LearnGospelMusic.com Community
Gospel Instruments => Gospel Drummers => Topic started by: Torch7 on November 16, 2007, 10:27:08 AM
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What's up Drum Board?
I am needing a little bit of help. Our musicians at Church are not used to having a bass in the mix. I have been playing with them for a few years, and it seems like we will never come together. Having difficulty maintaining time and stepping on one another. My son is also learning to play the drums, and I want him to have a solid foundation. So I have been reading up and looking at various drum videos online.
I am the only musician at my church that speaks theory, so its hard communicating concepts, especially when it comes to application of what I know, so I wanted to stop bye and ask a few questions and perhaps you guys can point me in the right direction.
1.) Time signature: (I think) I understand the top number is the number of notes and the bottom is the type of notes. IE: 3/4 makes up 3 quarter notes, 6/8 is 6 8th notes, and so on. How does cut-time come into play?
What is your concept of the Pocket and Groove from a drummers perspective.
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Sorry laptop spazzed out and I hit enter prematurely.
2.) What is your concept of grooving or pocket playing from a drummers perspective.
3.) When playing with a bass player, what are you looking for to build a strong pocket presence?
4.) What do you think is the most important aspect of having a strong rhythm section?
I have ideas, and concepts that I have formulated in my head, but I don't want my opinions to come across as fact. This is why
I am consulting other drummers, so that I can get better doing my part in the band. My hope is that I can be a good supporting musician in the worship service, licks and riffs are secondary in my mind, I just want to
make sure the song is not out of sorts.
Thanks in advance.
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1.) Time signature: (I think) I understand the top number is the number of notes and the bottom is the type of notes. IE: 3/4 makes up 3 quarter notes, 6/8 is 6 8th notes, and so on. How does cut-time come into play?
Ahh, I love alla breve/cut time music (marches played in symphonic and marching band) - it does what the name 'cut time' implies - it cuts it in half. Generally, it's conducted (and I count it in) two beats a per measure (e.g., one-two/one-two/one-two, etc.). It's dependent on the count and pulse as well.
To add to your musical fraction knowledge base, cut time is 2/2 - there are two half notes per measure and each half note gets one beat. To further this example, instead of the quarter note getting one beat in 4/4, the half note gets one beat in 2/2.
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2.) What is your concept of grooving or pocket playing from a drummers perspective.
3.) When playing with a bass player, what are you looking for to build a strong pocket presence?
4.) What do you think is the most important aspect of having a strong rhythm section?
2. For me, the concept of grooving and pocket playing is allowing the music to breathe and feeling the pulse of the music, while adding color in a tasteful way that will compliment the music, rather than take away from it. Grooving or playing in the pocket doesn't mean to play 'boring', it just means to support the music within the context that you're playing in.
3. I didn't 'come up' playing with a bass guitarist (nor is playing the drumset my 'main thing'), but from what I can tell you, I look for someone that doesn't step on my rhythmic toes. Are you playing percussively or melodically? Are you trying to play every pattern that I'm playing on the bass drum? For the latter, I don't think that it is a requirement to play everything pattern that I play on the bass drum. To me, it sounds too cluttered and one dimensional sounding. It doesn't have to be radically different, and yes, you could use what I play as a 'skeleton' to our (bass and drums) parts.
4. The most important aspect of having a strong rhythm section is simple - communication. You have to be able to articulate what works and what does not work for a specific section and create ideas on what would fit within those areas. Think of it as cooking food - everyone is bringing an ingredient that will complete the resulting dish, however, everyone has to bring the right amount/measure of that specific ingredient to the kitchen. If you put too much, the taste will be too much (from that ingredient). If you put too little, then it will be bland, and maybe also a little one sided on a specific aspect of what you're trying to make.
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Thank J_kay;
I appreciate your effort in responding, what your wrote makes perfect sense.
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YO FELLAS BY ALL MEAN TONY ROYSTER IS THE SICKEST DRUMMER ON HIS ENERGY DVD THAT I GOT AND MAN THIS DUDE IS A BEAST.
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YO FELLAS BY ALL MEAN TONY ROYSTER IS THE SICKEST DRUMMER ON HIS ENERGY DVD THAT I GOT AND MAN THIS DUDE IS A BEAST.
That's pretty random......lol...........GB
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i meant the guy thats was playin the bass.