DRUM! Groove Issue Preview, April 2010

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SECRETS OF THE MOST MYSTERIOUS AND ELUSIVE DRUMMING CONCEPT

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WITH TIPS FROMRINGO STARRBRIAN FRASIER-MOORETONY BRAUNAGEL

KEITH CARLOCK & FREDDIE WASHINGTONHOW RHYTHM SECTIONS GROOVE TOGETHER

ESSENTIAL GROOVES EVERY DRUMMER MUST KNOW

GREATEST GROOVE DRUMMERS OF ALL TIME

SPECIALI S S U E !

NO PAPER CUTS.www.drummagazine.com

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drummagazine.com April 2010 DRUM! 43

erhaps the best way to define “groove” is what it’s not. Groove is not controlled metric

modulation blow-ing over the bar line

(though that could groove). Nor is it the world’s most perfect drum machine beat carefully placed on the grid, no matter how acoustically resonant or rhythmically correct. Groove players often have tons of technique, but that’s not the main thing on their mind or what’s ema-nating from their gut. A groove is something you feel deep inside your being, which produces an irresist-ible demand to move!

The greatest grooves — think James Brown’s “Cold Sweat,” Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” The Meters’ “Cissy Strut” — address every pos-sible permutation of tempo, meter, inflection, dynamics, and note con-tent, but at their core they make the Earth move under your feet.

The greatest groove masters have come from all walks of the musical world, be it the swinging Philly Joe Jones, the wailing Gene

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Krupa, the delicate Manu Katché or the volcanic Alex Van Halen. But in choosing the drummers throughout recorded history who most consistently laid down fat foundations that made their bandmates sound even better, the final list was actually rather small. Who are these men of the sticking/drumming cloth who year after year made millions dance and move? What are the ingredients that made their sound so special? What’s their lasting impact and considerable worth?

Our advice to you is, read on.

Kenny Aronoff We’re talking slam, strength, and the ultimate backbeat. Kenny Aronoff ’s mammoth groove is more ubiquitous than many realize. The chrome-domed drumming beast

is regularly called upon to replace tracks where the original drummer couldn’t cut the major-label mustard. Springing to stardom (in drummer’s terms) as a member of John Cougar Mellen-camp’s band, Aronoff became a first-call studio drummer whenever a beat needed to connect to the head and the heart, and take out the gut as well. Not only is Aronoff a terrific slammer, he knows how to dish it out in the proper quantity. Aronoff understands the art of beat placement, typically laying it dead

center and in your skull. A sampling of Aronoff ’s 2009 discography shows his serious (and diverse) skills: Rob Thomas’ Cradlesong, John Fogerty’s The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, Stryper’s Murder By Pride, and Les Paul & Friends’ A Tribute To A Legend.

Hal Blaine Perhaps the original session drummer (after Earl Palmer), Hal Blaine invented the modern pop-drumming language. As a member of the L.A. session unit The Wrecking Crew, Blaine laid the foundation for some of the seminal songs of ’60s and ’70s AM radio, including tracks by Elvis Presley, The Carpenters, The Beach Boys, The 5th Dimension, The Supremes, The Byrds, and many more. Blaine’s truly massive, resonant, and original beats seemed to draw their power from the Earth itself. His rhythms drove the radio rock of Phil Spector in the ’50s and ’60s, created atmo-spheric, textural drumming poetry with Simon & Gar-funkel, performed big band craft with Frank Sinatra, and simple folk-pop beats with Neil Diamond, The Byrds, and The Mamas & The Papas. Blaine exemplifies the ability to create the perfect drum part, regardless of style, difficulty, or era. Quintessential Blaine moment: The deep tom fills of The Carpenters’ “Close To You.”

Matt Chamberlain In an era when you’re just as likely to hear a drum ma-chine program as a flesh and blood drummer, Matt Chamberlain has successfully navigated both worlds. By creating a singular groove that has no real sonic sig-nature, Chamberlain became the first-call L.A. session drummer (sorry, Josh Freese). The diverse artists he has recorded with mirror his enormous ability to fit into any situation. Majorly pliable, Chamberlain’s skills (both physically delivered and occasionally programmed) have appeared on more than 200 albums, including those by Fiona Apple, The Wallflowers, Stevie Nicks, Dave Navar-

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ro, Master Musicians Of Jajouka, Garbage, David Bowie, Keith Urban, William Shatner, Shakira, Sean Lennon, Sarah McLaughlin, and Dido. And while pulling in the big superstar bucks, Chamberlain has also found time to play small-time projects, including his own solo album (which he described as “an imaginary soundtrack to an Asian-Western-sci-fi-horror movie”), as well as the bands Thruster, Critters Buggin’, and Weapon Of Choice. Tori Amos has called Chamberlain “the human loop.”

Steve Gadd For drummers, there is B.G. and A.G.: Before Gadd and After Gadd. To hear this Rochester, New York–born drummer play in the mid-’70s was to have your

drumming consciousness altered forever. Gadd played with such a deep level of orchestral detail while adher-ing exactly to the song form, and with such stunning creativity, that it shocked the senses. Of course, Gadd is a technical master, but on such epic groove tracks as “Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover” (Paul Simon), “High Heeled Sneakers” (Chuck Mangione), “Lenore” (Chick Corea), and “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (Leo Sayer), he com-bined finesse, power, and remark-able originality into an undeniable groove. Gadd disguised one of his big-time weapons, the nine-stroke roll, by flipping it between hi-hat and snare drum while his bass drum nailed the 1. Trademark! A rudimental whiz influenced by Tony Williams and Elvin Jones, Gadd is grooving harder than ever these days, slapping his skins for Eric Clapton, Joss Stone, James Taylor, and others.

Jim Gordon Before the unfortunate circum-stances that led to his imprison-ment in 1983, Jim Gordon was the busiest session drummer alive.

