island magic

[mcraeh]

ive been working with with weckl cont. drummer plus one off and on for years but island magic seems to get me thinking i really suck. anybody have any suggestions on how they worked on this would be great. also,i dont know if most of you read but i am pretty weak at it and wondering how much this comes in play when playing more complex music and if it eases the learing process.

thanks!!!

[Randy walker]

Reading comes into play on certain gigs. If I get called to say work with an oldies act, which you only get maybe an hour or 2 for a rehearsal then do the show. Or, if you are doing TV/film dates. Maybe if you are doing casual dates reading out of the fake book, but then that's usually just chord stuff and not drum notation.
Reading can only make you a better playing, it will open up so much more possibilities in your playing and getting around the kit in different ways.

As to working on Island Magic, break it down into sections that are tough, play them slowly until you are comfortable with the sticking and getting around the set. Then, bring it up and play to the track.

[mcraeh]

Thanks Randy, i will try that!! any tips on learing to read? there are no good teachers where i live and will pretty much have to do it on my own.

[Randy walker]

where do you live?

Stick Control, Frank Briggs Complete Modern Drumset is a great book as is Joe Porcaros book.

Franks' book is great for starting with hands and bringing it to the drumset, using rudiments in functional settings, Joe's book does this too.
Again, start slow, bring up in speed slowly.
Taking a simple 6 stroke roll or a paradiddle and using that around the set. Novak uses the paradiddle all the time around the kit.

Here's 1 to try, RLRRLRFFRLRRLRFF
SSSSTTKKTSSSTTKK

So, S=snare T=toms K=kicdrum orF=kicdrum

[Randy walker]

In Raleigh there is 2112 and the Indoor Storm. Billy Cuthrell has a teaching place in the area too, can probably contact him thru Indoor Storm which used to be the Music Loft.
http://www.progressivepercussion.homestead.com

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 14, 2004 01:26 PM: Message edited by: Randy Walker ]</font>

[FuseU1]

It is as RW says about the tune IM, & what he & Pedro say about learning materials.

Take each section & break it down & work it up slowly. Remember, this is an "advanced" tune.

Weckl recommends using his "half-time method" of counting [for my lack of a better name description]. For instance, instead of counting the "head" in 7 as 7/8 or 14/16ths [putting the 1's right after the e of 4], try counting as if it were "half-time" [half of that time], like
assigning a 1/4-note type count to the 8ths, as:
1 & 2 & 3 (e) & / 1...
Assign that count [immed. above] to the 8th note count, instead of counting each 8th note as "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 / 1..."
So, here the 2 would now be the "&" [as in the "1/2time ct, further above], the 3 would be the 2, the 4 would be the "&" again, the 5 would be the 3, the 6 an "e," & the 7 an "&," again.

I hope that helps & doesn't confuse you [img]confused.gif[/img] [img]eek.gif[/img] [img]redface.gif[/img] ;c)

The drumsolo - don't even worry about that yet. That is a very advanced solo in mostly 7 [if i recall correctly; haven't listened to it in a good while.], where [if memory serves me correctly] i think he plays over the bar lines & such, to a pre-played or pre-programmed percussion "ostinato" part that he did, behind it [congas, bongos, & such]. Just concentrate on the form of the tune for now.

Remember, Weckl is a very advanced player, in fact, 1 of the best. And he's a very good sight-reader. It didn't just come overnight for him, either. We're just seeing the "final product" [of YEARS of practice & dilligence]. Let him inspire you, not discourage you. Work on it diligently, little by little, & it will start coming to you. I'm sure it "comes to you" already.

I used to get both discouraged AND inspired when i listened to Vinnie & Weckl, early on. Up to that point, the depth of my understanding stopped at Peart. So, you can imagine the "culture shock" that i received. But now, i let it mostly inspire me, as I've learned A LOT by continuing to listen to Vinnie & Weckl over all these years. What you are feeling is not so much any different than most if not all of us. It's how you handle it that will "make or break it." [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

Keep your chin up, & keep practicing! Keep up the good work! Don't be so hard on yourself as to discourage, but to drive you to learn & practice more. Give yourself a chance [& "time" to accomplish ;c) ]. You will "find yourself" in it. And you'll do just fine.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 14, 2004 02:59 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[XNavyDrummer]

Island Magic....hmmmmm, the one in 7. That definitely took some time to work up. If I'm remembering correctly, the snare was mostly on 3 and 7.

If you can set up a metronome or drum machine in 7 and practice grooving and soloing starting at slow tempos, that would be helpful. As you get more comfortable gradually increase the tempo.

And yes, the reading really helps, even if you're not playing in a lot of reading situations, going through the process of learning to read/write and transcribe various rhythms can really help you conceptualize the challenging stuff.

Good luck!

[FuseU1]

Andy, I think the 2nd snare is usually on the "&" right b4 the 7 in 7/8 [the 16th right b4 the 7 when counted that way], if my mem serves me [actually, i think he probably alternates between both]...but I'll have to go back & check...I might be proved wrong on that one... [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 15, 2004 02:57 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[Pedro G]

The Vic Firth site has some exelent lessons that may help you with the reading [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/fe...hythms/01.html

[mcraeh]

Thanks Randy and Pedro!!!