COUNTRY GIG

[PETE84]

Hey everyone. Just wondering if anyone could help me out with some tips. So I got the call to fill in for this country gig; two two hour shows and I just wanted to make sure I had all of the basics down. Shuffle is no problem but other things I've heard I should know are the Ray Price shuffle and a two beat feel. If someone could describe these for me and give me any other tips it would be greatly apprecitated. By the way Steve and everyone else who posts, thanks for keeping a young drummer way out here in a VERY COLD Minnesota updated! Thanks.

[XNavyDrummer]

A country guy showed me this two-beat thing a while back and whenever I play in a country situation the country guys seem to dig it. Play it with both hands on the snare.

R = right hand
L = left hand
B = both hands (not a flam)

RRBL RRBL RRBL RRBL

You can think of it as a string of eighth notes. Try it with brushes and with sticks.

[chris perra]

i believe a two beat , is like a 2 step. i could be wrong , terminoligies vary from region to region. i think of it like a polka but it's swung a tiny bit. country shuffles vary a little bit by the degree of flams you get between the hands. this gives a fatter or thinner sound that can shape the groove. this helps you play longer or shorter note lengths. country is considered basic, but what makes it hard to do well is the length of the notes you play and how they sit with the bass player.

chris perra

[FuseU1]

Good posts, Andy & CP!

Chris is right when he says that...

Country [just like any other musical form, really], is about the TIME [pocket], & the time as it relates to the musicality of the from of the tune...common sense, really...attentiveness to the form/arrangement...
LESS is MUCH MORE [unless it's a very aggressive country-rock type tune, a' la' a lot of Charlie Daniel's stuff] - but even still, the notes [or "lix"] u DO play have to be relative & pertinent musically to the song & players AROUND you [i know - "duh" [img]wink.gif[/img] ]...
I realize that i'm not giving u any specifics here [Andy's was a nice one; there r other variations AW]; but the best thing i could tell ya to do is turn on your popular local country radio station [there IS at least 1 to 3 in every port these daze!!!] & pay close att to what the musicians r doing, esp the drummer, of course - try recording a tape at random, or turn on CMT & set your vcr on record & tape 6-8 hrs of the stuff, & listen to some of it [as long as your stomach can handle SOME of it [img]wink.gif[/img] ! - just kiddin', lol]...if it's a corny tune u can't handle, tune out the lyrics/vocals if u can & listen to what the players r doing...modern country radio has some of the strictest attention to time you've ever heard [it's often referred to these days as "80's lite-or-moderate-rock w a twang"]....
Just approach it as Jeff Porcaro would; better yet, Larrie Londin [who WAS the Jeff of country, IMO; as is Eddie Bayers, Lonnie Wilson, Paul Leim, Steve Turner, Greg Morrow, etc - the "A-list" Nashv studio cats]...
Good "luck"!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 28, 2003 02:38 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[Vdrummer]

Can you explain what the Ray Price shuffle is? I haven't heard of it. Thanks!