Bring Back The Rhythm

Aaron Leaves, Daniel Steps In

2010-08-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

I got some footage of Daniel Davison playing with Underoath on this last Cool Tour.

There's a new song in there..

Don't judge, I recorded and edited it with the iPhone 4. iMovie needs to step up it's features...

Good Drum Tones for Europe Shows

2010-03-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've been teching for Mr. Gillespie now since last summer. When out of the country or flying out to a spot date I can usually get a hold of a Truth kit. His newest tour kit set has mahogany shells with maple reinforcement hoops, rounded edges, and die cast rims. When we fly out, I'm not always so ablidged with great vintage sounding shells.. I hope to get maple as a second best option.

I'm firm believer in coated heads. Evans E2's for the toms and a Remo Emperor X for the snare. But one thing that keeps the sounds consistent with whatever gets tossed in the mix are moon gels and gaff tape. I practically can't live without them. With the mixture of coated heads, moon gel, and gaff I seem to acheive the warm "thuddy" and dry tones Aaron digs. The drum tones start to really settle once they've been stretched and worn in a bit... Usually by soundcheck .. Then I spot tune and lug lock.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I Like The Anticipation Then Fake Out

2009-08-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

..of Brooks Wackerman.

Yes, even punk rock can be musical. I've been watching Bad Religion's set about every other night and waiting for the one time that he might actually follow the anticipation and go into half time.... But he never does. It's awesome. What a great drummer...

Rebound

2009-06-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

If we must use a metaphor, bouncing a basket ball being the visual aid. Understanding the basic function of the ball-to-hand motion is necessary before anything else.

Like a lot of practices we sometimes forget about the basics. I watch a lot of modern drummers who didn't learn a few physical concepts that could lead them to the next level of playing faster than they think. One being rebound. A balance of the give and take of the player to the drum.

Most concepts are similar to this in the sense that you can use a single drum or drum pad to work through it. The two mistakes I see are swinging the stick down like throwing a heavy rock down into a puddle and with a undeveloped loose grip. The other is a bit more like stabbing the drum. This is usually pairs up with a tense player. Both make you work at playing drums way more than needed. And usually leaves the heads damages. Dented and punctured.

Like bouncing a basket ball down the court, you're letting the rebound of the bounce work with you, not against you.

This allows the drum to "sing" or resonate. And you'll be playing drums for a lot longer.

It Just Doesn't Make Sense

2009-03-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

"Sorry no dynamics allowed"- v-drums

Vivaldi's Inspiration

2009-03-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

In my constant search for being more rhythmically inclined I also have this other need that tags along.

To be musical.

I started tapping into one of my favorite classical composers portfolio. Amongst the normal mundane but well needed practice I do of rudiments and mechanical drumming, I have this other head space that needs attention. It's the same space that gets me together with other players to spontaneously collaborate. But I don't get that opportunity too often.

Vivaldi has always had a great feel and movement to his writing along with very memorable melodic phrasing. But no set player behind him. He seems to be invisible. So I turned my 'required' drumming knob and turn up the 'spastic creative' knob as I call it. Stay in tempo of course (I don't choose tracks that are free-flow or fluctuate too much), and engage myself in the moments of spontaneity..

Having Some Road Remedies.

2009-03-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

'Cause sometimes you don't know what you're going to get..

The last few shows on this European trip have been kind of an adventure one might say. I flew out merely with sticks, a click track, and some tuning keys. Everything else has been provided by the venue or promoter.

Uncharted territories. Unnerving. I've honed in on some quick remedies..

Let me share..

Because I haven't been sure what equipment to expect, I lean heavily on my minimalist set up. Crash, ride, and hi-hats will do. A rack and floor, snare and single kick. Anything else is a plus.

Most cases, there hasn't been a lot of time to check so I focus on tuning snare and toms. I don't leave out the kick drum, I just leave it to check toward the end because it's usually a quicker fix. Unless it totally sounds out and the tension on both heads aren't too tight, I make sure there is enough punch and the heads are padded with a towel or pillow of sorts, touching both sides. I then check on how it sounds from out front of the kit. I'll wait until another drummers playing it to give it a final tune. Oh and if I really don't have anything else.. a hoodie sweatshirts come in real handy.

