Assessment

Just a short post today. Inspired by this wonderful video of the great Allison Miller.





What I especially like about this video is that it addresses just finding new colours on the drum set, something that anyone who knows me will tell you I'm passionate about. I must admit that seeing the above clip brought out my natural competitive tendencies. By that, I don't mean, I need to prove I'm better than Ms. Miller or anything. It's more like she's saying to me" Remember Ted? You used to work a lot at finding new sounds on the instrument! You should get back to that, because it's so cool and fun!"
I once remember Hal Galper talking about how when one has a reaction to a recording ( or video, in this case) you need to figure out what the person on the recording is telling you about YOUR playing. Don't be afraid to assess any input you get in terms of how it relates to you and your art. As always, have fun!

Open vs. Closed Rim Click Sound

Hey folks,

This is an idea i got from watching a video of Papa Jo Jones.

In the clip I saw he often took his hand off the drum immediately after playing a rim click, creating the sound of the click but also with the drum ringing. Usually when I play a rim click I keep my hand on the drum afterward, which mutes and shortens the sound. Here's a clip of me playing around with the open and closed rim click sounds in a variety of beats.

Try it yourself, it creates some interesting textures.

I think it's important to note that even though I got this idea from Papa Jo, I used it for very different beats than I heard him apply it to. I've said it before, but whether you're into Punk Rock, Reggae, or Death Metal, as someone who plays the drum set, you should check out people like Mr. Jones. He was a serious pioneer, ( hi-hat might have been a passing fad had it not been for him) a sonic explorer, and his approach to the instrument is an unending fountain of ideas and textures.

Thanks!