of a tackle. I am unaware of any musical instrument on the Earth that is played with bashing. The dynamics of change in a system, in our case a set of drums and cymbals and percussion, is really crucial to playing an interesting drum solo.
Obviously, an album like this is not only rare and novel but, made for a very specific audience far smaller than typical musical genres. Playing a drum solo in a program may be just 60 seconds to, maybe a few to several minutes. Only the big names, playing in big name bands, in big venues, play the time-stamped solos like were done back in the 60's and 70's: 10 to 15 minutes long and a mini-show in and of themselves. So, in reality the term "solo," itself, for the drummer, usually means - hardly enough time to get really worried over. Unless you are invited to a drum festival, you really don't have a lot to figure out from your mental catalog of rhythms and fills for that solo spot, whether it be recorded or live. And if you are recording, you can think about things ahead of time.
Be brave. Be cautious. Be adventurous. Be solid. Be creative. Be stable. Be musical. Work hard. Stay humble.
With the exception of #14, the solos were recorded with a simple 3-mic set-up, into a ZOOM H8 recorder. Two Earthworks TC-30 for overheads w/Jecklin disk, and a Sennheiser e902 on the port-tubed bass drum. The transient response, overall balance and detail of each drum and cymbal is very natural in frequency range and volumes, accounting for instrument position, playing velocities and tools used in each solo.
I'm still very new at this and made some simple mistakes in the process of learning the ZOOM and using it but, overall I am very happy with the way this all turned out as a recording. Hey, it gave me goose bumps in some places, and I played the stuff. I found myself listening to the master disk as someone not familiar with it all, and the variations of things happening might lead someone to think it is not being played by the same person, track to track, in some cases.
Looking for someone or a place to address the raw files, I came upon a new, small studio in Ada, Oklahoma: Lightning Ridge Studios and the work of Raft Spaner. He's just starting out there. I believe I was his 5th or 6th client. He moved to OK from CT, where he had a long career in various studios there. He has a small but, fine set-up in his busy home, with an out-building hooked up to his control room, which he is still working on.
I'm still very new at this and made some simple mistakes in the process of learning the ZOOM and using it but, overall I am very happy with the way this all turned out as a recording. Hey, it gave me goose bumps in some places, and I played the stuff. I found myself listening to the master disk as someone not familiar with it all, and the variations of things happening might lead someone to think it is not being played by the same person, track to track, in some cases.
Looking for someone or a place to address the raw files, I came upon a new, small studio in Ada, Oklahoma: Lightning Ridge Studios and the work of Raft Spaner. He's just starting out there. I believe I was his 5th or 6th client. He moved to OK from CT, where he had a long career in various studios there. He has a small but, fine set-up in his busy home, with an out-building hooked up to his control room, which he is still working on.
His services? $10.00 an hour. That is not a typo. He wants to help struggling musicians that want to record their music. I had already recorded the raw files and just needed the processing for CD duplication. It was a pleasure working with him, all things considered in my newbhood of recording existence.
Doing things in a control room and then listening in my home environment are two, very different experiences. I heard things in my home I did not hear in that control room, both good and not so good but, even the not so good were my desire for perfection when nothing I do is, so, I learn to live with things. There are lots of reality checks along the way.
The CD package was done by the DupeShop LLC, in Minneapolis, MN. They were very easy and helpful to work with.
Doing things in a control room and then listening in my home environment are two, very different experiences. I heard things in my home I did not hear in that control room, both good and not so good but, even the not so good were my desire for perfection when nothing I do is, so, I learn to live with things. There are lots of reality checks along the way.
The CD package was done by the DupeShop LLC, in Minneapolis, MN. They were very easy and helpful to work with.
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When I contacted my friend, guitarist and recording aficionado John Mayes, in W VA, about mixing and possibly mastering Concepts for Solo Drum Set 2, I certainly had no idea Concepts 3 would get done, and John would ask to take a swipe at remixing and remastering this original recording. He did and did an absolutely brilliant job of it. He was able to squeeze more energy and expansive sound into this recording than I could conceive imaginable. The 60-70 piece full drum set sings with power and details that are simply amazing to me. However good the original files are, John put some real fireworks into the overall recording. My hats off to his wonderful talents. He was easily one of the finest people I have ever worked with, in any capacity, on any kind of project. A stand up guy, with great ears for listening, both to music and people.
