Believe in yourself!

 The current population of Sydney Australia is about 5 million people, which may seem like a lot, but the current world population is 8 billion. What does this have to do with these wise words from Mr. Big Foot? Well, current estimates tell us that there are approximately 5 million drummers in the world. Again, that may seem like a large number but it actually accounts of only 0.06% of the world's population, like Sydney compares to the rest of the world. In other words, individuals like us that can create magic with 2 pieces of lumber and make inanimate circles of wood and metal sing are quite rare indeed. You are special and what you do is unique and needed in the world. Keep at it! :) 

Sound!

 

What's the first thing we hear when anyone plays an instrument? Their sound. Yet we spend very little time talking about it. I'd like to offer my opinions on the subject, and remember, they are purely mine.

1. Very little of your sound comes from the gear you're using.

Recently, I played a jam session and two very talented young drummers came up and played. One was someone who had played in the church and it was evident he had been heavily influenced by Gospel music. As soon as he started to play, the cymbals got quieter, the hi-hat and snare drum sounded much drier than before, etc. Then another drummer sat in ( in think she was from Ecuador and was here studying Music in College) and when she played, the cymbals all became crashes rather than rides, and the toms took on a beefier and more predominant tone, aided by a healthy dose of rimshots played on all the drums (except the bd.) Now, both these individuals were playing my drums, and I'm sure they sounded different when I played them. Why? Because we were all hearing different things! At that point I realized that sound develops as one listens and discovers one's taste in music, long before an instrument is touched! As good as these players were, I don't believe either of them had been playing as long as me, but already their sounds were fairly established and continuing to develop. Speaking of which……

2. Your sound develops as your taste evolves.

I'm sure I sounded a lot more like Peter Criss in the late '70s than I do now. Partially, because I hadn't heard a lot of music and didn't have a lot to draw upon. The music that turns us on effects our touch, ideas, tuning, dynamics, cymbal choice etc. and that all comes out in the sound we make. Conversely, if I never had heard Tony Williams or Elvin Jones, I'm absolutely sure I would sound very different than I do now. Also…

3. Your sound continues to grow and change.

This is especially true if one keeps studying and learning. I have heard much more World, Classical, and R n' B than when I was a young person, and that has changed my sound significantly. Even the physical limits of aging (as well as the greater common sense and erosion of ego that goes with it) changes one's sound.

4. Your sound becomes more prominent as you accept and understand it.

The more you understand the sort of player you want to be, and the effect you want to create when you perform, the clearer your intent will be. This cannot be overstated. The intent creates the sound. I'll repeat that. The intent creates the sound.

Of course, there are so many great drummers I could use as examples of sound, but i thought I would post this footage of Louis Bellson ( a big early influence for me) in 1992. Check out his snare drum sound. Magic.

What are chops, anyway?

Authors note: I only eat chicken and occasionally beef now so no lambies were (currently) harmed in the composing of this post! 

                                                                                                                                                      

   Drumming great Mike Clark recently posted on social media that he recently had a discussion with several individuals that stated that Elvin Jones' playing was "sloppy" and he "had no chops". 

NOTE : Mike Clark himself did not say this. He has never been anything but extremely enthusiastic about Elvin's work! 

After being taken aback by the ridiculousness of this statement, I started to wonder how we had gotten to this point. This seems to be another disturbing example of some members of the drumming community separating pure technique (read cleanliness and velocity) from every other aspect of music. When one isolates technique from sound, groove, originality, melody, creativity, dynamic control, intuition, ideas, responsiveness  etc. we end up with some jock drummer smacking a pad. (Not a drum or a cymbal, because that takes away from the from the cleanness and speed by, you know, having a sound!)

We really need to move away from this idea that the best drummer is the one that can move their hands and feet the fastest. There's enough cold and robotic playing already, thanks! Listen for everything a player can contribute ON AN ACTUAL INSTRUMENT AND WITH A BAND! Speed is just a tiny part of it.

Now, let's conclude with Sunny Murray and then Han Bennink being beautiful and expressive on the drums…..