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His legacy in rock, folk, and even hip-hop remains un-matched. Apprenticing with his hero Hal Blaine on the L.A. session circuit, Gordon brought elements of big band, jazz, and pop drumming to bear on a wide range of artists, including Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Traffic, John Lennon, George Harrison, and the Incredible Bongo Band. The intro from the latter group’s “Apache” became one of the foundational samples of hip-hop. Gordon’s extremely musical approach had him often playing complementary melodies on his toms and cym-bals while kicking a deep pocket. Streamlined groove was a trademark well expressed on Derek & The Domi-noes’ Layla And Other Love Songs, and his lone solo LP, Hogfat (one side L.A. jazz, one side rock/pop stylings). Gordon could drive a band with intense sixteenth-notes on his ride cymbal, or punch flowing tom fills from his Camco kit, as on Layla’s “Keep On Growing.”

Roger Hawkins As part of the storied Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Alabama, Roger Hawkins drummed on dozens of hits, including Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome,” Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll,” and Eric Clapton’s “I’ve Got A Rock N’ Roll Heart.” Loose and funky, syncopated and behind the beat, Hawkins’ iconic groove sounds like the Old South. He’s never in a hurry, and his time feel is similarly relaxed, as are his clang-ing bell-centric ride patterns and slipping sliding bass-and-snare-drum communiqués. Hawkins can also im-personate other drummers with flair. Are those Pretty Purdie’s shuffling rim-clicks on The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There?” Hawkins on the case. Hal Blaine tub thump-ing on Wilson Pickett’s “Land of 1,000 Dances?” Hawkins again. A foursquare drum-mer who covers all the bases, Hawkins just feels good.

Gerald Heyward Effortless groove. Enormous feel. Solid chops. Risk-taking skills. Gerald Heyward has it all, as he’s shown on stage

with Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, and Chris Brown. His snare slap is truly inspirational — no wonder, as he grew up playing drums in the church. Heyward can also give his hi-hat a workout, dropping serious Stewart Copeland–styled wizardry while steam-rolling through full-set bombs as needed to raise the roof and uplift the spirit. Unfortunately for Heyward, and for us, his best work is unrecorded, as the top-sell-ing R&B artists he works with prefer Pro Tools rhythms to the real thing.

Al Jackson Jr. Like Hal Blaine and Roger Hawkins, Al Jackson Jr. was part of a regional powerhouse recording scene — Stax Records in Memphis. Often called the “human timekeeper,” Jackson had a very measured, powerful backbeat that produced an extraordinary amount of rhythmic energy. Jackson’s drumming found perfect expression in the tight R&B of his main gig, Booker T. & The MGs on hits like “Green Onions.” With MGs’ Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper, Jackson recorded super soul Stax tracks for Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd,

Wilson Pickett, and many more. But Jackson’s great-est recordings are the Willie Mitchell–produced hits of soul vocalist Al Green. On “Let’s Stay Together,” “Tired Of Being Alone,” and “I’m Still in Love With You” Jackson’s drum-ming is simply transcendent: rich, round, energetic, kinetic, grooving beyond belief. Almost anyone can play the notes of these historic singles, but only Jackson could fill them with such life and power.

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1. Not Listening. Ears are the most important thing. Bottom line. You have to listen to everybody. I listen to the bass player put it here. I listen to the leader who’s singing and playing rhythm guitar put it there. And I listen to the keyboard player, and I’m going, “Which one do I go with?” And I think, “The one that’s playing the song.”

2. Overplaying. When we’re young we have a lot of energy and hormones going on, so we want to make people look at us. But when you play a fill, it’s really part of an overall musical conversation. It should either make what’s going on at the time sound better and complement it, or thrust it forward, or mark it in time a certain way, or punctuate it. It’s almost like you say with your drums when you play a fill, Alright, we’re going to the chorus right now. Boom! And when you do put those exciting fills in, you’d better be going to an exciting place.

3. Poor Volume Control. A lot of drummers slow down when they get quiet and speed up when it gets louder. Bad move. But I didn’t have great technique from the beginning. I’m a street guy. I got out there and started playing. And then later on I realized, “Whoa, I need to get my hands together.” When I began practicing more, I became better in the studio. I could play more precisely with a better sound on every drum I hit. I could play just as loud if I wanted to, but I also had much more control. And I was able to play quieter because my hands were more articulate. All these things give you confidence so that you don’t need to show everyone what you’ve got all the time, and you don’t overplay as much.

4. Not Manipulating The Beat. When it comes to playing in time, it’s always the drummer’s job to keep the train on the tracks. There are certain bands I play in where I feel like I’m driving a Cadillac. And then there are some bands I’ve played in where it’s like I’m on a three-legged horse. When that happens, I just have to shut it out and lay down something really strong,

almost like a click track, metronomically, and then let everyone fall in.

There are times with the Robert Cray Band — maybe it’s the fourth night in a row, we’re a little tired, and the hall’s got a kind of reverb that pushes things back a little bit — when everybody’s feeling it on the backside. I’m feeling it with them. And I’m going to go back there because that’s the mature thing to do as a musician — not be a tempo Nazi where it must be 122 bpm every night.

Now, if I think it’s getting a little lazy, I’ll occasionally leave the backbeat part of it, where everybody else is comfortable swinging around it, and I won’t change the bass drum that much. I’ll probably keep the bass drum more toward the middle of the groove, but I might put the right hand a little on top. So you start to use that manipulation, and then you can hold the excitement in it a little bit when it feels like the groove’s laying back a little too much.

5. Not Doing Homework. Obviously, getting in over your head is a great way to learn a lot really fast. But it’s vital that when you do get called to do a gig that’s not your style, you should feel responsible about boning up on what the music’s all about. It’s respectable to put your own touch on it, but when I was teaching, I would always try to get kids to authenticate the feel and groove of a particular style.

When I got hired by Rickie Lee Jones back in 1981 or ’82, I had to go to Steve Gadd school right away. I was already a huge Steve Gadd fan, but I had to sit down and authenticate what Gadd was playing — as well as I could play like Steve Gadd, or she wasn’t going to be happy — and then make it my own.