We made some small changes to some of the tracks. The entire album was a joy to listen to when he sent me the mastered files.
We made some small changes to some of the tracks. The entire album was a joy to listen to when he sent me the mastered files.
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These are the solos in the presentation with comments about the concepts used. Times are based on my mood in the moment, as well as the concepts employed:
The Ancient Clash - 4:25 - How would you picture, then portray, on a set of drums, two ancient armies heading into a battle and their conflict, using only rhythm? Mind pictures. I start by using a real ram's horn to set the stage, then my tam-tam to create some drama and anticipation, then some quick floor tom rolls, then into the rhythms; no fills per se'. Just snare, bd, and cymbals. Others might use almost all tom fills and cymbal crashes, especially if they were trying to portray modern battle, with modern armaments. It's all about how you imagine things and apply the drum set to display the scene, and how you purpose the concept. Choose any subject matter you feel you can recreate in some way. The audience does not have to know what you are doing, either. The concept can just be there between you and the kit.
Pick a Theme - 3:07 - The idea of using and developing a melodic theme on a drum set, to base a solo around, is as old as the Trap Set. I doubt anyone could tell the number of players that discovered and played "First Call" on their drum set, in one key or another. That's the bugle tune one hears used before horse races. Discover simple tunes to play around and/or with. In Jazz it might be called 'the head,' and the soloists come back to it, then off to another solo. It's the same idea for a drum solo.
For me, I have had three (or more) toms in front of me since I was in my late teens. 12, 13, 14; 10, 12, 13; 8, 10, 12, etc. The possibilities for simple melodies are almost endless. Add in a floor tom and it expands more but, even on a 4 pc. kit: the melodies one can create and play can be rife with ideas. Some players even get the idea across on one drum, using variations of stick or hand pressures for squeezing out the notes. Here, four toms create the basic melodic theme.
I use a melody I have played for so long it's a part of me. It changes with tuning variations. It isn't just the melody. It's the accents, as well. You can change the melody entirely by how you accent your strokes for the pitches. A close friend of mine, a classical pianist, since passed away, sat down at a piano and played eight notes simultaneously. All he did was change the finger pressure on any note or group of notes, and everything changed. It was a fascinating lesson to apply to drums.
One day, a long time ago, one of my daughters asked something akin to, "Can you come out to play on this bright and sunny day." You'll hear how that line is sectioned by the rhythm, and the theme plays out in the solo. Can you come - out to play - on this bright and - sunny day. "Sunny day" is enlarged upon with more notes in the pattern but, you'll get the idea. A simple phrase or sentence of words can be turned into the theme for a drum solo.
The great thing about simple, percussive melodic themes is how it sticks in the listener's mind. You can stop playing it and they continue to hear it. It creates a mind-loop. In some cases, regardless of the concert, people can leave a venue still humming your simple percussive tune.
Tools 1-4 - Brushes 7:27 - There are dozens of various sticks, brushes, and specialty tools available to set players today. They all offer variations of textures and sound. I play this solo with just hands and brushes, in this case Ed Thigpen models, and just play a "tune." It's a concept I use throughout the album. From there you "fill in" the solo with your percussive "lyrics." There are four different solos using different "tools" available to the set player, titled T1, T2, and T3 after this solo.
Brushes, regardless of how soft, can be played with almost as much velocity as sticks. The sound is softer, whispy but, can also attain greater decibel levels depending on where the drums are struck. Same for cymbals. In this case, I only use splashes and accent cymbals around my set.
Brushes help develop muscles and a deftness of feel because they create no rebound. I practiced with nothing but brushes for a couple years because of neighbors who did not appreciate the sound of drums. A lot of ideas and moves developed that I transferred to sticks when I could use them. So, in this particular case, the actual implement and its pressure on the drums caused me to think about various movements and fills; not rudiments or rebound.
SBH - 6:42 - Snare, Bass, Hats. From the earliest days of Trap Set drumming that was the basis for early drum solos, and actually, the hi-hat was yet to be invented. A snare and bass drum, maybe a Chinese tom-tom, with tacked on skin heads, and a small cymbal (by today's standards) made up what the set player used. When hi-hats were invented (sock cymbals), as just an apparatus for the foot, that developed into the hi-hat stand we commonly see today, and the three pieces of gear became the foundation for many great solos by artists like Papa Jo Jones and others.