We are all Ferdinand Magellan, Matthew Henson, and Amelia Earhart

What do these three people have in common? They are all explorers! It's my view that creative musicians have a responsibility to explore at their instrument, every day! One of the interesting things about practicing in a shared space is how often I either hear someone trying to recreate something they've already heard (e.g. a cover band) or playing playing the same thing, week in, week out. I realize people play for many reasons, and have different levels of ambition etc., but I think the idea of exploring as a musician is an aspect of creativity that gets overlooked a lot. Next time you are practicing, I would invite you to ask yourself questions such as:

How can I make this different?

What would happen if I….?

How can I expand on this thing I've already done?

What would this sound like?

I realize that there are many nuts & bolts sort of things we have to learn to either cover an upcoming gig, or develop our sound and technique. I would, however, encourage you to devote a little practice time everyday to be the Magellan/Henson/Earhart of your instrument. You could well be on the way to discovering the New (Sonic) World! 

 

Versatility: A double edged sword

As someone who came up in an era when the "studio" musician was the pinnacle, versatility was seen as a great attribute. ( Truth be told, when I was in high school, I had planned to become a studio player, and then got super into playing Jazz. ) To be clear, it's important to be able to play a bunch of different styles and feels effectively, but I think it's also important to eventually decide on what sort of player you're going to be and be committed to that. When I was in university I was trying to play Rock like John Bonham, Pop like Ringo, modern Jazz like Elvin Jones, etc. But, if we look at any of those instantly recognizable players, they are known for doing very specific things. Bonham possibly could have been a great brush player, but that wasn't what put him on the map!
It's interesting, getting back to the idea of a studio player, because even someone like Steve Gadd, who was seen as the ultimate studio chameleon, actually has a very recognizable style. In fact, I think Gadd almost singlehandedly created a style where the studio influenced every other style of playing he did. Studio influenced big band, studio influenced small group jazz etc.
Sorry that was a slight tangent!

Anyway, I think partially what I'm getting at is, while you're working to be the best musician you can be, accept that there are going to be things you are going to gravitate towards, both physically and musically. Don't be afraid to embrace those, and especially to cultivate the scene that contains the music that fills your heart and imagination!!!! If you want to play Blues, meet the people in your town that play that music! If you want to play Death-Metal, find other death metal people, jam with them , AND SEE THEIR GIGS!!!!! Of course, you can try and cultivate all the scenes in your locale: just be aware that you could spread yourself too thin. Also, realize that where ever you are, people will tend to pigeon hole you, depending on what they've heard you play. I tend to do more Free Jazz-type things in Guelph, because I joined a freer band in that city, and we've played a fair amount of local gigs, whereas in Toronto I think I'm perceived as more of a straight ahead ( and possibly big band ) player. Please note that other's perceptions of you  may have nothing to do with how you feel you play a certain music. It's just good to be aware of it.

I also want to note that, just because you may never play a certain style of music, doesn't mean you won't get a lot out of studying it. i have spent a fair amount of time practicing "World" styles from Cuba, Brazil, and Western Africa etc. The closest I have come to playing any sort of gig in a non-North American style was with a Chilean singer, and she fired me before she even heard me!
So, work on ALL music. It's good for your brain. But don't be afraid to pursue the music that feeds your heart and soul most! Also be aware that in any music style that you view as just "my R n' B bag" for example, is never going to be as true and authentic as someone who has dedicated their life to that particular music! People who "discover their Jazz side" after they realize they are middle aged and haven't become a big Rock star a special pet peeve of mine!

Speaking of Gadd ( again ) . Let's dig his version of a Mozambique on "Late In The Evening ). He      ( and his leader in this case,  Paul Simon ) is a great example of getting lots of input and influences and filtering it out through your own style! :)

Don Van Vliet's Commandments of guitar playing

Another short post today. Here's Captain Beefheart's 10 commandments of guitar playing.....

.1. Listen to the birds. 

That's where all the music comes from. Birds know everything about how it should sound and where that sound should come from. And watch hummingbirds. They fly really fast, but a lot of times they aren't going anywhere.

2. Your guitar is not really a guitar Your guitar is a divining rod. 

Use it to find spirits in the other world and bring them over. A guitar is also a fishing rod. If you're good, you'll land a big one.