With all the drums, I treat tuning heads like a guitar player would his strings. Loose to tight.. That is if I'm having to start over from scratch. I'm noticing most guys who have lent me their kit, crank their snares so high that there is barely any sgnificant 'crack' or depth left. So I've found myself de-tuning often.

Gaff tape has become my greatest ally. It's been hard to get a hold of moon gel consistently, which I prefer. Its easy to run out of it. But usually sound men have gaff tape lying around and cheap to buy. It usually takes a small strip to take the edge off a tom or snare that has loads of ring. I still try and let the drum resonate. If it's an old head that is beat to death, it will need more tape. Those drums can sound like a dying child without 'deadening' them first. Hope you understand the seriousness of that redundant statement.

By the way, I've been borrowing a certain female guitar player's PINK gaff tape... whatever works!

I try to grab the largest cymbals because even if I don't hit them super hard I want them to wash out well. I do a fait amount of cymbal rolls and washing in the set and that just doesn't sound good on a smaller high pitched crash that are the size of my hi-hats. If a crash or ride has been cracked I can't do much with it. If the top hi-hat are broken I'll flip them around.

The other night I received a snare and the throw-off was held down by a girls hair band... so I grabbed another available snare, then 16" then 12" toms. The snare and toms were black with a sparkle kick drum and the hi-hats were practically two separate splashes put together.

Build-A-Kit!

On a side note, I've been becoming accustom to smaller lower set toms and crashes. In a small club or venue I don't have to play as intense and I'm usually more relaxed with my grooves and fills. In this particular pop rock setting, its been important to stay agressive, but also know how to get the same sound without overplaying. The band isn't overpowered, and that's importnat for a vocally strong band.. It usually means less arm for me.. more wrist.

So that's possitive.

Click, Sticks, and Kicks

2009-02-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

I always come back to having a good warm up. Using the click. Making sure everything is smooth sounding, my wrist are loose, arm and leg muscles stretched and relaxed.

If this isn't the case, then nothing behind the kit makes sense..

This week it was playing 8th and 16th notes with sticks and kicks. 130-180 bpm

The Shuffle

2009-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

I've had the chance recently to play in some more "jam-like" atmospheres. Which is refreshing in a sense to not have to learn a full set, go out and play it and be done. A chance to stretch my muscles.

A fellow drummer and I got together. Having a great groove and feel as our main believe, we started there. Arriving to 'the shuffle', one that Todo is famous for, I was reminiscent of how the shuffle is an ever-defining skill.

The shuffle carries it's own sense of gravity. If you're not too careful, it can trap you in an uneven mess. Frankly in it's nature, is not even per say. The 8th note being swung, can be easily misinterpreted and rush the entire groove.

That said. The only way I ever locked into the shuffle was through going slow, making that feel right, then bumping up the tempo. I see a lot of drummers have phasing problems between kick, ghost notes, and hi-hat. In Zoro's book on R&B drumming he's got some general shuffle grooves that really help build a foundation. I used this recently as a guide to warm-up and refine some things.

Most importantly, I've found it's always smart to start slow, steady, and simplify, then add the tricks when you know you're solid.

Sidenote: The music lingo world needs a new word for jam. Let's use something along the lines of spontaneously collaborating. Anyone else?

The Rock Time Zone

2009-01-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

I was thinking through some different styles I've played recently, either on drums or my iPod. I think feel can be unawaringly uninvited sometimes. Between styles like folk, jazz, rock, ect there has to be a certified specific approach with a drummer's feel. And, the feel of the other players..

I entered the discussion of touching on how each style works. Jazz is different from folk is different form rock and then swing and so forth. Country drummers lay back on everything. Jazz guys keep the ride steady, but kick and snare are used more like axillary percussion half the time. Rock guys on the other hand just "lay down the law" so to speak. The ground work. Solid. The accountability. These words come to mind.