You can go on YouTube and find all kinds of SBH solos. I mean, all kinds of approaches and truly fantastic solos. There is absolutely no right or wrong here. What flows, is what goes. In this case it was interesting. I had a number of takes and chose one, and when I got the first mix of it to listen to, which I did as I was driving home from the studio, I found it less than acceptable. It just lacked something. Plus, as it happened, I dropped a stick at the worst moment and I thought I'd just fade out on that track. Simple fix. That proved less than an adequate answer to my apprehension to use the solo.
I had taken down the big set, and set up my stacked plywood drums to record the second set of fills for the drum battle. I decided to re-record the SBH solo on that set and after three takes I had one I liked. Fire, fun and passion can go farther than technique much of the time.
The Ancient Clash - 4:25 - How would you picture, then portray, on a set of drums, two ancient armies heading into a battle and their conflict, using only rhythm? Mind pictures. I start by using a real ram's horn to set the stage, then my tam-tam to create some drama and anticipation, then some quick floor tom rolls, then into the rhythms; no fills per se'. Just snare, bd, and cymbals. Others might use almost all tom fills and cymbal crashes, especially if they were trying to portray modern battle, with modern armaments. It's all about how you imagine things and apply the drum set to display the scene, and how you purpose the concept. Choose any subject matter you feel you can recreate in some way. The audience does not have to know what you are doing, either. The concept can just be there between you and the kit.
Pick a Theme - 3:07 - The idea of using and developing a melodic theme on a drum set, to base a solo around, is as old as the Trap Set. I doubt anyone could tell the number of players that discovered and played "First Call" on their drum set, in one key or another. That's the bugle tune one hears used before horse races. Discover simple tunes to play around and/or with. In Jazz it might be called 'the head,' and the soloists come back to it, then off to another solo. It's the same idea for a drum solo.
For me, I have had three (or more) toms in front of me since I was in my late teens. 12, 13, 14; 10, 12, 13; 8, 10, 12, etc. The possibilities for simple melodies are almost endless. Add in a floor tom and it expands more but, even on a 4 pc. kit: the melodies one can create and play can be rife with ideas. Some players even get the idea across on one drum, using variations of stick or hand pressures for squeezing out the notes. Here, four toms create the basic melodic theme.
I use a melody I have played for so long it's a part of me. It changes with tuning variations. It isn't just the melody. It's the accents, as well. You can change the melody entirely by how you accent your strokes for the pitches. A close friend of mine, a classical pianist, since passed away, sat down at a piano and played eight notes simultaneously. All he did was change the finger pressure on any note or group of notes, and everything changed. It was a fascinating lesson to apply to drums.
One day, a long time ago, one of my daughters asked something akin to, "Can you come out to play on this bright and sunny day." You'll hear how that line is sectioned by the rhythm, and the theme plays out in the solo. Can you come - out to play - on this bright and - sunny day. "Sunny day" is enlarged upon with more notes in the pattern but, you'll get the idea. A simple phrase or sentence of words can be turned into the theme for a drum solo.
The great thing about simple, percussive melodic themes is how it sticks in the listener's mind. You can stop playing it and they continue to hear it. It creates a mind-loop. In some cases, regardless of the concert, people can leave a venue still humming your simple percussive tune.
Tools 1-4 - Brushes 7:27 - There are dozens of various sticks, brushes, and specialty tools available to set players today. They all offer variations of textures and sound. I play this solo with just hands and brushes, in this case Ed Thigpen models, and just play a "tune." It's a concept I use throughout the album. From there you "fill in" the solo with your percussive "lyrics." There are four different solos using different "tools" available to the set player, titled T1, T2, and T3 after this solo.
Brushes, regardless of how soft, can be played with almost as much velocity as sticks. The sound is softer, whispy but, can also attain greater decibel levels depending on where the drums are struck. Same for cymbals. In this case, I only use splashes and accent cymbals around my set.
Brushes help develop muscles and a deftness of feel because they create no rebound. I practiced with nothing but brushes for a couple years because of neighbors who did not appreciate the sound of drums. A lot of ideas and moves developed that I transferred to sticks when I could use them. So, in this particular case, the actual implement and its pressure on the drums caused me to think about various movements and fills; not rudiments or rebound.