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Groove KillersF IVE WaYS tO RUIN YOUR FEEL


Jim Keltner Is Jim Keltner a jazz drummer? A rock drummer? A coun-try rock-cum-big-band drummer? It’s hard to know as Keltner is impossible to categorize — he’s seemingly played it all. Perhaps the most resourceful drummer alive, Keltner typically finds the most unusual, and the most musical so-lution to any drumming question. His rustic grooves rattle, buzz, vibrate, and hum, often produced from a variety of sticks and stick-like instruments. Keltner’s mid-’70s work with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Harry Nilsson, Joe Cocker, and Steely Dan produced milestones like the Dan’s “Josie” and Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (during the recording of which Keltner cried). But his recent work is even more striking. The Traveling Wilburys, Los Lobos, and even Money Mark provided the perfect release for Keltner’s cool creativity, which includes never hitting the obvious beat when his innate, oversized talent could pro-duce something infinitely better.

Zigaboo ModelisteAt first listen, Zigaboo Modeliste’s drumming with The Meters sounds wrong. Deranged. Damaged. Like some fool dropped a screwdriver in the tape machine. Mod-

eliste’s second-line New Orleans rhythms herk and jerk, breathe and kick, ad-dressing parts of the groove that no one knew ex-isted until he found them. Whether leaning forward or back in his extremely deep and wily pocket, Modeliste, in conjunction with The Meters’ outra-geous soul/funk, places the beat like no one before or since. “Cissy Strut” finds him slicing the hi-hat like it owes him money one sec-ond, splashing it silly the next, kicking the bass drum in jumbled-up bombs and popping his snare like a night sprite. Zigaboo’s beats simply dance and

jump like crazy, and have been sampled by Run DMC, Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, Digable Planets, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, and many others. Quintes-sential Zigaboo: The broken-up, totally syncopated, practically hilarious groove machinations of The Me-ters’ “Look-Ka Py Py.”

Andy Newmark Andy Newmark’s hard-hit-ting grooves fueled such ’70s hits as John Lennon’s “(Just Like) Starting Over,” Carly Simon’s “Anticipation,” and David Bowie’s “Young Ameri-cans,” as well as lesser known records from organist Neil Larsen (Jungle Fever), ABC (Beauty Stab), and Roxy Mu-sic (Avalon). Oh, and don’t forget the recording that branded Newmark as a new groove genius — “In Time,” from Sly & the Family Stone’s Fresh. The ingredients of Newmark’s innovative style: airy, delicate hi-hat accents; snare hits that drove the music with sweaty intent; subtle bass drum patterns; and a flowing groove conception that turned straight tracks into funk-fired rhythm magic. This was never more evi-dent than on Neil Larsen’s Jungle Fever. Playing pungent Latin rhythms in a band that included bassist Willie Weeks and tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, Newmark smacked his kit with a beautiful, behind-the-beat gravi-tas that’s both deep as a volcano and light as a butterfly.

Jeff Porcaro Jeff Porcaro was a team player first, a session drum-mer second. Making his name with L.A. rockers Toto, he was soon in demand for his ability to not only groove, but also to turn practically any session into

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a hit. Porcaro’s stellar creativity and amazing drum-ming personality can be heard all over Steely Dan’s Katy Lied and Gaucho, where (after Dan’s Becker and Fagen left the premises) he and engineer Roger Nichols spent an entire night recording and then perfecting the odd-metered title track. Like many of the greatest groove players, you could spot Porcaro’s big beat a mile away. There’s a certain indefinable lift in his best tracks, as though he gave every bit of strength and purpose to every take, song after song. The term “monster” suits him well. In an era when not many studio drum-mers were particularly hard hit-ting, Porcaro smacked his drums with a vengeance, particularly on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” Toto’s “Hold The Line,” Boz Scaggs’ “Lowdown,” and Donald Fagen’s “The Goodbye Look.” He could as easily play popping timbale fills on Scaggs’ “Love Me Tomor-row” or skanky reggae riddims in Toto’s “Somewhere Tonight.” A perfect example of Porcaro’s cre-ativity, deep groove, and serious skills? Toto’s 1982 hit “Rosanna.” The world lost one of its great

musicians on August 5, 1992 when Porcaro prema-turely passed away.

Bernard PurdieSteely Dan’s Donald Fagen once said that when recording Aja, Royal Scam, and Gaucho, while the other musicians were still figuring out the charts, Bernard Purdie already had the drum part nailed and was telling them how to

play their parts. Typically performing with an erect posture like a king sur-veying his domain, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie lent his dancing feel (the “Purdie Shuffle”) to dozens of hit recordings in the ’70s, including Aretha Franklin’s “Until You Come Back To Me,” Steely Dan’s “Home At Last,” James Brown’s “Say It Loud — I’m Black & I’m Proud,” and B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone.” Though Purdie’s effortless groove is as dominant as his personality, it’s also light, popping, and practically Caribbean. Purdie’s work on Aretha’s “Rock Steady” was nothing less than a revolution, his eighth-note snare slaps augmented with Latin bell figures and a loping feel that set the standard for drum breaks for years to come.




Ringo Starr If ever a drummer epitomized taste over technique, it’s Ringo Starr. During The Beatles’ six albums, Ringo kept pace with the ingenious songwriting team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, creating perfectly comple-mentary grooves in songs that ran the gamut from blues, Broadway, jazz, metal, and pop to Latin and country. If

anything, Ringo created the template for every session drummer that followed. A left-handed drummer playing a right-handed kit, Ringo’s style changed as The Beatles’ music progressed. He played swing triplets, twists, and bossa novas on early material, grounded avant-garde escapades on Magical Mystery Tour, punched hard rock, blues, and country on Meet The Beatles, and reached his creative zenith on Abbey Road’s “Come Together” and his lone drum solo track, “The End.” Post-Beatles, Ringo made his name as a session drummer extraordinaire be-fore settling into his role as an avuncular superstar lead-ing Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band.

Clyde Stubblefield/Jabo StarksWithout the dynamic duo of Clyde Stubblefield and Jabo Starks there would be no David Garibaldi, no Dennis Chambers, no Gerald Heyward. As the inven-tive soul rhythmatists for James Brown’s legendary mid-’60s recordings, Stubblefield and Starks put the singer’s vocal gyrations in drumming motion, following his every tic and movement, then replicating it on the kit. Practically inventing linear grooves on the classics “Cold Sweat, “Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose,” “Licking Stick–Licking Stick,” and “Funky Drummer,” the pair’s intricate grooves meshed with the other musicians’ output to create a locomotion of unparalleled propor-tions. Playing both as a team and solo behind Brown, the drummers — most likely under the singer’s direc-tion — created lockstep sixteenth-note patterns with the rhythm-section members, creating a tight, extremely fluid forward-motion groove. Stubblefield’s driving work on “Funky Drummer” resulted in one of the most sampled tracks of all time.

