Hey all, while I'm prepping my hair for my close-up via my solo concert Wednesday May 13th at 5PM EST thanks to the good folks at MusicTogether (see previous post) I'm posting this video of the Avi Granite 6 playing "Knocking at the Door" together at the Yardbird Suite and dreaming of a time I can make music whilst un-distanced from my friends and colleagues….
It also seems as a musician one increasingly is metaphorically outside people's door with a cup in one's hand but the Canadian government's support to artists may be a fleeting thing. In this spirit I have started a Patreon page. Please help support me and my projects if you feel so moved, and stay healthy and safe. :)
Monday, May 11, 2020
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Online Concert May 13th 5PM E
Hey all,
Just letting you know I will be giving a performance on Instagram Live this coming Wednesday May the 13th at 5PM. Here's my official blurb and the link….
Just letting you know I will be giving a performance on Instagram Live this coming Wednesday May the 13th at 5PM. Here's my official blurb and the link….
Doing an online solo concert next Wednesday May 13th at 5pmEST (This show is brought to you by Shopify, Arts & Crafts, and Ontario Live via Ontario Creates) Check out how much I've bitten off, and how I'm doing on the chewing front! #musictogetherON
Sunday, May 3, 2020
RIP Tony Allen
I'm a bit late on this, but I wanted to mention Afro-Beat (and beyond) great Tony Allen's passing earlier this week. Allen was a truly original voice on the drum set, and will be sorely missed.
Among his many other gifts, Allen could come up with these great grooves that were hooks and signatures of whatever tunes he was playing. Super thematic!
Here's a great example of that featuring the jazzier side of Allen's playing….
RIP.
Among his many other gifts, Allen could come up with these great grooves that were hooks and signatures of whatever tunes he was playing. Super thematic!
Here's a great example of that featuring the jazzier side of Allen's playing….
RIP.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Modulations
One of the good things to come out of social isolation is that the online educational sources for all kinds of music have gone from a Plethora to a Super-Plethora! One of things I had enjoyed is drumming great Ferenc Nemeth's online Q & As/practice sessions. I love how he plays metric modulations so seamlessly! It made me realize that often when I do modulations, I tend to modify the original lick to make it easier or more logical to play in relation to the original tempo. For example, I might try to avoid playing the hi-hat in it's exact place in the modulation if it's on the middle triplet or something. So, I'm trying to work on this…..
In the first video, I'm playing only hi-hat, while singing the melody to Dizzy Gillespie's "Ow". I sang the bridge to "I've Got Rhythm" in the B section because either the bridge to "Ow" is just blowing or I've forgotten it. I start in 1/4 time, go to 1/2 time, then playing the time off the dotted quarters, then to the actual tempo, time off the quarter note triplet, and finally (barely) double time!
Note that it's a little loose in spots, but the important thing is I'm keeping the original tempo in my head, so no matter what happens I can find my way back. This principle applies in ALL modulation situations!
Here's the same idea but this time I'm starting by playing the original tempo, I'm spending less time on most of the modulations, and have also included a modulation that's using 2 & 4 as the "phoney" quarter notes. I believe I stole that from Jeff Watts…….
In the next example, I stay in the modulation (or maybe this would be described as just a displacement?) for awhile. I am singing the Mingus tune "Nostalgia In Times Square/Strollin'" and that is the actual part of the bar I'm in. Written out in the crudest manner possible, this is what my RH is doing…..
…And here's the video
In the first video, I'm playing only hi-hat, while singing the melody to Dizzy Gillespie's "Ow". I sang the bridge to "I've Got Rhythm" in the B section because either the bridge to "Ow" is just blowing or I've forgotten it. I start in 1/4 time, go to 1/2 time, then playing the time off the dotted quarters, then to the actual tempo, time off the quarter note triplet, and finally (barely) double time!
Note that it's a little loose in spots, but the important thing is I'm keeping the original tempo in my head, so no matter what happens I can find my way back. This principle applies in ALL modulation situations!
Here's the same idea but this time I'm starting by playing the original tempo, I'm spending less time on most of the modulations, and have also included a modulation that's using 2 & 4 as the "phoney" quarter notes. I believe I stole that from Jeff Watts…….
In the next example, I stay in the modulation (or maybe this would be described as just a displacement?) for awhile. I am singing the Mingus tune "Nostalgia In Times Square/Strollin'" and that is the actual part of the bar I'm in. Written out in the crudest manner possible, this is what my RH is doing…..
