Bass Drum Technique?

[Brett Lobben]

Hey Everyone-

For many different reasons I have been having my students transcribe, chart out, and play along to old soul tunes such as Hold On I?m Coming and Soul Man. What I?ve noticed is that a majority of the kids really struggle with locking in the bass drum parts of those songs. For those that might not know, the grooves are basically counted:

1 + 2 ah3 + 4 ah1 etc.

It is what I have started to call the ?Aretha Beat? because so many of her tunes, as well as a ton of other tunes from this period, have that same killer groove. It is the 16th notes on the end of beats 2 and 4 that are the problem. What I?m wondering is if anyone has any specific concepts, exercises, ideas that you have found helpful in getting bass drum technique happening. I know that the larger problem simply that they just aren?t spending the time on it. The funny thing is that they?ll work on hand technique all day but then overlook the feet. Overall, having them play along to this music had been great because it opens up their ears to a genre of music that is, most of the time, totally new to them. Also, it does wonders for their time, feel, and groove. Plus, learning how to chart out a tune is a very valuable tool for learning tunes quickly. (Yes, I think knowing how to read is important! [img]wink.gif[/img] )

See the new issue of DRUM for a great article on learning tunes

I love this site and have been checking it out for quite some time. I don?t know about the rest of you, but it has become quite a compulsion. Gotta get my HOD!

Best,
Brett

[hanayalator]

You could give them some simple excersises to work on basic bass drum technique. I know I had a ton of stuff to work on from "syncopation" in those early years. I think the trouble they might be having is where the notes are landing, it's not perfectly quantized. The only way to get around this is to practice to the record over and over again until you can hear it. Something that my teacher told me that really helped out was to pretend to be the drummer on the record, and when you can't hear him anymore (so that you're lining up perfectly) you're him!

[peter c]

One of the great things to do,
in my opinion, is what Virgil
suggests and that is do every-
thing on both feet.

All patterns, for the hands, do
them, with the feet, starting
very slowly, of course.

Work on them. Work on them. Work
on them. It will come.

The old R&B tunes are great. I
would do the same, taking them
real slow and working up.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

[Mazzhole]

A technique I've used in the past on young drummers is this. Pull the 3rd part of the groove out and have them play the other 2. Play right hand and right foot.... then left hand and right foot... then right and left hand. Work each of those so the student can get a better feel for how each fits together and "feels". When you feel it's right, or if they are on the edge of boredom, have them drop the third voice in. If it falls apart, work the previous 3 excersizes a bit more. Of course have them count out loud with each excersize. When it comes right down to it, they are developing independence. It's painful for both parties!! I even taught my fiance how play a half dozen grooves this way. She doesn't know the first thing about drums either. Good luck! JM

[XNavyDrummer]

Good point hanayalator!

There's a lot of stuff out there that (thankfully!) is not quantized. When you try to play along with it after dutifully working out with the metronome you find that what your playing just doesn't fit. Another example of non-quantized stuff is Stewart Copeland's version of reggae where the groove is clearly not straight eighths and it's not strict triplets either, but somewhere in-between. Another example is some Latin music that I've heard (is that your experience Peter C?). One more would be some folk music where if you play strict eighth notes, it'll clash with the slightly non-quantized strumming of the acoustic guitar.

[peter c]

Andy,

Yes, I think so. It takes a while
to turn things about but slowly,
it can be done.

Good posts, guyz.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

[XNavyDrummer]

Years ago in the Navy, I jammed with some conga players on my ship while out at sea...They played great but man, I just couldn't lock in with what these guys were doing. I realize now that it was this quantization issue.

(Funny how various words wonder into a drummer's vocabulary.)

[LAJazzDrum]

72Drum,

Getting your kids to really understand the placement of the "ah"s on 2 + 4 is really vital, I agree. Maybe the execution of two strokes as close together as "ah 3 ... ah 1" is what is challenging them more than their ears hearing where it should be.
Besides having them practise it really slow, I would recommend having them practice just playing "2", "ah" of 2, "4" and "ah" of 4. When you're used to playing on the downbeats and strong subdivisions almost exclusively, playing an idea that starts on an "ah" is enough of a challenge without also needing to work on your double-stroke bass chops at the same time.

[peter c]

Continued great suggestions.

If I can add on again, I also
believe strongly in the idea of
turning beats around but while
still feeling the 1 and 3's.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

[cjbdrm]

Repetition! Repetition! Repetition!

Simplify the problem.

The problem is between the right hand and right foot.

Prescribe these exercises to deal with this problem:

1a) eighth notes on hi-hat, samba pattern on kick: Play this pattern slowly with a metronome, then play it along with the song in it's entirety.

1b) same thing but accent upbeats on hi-hat.

2) same thing but with hi-hat ostinato playing |x_xx|

3) alternating eighth and sixteenth notes(RFRF, FRFR) played with a metronome, then with the song in it's entirety.

4) unison eighths or sixteenths with a metronome and with the song again if possible.

note: There's a slight 'swing' feel to the sixteenths on these grooves. Are these guys not locking with themselves or not locking in with the music? They'll have to swing it a little to really lock in with the music.

5) for swing feel(advanced):, play jazz ride ostinato with 'swung' samba BD pattern(BD notes will sound 'tighter' or closer together).

If their bass drum foot is not that strong, they can of course just play "ah 3" and "ah 1" on bass drum for all the hi-hat ostinato exercises.

You also might want to have them just play a jazz ride pattern on the hi-hat(only- no kick or snare) for the entire song to get the 'feel'.

Practicing along to music I find keeps one from getting bored from a monotonous exercise. It also helps develop 'feel'.

BTW- "Hold on I'm Comin'" has one of the funkiest grooves ever recorded! What makes it work is when the hi-hat doubles the kick drum part on "ah-3" and "ah-1". That groove is DEEP!


Hope this helps...