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part wood, one part metal, one part magic — those are the basic elements that make up a groove between a bass player and a drummer. For a more in-depth look at the musical machinations

that occur when these two cornerstone members of the rhythm section hook up,

we sat down with Steely Dan’s prime-time team of Keith Carlock and “Ready” Freddie Washington — first-call pros from opposite coasts.

Washington began his 30-year career with Herbie Hancock, making key stops with Lionel Richie, Anita Baker, Kenny Loggins, Michael Jackson, and Patrice Rushen (with whom he cowrote “Forget Me Nots”). Carlock, of course, has been the must-have stickman for everyone from Sting to James Taylor, while maintaining compelling side projects with Rudder and Wayne Krantz. The two first played together in the studio, recording Donald Fagen’s 2006 CD Morph The Cat live in two days. For the past two years they’ve been driving the Dan’s daunting 13-piece world-touring ensemble.

So what does the word “groove” mean to this potent pair? “For me, it’s knowing the song, the vocals, everything that’s going on — the big picture of what you’re hearing, and how your part fits into it,” says Carlock. “It’s the big pulse, the quarter-notes that have to be really consistent, and then everything in between — the ghost notes, accents, and nuances, and where I choose to put them a little bit ahead or behind.”

“You have the song, the bass line, and the drum beat, so first you have to decide on what tempo feels good,” Washington says. “Then you use your musical instincts to settle into your part and come together with the drums.”

And when the groove locks? “It’s a feeling I get, when I’m not intellectualizing, and it just becomes a part of my body movement,” Carlock says. “It’s effortless. You feel like you’re in a zone, like a runner who hits his stride.”

Adds Washington, “It’s all in-the-moment. For me, my body language signals that the groove is really happening. I always think in half time when I play. If I’m moving like this [sways in a halftime pulse], it’s grooving. If I’m

standing still that means I’m waiting to see where the groove settles. And once it does we make sure it stays there. We’re going down with the ship if we have to.”

With listening established as a key component, what do these two look for from each other? “Well, when I see Freddie moving I know it’s grooving,” Carlock laughs. “And I noticed Keith is playing more with his body now,” interjects Washington with a smile. “He has all the technical gifts, but he adds his body to it and it sets him apart from other drummers. Steve Gadd plays with his body too.”

“What I love about Freddie is his how consistent he is,” Carlock continues. “His feel and touch are very even. He’s not digging in as hard as some other players, and that makes the feel real smooth. So I can say, ‘Okay, I don’t have to hit as hard to match Freddie; the drums aren’t going to choke, I can let the mikes do the work.’ I mean, I’m still hitting, but I don’t have to bash through everything.”

“I listen to Keith’s kick, hi-hat, and snare, and where he’s putting it, and what the intent is of what he’s trying to do,” Washington says. “And then I try to make my part dance to where he is. There are notes that I play longer or very short to let his snare release, because it makes the music clean. There’s an art to note duration, how long you play them and where — not sustaining all the time and ringing over.”

“Those are the nuances that can make a groove really special,” Carlock says. “The notes and the parts are already dictated to a large degree, but the way that we interpret it — letting the hi-hat ring, where I cut it off, different dynamics, the way we bend the groove — is the key.” Washington adds, “I’m all about space and simplicity anyway; trying to leave air and stay out of the way so I can hear another part playing where I’m not.”

How about keeping the Dan in groove mode? “What’s interesting about Steely Dan,” Washington says, “is when you really lock in all the parts their music sounds less sophisticated than it is. If it didn’t groove it would sound like some bar band trying to pull off music that’s too hip for the room.”

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Drumskull DrumsDjembes AnD Rope-TuneD CongAs

This much is clear: Drumskull Drums, based in Santa Cruz, California, is not your average drum-and-percussion shop. The good folks at Drumskull

have been leaders in the area of retail sales and general promotion of West African drums, drumming, and dance items for more than ten years. They not only carry a wide assortment of hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind djembes, but also dununs, kenkenis, African congas, ashikos, ngomas, talking

drums, and all manner of African percussion, string instruments, and professional accessories. They also carry DVDs, CDs, and various educational materials.

In short, Drumskull is a one-stop shop for all things rhythmic from West Africa, and it wants to be your go-to source for African percussion on the Internet, as well. Fortunately, the folks at Drumskull

have wisely chosen to do this not through hype, but by providing incredibly well-made, beautiful-sounding instruments that just happen to look gorgeous as well.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDERDrumskull drums have a unique mul-ticontinental pedigree: The shells are hand-carved by master drum-shell art-ists in African countries such as Mali, Guinea, and Senegal, and then sent to the U.S. to be assembled and finished at the Drumskull shop in Santa Cruz. By the

LIST PRICESDjembesPremier Line ..................................$595–$635(plus the option for additions such as rubber bottom, rope wrap, extended hitches, tack work, custom metal work, handle) Premier Line (build-to-suit) .........$640–$680Import Line ................................... $389–$489

CongasAfrican Rope-Tuned ................................$595With Handmade Hardware ........... $885–$945

FEATURES African hardwoods (lenke [lingué], hare [guéni], dugara, djalla [akajou, bois rouge]); hand-carved and assembled; loads of customizable features (head choices, roped or with hardware, wood type, design, rubber bottom); superior tone.

CONTACTDrumskull Drumsdrumskulldrums.com831-429-5766

Product test

By Gregg Juke

STAY TUNED FOR MORE AUTHENTIC PERCUSSION


looks and sounds of these drums, that arrangement is working wonders.