Since rock records have advanced in a sense of heavier production, most of the them lock the band in to one 'time space' I'll call it for now. No 'breath' between instruments. Weather the rock drummer has a "behind the beat feel" or plays "on top", (usually on top), the band is right there not straying from every hit. It may sound tight, but the reality of the band 'breathing' doesn't exist.

When you listen to a Led Zeplin record the guitars totally take off at times, ahead of the beat, and that's because they probably tracked it playing live in the studio. Now, I don't endorse leaving a bad take in a final recording, by all means, get good takes!! Don't be sloppy. But, when it comes to the feel of rock, guitar players are going to push, bass players should lay back, and drummers shouldn't budge the groove or tempo. It's everyone's job to play and listen 'to' the drummer as well as 'with' him. Oh right, the singers.... well, they've never been ones for tempo.

So if you're way into Travis Barker lets say, and like to push the tempo, cool. Just stay consistent with it. If you're a big ol' classic rock John Bottom kind of guy and like to stretch that pocket wide open. Sweet. Stick to it. Don't fluctuate. I'll beat you up.

jk. but seriously.

Sometimes Its Simply About Keeping Time

2009-01-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

I sat in at a church last month. I have a friend in rotation to lead worship that gave me a call. Normally in these cases I familiarize myself with the songs and the arrangements before the day comes. Only one rehearsal the morning of... No rocket science here.

Turns out the arrangements were pretty straight forward. The song in's and out's weren't hard to follow. Nothing fancy. No busy patterns or breaks. Some fills to lead into the chorus'. Sounds boring right? A test of patience possibly? But, that's what the situation called for, nothing more nothing less. The band just need me to keep time.

I've been apart of several scenarios like this in the past, and plenty of drummers think this is an oportunity to play their favorite fill of the week on every measure, or try to see how many different places in the song they can fit in a splash accent. Reminder: You are not playing for Dave Mathews Band.

Seen this kind of thing yourself? It takes a true intuitive player to just show up and play what the music calls for. Point being. You must lock to the grid! The rest of the band will appreciate tempo over complexity any day...

My Left Foot Became Like An Anchor, for My Right

2008-12-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Today I was brushing up on my right foot, rock chops. Mostly consistent 8th notes around 170-180 bpm.

While making sure every attack with my right foot was solid and at the same velocity, I brought my left foot into every pattern. It's a good test in keeping time, independence, and composure. A good accountability. The trick is to play everything thing you already know, but add the left foot on all the quarters to hold the pulse down. Play it well, and you'll increase your tempo and composure.

Pull out your iPod with a recent favored drum track. Play the song all the way through with your left foot on the quarter pulse (or 8th if it's in 6/8, ect). Don't stop. You should be able to play everything your hands and right foot have been doing all along. Make sure NOT to flam your feet when landing together on the downbeats.

If you are a begginner this may be a more advanced step for you, but since the average drummer's tendancy is to rush, it never hurts to start early in the game. It's in everybody's nature to do this. That's why this is a good thing. To remedy rushing.

Also, If ever I start to fumble, I stop playing with my hands. Play only the kick drum pattern a long with the hi-hat. When that's sounds good, I add my hands back. If it's still pretty rough around the edges, that's when you change your tempo.

A classic rule when focusing on any rhythm is, if you can play it slow, you can play it fast. This generally goes for all musicians. What you're doing is building both mind and body muscles. Think of it like body building. You wouldn't go to the gym and start lifting 250 pounds right away. And if you could, it wouldn't last long. You'd start out at a reasonable weight and build by steadily adding more weights.

Same with rhythm. If the metronome isn't already out, I get it out. Try starting about 10-15 bpm slower. It may be uncomfortable at first, but you're building your strength and composure. Increase the bpm about 5 beats faster at a time.

When you're back to the right tempo of the song you'll notice a HUGE difference. You may even thank me.

This stuff separates the men from the boys, if you know what I mean. The Chefs from the cooks. The pros from the interns. The... ok I'm done.