3. Practice in front of a bush 

Wait until the moon is out, then go outside, eat a multi-grained bread and play your guitar to a bush. If the bush dosen't shake, eat another piece of bread.

4. Walk with the devil 

Old Delta blues players referred to guitar amplifiers as the "devil box." And they were right. You have to be an equal opportunity employer in terms of who you're bringing over from the other side. Electricity attracts devils and demons. Other instruments attract other spirits. An acoustic guitar attracts Casper. A mandolin attracts Wendy. But an electric guitar attracts Beelzebub.

5. If you're guilty of thinking, you're out 

If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something that is fur bearing.

6. Never point your guitar at anyone 

Your instrument has more clout than lightning. Just hit a big chord then run outside to hear it. But make sure you are not standing in an open field.

7. Always carry a church key 

That's your key-man clause. Like One String Sam. He's one. He was a Detroit street musician who played in the fifties on a homemade instrument. His song "I Need a Hundred Dollars" is warm pie. Another key to the church is Hubert Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf's guitar player. He just stands there like the Statue of Liberty-making you want to look up her dress the whole time to see how he's doing it.

8. Don't wipe the sweat off your instrument 

You need that stink on there. Then you have to get that stink onto your music.

9. Keep your guitar in a dark place
When you're not playing your guitar, cover it and keep it in a dark place. If you don't play your guitar for more than a day, be sure you put a saucer of water in with it.

10. You gotta have a hood for your engine 

Keep that hat on. A hat is a pressure cooker. If you have a roof on your house, the hot air can't escape. Even a lima bean has to have a piece of wet paper around it to make it grow.

 ...Couple of thoughts. Obviously, most of these principles work for any instrument, or vocals for that matter. If one was super "book learned" it would be easy to write these nuggets of wisdom off, but that would be doing yourself a major disservice. It's unfortunate that we live in a world where people have little patience for people who teach by metaphor and allow us to find our own answers. That is what I'd like everyone to take away from this.

Although I'm not sure it's readily apparent from listening to me, Captain Beefheart's music was a big influence. So, let's conclude with his masterpiece, "Trout Mask Replica".

How flexible are your ears?

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a post about learning how to wiggle your ears. ( Although I've always been jealous of people who can do that. )

                            Potentially an ear wiggler!

No, today I was going to talk about how we all tend to listen to all music in the same way, despite it's differences and the variety of things we can learn from it.

Example A
My theory teacher when I was an undergrad at McGill introduced me to this piece and I've loved it ever since. Check it out....



Now, what do I love about  the Hadyn Variations? Well, the orchestration is beautiful, it's a great way to learn about taking a musical theme and varying it, and the melody is very pretty. If I was listening for a deep funky groove, or lopsided rhythms, or electric instruments, I would be very disappointed.

Example B
This artist actually performed in my hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan when I was a teen and this represents a very compelling era of his music for me.



In this case, I really like the poetry of the lyrics, the groovy clavichord and percussion, and even the relative lo-fi of the recording. Super exotic instruments? Wild orchestrations? Nope. I actually know a couple of Jazz musicians I know and admire a lot who reject Reggae completely because it doesn't have many chord changes! Huh? And one of these people EVEN DOUBLES ON DRUMS!!! If you can't appreciate Sly Dunbar's fantastic drumming on this, I don't really know how to respond!

Finally, this is an artist I've listened to a lot, although I slept on this particular recording until recently



No, Paul Motian's music does not have blazing displays of technique, and in this case, much Bebop language or much of a tight groove. But, I'm not listening for those things so I can enjoy the deep improvisatory vibe, the beautiful instrumental colouring etc.

The point is, there's tons of great music to listen to, enjoy, and learn from as long as we don't view it all with the same expectations!!! Enjoy!

This isn't about us......