“We’ve been working closely with the same group of carvers in Africa for ten years and we believe they are the best djembe carvers in the world,” explains Scott Cooper, sales rep-resentative at Drumskull, who went on to list some of the key features that Drumskull feels separate its drums from the competition: thicker, higher-grade tuning rope on the djembes and congas; manually rounded bearing edges for tone and comfort; extreme care in making each drum as level and round as possible; and a final protective coating of high-quality coconut oil to seal the drum and keep it from drying out or warping.

“We don’t cut corners and we aim for the highest quality possible while retain-ing authenticity,” says Cooper. “This is why so many professional African drum-mers look to Drumskulls for their djembe purchases or repairs.”

While those are some strong senti-ments from an obviously biased source, the words are anything but meaning-less hype. Based on the custom djembe and a rope-tuned conga I was able to put through the paces for a month or so, I’d say this is one instance where you shouldn’t have any reservation believing the marketing hoopla.

ROPE-TUNED CONGAAs a conguero of many years, I was a bit skeptical about a rope-tuned conga. I have owned and played many different drums, from Cuban stave-constructed barrel quintos to wood and synthetic congas and tumbas from some of the major, well-known manufacturers, but I had never heard or seen a contemporary rope-tuned conga.

The only rope-tuned conga-type drums that I was familiar with were used by traditional drummers in West Africa (sogo drums) or by the Haitian voudun drummers. And while certainly authentic and interesting, these were not drums that I envisioned taking on a live gig or to a studio recording date, so I was a little skeptical when the email came telling me what to expect in the post. To my sur-prise, this drum was actually better than its description.

One thing that makes a Drumskull conga unique is its one-piece hardwood construction. Like a traditional djembe,

these congas are hand-carved from one solid piece of wood using exotic African woods like lenke, hare, and dugara.

The heads are made from African cowhide, and are tuned with a ring and high-grade ropes at 31 points of ten-sion around the drum using a modified Mali-weave. Compare that to the aver-age metal-lug-tuned conga’s four to six points, and it’s easy to see that the drum will stay tighter and in-tune longer. The 10" quinto that I was sent did stay in tune through many trips back and forth to school, lessons and demonstrations, jam sessions, rehearsals, and an annual weekend Christmas concert in the first several weeks of the frigid Buffalo winter.

Most standard congas would have had to be de-tuned to maintain the heads and prevent slackening from weather changes and use. My Drumskull conga is still tuned to the same pitch as the day I took it out of the box. Speak-ing of tuning, these rope-tuned drums apparently have some unique proper-ties. Most congas (and djembes, for that matter) increase in bass projection and decrease in fundamental tone when the drum is tilted or lifted off of the floor. The Drumskull conga actually has a low-er pitch on the floor, with a higher pitch (about a semi-tone, from Db to D) when the drum is tilted. Even more interest-ingly, the drum creates a harmonic that

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Product testseems to stay at the same pitch (about an F, two octaves higher), whether the drum is on or off the floor. This creates a unique, biting, and projecting tonal color for slaps and open tones, which sounded great live. I didn’t get a chance to record with this drum, but one won-ders what the results might sound like.

HEY, HEY, DJEMBE WAYThe djembe I received is made of lenke wood, and was carved in Mali, with a beautifully sculpted and layered carving pattern on the stem end below the bowl.

The bearing edge is rounded, and the drum came oiled with coconut oil for an even rich brown finish. The shell mea-

sures 13.5" x 24.5" (playable surface of about 13"), and the rope is 5mm nylon/polyester — very sturdy. While it’s hard to tell because the skin (with fur) covers the tuning ring, it looks like a minimum of 32 points of tension. The head is made of thick Mali goatskin (Drumskull drums can be ordered with either thin, medium, or thick heads). If this is thick, I can’t imagine what thin sounds like!

I currently own several djembes — one fiberglass drum with a synthetic skin from a major U.S. manufacturer, and one hand-crafted boutique drum from a smaller U.S. company (not Drumskull), and one drum that was brought back from Senegal for me by some friends. While all of these are great drums, none of them compare in tone or looks to the Drumskull djembe. I have never played a drum so easy to sound good on! Slaps pop with superb and sharp projection, bass tones are rich and low, and may even make your friends do a double-take as they look out the window for the passing bass-booming SUV that isn’t there. Open tones and key tones are strong, and muted sounds near the rim/bearing edge sound like no other djembe I’ve ever played.

The best part is that you don’t have to work hard to make the sounds, so you can concentrate on rhythmic flow and making music rather than focusing on technique and learning the particular idiosyncrasies of the drum. This is a very unique, finely made instrument, and players who have spent some time mas-tering the basic djembe tones will really appreciate its playability.

Everyone I played it for — includ-ing other drummers and percussionists, students, and non-drumming musicians — was wowed by this djembe’s pure and ringing tone. I used it in performance, in informal jam sessions, at a rehearsal, and a worship service, and everybody loved the sound.

vERDICTThe Drumskull rope-tuned conga and djembe are incredible instru-ments that are also stunning works of art. The only possible downsides to these drums are the fact that they are heavy (but this is really a plus, because of the quality of hardwoods used and the durable one-piece con-struction), and that you can’t easily change the head if something hap-pens to it (highly unlikely if you take care of your instrument) due to the multi-point high-tension tuning.

The only other possible detractor is the price. These drums are not for the beginner or the dabbler, unless he or she happens to be especially well-heeled. But the cost is extremely fair for the quality and care that goes into these one-of-a-kind hand-crafted instruments. For the serious student or professional percussionist, these drums are hard to beat (pun in-tended). As one of my students aptly pointed out, “I can tell you’re in love with that drum just by the way you’re looking at it.” He knows me too well. Now, what have I got around the house that I can sell?

The Drumskull rope-tuned conga and djembe are incredible instruments that are also stunning works of art”

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©2010TocaPercussiondrummagazine.com April 2010 DRUM! 77

HOW TO RECORD ELECTRONIC DRUMS

P laying electronic drums can be a lot like practic-ing to make out

with that hideous pil-low a certain grandma once stitched for an ungrateful eight-year-old’s birthday (sorry, nana). While it’s not the real thing, at least you’re getting the

practice in without anyone complaining about your lack of technique (or threatening to call the cops).