Christmas Acoustic Set

2008-12-08T23:00:00.000-08:00

I'm doing this short December run with Everlife. Our rehearsals were at a house, and my dynamic wasn't needing to change much once we arrived to the shows. I really find it to be a respectable challenge to stay as minimal as I can when doing acoustic performances.

I felt I only needed one tom along with the kick and snare. hi- hats of course and then my sweet ride, which has a great wash when needed. Some may think it's dumbing down the playing, but I say it's opening up and exploring the different sounds of each drum.

First time I've every used only hot rods (someone needs to find a new name for them) and brushes for an entire set. A shaker appears for one song. So does a ride sizzle. Some rim clicks and heel down kick attacks and hi-hat pulses. Just keeping time and staying musical from here..

Chill-Out and Warm-Up

2008-11-30T12:35:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you've probably found that the analytical brain can be swarmed by over-thinking at times.

When I was younger I was under the impression that it was just about hitting the drums as hard as I could. All the drummers I knew were 5 years older than me and 2X my mass size.

Today, I can still play aggressively, but there's something more important and steady that has to be there as a foundation for the over-thinker and over-player.

Stewart Copeland has a simple, great way of explaining it to this drummer... Hear him out.

The Click

2008-11-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

Use it. Breathe it. Sleep with it. Smell it. Taste it.

Don't eat it.

All tempos.

Getting BIG Rock Flams

2008-11-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

In this video I mention a small contrast between the drum set and the style of a marching drum flam. Focusing really on a simple way of getting your disciplined rudiment to 'sound like you mean it' when playing the drum set.

The general idea of a flam is when one stick hits the drum right before the other upon attacking the same beat. In fact they sound like when you say the "Fl" part of the word flams. (a sort of onomatopoeia)

They are used in most styles, and in rock they are a great extra voice and texture to your fills and sometimes groove.

I had been playing drumset for probably 4 years before I tried out for high school drumline. When I showed up to tryouts, one of the senior drummers saw me practicing a flam exercise on a pad and right a way criticized it. I had been taught decent stick control at the time, but what I was doing was lifting both of my arms way up and coming down on the pad with equal intensity in both. Like I was use to on the kit. Still young.

I was teased a bit. Those were great if you were John Bottom, maybe. But I was going to be playing a really tightly tuned drum that exposed your every attack, not to mention playing with 3-5 others, the same thing at the same time in unison.

It wasn't before too long that I learned to keep the left stick about a half an inch off the drum head and bring the right hand all the way back without lifting my arm and then viza versa when doing a right hand flam.

So here's a video to demonstrate a bit of the two, and you'll feel comforted to know that you can have BIG rocking flams like Dave Grohl and then also flams that won't be having your drum instructor telling you to hit the ground for 25+ push-ups.... That's what I had to do anyway..

At the end of the day it just comes down to having great stick control and knowing the context of what you're playing..

Freese Takes All

2008-11-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Halloween night I got a call from a friend who had an extra ticket to see Ninch Inch Nails at the Summet Center in Nashville, and honestly, I've been a bit of a distant fan of there's over the years, but an appreciator non-the-less.

There was no question, I was going..

Since this was a last minute thing, I was in a state of less expectancy. Oblivious in some sense yet curious. The stage was flat black, simple looking as the house lights were on and we waited.

Lights went down and the full band starts out rocking, lights flashing. The norm of what to expect from a rock show. Halfway through the second song the drummer, out of nowhere, spits out these amazing single stroke 16th note fills that were seamless. "I know that I know this drummer." I couldn't see him clear because we're in a suite on the second level..

Our friend James splirts out the drummers name... no other than Josh Freese.. Of course! He started playing with them back in 2005. Them and everyone else respectable... practically.

It just got better. And better.

What other drummer could come in and play a show like this and be this eclectic? Josh Freese ladies and gentleman. The dude has played on many modern pop and non-pop records you've heard. I'll just let you look him up on wikipedia for the mass discography.

