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! 

 

Beware of the online bullies

 It's funny, I began on this posting because of a Twitter conversation fellow blogger Todd Bishop and I had, but he beat me to it! 

I will, however, further stress his point about the current pattern of trying to get viewers/subscribers by preying on young player's insecurities! NO DECENT TEACHER WILL EVER DO THIS! Musicians are a community, and we take care of and encourage each other. Dave Holland once told a room full of young musicians at The Banff Centre something to the effect of, " We are all on the same path, we may be at different points along it, but it's still our common road."

I am reminded of the fashion industry's penchant for selling clothes and make up by attempting to make women feel they aren't thin enough/blonde enough/busty enough/light enough/dark enough/Tall enough etc.. etc.. In both cases, this is people that don't care about you just trying to make a buck. Please ignore them. We are all unique beings with so much to offer. Find your community that supports you and lifts you up. :) 

….and speaking of supportive, encouraging people, here's a great interview with Trumpet and composition master Kenny Wheeler. I met him at the Banff centre as well, and was lucky enough to work with him a handful of times of the years. He was always encouraging and positive, and I miss him a lot.

Be like Cannonball ( or Equivalent )

I started my day listening to this amazing recording…..

 

Of course, Jimmy Cobb is fantastic on this as he always is, but listening to Cannonball Adderley himself got me to thinking. Adderley always has such a beautiful tone and is so smooth and free throughout the alto's range. That lead me to postulate, what would the Cannonball of drums be like? (No fat-shaming, thanks!) The concept of using ideas from one instrument and applying it to another is called transference, so I'll share some thoughts on that now.

Having a tone like Cannonball except applied to drums? Well, I think it would involve having a big, warm, sound at all dynamic levels, and to never sound like we're fighting the drums. More like we're dancing elegantly with them! :) 

Also, what about Cannonball's ability to play over his entire range? Well, on drums it would mean being fluent with a variety of stickings to get around with our hands smoothly. As well, I think integrating rhythms between hands and feet would go a long way to achieving this.

Finally, Cannonball's time is always beautiful and expressive, so we need to do whatever we can to replicate that! 

In closing, I would encourage everyone to find non-drumming instrumentalists (or vocalists, for that matter) and use them as inspiration for what YOU want to achieve on the drums. So whether you're into Yo Yo Ma, Curtis Fuller, or Eddie Van Halen, they all have something to offer you toward your conception.

And as a postscript, I needed to post this because it's so weird. Here's Cannonball Adderley, along with Jose Feliciano, guest starring on an episode of "Kung Fu" in the 70s…..

Someone should do a playlist of Jazz musicians doing weird cameos in movies and TV. This and Elvin in Zachariah would be a great start! 

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".

Humour in music

Hey all,
Recently great bassist ( and neighbour of mine ) Jason Raso posted this on social media


A musician recently sent me the following message in reference to my videos...
“You’d be better off if you took your music and your image more seriously. Stop joking around.”
Well, he might be right, but I am what I am. Honestly, I don’t take myself that seriously, but make no mistake - I am dead serious about my music! It’s still ok to have some fun with it though.

SERIOUSLY? ( Said ironically! )

I can vouch for everything Jason says here. He is a hardworking, dedicated musician who is always trying to improve. He sets an example that I always find inspiring! He is also, not averse to poking fun at himself. He has some great videos where he poses as the disgraced owner of his record label,  complete with fake moustache, and they're really fun! I think it's also important to note what he said about being himself. I think if one has a bit of a goofy personality ( and I'm now referring even more to myself than Jason ) letting it come out is the most honest thing you can do with your audience. I also believe this combination of seriousness about the music/ not serious about myself that has helped me survive in a tough business for 40 some years now!

In short, be like Jason. Try your best but make sure you have fun too.

I couldn't find any of Mr. Raso's "acting" videos but here's him playing a tune I've always loved, Sam Cooke's "Cupid" on solo bass.