But with perks that extend beyond the gates of silent campiness, electronic drums also have amazing advantages in the recording field. For example, there’s no need for thousands of dollars worth of micro-phones, a live room that costs $400 a day (engineer not included), and tones aren’t set in stone when the red light turns on.

Perks (and pillows aside), the electronic kit serves two functions in the studio: as a substitute for the real thing and as its own entity, capable of sounding like all the things an acoustic kit never could. While these two electronic tenets are radically different in both purpose and sound, their tones can be captured and treated in much the same way.

INCEPTION — BRAIN VS. SOFTWAREPrior to getting your mitts dirty with the details of deconstruc-tion, the first order of business is determining the origin of the sound source. When record-ing electronic drums there are two options for the audio source: either an out-of-the-box performance with a sound module (for instance, Roland’s TD-20X), or an inside-of-the-box job triggering tones from within a computer using drum

By Jake Wood


WelcoMe To MIDI-evIl TIMes

synthesizing software like BFD or EZdrummer.

ROUTING WITH A DRUM MODULERecording with a drum mod-ule (brain) is a straightforward and glitch-free procedure: Hit a pad, the pad sends a signal to the drum brain, and the brain spits sound into an audio interface, which is then routed to the multitracking computer. (FIG.1)

Unfortunately, most drum modules don’t offer more than just one or two measly pairs of stereo outputs, and there’s only so much mixing to be done with such a lim-ited arrangement. Thankfully, the designers at Roland real-

ized these problems and solved them with the TD-20X, the gateway to a new era of electronic drumming profes-sionalism. It has ten analog outputs, making the channel array of an electronic drum–tracking session very similar to that of an acoustic session.

LATENCYRegardless of the module or the number of outputs, a solid performance on an elec-tronic kit hinges on avoiding latency. Even a few millisec-onds of latency can disturb a drummer’s performance. For monitoring purposes, it’s best to avoid all potential latency-causing scenarios and moni-tor the tones before they are sent to the computer.

There are two easy ways to wire this: 1) monitor the drums from the headphone jack on the sound module while mixing the rest of the band through an auxiliary input within the module (thankfully, most brains have this feature), 2) If, however, there is no aux input, most modules come with an addi-tional aux out/send that can be plugged into the studio’s headphone monitoring sys-tem. Voila! Latency crisis scenario #1 is averted.

ROUTING WITH DRUM SYNTH SOFTWAREThe other scenario for performing and record-ing electronic drums is with soft-synths. And having just graduated from pupation with a set of wobbly legs, there is still much to be developed for a seamless plug-’n-play operation. The basic setup for a soft-synth is to send the trigger signals through either a drum module or a MIDI con-verter, and have that infor-mation control a synth drum kit on a computer. While there’s usually a bit of tedious MIDI-parameter programming involved with every system, the basic scenario looks a little something like FIG. 2.

One of the really cool things about this scenario is that it’s a much more malleable triggering sys-tem. Additionally, the Alesis Trigger/iO MIDI converter is half the price of any drum brain (keep in mind, however, that unlike a drum brain, a MIDI converter has no tones of its own), and only requires the addition of software like FXpansion’s exhaustingly magnificent BFD2.

Latency is a much more common beast with soft-synth drumming, and instal-lation isn’t recommended

unless it’s on a fairly powerful computer. Even then, fiddling with the buffer is usually a necessary balancing act.

TWO COMPUTERSWhile it’s possible with the setup described immediately above to send MIDI infor-mation from an electronic kit into a computer that is running both the multitrack recording software and the soft-synth, this can bog down the CPU. To lighten the load on the multitracking computer, it’s best to have the soft-synth running on another computer (essential-ly the drummer’s computer). While the one-computer method is obviously cheaper, it’s more likely to encounter latency, crashes, and buf-fer overloads. Additionally, if the soft-synth needs to be transferred to the studio’s computer, bunker up and be prepared for a frustrating battle of transferringsoftware licenses.

DUELING DRUMMERSFor a hybrid of software and hardware, the tones of both a drum brain and a soft-synth can be captured simultane-ously by feeding audio and

How To Record Electronic Drums


AUX IN

Audio

Fire

wire

6

5

43

2

1

1. Drumpad 2. Headphone and Monitor 3. Drum Brain 4. Audio Interface 5. Monitor 6. Computer

1. Drumpad 2. MIDI Converter/Drum Brain 3. Computer

1

USB

3

2

Even a few milliseconds of latency can disturb a drummer’s performance

Fig 1 1. Drumpad 2. Other Instruments/Band 3. Drum Brain4. Audio Interface 5. Monitor 6. Computer

Fig 2 1. Drumpad 2. MIDI Converter/Drum Brain 3. Computer

MIDI from the brain into the multitrack session. This allows the simultaneous triggering of any soft-synth alongside the audio from the brain, tracking two completely different-sounding kits. In order to achieve this, two channels in the multitrack software are necessary: one stereo audio track for the brain, and a sec-ond MIDI or instrument track with the drum-synth software enabled as a plug-in.

Additionally, even if there isn’t any synth soft-ware on the computer, the most valuable aspect of recording electronic drums is capturing the MIDI. With

only a MIDI cable connect-ing the brain and interface, the editing and tonal pos-sibilities thereafter become stunningly articulate.

THE POWER OF MIDIImagine a scenario in which the timing of a drum take is so asthmatically bad that it needs to be straightened out and quantized (see dic-tionary under “soulless”). Thankfully, the MIDI was captured as a fallback dur-ing tracking, and the perfect performance is only a few steps away. Take the MIDI coming out of the audio interface, send it to the drum module, make a new

play list for the audio por-tion of the drum tracks, hit record, and watch the virtu-al drumming humanoid nail that part better and more sterilely then a puny biped ever could!