He hit the highs and the lows of the set perfectly. At one point in the set the band plays a musical interlude where the singer is on a marimba and a mod, the guitar player on a xelaphone, there were keys, Freese had a stripped down kit with triggers and a bunch of rad sounding axilery percusion. It ruled. Not to mention that all there drums sounds kick butt.

By the end of the jam, he was playing completely around the beat, but in time. Fills were well placed. One of the best shows I've seen all year.

Drummers, musicians, live music appreciators, if you have a chance to see NIN when they come to town.. make that happen. And Drummers, Freese doesn't disapoint.

I haven't even started talking about how killer the visual aspect of the show were.

But, this being a drum blog, I'll just let you know that it is one of the greatest visual shows that I can ever remember seeing.

Totally worth it. Great band. Great drummer. Makes all the difference.

Looking for more on Freese?
You should check out this Modern Drummer issue, there's a great interview about his session work and how he lays it down for such a collective drummer as himself. Check it.

Listening To Music With Your Whole Body

2008-10-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Let this deaf lady tell you all about it. Kinda cool. Kinda different.

Percussionist | Evelyn Glennie

Independence, Control, and Tempo

2008-10-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

It wasn't until a little over 3 years ago until I really took ownership of training my drum set independence. This is not something to be learned over night. In fact, I still am working on dedicating my whole body and mind to timing when I sit down at the drum set. It's like being an athlete. You're always in training if you want to be the best at what you do.

If you're not quite sure what I mean by the concept of independence, I'm talking about each limb, left and right, hands and feet being connected to you yet with the ability to carry on separate rhythmic patterns all at once, in time. Mouthful... and handful.

Hands and feet are all physically connected to your body. That's easy to understand. But it's important to be capable of carrying on tempo on their own, sometimes all together and with different rudiments and poly-rhythms.

In rock drumming you can sort of escape this idea for a while without having to keep a consistent rhythm with both feet. But in jazz you aren't as fortunate. Neither in bosa nova, samba and other advanced styles/rhythms. But to the rock drummer out there, it can only improve your timing, and also open a door to more creative options.

To be honest, I got thrown out of my element a few years back. At the time I felt pretty comfortable with my timing and feel. Drumline did test my tempo. I thought the four years of a Dr. Beat bleeding out my ears at every rehearsal and having my two feet marking the pulse of almost every notated rhythm I played would do the trick.

While it did help me largly in precision, timing, and playing along with others. When getting back to the drum set, it didn't necessarily remedy my performance 100%.

So when I got the privilege of having a few lessons with Ndugu Chancler, lets just say I had it coming to me. He's played everything practically.

He sat me down at a set of drum pads and had me play quarter notes with my left foot(hi-hat) and on beats 2 and 4 with my right(kick pad). My hands were on the snare pad playing a simple repetitive 8th and 16th note pattern. Needless to say, I was on that throne tackling the same concept with different variations for the whole hour instruction.

Towards the end of the lesson he had me play a roll out of time, yes out of time, while my feet kept the steady pattern in tempo. It was a joke at first. I'd either be playing the roll in a triplet pattern, a 16th note pattern, or I'd just completely biff it and fall apart. My body and frame of mind were so used to trusting my hands for tempo, and mostly my right hand.

Eventually, I got my mind back and focused on the tempo with my feet. And was able to play freely with my hands. Again this is not something that happens over night, but definitely separates the men from the boys when it comes to tempo and control.

So I hand this over to you now. At VicFirth.com they have some free online lessons with many including Ndugu's. You can learn directly from him on these basics that I think all seasoned drummers should eventually acquire.

This particular lesson focuses on feet timing while playing to a click/metronome.

Lesson #7: Foot Technique | Ndugu

This lesson applies what I've been talking about when refering to independence. He uses rudiments on top of the foot patterns, and at one point plays a roll out of time shortly.

Lesson #3: Rudimental Work-Up | Ndugu

You can check out his other online lessons here.

Good luck.

Drum Mentor and Online Lessons

2008-10-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

I am now giving online drum lessons.

With a few requirements like Skype, a webcam, and a computer, I'm giving online lessons to serious drummers looking to venture on to the next step.