"Hipifying" the rudiments

Hey all.
Many students have mentioned to me Tommy Igoe's " Great Hands For a Lifetime " book so I decided to check it out, having worked through his first "Groove Essentials" book and quite enjoying it.
All in all, it's a very helpful book on rudimental playing, well written and presented. I don't agree with everything he writes, but having played drums for 44 years this coming fall, I rarely agree with anything ANYONE writes! :)

One thing that struck me during my first cursory glances was that he talks about converting the rudiments to drum set ideas, but doesn't really offer any method of doing so. I plan to cover this in greater depth and send as a possible article, but for now I thought I'd offer some general principles that help me make rudiments hipper and more useable on drum set. Okay here goes....

1. Corrupt the symmetry.....
I've mentioned this before, but one of the things that makes the rudiments seem very square is this " 4 on the right, 4 on the left" quality they have, due to trying to make the hands equal. This makes sense from a physical conditioning sort of way, but results in very predictable boxy, phrasing. So, a very easy way to create interest is to take away or add a note to any rudimental idea to make it odd numbers.
Let's take a paradiddle- RLRR LRLL, and take away the last stroke. Now we have a 7 note idea. Now when we play this idea in 8th notes or triplets, it will go over the carline and give us some really cool textures.
Now, how about we add a note- RLRR LRLLL . This create a cool 9 beat idea. Again, it will go over the barline in 4/4 or it WILL fit into a bar of 3/4 as triplets, but that could also be cool as we spread out the hands between two surfaces so it could be used in a jazz waltz or a afro-cuban 9/8 groove.

2. Orchestrate! 
As I just mentioned, our  lowly paradiddle starts to sound more interesting not only with a note missing or added, but also as we put our hands to 2 different drum or cymbals surfaces. Here's just a few ways we can create interesting tonal ideas from RLRR LRLL

a) R on Hi-Hat, L on snare
b) "     "", L on rim click
c) "" , L on small tom
d) "" , L on floor tom
e) "" , L on any combination of above
f) R on floor tom, L any combination of above
g) R on Ride Cymbal, L ""
h) R on any rim, "" ""

Phew! And I just said I was going to mention a few. Anyway, check out how these different combinations sounds and don't be afraid to experiment with any possible sounds. You'll likely find you discover some favourites. Good!

3. Change the home rhythmic grid.
We've already seen that we can change any 8th note idea to triplets to make it more compelling, and the opposite ie true as well. We can also, however, change any idea to an odd grouping, and that really starts to sparkle!
If we again take RLRR LRLL and play it as 2 sets of quintuplets in a bar of 4/4, the quintuplets themselves don't go over the barline,  but the sticking does! This sounds really cool, especially when we again orchestrate the hands. In fact, a favourite exercise of mine with "Stick Control" is to take the first 3 pages and play the stickings as quintuplets, septuplets, and groupings of 9, all in 4/4. That's definitely something you'll never hear a drum corps play! :)

4. Change the attack
Now let's take RLRR LRLL and....

a) Buzz the first L
b) Buzz all Ls
c) Deadstroke the first and 5th notes
d) Deadsroke all Rs

So, here all we're doing is not playing all the notes as regular strokes, and again this creates interest.

5. Add accents, especially in unusual places
Take the paradiddle  and accent other notes the than the first set of each 4 ( the standard way ) and you'll get some very cool textures, especially accenting either the first or second note of a double. This is also great for your hands!

6. Substitute feet for hands in a portion of the lick
Some possible ways to evolve the feel in our paradiddle
a) RF L RR LF R LL
b) RF LRR LRLL
c) R LF RR LF R LL
d) RL RF RF LR LF LF

So, plenty of linear trouble was can get into with this one.




Obviously, working on rudiments and rudimental ideas ( I make that distinction because although paraddiles are a great lick and a great example to use, I actually don't think of them as rudiments per se.) are a great way of helping us create quality sounds, but to a drum set player, they are just the beginning and a mere means to an end. So, don't be afraid to take these building blocks and do something creative. That's what it's all about.

Self-Review

Okay, this is going to sound very egotistical, but I was checking out a video of myself the other night. What struck me most about it was how much it captured where I was musically at the time. ( It was filmed about 10 years ago. ) The cool thing is, listening/watching old recordings can hip you to things you were doing and didn't quite develop, or how your sound has changed and why. Also, if the recording is old enough, one tends to forget all the subjective stuff around it and it can be listened to like it's someone else. I always encourage young players to record themselves and then check it out for what they like and don't like. It's one thing for ME to tell you what I like in your drumming, but your taste and aesthetic might be quite different than mine, and it's what YOU think that really matters here.
In short , it's good to occasionally review things you've done musically, so you can see where you've been and where you're headed......so, get going! :)

When you're playing,

Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Is my dynamic correct for what's going on?
2. Am I playing too busy, too sparse?
3. Am I playing appropriately for the style?
4. Does the time feel good?
5. How does this piece start? How does it end? Am I helping it get there?
6. Am I contributing positive energy to this situation?