SBH - 6:42 - Snare, Bass, Hats. From the earliest days of Trap Set drumming that was the basis for early drum solos, and actually, the hi-hat was yet to be invented. A snare and bass drum, maybe a Chinese tom-tom, with tacked on skin heads, and a small cymbal (by today's standards) made up what the set player used. When hi-hats were invented (sock cymbals), as just an apparatus for the foot, that developed into the hi-hat stand we commonly see today, and the three pieces of gear became the foundation for many great solos by artists like Papa Jo Jones and others.
You can go on YouTube and find all kinds of SBH solos. I mean, all kinds of approaches and truly fantastic solos. There is absolutely no right or wrong here. What flows, is what goes. In this case it was interesting. I had a number of takes and chose one, and when I got the first mix of it to listen to, which I did as I was driving home from the studio, I found it less than acceptable. It just lacked something. Plus, as it happened, I dropped a stick at the worst moment and I thought I'd just fade out on that track. Simple fix. That proved less than an adequate answer to my apprehension to use the solo.
I had taken down the big set, and set up my stacked plywood drums to record the second set of fills for the drum battle. I decided to re-record the SBH solo on that set and after three takes I had one I liked. Fire, fun and passion can go farther than technique much of the time.
Simplicity in motion, complexity in motion, drama in motion, rhythm, obviously in motion, all go into an SBH solo. Players down through the century have played these. Jazz, Rock, Fusion, even Metal players get into them. Anybody, literally, can create a cool SBH solo for an audience. It is the easiest thing for them to relate to and follow along with, even if you get complex with sticking patterns. Just let it flow. Nate Smith is amazing at it.
In this case I went beyond the three elements and spiced things up with a set of cable hats and some accent voices, as well. I'm not always a "purist."
In this case I went beyond the three elements and spiced things up with a set of cable hats and some accent voices, as well. I'm not always a "purist."
Tension/Release - 5:53 - I mention in the CD liner notes, "self-explanatory." Just play notes on a cymbal for a few measures or more, up to you. The metal rings and sustains, cascading away. Listener tension is created, even impatience. Then, the 'burst;' what I also call this type of solo. Your burst can be very controlled and structured, or just a melee of mass movement and pandemonium. Up to you. You can employ any parts of the set for the tension, as well. Here, I chose open cymbals.
This can be a tricky solo to play. You can put yourself in a real fix, playing so slow, a single note, thinking, planning, pulsating, than having to burst and move quickly all over the place to create the release. The player can be caught up in the tension, theirself, and flub the burst but, it's an interesting approach to listen to when you play it. An audience figures out what is coming pretty quick and they anticipate something big each time. You can actually draw an audience to the edge of their seat with this type of solo. They'll be leaning forward, getting into the concept. They'll be thinking, "What's next?"
T2 (Flix Sticks) - 3:36 - This is the next "tool" solo, using Flix sticks, a type of stiff nylon bristle, heavy brush/stick, in drop and sound. In my case, I put some electrical tape towards the end of the bristles to make the impact that much tighter and stronger. Just holding a different type of implement can change the way you approach the set. The impact of stick tip on a drum head can be a universe away from something lighter and softer and what it can conjure up in your mind as you play.
Again, a melodic line develops over the constant of the softer bass drum beaters (covered with hair scrunchies), and I go from there.
The Cardboard Kit - 4:41 - That's what I began on. My parents saw my interest that famous February Sunday evening, when the Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan Show, in 1964. I ran into the kitchen for coffee cans and pencils, and went back into the living room and began tapping away. It wasn't the guitars or the singing. It was Ringo and his drumming that grabbed my interest and excitement. My parents tried to get me into guitar but, from that February to Christmas, it was obvious drums were going to be my thing.
This can be a tricky solo to play. You can put yourself in a real fix, playing so slow, a single note, thinking, planning, pulsating, than having to burst and move quickly all over the place to create the release. The player can be caught up in the tension, theirself, and flub the burst but, it's an interesting approach to listen to when you play it. An audience figures out what is coming pretty quick and they anticipate something big each time. You can actually draw an audience to the edge of their seat with this type of solo. They'll be leaning forward, getting into the concept. They'll be thinking, "What's next?"
