Please critique me

[Manos]

I know you guys are both experienced and straight shooters, so I'd appreciate any criticism you could offer of this recording (my playing, not the recording quality/process):

Drum thing

[Derek DeFields]

Looks like I'm first. [img]cool.gif[/img]

1st comment; thanks for putting your playing up for us to check out. That takes balls even though I find HOD to go out of it's way to be nice about giving criticism. I'll try to keep that tradition going here. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

First suggestion would be the solo format. I'd recommend doing this again with more of a groove going. I think the fill ideas would work better if broken up by some sort of consistent time feel. As it stands, it can end up sounding a little stilted or segmented at times. The whole thing might breathe a bit more with a couple grooves to break it up. They don't even HAVE to be simple grooves, but I do think that stating some very strong time would go a long way.

double bass? at the end sounded pretty nice in a couple spots. Hard to tell what's DB and what's your low tom sometimes due to some tape? distortion.

I for one would be interested in hearing your 2nd take on this once the peanut gallery has finished commenting. Thanks again for posting your playing!

[XNavyDrummer]

Cool! Thanks for posting your playing.

Some nice ideas. I'd recommend really concentrating on your doubles for your hands and your feet. Contrast the sound of your doubles with one foot on the kick vs. your singles with two feet. The double bass stuff with two feet sounds pretty good with nice full strokes of the beaters. Your doubles on the kick with one foot sound like they're "compressed" where the second stroke of the double isn't getting as full of a stroke as possible. By getting a good full stroke on the second beat of the double, your playing will become more precise and cleaner. This will lead to greater speed in the long run. Basically, the same thing goes for the double strokes with your hands. Try go get a good full stroke for the second beat of the doubles. It sounds like you're gripping the stick too tight between the thumb and first finger.

Check out the Weckl and Smith videos where they discuss technique for the hands and feet.

Good luck!

Andy

[ashio nz]

Mmmmm...peanuts...mmmmm.

Nice little solo. I agree though with Derek about having a groove as a basis for your solo. I think soloing within a song needs to state the same/similar theme to what is being played but, when you solo 'cold', a basic groove or feel is what gets the listeners attention.

Sounds like you have some agility around the set and the singles sounded good. I would just experiment with different groove ideas and expand on those.

The basis, for me, when I consider solos (I hate playing them!) is 'what am I really trying to say'?

Keep it up! How long have you been playing?

[shedder]

thanks for posting manos. sounds good. i agree with derek and andy on this one, especially about the double strokes. the second stroke can be stronger. it's more obvious when you go to your hihat. maybe try doing this once more with a click and a bit more time playing. you can hear for yourself how clean or unclean you are with time. good luck.

i'm glad you didn't make the mistake of saying you can blow on the set like vinnie all day. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[Dazzler]

You've obviously been working hard as it's clear that you've got good technique and chops, but I personally don't get what you are trying to say with this solo. If you played it wanting opinions on your speed/had & foot technique, then that's fine. I'm probably not the best person to analise your single stokes as there are people on this forum who will do a better job of that than me, but I'm more interested in your thought process when you sat down at the kit.
One thing that I did notice is a lack of structure, you simply started, got all your chops out and stopped. As has been previously been remarked, the element of structure or form is very important. If you DO want this solo to be a 'display of technique' then what about starting with a rhythmic idea/pattern, developing it, experimenting with it, seeing where it leads you and then at some point returning to it so the listener has an idea of a start middle and recapitulation, as in classical sonata form. Stating a theme that the listener can recognise is a good idea too.
On the other hand, don't be afraid to start with a rhythm. Establishing a groove can really grab ones attention as if it's played well will make the listener think 'yeah, this is funky!'. You can then go from there. Some of our favourite soloists will sing a tune in their head while they're soloing. This will give a really clear structure and form to the solo as they change timbres for the A & B sections of the song. (Check out Gadd's In Session video when he plays Bye Bye Blackbird with brushes on a tape box!).
I think that as I said, you have been working hard on technique and it is quite impressive, but for me it needs tidying up and structure. Finally, if I can share a quote from Steve Jordans new DVD.... "Simplicity doesn't mean stupidity." [img]graemlins/music.gif[/img]

[Manos]

Thanks everyone for the input thus far. I definitely agree with everything being said, and I should have laid down more of a groove. In my head, I had a riff that I was playing over, but apparently no one else can hear what I'm thinking [img]wink.gif[/img] .

As for how long I've been playing, I'll have played for 3 years in November.

[numeroUnoHODfan]

Sounds good, Man(os)...

at first hearing I already figured out the influece for the hi-hat pattern(s) - can anyone say "Vinnie's 20-minute clinic solo from the board?"
Nicely interpreted, by the way.
Perhaps the groove in your head would have been more emphasized thru a better room/mic mix, but I can sure hear them fine fine ghost notes on that prevalent snare drum of yours...

What kit was that on, by the way? And cymbals?

Anyway, it is clear you've woodshedded, but in agreement with the rest of the critiques here, with particular attention to the very first two, we'd love to hear from ya a month from now just to see if you take these critiques with you to the practice room... [img]wink.gif[/img]

Ciao

[Derek DeFields]

Sounds to me like Vinnie ripped that hi-hat pattern from David Garibaldi on "Soul Vaccination" (sp?)

[FlamTriplet]

The solo needs some groove. It also needs time to be stated more clearly. Having a high hat play quarters against your fills would make it more legitimate.
As far as phrasing goes, your right hand and bass drum seem to be locked together. You need to work on linear phrasing, as every bass drum has a crash connected to it.
Also, when you play your LH doubles on the snare, they are much quieter than the hihat--you need to adjust your dynamics so they blend better.

A four bar groove with the hihat barks would make it better. The double bass needs tightening up, especially when you are playing fills on top of it.

Overall, the solo, with some work, has some potential.