Bill Bruford & Simmons SDX!

Bill Bruford, playing with "Yes" sometime in the late 80's on his Simmons SDX. Look at how many pads he has:

I had a Simmons kit for a few months (in the 80's) and was smart enough to sell it while it was still worth something. Fortunately, we've come a long, long way since then. Check out the sound of this Roland kit:

Presently, electronic drums are sounding light years better and costing less comparatively speaking!
Jim Richardson

Young talent!

Dylan Elise is a 16 year old drummer playing at the Tauranga National Jazz Festival in New Zealand.

Remember: Drum solos are one thing.....playing with other musicians is another! I've known drummers who stink at solos (like me) but who are awesome with a group of musicians. The reverse is also true.
Jim Richardson

Hitting the crash!

Here's an alternate technique for cymbal strikes that "works":

Cymbal Care tip: Don't forget the plastic "thingy" between the cymbal and metal mount! It's purpose is to absorb the strike and protect from cracking!
Jim Richardson

Tricks with sticks!

Spinning your drumsticks 'round your fingers displays a theatrical side to your performance. It's actually easier than you think....if you practice the following technique described very briefly and quite well:

Personally, I've never incorporated stick "showmanship" into my performances. Perhaps maybe I'll practice this and give it a shot!

Jim Richardson

To djembe or not to djembe!

A djembe is an extremely versatile little drum which, as you will see in the video below, can produce a wide variety of sounds from just one percussive source. Granted it does take practice to do this effectively, yet a djembe can be a valuable addition to your performing arsenal. You may also choose to only play the a djembe since it is after all, a "take it with you" instrument. One can certainly employ a "one surface learning" approach to learning drumset rudements in leau of using an actual drum set, that is for those that are looking for minimal investment'

A djembe (pronounced /ˈdʒɛmbeɪ/ JEM-bay) also known as djimbe, jenbe, jymbe, jembe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin covered hand drum, shaped like a large goblet, and meant to be played with bare hands. According to the Bamana people in Mali, the name of the djembe comes directly from the saying "Anke dje, anke be" which literally translates to "everyone gather together", and defines the drum's purpose. "Dje" is the verb for "gather" in Bamanakan, and "be" translates as "everyone" in Bamanakan. It is a member of the membranophone family of musical instruments: a frame or shell (in the djembe's case it is a shell) covered by a membrane or drumhead made of one of many products, usually rawhide. Djembes are commonly about 12" (30 cm) in diameter and 24" (60 cm) in height, varying a few inches. Source for last parapraph: http://www.freebase.com/view/en/djembe

WORLDS FASTEST DRUMMER!

How fast of a drum roll can the human hand and wrist be pushed to perform? 16 year old Tom Grosset executes 1186 single strokes in 1 minute and wins the 2007Summer NAMM world speed drumming finals in Austin, Texas with 1,156 single strokes (that score is currently the highest score that's ever been recorded during a final championship round):

Way to go Tom! Here's an extended solo with his signature "roll" near the end:

Tom clearly demonstrates that the human body can be pushed beyond previously assumed limits.

James Richardson

Keith Moon's reputed last interview!

This was broadcast on Good Morning America in '78.



Keith was the drummer for The Who up until his passing.

Added new Omar Hakim playlist to my Youtube blog!

Let me know what you think!
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummingintuition&view=playlists
Jim Richardson

A Van Halen!

The entirety of Alex Van Helen’s drumming career, which began in 1972, has been exclusively with the rock group Van Helen. Interestingly, both Alex and Eddie Van Helen were trained as classical pianists during their childhood in Pasadena, California. This propelled Alex's structured and diverse creativity on the drum set which is evident throughout his musical discography. His drum set arrangement is creatively unique as he incorporates the use of Octobers unlike I've never seen before. Along with his signature bass drum "assemblage", this makes for a visually fascinating kit. He doubles up no less than eight bass drums giving plenty of low frequency torque to drive the Van Helen engine. He also influenced my playing as a young drummer. I’ve attached a little solo of him for your viewing pleasure:

Octoban Heavan!

One must admit that Octobans look pretty cool when tastefully integrated into the drum kit proper. My first exposure to them was brother Stewart Copeland of “The Police” pictured over yonder. You can hear them within the background tune playing as we speak. Octoban drums, also known as tube toms and quarter toms, are tom-toms grouped in melodically-tuned sets of eight, hence the reference to octave, from octo meaning "eight". Octobans have 6 inch diameter drum shells, and range in length from 11 inches to 23-1/2 inches. Their higher pitched yet “throaty” sound will require ample amplification in a live situation and they do not bode well for every musical style. As long as you have really good aim, you should have much success playing these tubular oddities.

Click on the Octobans below if you are interested in purchasing a set:



Additional drummers who use Octobans:
Buddy Rich
Roy Mayorga
The Blue Man Group
Billy Cobham
Tim Alexander
Mike Portnoy
Simon Phillips
Bill Bruford

Muffling your snare drum....

For those drummers who have not yet learned this trick, a simple ring comprised of mylar is the most effiecient way to eliminate those nasty overtones that annoy some drummers (and all sound engineers). This approach does not affect the natural pitch or feel of the head at all, it simply stops the "post strike ringing". You can buy these at any drum shop but it would be a lot cheaper if you cut them out of a thin mylar sheet yourself. Cut tight to the inside of the rim and no more than an 1" thick. This can also be applied to your larger tom toms as well. Happy playing!

Jim Richardson

Gary Husband- A different approach to tom toms.

When I first saw Gary Huband's drumset via performances of his work with level 42, his tom arrangement intriqued me. At that time it was an idea I was also experimenting with but did not have a voluminous supply of toms nor the money to buy them. Practically this arrangment is redundant and unnecessary. Visually however, it's cool! Here is a video of him on Youtube (Turn down the Imeem music player in the sidebar first):

Gary Husband is an English jazz and rock drummer and composer who performs with artists such as Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Level 42 and Jack Bruce among many others. He initially trained as a classical pianist and is accomplished as a jazz instrumentalist.

James Richardson