Check out my home site at aarontosti.com if you are interested. I talk a little more of my background and what a lesson from me might look like.

I'm exciting about this oportunity!

Diddles and Pu-da-das

2008-09-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Diddles and Pud-da-das

Stewert Copland, one of my favorite drummers of all time, is probably most vivid in my mind for incorporating and stylizing diddles and double strokes into his playing. Unique and one of a kind for that time period. It was usually on his hi-hat mixed in with the reggae feel of the sidestick and kick. The most obvious being The Police song "Walking on the Moon".

Adrian Young, Chad Smith, Carter Beauford, and Tim "Herb" Alexander are all other great drummers that brought this concept to the table for me. Chad Smith would put triplets into his playing and I remember listening closely to distinguish whether they were pu-da-das or not. "Herb" would do the same. And, I'll always remember song "#41" off the album Crash. Carter drenches the hi-hat and ride with these rudiments, but I can't imagine the song with anyone else playing.

So here's an inch of knowledge that you can take to improve your musicality in drum playing. I didn't mention much about stick control, but it plays a role for sure. It's not cool to be sloppy. Well, being loose when playing jazz is cool, but that's another blog...

Disclaimer: I exploited this idea to show a certain concept. It's not always a good idea to go wild with this concept when playing along with other musician. Use tastefully.

Rediculous

2008-09-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Pimp My Golf Cart?

BBC News on Rock Drummer Stamina

2008-09-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Clem Burke from Blondie actually did this..

"Burke was connected to equipment to measure his heart rate and oxygen uptake, and the levels of lactic acid in his blood. He found that during a performance, his heart averaged between 140 and 150 beats a minute, peaking at 190, levels comparable to other top athletes"

What a geek!

He burned 400 to 600 calories in an hour concert.. Now I can see how my first year of playing 240 shows touring with Hawk Nelson took about 15-20 lb off me.

Here's the BBC video on it.

Tommy Igoe

2008-09-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

and THE VIC FIRTH PODCAST

If you have iTunes and have not subscribed to the vic firth podcast, you should consider it. I find interest in the different interviews from the drummers in their vast line up.

There was a contflict of interest as I was a young maturing drummer. I seem to come across arguements of crossing drum corp and rudiment elements to drum set technique, and trying to contrast all the great drummers I listened to over the years hit wall for me.

As a young player, there were rock drummers like Chad Sexton (311) who took marching techniques quite literally in there drumset playing, and then there were guys like Brad Wilk (Rage) whom I also enjoyed aspect of their playing even though they are looser in feel.

I could go on with other examples, but I'm sure I'll have more in blogs to come...

I'll embrace one more thought...

In marching band, I'd always watch great snare players get on a kit and trash the concept of groove. I'd then see an incredible jazz set player grab a pair of Ralph Hardimon signature marching stick (treetrunks to the laimen) and listen to him fumble his way through an rudiment exercise like it was his first day as a toddler trying to walk on two feet.

The truth is, you just can't expect to be trained in marching band and then go over to a drum set and be able to run autopilot with magical finess.

So instead of going on a rant, I'll let you click this link and hear some good thoughts from Tommy Igoe addressing the matter. Don't worry, he's got a sense of humor.

And if you're interested in checking out the Vic Firth Video Podcast, they've got a drumset, marching percussion, and concert percussion podcast for each.

My 24 inch Kick Drum Got A New Head

2008-09-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for this head ever since I originally ordered the kick drum. It's 24" wide and 19" in depth, thanks to OCDP shaving off an inch of a 20" long shell.

Most stores don't always have a ton of 24" drum heads in stock, especially coated heads. So I ordered a Remo Powerstroke 3. Which sounds awesome. It added some great warmth to the sound of the drum and still kept enough punch so a sound man can expose the attack he's looking for.

I've played plenty of clear heads live in the past, but when it comes to a well-rounded attack, especially in the studio, coated has been the way to go..

Stay the course of drumming

2008-09-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

This is my drum awareness site.

To keep the rhythm world explicit.

Welcome.

-Aaron