a little help for a keys player?

[docjohn]

Have a drummer friend who comes from a rock+roll,headbanger background who IS TRYING to expand his knowledge/skills.How do you explain what's going on in some of the simpler jazz/gospel grooves;understated but grooving?

For example,if you hit u-tube,Barbara Dennerlein (organ) has a newer tune (1 st post I think) called Jimmy's Walk.?What the sticks is doing is totally cool,groovin' with just the ride and sidestick/rimshot placed ;just SO! Could anybody chart out 3 or 4 measures?

Same thing on Charles Earland's(organ)  MOM and Dad from"Murilley(again one of the 1 st if you type in his name.

Earland's drummer on "More today than yesterday",one of his biggest hits(which I didn't see on u-tube) has a rock-shuffle thing going on with the ride/rimshot/snare/sidestick thing going on.Any drum vid's or lessons on this? I've only met 1 local drummer (from Philly) who had the jazz/organ thing down cold;it's a special talent honed over a LOT of years and sheddin'.

Could a few of you talented cats share some skills/advice? thanks be blessed

btw-are there any loops cd's that would be good for practice

[tko05]

AS Brian Frasier-Moore says: You are what you eat! If you want your playing style to change/evolve you have to take in new things.

I'd suggest giving this drummer a list of things to listen to and let him study it and learn the vocabulary of that particular style of music. I always try to dedicate some time to listening and just letting the music soak in before I try to play it.

[docjohn]

great idea,I have done that;and RJ is trying.For some reason(deafness?) he's just NOT getting it-and he's been at it 6 mos.have shared a bunch or recordings,jammed some.I don't speak "stick-ese";i've tried "finger-drums" on my keys with a drum patch to show him.Scary part was it actually sounded good on the keys(better than where he;s at)

[Jedi3]

That whole jazz ride thing can be difficult to grab hold of.  It's really not hard to play but you can have major difficulties making it "feel" right.  It just takes practice and listening to that particular style.  You really have to commit yourself to the discipline it takes to play it.  Hide all of his toms and cymbals and make him play the jazz pattern on his ride hand, hi hat on 2 & 4, and feather the bass drum on 1-2-3 & 4.  Tell him to play it starting at 60 bpm and don't stop until he throws up in his mouth at which time he can move it up 2 bpm.  As the tempo increases he should be puking less and less.  But once he's comfortable with the pattern itself and can actually "feel" it, then he can try adding some left hand stuff.  But seriously, the jazz pattern is to be felt and not necessarily played.  To play that stuff authentically you have to internalize it.  Hope that helps.

[tko05]

great idea,I have done that;and RJ is trying.For some reason(deafness?) he's just NOT getting it-and he's been at it 6 mos.have shared a bunch or recordings,jammed some.I don't speak "stick-ese";i've tried "finger-drums" on my keys with a drum patch to show him.Scary part was it actually sounded good on the keys(better than where he;s at)

It sounds like he might need to work on the fundamentals and technique a little more and get them solid. It seems like there might be a problem with being able to take what he hears/thinks and apply it to the drum set. The purpose of the fundamentals are to get you to a point where you can physicaly play what you hear or think. The more comfortable you are with the fundamentals the easier it is to play what you want.

You can start off by going here http://www.pas.org/Resources/rudiments.cfm and downloading the 40 rudiments  and having him work on them at different speeds and dynamic levels. Once he's comfortable with these try having him appy them to the drumset.

This might seem boring to him but it is VERY vital to his growth as a musician.

[j_kay]

That's great advice, tko05...

[docjohn]

thanks!