T2 (Flix Sticks) - 3:36 - This is the next "tool" solo, using Flix sticks, a type of stiff nylon bristle, heavy brush/stick, in drop and sound. In my case, I put some electrical tape towards the end of the bristles to make the impact that much tighter and stronger. Just holding a different type of implement can change the way you approach the set. The impact of stick tip on a drum head can be a universe away from something lighter and softer and what it can conjure up in your mind as you play.
Again, a melodic line develops over the constant of the softer bass drum beaters (covered with hair scrunchies), and I go from there.
The Cardboard Kit - 4:41 - That's what I began on. My parents saw my interest that famous February Sunday evening, when the Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan Show, in 1964. I ran into the kitchen for coffee cans and pencils, and went back into the living room and began tapping away. It wasn't the guitars or the singing. It was Ringo and his drumming that grabbed my interest and excitement. My parents tried to get me into guitar but, from that February to Christmas, it was obvious drums were going to be my thing.
By the tree that morning was a 3 pc. drum kit. Just a compressed paper/cardboard-type drum shell, with plastic parts, a shiny, blue foil on them, and I was in happyland at 9 years old, my tenth birthday just days away. Snare, bass drum, and a tom, with a pie plate-sounding cymbal. I played along to songs on the radio. When the snare wires snapped and fell off, I used comic books to create some rattle. I tore up more comic books than documents in a politician's paper shredder.
At 12, it was on to my first real set, a Ludwig, Pink Champagne, Jazz kit.
BTW, having made drums from Sona tubes (concrete form tubes), you'd be surprised how decent they sound. Compressed paper. Go figure.
Yes, I have used large drum sets since I got into Ginger Baker and Cream as a young player in the latter 60's. That doesn't mean you need a huge set of drums to create interesting solos. Players using 4 pc. kits have been doing it for 100 years. In this solo I stick with just the basic elements - snare, bass drum, a tom, two crashes and hats. I could have done it with just a ride cymbal, or just hi-hats. Minimalism does not necessarily mean boredom. The same principles apply as for the mega set. Rhythmic/melodic statements juxtaposed to create things a listener can grab on to are what you go for. It's about passion, not super-technique, per se, regardless of all the 'chops' you throw in.
On Safari - 5:52 - That's what it sounded like to me when I listened back to it. I turned off the snares and meant to play something at just a medium tempo throughout. A simple, rhythmic melody is there, again, to play around, and actually, an earlier take used more of it than this one but, what do you hear when I veer away from that actual melodic statement using toms, and go to cymbals? You hear the toms in your head. That's the mind-loop I mentioned earlier.
The snare drum is like the spinal column of a drum set. Everything is hooked to it. Turn off the snurs, the snars, as they were once called; those ancient words used for dried strands of gut that snare drums employed centuries ago, and the entire set can change character and personality.
Just a lazy tempo can create a great template to play around with, too. It does not have to be fireworks all the time. Trust me. That gets old, very fast for an audience. Know anyone that talks very fast? Get annoyed with it, at times? Ever heard those advertisement announcers that can rattle off sentences at lightning speeds? I rest my case. How about an auctioneer? Would you want to listen to someone talk like that incessantly? Same for a drum solo. It need not be an athletic, endurance contest - playing as fast as you can until you just burn out. It's percussive music, not the drum solo Olympics.
T3 (Rods) - 2:04 - Rods are between brushes and sticks, made up of various size wooden dowels. In this case, making my own, I use 1/16" dowels, around a dozen or more, grouped together. I love playing with those things. They are simple to make (and I am a diehard DIYer), and really fun to use. Everything is lighter but, you can smack things when you want to. The tool actually dictates the solo because weight in your hands causes you to think in different ways, and sound does the same. The changes create different approaches. It's like using different brushes for painting. You'll also notice a little extra sizzle as I step on both h-h pedals at once.
At 12, it was on to my first real set, a Ludwig, Pink Champagne, Jazz kit.
BTW, having made drums from Sona tubes (concrete form tubes), you'd be surprised how decent they sound. Compressed paper. Go figure.