This has nothing to do with the above: I just think it's awesome. Here's Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez, and Alex Riel, rehearsing and then taping a tv show. Thank goodness for European tv or we'd never see any of these great musicians in their prime!



Music is great! Also, I need to check out more Alex Riel........

Quick words of wisdom.......

Here's a quick bit of great advice from Vinnie Colaiuta. I love everything he says about drums almost as much as I love hearing him play. His responses are unfailingly intelligent and insightful. Even his response to this frankly drum jock/nerd question gets to the heart of the matter! Inspirational as always......

A few steps back

I was recently practising something quite challeging ( it was in 9 ) and utilizing a paradiddle variation ( RLRLLRLR ) that i don't use as much and was trying to get it to feel more instinctual. I really wasn't getting anywhere with it, and I realized that I had to get the sticking naturalized in 4, before I attempted it going over the barline in an odd time signature. This is something that, not long ago, i would have been annoyed with. You know, I don't want to play in 4, i want to be "hip and modern". It was quite a silly way to think. I wasn't performing for anyone, and if I really wanted to get this together, I needed to stop trying to do so many complicated things at once. Any issues I had with this were just ego. This used to happen to me a lot while practicing. I would start working on idea A and while I was playing it I would be thinking about the next 4 steps, and sometimes trying to incorporate them while I was still playing the first idea. I wasted a lot of time with this. Don't be like me!!! Start whatever you're working on in a reasonable space, and add things only after you're comfortable with the first thing. If the first thing is giving you a lot of trouble, simplify it! There is no shame in this!

Okay, just because it's awesome, here's Thelonious Monk's band in '61 with the great Frankie Dunlop on drums. The ballad gets cut off, unfortunately, but it's still great stuff. Enjoy!




P.S. Happy Canada Day!
P.S.S. I'm playing with Jerry Bergonzi and the Brian Dickinson trio at Upstairs in Montreal for the Jazz festival tonight. Come on by if you're in the neighbourhood!

What's in the attic?

Today I'm bringing you an idea that came to me while practicing, or more accurately I should say came back to me. I endeavour to review things I've worked on, use ideas I've created etc., but I've been playing and practicing for almost 44 years now, so it's impossible to recall everything all at once!
Anyway, I stumbled on to this 7 beat idea between hi-hat, bass drum, and snare drum. It's just RLRLRLF ( The F stands for feet as in its first incarnation, the right and left foot are playing together. ) I liked it. I thought sounded pretty slick. Then I realized that particular combination I had been playing for decades ( I can vividly remember playing it with Mike Murley's band) except I had never voiced between hats, snare, and bass drum. I more used it open handed with RH on toms and LF on hi-hat. Anyway, here's a quick video on the original idea. Note that even though I start between hat and snare, it's not until I play the idea with the hands alternating on the hats that I get to the current lick I stumbled on.



I generally play it as an over the barline thing in 4, with the bd on all quarter notes or a samba bass drum part, although you could keep it in 7 as well. Also started moving the RH around at the end.

The second video is the same idea in triplets in 4, with either quarter notes or a shuffle on the bass drum. By the time I get over to the ride the pattern has essentially fallen apart but I kept it in because I thought it was funny! ( Don't try this at home folks! )



Believe it or not, my whole point to this post wasn't to show you these ideas, although I like them and they might prove useful to some of you. No, what I'm getting at is what I experienced with this "old" lick that I thought I had forgotten. I really believe that everything we work on in music is stored SOMEWHERE in our mind. ( Barring traumatic head injury, etc. ) I like to think of our brain as some sort of dusty attic full  of treasures we may have temporarily forgotten. But sometimes on the way to find a sweater from high school, we might find a cool vintage fan that we thought we had gotten rid of! Our mind is like that too. So, sometimes when you're practicing, don't be afraid to let your mind wander a bit, and you might rediscover something!
Have fun! Love yourself and others!