…And here's the video
Admittedly, this is a challenging one to keep one's place in. Even now as I'm listening to it, if I don't concentrate very hard, I'll move it back by an 8th note triplet!
The next few videos show me playing modulated beats while singing tunes. (Sorry that the singing is hard to hear in some cases.) Note I am taking very simple beats that I don't have to think about, AND are very recognizable in their original form. Also, when I modulate them, I am trying to keep the voicing, spaces between notes etc. exactly the same/
Here's the "train beat" while singing "Solar"
Here's "Solar" again with more of a Hip-Hop feel….
Now, in a Mambo
Finally, here's a displaced shuffle (similar to the displaced swing of earlier in the post, again moved by one 8th-note triplet) while I'm warbling a blues head.
Obviously, there's a ton of musical situations these sorts of ideas DON'T belong in. Use sparingly, and always support the music!
Monday, April 27, 2020
More changing implements
Toronto based drummer/percussionist Brian Barlow recently hipped me to this great John Riley tutorial on switching from sticks to brushes, or vice-versa. Check it out!
I have to admit, I'd never thought about switching implements in this fashion, and started practicing this concept of doing all the work of the switching within the hands and using the feet only for normal timekeeping functions. We can also try this while soloing for an extra challenge..
As well, we can….
1. Practice various lengths and tempos of trade with timekeeping and soloing..
2. Practice doing trades where we use ONLY our feet in the last bar before each switch. ( Basically the opposite of Riley's approach. )
3. "" " RF,LF, and LH.
4. Same as 3 but use RF,LF, &RH combination.
4. Trade where we only use bass drum in the bar before the switch.
5. Same as 4. but substitute hi-hat for bass drum.
Obviously, some of these approaches to trading implements will feel more natural and comfortable than others. All we're doing is increasing our options and creating variety in how we make these transitions. Good luck, stay safe, and have fun.
I have to admit, I'd never thought about switching implements in this fashion, and started practicing this concept of doing all the work of the switching within the hands and using the feet only for normal timekeeping functions. We can also try this while soloing for an extra challenge..
As well, we can….
1. Practice various lengths and tempos of trade with timekeeping and soloing..
2. Practice doing trades where we use ONLY our feet in the last bar before each switch. ( Basically the opposite of Riley's approach. )
3. "" " RF,LF, and LH.
4. Same as 3 but use RF,LF, &RH combination.
4. Trade where we only use bass drum in the bar before the switch.
5. Same as 4. but substitute hi-hat for bass drum.
Obviously, some of these approaches to trading implements will feel more natural and comfortable than others. All we're doing is increasing our options and creating variety in how we make these transitions. Good luck, stay safe, and have fun.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Extended techniques
Hey folks,
One of the good things about having more time to practice ( because nobody is playing gigs ) is that we can experiment with different sound colours and effects on the drums. Here are 3 videos I recently filmed on the subject. They're pretty self-explanatory but I will mention….
1) No there wasn't an earthquake while I was filming it. ( Do I shake THAT much? I must have been nervous! )
2) This is a selection of just a FEW possibilities. As I mention in the videos, go find some of your own!
Stay safe!
One of the good things about having more time to practice ( because nobody is playing gigs ) is that we can experiment with different sound colours and effects on the drums. Here are 3 videos I recently filmed on the subject. They're pretty self-explanatory but I will mention….
1) No there wasn't an earthquake while I was filming it. ( Do I shake THAT much? I must have been nervous! )
2) This is a selection of just a FEW possibilities. As I mention in the videos, go find some of your own!
Stay safe!
Monday, April 20, 2020
Brush Isolation patterns
Hi Folks,
Pretty quick post. Both these brush patterns involve moving in straight horizontal lines away from us. RH going right, LH going left. First one in 4, second one in 3. They are good for us to get out of playing sustained sounds with circles all the time and when we want a pattern that has a little bit of a break in it. Here goes……
Oh yeah, that first one is in 4/4 but the left hand is doing a dotted quarter things….
UPDATE! Bonus 3 pattern added……
Pretty quick post. Both these brush patterns involve moving in straight horizontal lines away from us. RH going right, LH going left. First one in 4, second one in 3. They are good for us to get out of playing sustained sounds with circles all the time and when we want a pattern that has a little bit of a break in it. Here goes……
Oh yeah, that first one is in 4/4 but the left hand is doing a dotted quarter things….
UPDATE! Bonus 3 pattern added……
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