THREE’S COMPANYHow about recording three different drum sets at once without the chaos of three drooling egos in the room? All it takes are some triggers on an acoustic kit, a drum brain (not a MIDI converter), and a computer with a soft-synth. The three drum sets are comprised of microphones on the acoustic kit, the tones triggered from the drum brain, and the additional MIDI drums from the soft-synth. All three kits are played simultaneously and can be tracked as such. (FIG. 3)

DELAY COMPENSATIONWhen adding the audio from drum set microphones, the waveforms may be slightly delayed and will probably flam with the MIDI perfor-mance. Listen to it for proof. Eyeball it to double check if the MIDI is in fact arriv-ing before the audio, and adjust the waveform by adding pre-delay compen-sation (making it earlier). The amount of compensa-tion will vary with every system, but anywhere from -3 to -10ms will probably solve any flamming. To have a much easier referenc-ing experience, track a few isolated kick or snare hits to make sure that drum sets are in unison.

TRIGGER HAPPYTriggers can be a lot of fun, but their sensitivity is a huge hur-dle. Crosstalking and retrigger-ing (the unintended triggering of additional notes that weren’t played) are a much more com-mon annoyance with acoustic drums. This is due to the fact

that they, unlike electronic drums, actually resonate. While it’s definitely possible to elimi-nate the unwanted triggering with acoustic drums, it’s done so by forfeiting an unfortu-nate amount of sensitivity and response from the triggers. It’s a battle of art verses techno-logical restrictions, with ghost notes on the frontlines.

ACCURATE MONITOR MIXIt’s imperative for musicians to track while monitoring what their instrument will prob-ably sound like in the master. Imagine a guitarist tracking a solo with a wimpy clean tone when later in mixdown it’s going to get doused with over-the-top distortion and “go long” delay. Not only is this discombobulating for the guitarist, but the subtle-ties and nuances of how he or she might normally play a distorted solo will potentially be lost, because the clean and distorted tones aren’t really the same instrument.

Similarly, if a drummer records a song with a naturally staccato-sounding tone bank, replete with thirty-second-note ballyhoo and extreme doubles in the kick, the articu-lation of those notes should

probably be preserved. If, how-ever, in post-production the ol’ one-second-long window-rattling 808 kick drum sample becomes the staff favorite and replaces that original snappy sample, then things might start to sound a little strange as the drums become a murky mys-tery of masticated mumblings. A drummer with big ears plays differently (sometimes uncon-sciously) when presented with different tunings and drums, so every effort should be made to track while monitoring the end-result kit.

TREATMENTAlong with the judgment of choosing one of the three tonal origins as a foundation (drum module, software, or acoustic), there are also a few methods for treating the elec-tronically generated tones that range from simple embellish-ments of acoustic character to timbre renovations that require city permits.

REVERB AND COMPRESSIONEspecially when electronic drums are acting as sur-rogates for the tried-’n-true wood-’n-glue option, hi-fi plug-in effects are an abso-

How To Record Electronic Drums


1. Drum Trigger 2. MIDI Converter/Drum Brain 3. Microphone4. Audio Interface 5. Computer

3

Fire

wire

Audio

MIDI

1

2

5

4

Fig 3 1. Drum Trigger 2. MIDI Converter/Drum Brain 3. Microphone4. Audio Interface 5. Computer

Hit record, and watch the vir-tual drumming humanoid nail that part better and more ster-ilely then a puny biped ever could!

lute must. Some brains have built-in reverbs and compressors, as do most soft-synths, but additional high-qual-ity effects are mandatory for profes-sional mixing.

MIKING AN ELECTRONIC KITTo add an additional layer of ambi-ence and character, setting up some microphones in the room is a great way to capture a performance that doesn’t sound like it’s trapped in a vacuum. Run an aux out from the brain into an amp or P.A., mike the speaker, and set up a room mike or two to capture actual air move-ment and room noise. If this method was skipped during tracking, it’s possible to revisit it in mixdown by reamping the signal (sending the prerecorded drums out of the interface, into a reamping device — aka a reverse D — and then into an amp), and rerecording it with the additional warmth and effects of the amp and the room.

ELECTRO-ACOUSTICWant to get bitchy with the brew? How about a dash of DeJonette in the right and a wisp of White in the left? Quite possibly the most interesting mixing trick using these diverse tonal centers is panning them á la Bitches Brew. Stir the cauldron with acoustics to the right, brain tones to the left, and a soft-synth kick dead center. Not only does this paint the sonic gestalt with thick wholesome goodness, it also makes the drums sound wider in an intelligent manner.

CYMBALS — THE DEAD GIVEAWAYFor every time there’s been doubt as to whether or not a recording’s drum track is artificial, the cymbals are always a dead giveaway. The quest for a polite, natural-sounding synthetic cymbal is ongoing, and in the meantime, customizing an electro-acoustic hybrid kit with old-fashioned brass cymbals and drum pads sharing the same real-estate can spice things up and bring the authenticity level up to believable.

The mountain of options for record-ing electronic drums can be exhausting, yet the plethora of choices can lead to amazing discoveries, inspirations, and creations. Just don’t forget that it can also retard the creative process, which is paramount in music making. There are many roads to Graceland, but only two feet to get you there.


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woRkshop

HAVING ARRIVED at a circumspect point with my double bass skills, I started looking for an alternative to playing long linear single strokes. I decided to work on double strokes, and after a period of speculative practice, I realized there was potential. I forged ahead, and eventually arrived at a place where the double strokes became a viable alternative to single strokes.

Double strokes can be viewed as being an expressive approach to playing long linear patterns. I believe this is because of the inherent variation in the attack of the double strokes. They offer an alternative to the more rigid sound of single strokes.

The following exercises provide an overview of some of the ways and means I used to develop this skill. Don’t forget to practice each exercise using both right- and left-foot lead.*

RHytHmIc moDulAtIoN EffEct (RmE)

Placing the snare on every fourth quarter-note triplet. By playing a snare backbeat with every fourth hi-hat triplet, a sense of rhythmic modulation is achieved.

Virgil Donati

Reprinted with permission from Double Bass Freedom by Virgil Donati.

Published by Alfred Publishing.


oDD-tImE DouBlE-StRokE IDEAS

Eighth-note triplet hi-hat variations — compound fours

compound fours starting on the upbeat

*Any of the previous ex-ercises can be played with transitions between right- and left-foot lead by placing a single-stroke turnaround at the end of every second measure.

