I've just got back from doing a session in London - a film for HBO in The States called Mrs Harris and it was very interesting. We did 3 tracks all to click and all of which were stylistically completely different. The first one was an arrangement of 'Crying' by Roy Orbison and required a simple 'rim rock' pattern, although that is easier said than done as it was very slow and required good, solid, confident time. The second was a sort of 'street mexican/samba feel' (not very descriptive -sorry!) which I played brushes on snare and toms and the last was an arrangement of Caravan: Swung toms in the verse and a loose swing feel on the bridge.
It struck me today why I love doing what I do and why making such diverse music is such a pleasure and yet such an utter discipline.
If I may, I'd like to introduce a topic called 'Knowing the music' as I found that having a broad knowledge and all encompasing repetoire of styles is so very important. When thrown into a studio situation where you are simply handed a chart and then have just one playback to get the vibe of the track, knowing and understanding the music is vital. All the chops in the world mean absolutely nothing. Fast doubles on a bass drum or blistering singles are about as much use as 3 colour blind hedgehogs in a bag!
What IS vital however is having massive ears, good, strong solid time, empathy, musianship and an understanding of style.
I was working today with a phoenominal percussionist (Paul Clarvis) which through something else into the equation as I knew that when laying down the takes, I had to stay out of his territory and be aware of his sounds and space too. It was clear that in such a high pressure recording situation, the ego is left at the door along with all the chops, singles and blushdas (!) and what is cordially invited to the party is taste, musicianship and a MASSIVE pair ears. Now I'm off to make love to my metronome.... timekeeping is EVERYTHING!
Great post. That really keeps things in perspective, when the focus is getting to be more and more how much of a freak someone is behind the kit, with how fast their double bass, singles, etc... are.
"Music is not a track and field event" - Billy Ward.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Here here Benny! Please don't get me wrong, I'm not a philistine and love displays of chops, metric modulations and what have you, but personally I'm a musician first and a drummer second. I DON'T have the fastest hands and will definitely get blown away by guys who stay in their bedroom all day practising technique, but I just wanted to post this for my affirmation as much as anything.Great post. That really keeps things in perspective, when the focus is getting to be more and more how much of a freak someone is behind the kit, with how fast their double bass, singles, etc... are.
"Music is not a track and field event" - Billy Ward
I'm smiling hard here Benny, especially after seeing "a monster double bass chops guy" last night... [img]wink.gif[/img]
Actually, LA Danny & I were having this very discussion last night. LAD was saying how recording himself has really put himself under the microscope and then we went to Vinnie in the early years as a wild man and how the studio apparently tamed him. Doing a take and then listening to it under the microscope really takes a lot of security in oneself. There is an interesting character to guys who spend a lot of time in the studio--in short, a deep confidence. I catch this in Jeff P in just about any audio clip I've heard of him. These type of drummers are a lot like actors in that they see parts of themself most simply do not. When was the last time you saw yourself walking down your driveway? What your butt looks like, how your shoulders square off? We are largely unaware of ourselves. Actors and drummers who are recorded "see" themselves a lot and can work on various parts. In my life experience, most people (myself included for the most part) are timid and defensive about critisicm, to the point that it control negatively.
It struck me today why I love doing what I do and why making such diverse music is such a pleasure and yet such an utter discipline...If I may, I'd like to introduce a topic called 'Knowing the music'
Weel said! I would also add that "knowing the music" is also a lot about "knowing thyself" especially if "...the ego is left at the door."
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whoa, damn right, and excellently worded! Buying an SM57 and a cheap mixer was easily the most important peice of kit that I've ever owned. I learned more about my drumming (especially my faults) in the space of an hour than I've done in around 3 years!Originally posted by PocketPlayer:
[QB]
Actually, LA Danny & I were having this very discussion last night. LAD was saying how recording himself has really put himself under the microscope and then we went to Vinnie in the early years as a wild man and how the studio apparently tamed him. Doing a take and then listening to it under the microscope really takes a lot of security in oneself. There is an interesting character to guys who spend a lot of time in the studio--in short, a deep confidence. I catch this in Jeff P in just about any audio clip I've heard of him. These type of drummers are a lot like actors in that they see parts of themself most simply do not. When was the last time you saw yourself walking down your driveway? What your butt looks like, how your shoulders square off? We are largely unaware of ourselves. Actors and drummers who are recorded "see" themselves a lot and can work on various parts. In my life experience, most people (myself included for the most part) are timid and defensive about critisicm, to the point that it control negatively.
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 31, 2004 03:33 PM: Message edited by: neber_dude ]</font>
Here, here.
Excellent posts. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]
Again:
-------------------
..."Drumming comes down to time, groove, & listening [the ear]."
..."Agility & technique is about teaching your limbs to obey your ears."
..."First of all, there's time...period...it's about time, time, time, time, & more, - time. There's time - and then there's time. And groove. I can't express how much it's just all about the time." [And I would also add "musicality in accompaniment," but then that's understood; the quote meant that anyway; it's a given. [img]wink.gif[/img] ]...
..."James Taylor has a song called, 'The Secret of Life [is Enjoying the Passage of Time],' and that is IT. You have to love the space in between your notes more than you love your playing. You better just love & cherish every moment between those notes."
- Billy Ward, MDF '00
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 31, 2004 06:00 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Brilliant! where did you get that from Fuse?..."Agility & technique is about teaching your limbs to obey your ears."
They are all quotes from drummer Billy Ward in his segment from the Modern Drummer Festival 2000 DVD. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]
Fantastic! Well that says it all as far as I'm concerned Fuse mate [img]graemlins/music.gif[/img]
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ February 01, 2004 03:25 AM: Message edited by: Dazzler ]</font>
Couldn't resist this...sorry
Gadd Interview MD Jan 2004
John Riley: How did you develop that deep, relaxed pocket? Did you have a method for practicing it?
Gadd: I think it's a matter of being aware of it...[I] was in a situation where I had the chance to record and hear it back. That's a tremendous education right there, because there are a lot of things you do that get very creative and exciting, and you think they sound great, but on playback you can tell it's jumbled up and not easy for the listener to understand. So you go back and simplify things and you find out that it's a lot more understandable when you leave some space. So being in the studio and hearing things back was a good education??
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