Jazz Drumming

[five eight]

I agree, Steve said it all. That was the best explanation of how to play jazz drums I've EVER read. Eloquent, to say the least, Mr. Holmes. You should turn that one in to MD for paper publication. Call it Jazz Rant too.

And that's THE SHIT folks.

[FuseU1]

Great question, Clint, & some great responses... BTW; don't apologize for your "?" - & "ignorance" is only "ignorance" if it remains that way [or some BS like that; u guys know whut ah mean [img]wink.gif[/img] ]...

...now THAT, my friends, was what'cha call a real TOPIC. [...so there's no point in my adding to it... & "'Dat indeed IS da SCHIDD"]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 03, 2003 01:41 AM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[erskoman]

Hey gang ... lots of excellent answers and advice here. Bravo. I would only add that jazz, like any other music (but even more so, in a way!), is a language. And, just like plunking yourself down in the middle of Moscow, it would help to know a bit of the local language beforehand ... and although you might get some vocabulary out of a book, it's in the LISTENING where you really hear and find out what's going on.


So ... it makes almost no sense to try to play jazz on any instrument without actively listening to the music, its language and tradition. And it makes no sense to re-invent the wheel when it has already been done so well by poeple like Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Mel Lewis, et al ...

and it's an exciting journey. Once you start checking out what one of those guys is doing with his left hand on the snare drum, combined with the bass drum and hi-hat while the right hand is swinging away on the ride cymbal, then you'll discover by further listening how this comping (acCOMPaniment; COMPlement; COMPosing?) is interacting to and being fed by what the soloist is doing, or what the bass player is doing, or what the pianist is doing, or what the arrangement is doing ...!

As our good friend Dr. Frankenstein once said: "It's a-LIVE ...!"

coupled with Mr. Ellington's advice: "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing ..."

you'll be in business soon enough!

HAVE FUN.

- Peter Erskine [img]graemlins/music.gif[/img]

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for the valuable insight Peter! How did the LACMA gig go? I wanted to make it but could not.

[BennyAndTheSkins]

Yeah, as far as bop, and in alot of respects big band drumming, a teacher told me that you should be able to kick the band in the ass with a drumstick, and a 22" ride cymbal - everything else is complementary to the ride cymbal. Listen to Buddy - he is SO agressive, it's like he's pissed off at the band (he probably was half the time [img]wink.gif[/img] ) He just drives them with that ride cymbal - same with Tony Williams. I've heard stories of him cracking a 24" ride cymbal! That's why I can't play a 20" ride cymbal - It just feels like there's nothing there when you go to ride on it - no nice deep wash that you can ride over, like there is with my 22" K Custom Medium.

[FuseU1]

... i have a [Zildjian A Custom 20" Projection] ride cymb from h*ll... there's NO stopping it... washy; & da ping'll kill ya... ]... good for that hangover that that ego'ed-out frontman has... or for that bassist who's falling asleep because he was up all night for whatever reason that only makes sense in his own mind... [Ok, i know i sound like a novice R&R'er now! [img]wink.gif[/img] ]...
Now, for all you bi*chy, whiny gtrsts & keybrdsts; i also have that nice, sharp, trashy china... NOW all i need is a good PICCOLO to REALLY complete the angst / tee y'all off [when ya try to out volume da drummer wif yo amps & such & whutnat [img]wink.gif[/img]
Statement: ..."but those drums are TOOOO loud!"
Response: ... "then go join a bluegrass band, & forget about contempo music altogether [ESP pop & rock], or find a new career"... OK, i'm goin' off... ;=) [btw - drums are not always played at 1 vol, "fortississimo" ;=)]
...ah, yes - da "good ole daze" [img]eek.gif[/img] ... do i wanna go back?: [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img] nope...

OK, seriously - AFA the jazz thing, all the posts; dan, ben; & SH & PE also said it best [didja think it'd be anything but?]
It's as they all said - it's DEF the ride, as my old teacher, Dave Hardman, [a fine jazz-&-latin drummer who played w/ Woody Herman, orchestras, etc, AND who turned me on early to guys like Joey Barron & Jeff Hamilton] used to say; & everything else is "incidental"... [of course, by this statement, this does not mean that your LH/BD/[& often] HH "comping" is simply a bunch of random, arhythmical cack; on the contrary]... but in order to be great at this comping [esp. modern-contempo jazz], the ride swing focus is 1st & foremost... i actually feel like i'm just BEGINNING to swing the way it's supposed to be heard; & listening to lots of jazz is an integral way to "get it"....

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 03, 2003 05:39 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[Clintuplet]

Incredible insight that only you guys can offer. Thank you oh so much!!!! On top of it all, Peter Erskine offers his wealth of knowledge. You gotta love the internet. Thanks again.

[no_bells]

I always felt that Peter Erskine said it all in regards to comping: "Say what you mean, mean what you say". Classic.