5-Stroke Roll In 3

5-Stroke Roll In 4

9-Stroke Roll In 5/8

ExploRing DoUblE-stRokE Rolls

Single Stroke turnaround


REcENtly I WAS working with a student on paradiddles and a multitude of varia-tions when he looked at me and asked, “What am I supposed to do with these?” Fair enough. New rudiments can some-times seem a bit like book learnin’ and not like something you’d actually use. So I sat down at the drum set and played a myriad of possibilities that employed the basic paradiddle sticking pattern, which is shown here in Ex. 1.

His eyes widened and he said, “Yeah, that’s what I want to do!” Then I explained to him that the paradiddles he just wit-nessed me playing contained three of the most basic elements of drumming: the single stroke, the double stroke, and the accent. And this rudiment is just one way of using those elements.

Once we learn it well enough it becomes part of our drumming vocabulary. Then we can employ it in many ways. The idea is not to think, “I’ll use a paradiddle here.” But rather, to have a large vocabulary with which to express your musical ideas in a natural way. Exs. 2–5 are just a few ideas to spark your creativity and get you thinking of ways to use the vocabulary you have as a drummer. Ex. 2 uses the paradiddle for a fill. Ex. 3 uses it in

the hands over a funk bass pattern. Ex. 4 cre-ates a hard-driving rock beat with the para-diddle played between the bass and snare. And lastly, Ex. 5 plays the paradiddle again between the bass and snare in a jazz setting.

Pondering The Paradiddleby Wally Schnalle

FUSIONVIDEO LESSON go to drummagazine.com or youtube.com/drum

It’s All About How You Playby mark Schulman

WHEN I WAS a young drummer, I studied the drumming masters for placement of notes, technique, and phrasing. I also tried to un-derstand why they made the musical choices that they made.

As I have had the chance to see and feel some of the greatest drummers playing live, drummers like Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd, Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Aronoff, Joe Porcaro, and

more recently Josh Freese, Abe Laboriel Jr., Nate Morton, Kieth Carlock, Bill Stewart, and Antonio Sanchez, the difference between “goodness” and “greatness” has become increasingly clear to me.

I now realize that it is not what we play, but how we play it. Every player has a unique placement of notes — an individual alignment of our limbs that organically makes us each sound slightly different even if we are playing the same simple part on a drum kit.

Another aspect of drumming and music is the spirit and energy that comes from a player, an intention, if you will. I realize that a great player emanates a unique aura. This may sound bizarre or New Age-y, but I must tell you that in my observations, this is as

real as any fill, rudiment, or slammin’ rim-shot. This intention is a result of certainty, confidence, love of the instrument, and pay-ing attention to the effect that we as musi-cians have on others.

This may not always be the conscious decision of a master musician but is absolute, and the common thread that runs through the great performances that we all love. Oh yeah, and this is a concept that has everything to do with that groove thing you’ve just been read-ing all about in this issue. Payment for this column has been donated by the author to the Richie Hayward Benefit Fund. richiehaywardbenefit.com.

DRUM! Music Editor wally schnalle is a drummer, composer, and teacher based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has performed with Eddie Gale, Ernie Watts, and the San Jose Symphony Orchestra. itrhymes.com

mARk ScHulmAN has toured and recorded with some of the biggest names in pop and rock, including Pink, Cher, Billy Idol, Stevie Nicks, and Foreigner. Mark hopes to become a great drum tech when he grows up. markschulman.net.

R

Ex. 1

L R R L

R L L

Ex. 2

R

L R R L

R L L R

L R R L

R L L

R

Ex. 3

L R R L

�

R L L R

� �

L R R L

�

R L L

� �

Ex. 4

Ex. 5

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

POP

“The difference between ‘goodness’ and ‘greatness’ has become increasingly clear to me”


tHIS moNtH’S lESSoN involves moving notes you might normally play with your hand on the hi-hat down to your left foot. It’s a great way to spice up beats and give them a somewhat different feel. Ex. 1 shows upbeat eighth-notes played with your left foot. Ex. 2 shows your left foot playing against your right hand with sixteenth-notes.

As you’re playing these examples, you want the notes that you play with your left foot to have a strong chick sound. The hi-hat should be closed tightly when playing the opposing notes with your hand.

Execute the examples slowly at first so you can get used to the alternating motion between your right hand and left foot. Relax and get into it and it’ll eventually feel natural.

oNE of my most important teachers and men-tors was the great big band master drummer Mel Lewis. Growing up in New Jersey in the ’60s, I used to go to the Village Vanguard to hear Mel’s power and finesse with the big band he co-led with Thad Jones (Elvin’s Brother!). The first time I asked Mel for a lesson he de-murred, saying he was too busy. I mentioned this to Joe Morello, with whom I was taking regular lessons at the time, and he said, “I know Mel. Get him on the phone!” We did, and Joe convinced Mel to teach me. That was the beginning of a long friendship that allowed me to examine Mel’s playing from every angle.

One of Mel’s favorite methods for locking in and swinging with the whole band as one was to use his self-described “Rub-A-Dub” system of playing eighth-notes as fills between band figures. Bob Brookmeyer used to tell me, “Play where the band doesn’t play,” and this is an approach to make that work musically. Ex. 1 is a pattern with the band playing a figure on the & of 4. Exs. 2–8 are eighth-note fills, adding one beat per exercise. You can see how these fills can really set up that band figure. Ex. 9 is a

more intricate figure, and Ex. 10 is a way to fill using the Rub-A-Dub. Ex. 11 is a figure using short notes, and Ex. 12 shows how to fill using bass drum and toms for the eighth-note fills.

by Danny Gottlieb

danny gottlieb has played with Pat Metheny, John Mclaughlin, the NDR Big Band, and is currently a member of Gary Sinise’s Lt Dan Band (ltdanband.com). He is an associate professor of jazz studies at the University Of North Florida. dannygottlieb.org

Mel’s Rub-A-Dub

Hi-Hat Beats For The Left Foot

MAtt bYRnE bashes for the Grammy-nominated heavy met-al/hardcore band Hatebreed. In his spare time, he is working on his special ed./elementary ed. teaching degree. myspace.com/mattbyrnedrummer

by matt Byrne

DRUM! Groove Issue Preview, April 2010

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groove issuethe secrets

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