I recently watched a documentary on a famous drum company. I may post about it in future but that's not what I'm going to discuss today. While watching the doc, the host/drummer, who obviously is a bit jet-lagged as the company he's visiting is in Europe, muses aloud if he has any "chops" left and if there's a possibility that one could use up owns allotment of technique for any one day. Now, it's readily apparent he's being facetious, but it did get me wondering about that manner of thinking. Is technique a limited resource? I don't think so. Once one develops a certain level of physical comfort with an instrument, that doesn't go away, unless one becomes physically or physiologically damaged because of some sort of trauma. At least that's what I believe. Okay, what about ideas? Is there a bank of ideas that one borrows from until your account is empty? I don't buy that either! Have you every listened to someone play and it seems like they never run out of things to say? To write? What causes that?

I think the answer, for me, is that it doesn't come from us. I really think there are higher creative forces, muses, whatever you want to call it, that send us information and guidance, in the moment, if we're open to it. Okay, this where all the atheists get annoyed at me and stop reading, but hear me out...
How do explain music, where it comes from, and the effect it has on us? I really feel it comes from something bigger than ourselves. I don't think we have to give it a name, read the bible, go to church or chant to receive this higher force's transmissions. ( Although if any of the former practices help you do that, by all means go for it. ) I think we just have to be open to it. We need to take the pressure off ourselves to create. To let go of the extremely egotistical idea that everything we do emanates from us. Instead, let's embrace the idea that we are a channel for this higher creative spirit, and work on preparing so that we can receive it's wisdom. How do we prepare? I believe there are a few ways.

1. Calm your mind

A big part of this process for me has been getting out of my own way. That means letting go of negative self talk and judgement, not only when I'm playing but in all aspects of my daily life. Any sort of meditative practice will help with this. There are many meditation videos online or Kenny Werner's great Effortless Mastery books and seminars are great resources. Don't worry if you're getting it right, just get started!

2. Practice your instrument

I think there's a tendency when there's discussion of higher creative forces to think the muse will visit you and present you with a brilliant idea even if you never spend any time with your instrument. Not so! You need to develop a relationship and get comfortable with whatever your physical conduit to the music is. You need to have a loose open mind and technique to receive whatever secrets the creative force is willing to whisper in your ear. Otherwise you won't be ready to hear it.

3. Build your creative appetites

When we're talking about music, this means LISTENING! LOTS AND LOTS OF IT! Listening to music of all styles, played by all instruments and vocals. Listening to the sounds of industry and nature, and finding music in that as well.

4. Be less attached to results

Be willing to accept whatever you hear in your improvisations and compositions. Don't worry if you think it's hip or not, just flow with it.

 5. No matter what happens, love yourself unconditionally

And i mean unconditionally. Not "if I play well" or "If I write a tune that merits my affection". Nope. Being kind and gentle with yourself is a prerequisite to all creativity, as far as I'm concerned, and non-negotiable!

Usually, at this point, I usually post some music, but I think in this case, I'll issue a challenge instead. If you feel this post has helped you, or even got you thinking slightly differently, then please go play, write or draw, etc. If you're comfortable with it, please send me link to the results. If I get some responses, perhaps I'll share some of them in a future post.

Thanks for being here, and celebrate yourself TODAY!

Pet Peeves

This instalment of Trap'd is brought to you by my assistant BartholeMEW MURRay Warren. As usual, he's working hard to make things happen around here......

Speaking of pets, I thought I would share a few of my most persistent pet peeves. One of the biggest has to be......

1. Retro Snare-y Drum Solos

I think I've mentioned this before, but there's a real tendency among current Jazz drummers to play solos that sounded better in the bebop and post-bop eras, you know, WHEN THEY WERE CONCEIVED!!!
They feature LOTS of snare drum language, heavy on a very self conscious use of rudiments, and not much tonal or dynamic variation or independent coordination. Oh, and NEVER any non-Jazz references! That's clearly a no-no! Now, let me be clear, I'm not talking about people like Philly Joe and Buddy Rich etc. who played a lot of snare drum because that's what they heard, I'm talking about current players who play a lot of snare drum because they think  they're supposed to! I find this extremely tiresome! Let's listen to Philly and use him to inspire us to play something THAT HIP, not just regurgitate it!