Yes, I have used large drum sets since I got into Ginger Baker and Cream as a young player in the latter 60's. That doesn't mean you need a huge set of drums to create interesting solos. Players using 4 pc. kits have been doing it for 100 years. In this solo I stick with just the basic elements - snare, bass drum, a tom, two crashes and hats. I could have done it with just a ride cymbal, or just hi-hats. Minimalism does not necessarily mean boredom. The same principles apply as for the mega set. Rhythmic/melodic statements juxtaposed to create things a listener can grab on to are what you go for. It's about passion, not super-technique, per se, regardless of all the 'chops' you throw in.
On Safari - 5:52 - That's what it sounded like to me when I listened back to it. I turned off the snares and meant to play something at just a medium tempo throughout. A simple, rhythmic melody is there, again, to play around, and actually, an earlier take used more of it than this one but, what do you hear when I veer away from that actual melodic statement using toms, and go to cymbals? You hear the toms in your head. That's the mind-loop I mentioned earlier.
The snare drum is like the spinal column of a drum set. Everything is hooked to it. Turn off the snurs, the snars, as they were once called; those ancient words used for dried strands of gut that snare drums employed centuries ago, and the entire set can change character and personality.
Just a lazy tempo can create a great template to play around with, too. It does not have to be fireworks all the time. Trust me. That gets old, very fast for an audience. Know anyone that talks very fast? Get annoyed with it, at times? Ever heard those advertisement announcers that can rattle off sentences at lightning speeds? I rest my case. How about an auctioneer? Would you want to listen to someone talk like that incessantly? Same for a drum solo. It need not be an athletic, endurance contest - playing as fast as you can until you just burn out. It's percussive music, not the drum solo Olympics.
T3 (Rods) - 2:04 - Rods are between brushes and sticks, made up of various size wooden dowels. In this case, making my own, I use 1/16" dowels, around a dozen or more, grouped together. I love playing with those things. They are simple to make (and I am a diehard DIYer), and really fun to use. Everything is lighter but, you can smack things when you want to. The tool actually dictates the solo because weight in your hands causes you to think in different ways, and sound does the same. The changes create different approaches. It's like using different brushes for painting. You'll also notice a little extra sizzle as I step on both h-h pedals at once.
The Mouse, the Snake, the Eagle - 8:19 - Storytelling on the drums. Can you tell a story with different scenes, on the drums? Of course you can. Your own imagination is all you need, and a little bit from your audience. You can tell nature stories, like this one, or other subject matter. In essence, you imagine what parts of the set most amply describe your subjects. It can be animals, weather patterns, other elements of nature, historical events, or any kind of human contact. I remember one player who recorded a solo drum album, and a track that tried to portray the birth of a baby. Very unique, to say the least. How would you play a baby moving through the birth canal, fighting for that first breath, and freedom from its watery encapsulation, on a set of drums?
You see, the concept is clear. How you pull it off is up to you. It isn't about rudiments, per se.' It's about imagination. Think Prokofiev's, "Peter and the Wolf," the orchestral fairy tale.
Here, I hope I have put things together to tell the story, vividly. I know Raft, my studio engineer, heard it all unfold. He is not a drummer. He plays guitar. He could hear the elements of the story. It's a great way to perform a solo because it can free you from the whole play-fast-rudiments-around-the-set-stigma drum solos get crunched into.
The mouse happily scurries around. The snake catches the scent and closes in. The mouse freaks out. The Eagle watches the scene. Then, it's on, every animal for itself.
You see, the concept is clear. How you pull it off is up to you. It isn't about rudiments, per se.' It's about imagination. Think Prokofiev's, "Peter and the Wolf," the orchestral fairy tale.
Here, I hope I have put things together to tell the story, vividly. I know Raft, my studio engineer, heard it all unfold. He is not a drummer. He plays guitar. He could hear the elements of the story. It's a great way to perform a solo because it can free you from the whole play-fast-rudiments-around-the-set-stigma drum solos get crunched into.
The mouse happily scurries around. The snake catches the scent and closes in. The mouse freaks out. The Eagle watches the scene. Then, it's on, every animal for itself.
Thanks Max, Thanks Tony - 6:52 - Back in the 90's I had my first real exposure to Max Roach and Tony Williams. Yes, I had the Buddy Rich, Max Roach album as a kid. Jazz was totally over my head, though. In many ways, it still is! I just used to drop the needle on the solos. And I also had Williams' Lifetime Fusion albums in the 70's. I could not relate to Allan Holdsworth's guitar stylings then. That said, 'Fred' is one of the greatest Fusion pieces in music history, and I have come to appreciate Holdsworth's work so much more. He was a genius. Everything on those Lifetime albums is incredible. I just had other musical loves I gravitated to.