This isn't about us: epilogue

Recently, a talented and beloved member of the Toronto Creative passed away tragically and suddenly. Justin Haynes' contribution to the Canadian music scene has been well documented elsewhere, so I'll just say that if you haven't checked out his music, you really owe it to yourself to do so.
The week of Justin's death, I had two gigs that weekend. Both had their issues. The first one was at an establishment that likes to think of itself as a dedicated music room, but really their main purpose is selling food. The second gig was in a listening situation but it was with a front person who seems to think the more instruments they play (including random percussion ) the better with no regard for the quality of said playing.
 As the gigs came up, I was feeling very sad about Justin's death, partially because I had a sister die some years ago for similar reasons. I decided to dedicate both evenings of music to them....

At gig one there was a table seated right next to the drums. They weren't only ignoring me, they were screaming over top of me! For 3 sets! I kept thinking they wouldn't want to hear me and either move to another table or leave entirely! Nope! They got up and left as we were playing the last note of the night! Funny part is, I barely noticed them! I was able to concentrate on the sounds the piano trio was making and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

At gig two, the front person behaved as usual, and again, it didn't bother me. I had a lovely time playing the drums and it felt meaningful to me.

What happened? I think a couple of things. I think Justin's death reminded me ( once again ) that we have a limited time here on earth and there's no time ( as my beloved Fabs would say ) for fussing and fighting my friend. I think the other thing is I believe Justin and my sister heard me and were helping me focus.

Anyway, be kind and gentle with yourselves, and I'll be back soon. :)

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.

What's in your back pocket?

Recently, I got to play a bunch of great music with trumpet master Jason Logue's new 9 piece band. ( BTW Jason's arrangements are KILLER and we plan to be recording and playing more gigs soon. )
Before the gig,  Jason sent us the arrangements beforehand and after checking them out myself, I decided it would be fun to have some of my students take a crack at playing them. Here's the first page of one of the charts.

Sorry, it's somewhat cut off. I will include a full pdf as well. Now Jason writes very good charts that are very clear and don't need a lot of explanation. What was interesting is that some of the students couldn't get the first part of the chart. Not because they couldn't read, not because the chart was unclear, but because they didn't have a 12/8 beat that they could play without thinking about it.   
Granted 12/8 rhythms can be tricky, so that's even more reason to have one that's "in your back pocket' ready to go!
This got me thinking of how I often teach these rhythms. I usually get the student started on the general vibe of the beat and then give  them 12-16 variations to work on. The problem is, when the tune is being counted off with a band you don't know, a chart you don't know, you're feeling nervous , the sound is weird, etc., you don't have time to think about what you're going to do. You just need ONE thing that's reasonably appropriate and ready to go. If you don't, the attention you need to put on the 10, 000 other musical issues you're dealing will be used for trying to put a groove together you're not comfortable with. So, from henceforth ( Hear ye! Hear ye! ) I will give the student the 12-16 exercises, but I will ask them to pick one that they like the most, and they will have to have it memorized, be able to play it at at least 3 tempos and 3 dynamic markings ( Thanks Joe LaBarbera! ) and even be able to carry on a conversation with me, while still being able to play the beat steadily.
12/8 is certainly one rhythm we should be able to do this with, but what are some others? Let's make a short list.

Back Pocket Beats
12/8
Rock (8ths-based)
Funk (16ths-based )
Shuffle
Swing
Bossa Nova
Samba
Rhumba
Bolero
Mambo
Songo
Jazz Waltz
Ballad Brush Pattern
Medium Brush Pattern
Darn it! I forgot 2 beat swing, but definitely 2 beat swing!

Play all at at least  3 different tempos and dynamics


Now, there's certainly a lot more beats it would be good to be able to do this with, but this is a good start. Remember, you just have to have just ONE of these beats together at first, but by together, I mean you have to know it inside and out, so there's no situation you can't play it smoothly and effectively in. The source material can be from books, or learning beats by ear from recordings, but you've got to have them be as second nature as breathing. :)

And to conclude, you couldn't do much better for a rock beat or two than from the great Jeff Porcaro, shown here playing, as always with great time, commitment, and taste.