2. Yet More Instagram Complaints

I discussed some of the many problems with drums-related posts on my "The Drummers of InstaHAM" rant. One problem I hadn't twigged onto then was the absolute dearth of anything remotely improvised on this social media platform ( or so it appears with the posts that come up when I'm searching for drum and music related content. ) I see a LOT of people doing their moves, looking like they were choreographed weeks in advance, with the stiffness of execution that comes with trying to be impressive. Not interested.

3. Cymbal Stands That Double As Tom Stands

To be honest, I seem to be seeing this a lot less lately, but that doesn't change my extreme dislike of this "inventor who has never played the drums" proposed solution to freeing up a minuscule amount of space in one's set-up. Once I can get the tom where I want it, I can't get the cymbal within 5 feet of me. Grrrrrrr!

4. Weird Set Ups

I should probably just quit ever looking at drummers on Instagram.
Saw someone playing one of the written solos from the Rick Latham book. Great, but this person had the snare drum down by their knees!!!! Um, what if you want to play a rimshot?  If you can't get at all parts of the instrument, change something. No cymbals covering up bells of other cymbals, etc......

Okay, enough ranting. Let's end with something positive.
Here's some video of Roger Taylor playing with Queen at Wembley stadium in 1986. Between seeing the Queen biopic and playing " Bohemian Rhapsody" with a choir as part part of my Masters, I've been appreciating Mr. Taylor's unique style. Note how he often opens his hi-hat along with his backbeat on 2 & 4, making it that much fatter. I can't think of another player who does this very often, if at all. Enjoy.

The Gig : Your Blank Canvas

Hello,

I'm going to get slightly conceptual and talk about some ideas I've struggled with over the years.

Like many drummers, when I was first learning to play, I would listen to great players and was amazed at what they were able to do with any music they played. How they made the music feel. their sound and ideas, and how they made decisions on the spot yet always seemed to do the "right" or even "perfect" thing. When I was going to McGill University in the late '80s, I had a fair amount of opportunities to play live Jazz in front of an audience. On most of the gigs I was playing, people weren't playing much original music (in sharp contrast to now, I might add). I started to realize that while playing a lot of these tunes that had been played by great artists on famous recordings, I would start to experience hearing what I call "bandstand ghosts" in my head. By this I mean I would often find myself doing similar things to what I'd heard the drummer on the recording do on similar tunes. Sometimes I would even get the feeling that other people in the band wanted me to do what they had heard the drummer do on those records. I struggled with this sometimes, because I often felt like I wasn't improvising. Sometimes I went and played the complete opposite of what I'd heard the famous drummer do, just to be different. That also felt weird, because playing something different than what I heard on the record felt arbitrary and unmusical. I think, over time, I am now able to do something that is somewhere between these 2 approaches. If some part of the drumming on a tune seems part of the signature or personality of the tunes, I might play it verbatim (although rarely) or use the original idea as a jumping off point or play variations on it. Sometimes I might still deliberately turn left from the original. I believe why both these approaches work for me now is due to all the listening I've done over the years. If i want to be reverent to the original drummer on a recording, I can do that without feeling like I'm just sampling it. If I want to venture far away from another drummer's concept of a tune, I have logged a lot of time listening so I can find a new approach that is still tasteful and respectful to the piece.

I think, in a way, every time we listen to something we are developing our own aesthetic and instincts. There's no point in having a bunch of ridiculous technical things to do on the drums if we can't actually apply them to the music. I also feel that we listen in 2 ways, depending if we're learning from recordings or playing with people. When we listen while were playing we have to keep in mind that the world of the bandstand we are inhabiting is our world. Not Brian Blade's, not Vinnie Colaiuta's, not Art Blakey's. They aren't on the gig, you are! Base the decisions you make on your own judgement and experience. When I am playing the drums with you, you are in Tedland, and I am Tedland's (mostly benevolent) dictator. That's not to say I don't listen to or get feedback from the rest of the band, I certainly do. But ultimately i make the decisions about what the drums do and don't do, what I think is valuable or not, and how I react to the sounds around me. This is a great responsibility, but also a great privilege, one that I relish and celebrate every time I play!

I thought I'd end by posting the title track from John Scofield's Shinola. Go buy this recording! It's great. I love Adam Nussbaum's muscular tom work and time keeping with drums on this one!