In the 90's, selling some drum stuff, a couple guys came over to purchase some cymbals I was selling. They asked me to play for them, and we talked for awhile. We talked drums and drummers. I mentioned I would like to hear someone different. One guy said he had just the player. He came back and brought with him some Tony Williams recordings and a video. It was like I never heard the man before. This was some of his quintet music.
Doing some research, the connection between Max and Tony was so obvious to see and hear. And it has always been that way, one generation inspiring things in the next. It caused me to look into the playing of Max Roach more, as well as Williams.
One day I sat down and just came up with this solo. In many ways it represents, not just how they each influenced my own thinking and playing but, a tribute to these giants of drum set artistry.
In the 90's, selling some drum stuff, a couple guys came over to purchase some cymbals I was selling. They asked me to play for them, and we talked for awhile. We talked drums and drummers. I mentioned I would like to hear someone different. One guy said he had just the player. He came back and brought with him some Tony Williams recordings and a video. It was like I never heard the man before. This was some of his quintet music.
Doing some research, the connection between Max and Tony was so obvious to see and hear. And it has always been that way, one generation inspiring things in the next. It caused me to look into the playing of Max Roach more, as well as Williams.
One day I sat down and just came up with this solo. In many ways it represents, not just how they each influenced my own thinking and playing but, a tribute to these giants of drum set artistry.
We all have influences. That is natural. The path is to grow and find your own 'voice' and put all that influential playing into your own stylings and expression. We need not keep these influences at a distance. You can't. You shouldn't keep copying, which we do as young players starting out, taking what we see and hear in others we like and admire. We do it as adults, too. Like a huge influence of mine, Carl Palmer, once said, "Drummers are great thieves."
We do grow past that and use what make us, us, to state those things in our own way. The influential players lay the foundation. We build on it. That's the history of any musical instrument and its popularity.
I employ another melodic approach here, and work around it. It never fails. You will never be, "Oh, he's just the drummer," when people hear you as a real musician, which the drum set artist most certainly is.
We do grow past that and use what make us, us, to state those things in our own way. The influential players lay the foundation. We build on it. That's the history of any musical instrument and its popularity.
I employ another melodic approach here, and work around it. It never fails. You will never be, "Oh, he's just the drummer," when people hear you as a real musician, which the drum set artist most certainly is.
T4 (Mallets) - 3:11 - Man, I love playing with mallets. I make my own; different densities and all. That soft but, punchy sound. The swell of the bronze. It's all gold, to me. Mallets have a different rebound to them. They really bounce. Want to create a herd of buffalo or gentle stream? Mallets.
Another melodic/rhythmic pattern emerges and gets used as a template to perform around. I'm telling you; an audience will always get into a percussive melody. This one can really get people into it, with the feel of it all.
The Battle with Self - 5:19 - I did this once, back in the 90's, when someone loaned me a four-track cassette recorder. The classic drum battle but, with yourself. Can you outplay the other guy? How? It's you! And yet, the energy builds into an explosion of sound.
This was something meant to be fun and to close out the album. It was the biggest challenge I ever faced behind a drum set. If you have read any of my Recording Blog entries, you know some of what I went through.
The battle with self. All told, easily 80 takes, a few dozen broken sticks, frustration and mental fatigue, craziness and physical emptiness I never experienced before. Drained, I was. Exhausted. The battle with self! It was as if God had some other things to teach me with that title. I thought I'd have a breakdown trying to pull it off. I never did get a 100% pleasing performance for it, from my point of view. I just ran out of energy and time. That is literally true. In two weeks I felt like I was not the same man I was when I started the track. I came unglued so many times, it's embarrassing. How!?!? could I not play for two and a half minutes?!?! What was going on?! It was insane. Normally, I don't take myself so seriously but, this was something that became a Mt. Everest.
I went with performances that got as close as possible to what I wanted, and when I heard it all back, I have to say, it goes way beyond fun. It's an intense listening experience. That's why I love drum battles. The energy levels are atomic. This is not about melody. This is about bombast.
Two different kits used. #1 is that which I used throughout the recording. Mostly Maple shells, w/maple hoops, w/single-ply, clear heads. #2 is my experimental, stacked plywood-ring drums, w/single-ply, clear heads. Some size differences and tuning differences, as well as reversing the pan of drum set 2, make for a pretty fun listen.
Another melodic/rhythmic pattern emerges and gets used as a template to perform around. I'm telling you; an audience will always get into a percussive melody. This one can really get people into it, with the feel of it all.
The Battle with Self - 5:19 - I did this once, back in the 90's, when someone loaned me a four-track cassette recorder. The classic drum battle but, with yourself. Can you outplay the other guy? How? It's you! And yet, the energy builds into an explosion of sound.
This was something meant to be fun and to close out the album. It was the biggest challenge I ever faced behind a drum set. If you have read any of my Recording Blog entries, you know some of what I went through.
The battle with self. All told, easily 80 takes, a few dozen broken sticks, frustration and mental fatigue, craziness and physical emptiness I never experienced before. Drained, I was. Exhausted. The battle with self! It was as if God had some other things to teach me with that title. I thought I'd have a breakdown trying to pull it off. I never did get a 100% pleasing performance for it, from my point of view. I just ran out of energy and time. That is literally true. In two weeks I felt like I was not the same man I was when I started the track. I came unglued so many times, it's embarrassing. How!?!? could I not play for two and a half minutes?!?! What was going on?! It was insane. Normally, I don't take myself so seriously but, this was something that became a Mt. Everest.
I went with performances that got as close as possible to what I wanted, and when I heard it all back, I have to say, it goes way beyond fun. It's an intense listening experience. That's why I love drum battles. The energy levels are atomic. This is not about melody. This is about bombast.
Two different kits used. #1 is that which I used throughout the recording. Mostly Maple shells, w/maple hoops, w/single-ply, clear heads. #2 is my experimental, stacked plywood-ring drums, w/single-ply, clear heads. Some size differences and tuning differences, as well as reversing the pan of drum set 2, make for a pretty fun listen.
To finish off, I decided to bring in a little nostalgia and something extra to fill out the remaining space on the disk and also included 'The Iron Horse' solo (3:30) from the Legend album, From the Fjords. That goes back to the 1978 studio time and 1979 release. This is taken from the reissue, released in 2019. I've gotten a lot of nice comments about that solo over the years. I pretty much planned it out ahead of time, time being money in the studio. Thinking about the beginning, middle and end concept, the big finish, which is a fairly logical and common soloing-thing, I managed to pull off the solo in one take. Don't even ask me how, compared to recent projects I've been into. Must be age.
UPDATE - Owing to some clipping I noticed in the solo, which is on the reissue itself, which John also heard, he searched for another source to use. While I have an original album, John isn't set up to utilize that. He did find an alternate source: a very good post of Fjords on YouTube of the entire album. He took that and enhanced it and re-edited the track for use, and it came out really nice. I was duly surprised and amazed.
Doing this project has been an important part of my life with drum set artistry. Others have done drums-only albums, as I said, and while I claim no fame or heightened position in the world of drums, like I state in the liner notes, "Everyone has a 'voice.' Find it and 'sing.' "
Ultimately, I might hope this kind of recording will no longer be a rarity. I'd love to see players all over the globe make drums-only recordings. For those who love the sound, the personality and character of the instruments, this is for you.
And there it is. Concepts for Solo Drum Set.
Would you like one?
***Well... here's the gig. Good ol' Uncle Sam has a number of financial requirements I'd have to come up with just to sell some CDs, which would be more than I care to invest so... If you'd like one, send me a message (Contact page) and an address and I'll send one to you, and when they're gone, they're gone. ***
Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the performances - Ray
Ultimately, I might hope this kind of recording will no longer be a rarity. I'd love to see players all over the globe make drums-only recordings. For those who love the sound, the personality and character of the instruments, this is for you.
And there it is. Concepts for Solo Drum Set.
Would you like one?
***Well... here's the gig. Good ol' Uncle Sam has a number of financial requirements I'd have to come up with just to sell some CDs, which would be more than I care to invest so... If you'd like one, send me a message (Contact page) and an address and I'll send one to you, and when they're gone, they're gone. ***
Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the performances - Ray
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