4x4/// house/// disco beat

[keaganobrien]

I want to know everyones experience with a classic 4x4 disco beat. (umb-dis-umb-dis)

Most often in house music, with a drum machine, the beat would be kick and hat and kick/snare and hat and kick and hat and kick/snare and hat

Maybe it's just me, but when i play my kick and snare on the same count it sounds ugly and off time, by a fraction of a second.

So instead, I play kick-snare-kick-snare. And this sounds great and all- but I would still like to be able to play kick-kick/snare-kick-kick/snare

Has anyone been able to get a solid kick-kick/snare-kick-kick/snare beat?

Also with the pulsing hats I can't seem to play JUST on the 3's all the time- I need like 4 takes and then Ill play it for like 4 mesures and then trainwreak. I can play it with one hand, no problem, most people can. But if I do this it sounds really weak, and I would like simply play with both hands too.

So to get over this, I hit a tambourine next to my hats on the 4's. and, again, this sounds great and all- probably better than the latter- but I would still like to be able to play just the 3's all the time.

Does anyone have a problem with this?

Im no noob or anything i've been playing for almost 7 years, but I have never been able to get this totally down.

[Pat Petrillo]

Yo, K!

I played house beats alot with Gloria Gaynor, and I love this style of music. The key is to "sync" your lift motion of the left arm on the snare and right leg for the bass, so that you "move in time" and lay them in. Don't "aim"..that's when you will probably miss..

Isolate the kik and snare, and practice the motion so it lines up.

Here's a video clip of me with Gloria Gaynor in a live concert. You just gotta "move in time"..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VJLJsSI2D4

All the Best

[stasz]

Pat's clip certainly demonstrates his familiarity with this style of playing, and he gives good advice. Work on playing just the left hand and right foot together, slowly, and then add in the hi-hat with the right hand and left foot. Often times if you just slow down the tempo and isolate the problem area, then you can identify the guilty party in your timing problem (hand motion, grip problem, etc.)

[Rickk]

Pat,
Fantastic Drumming, I used to love the drums on that song everytime I heard that on the Radio ,did you play on the original song?
Also when you are playing that, is it all feel, or are you thinking about what your playing (just gotta know what a Pro is thinking) I play much better when I am not really thinking just going with the music and as soon as I think, loose my groove is that just me?

Thanks,
Rick

[Pat Petrillo]

Pat,
Fantastic Drumming, I used to love the drums on that song everytime I heard that on the Radio ,did you play on the original song?
Also when you are playing that, is it all feel, or are you thinking about what your playing (just gotta know what a Pro is thinking) I play much better when I am not really thinking just going with the music and as soon as I think, loose my groove is that just me?

Thanks,
Rick

Rick

Nope..didn't play on the record, but toured with Gloria for a couple years

Rockin a house groove is one of my favorite things to do. It's got a "funkiness" about it, when played the right way.

By the way, Steve Gadd played on many of the old disco records back in the day, including "The Hustle" by Van McCoy!

[Rickk]

Gotta love it, I am 44 now and those were the songs we used to listen too. I had no idea Gadd played any Disco!
Well that sounded great!! Thanks for the reply.

Rick

[aruration]

Pat,
Fantastic Drumming, I used to love the drums on that song everytime I heard that on the Radio ,did you play on the original song?
Also when you are playing that, is it all feel, or are you thinking about what your playing (just gotta know what a Pro is thinking) I play much better when I am not really thinking just going with the music and as soon as I think, loose my groove is that just me?

Thanks,
Rick

No I do it too.
I just let go and get in the groove.

I found it very uncomfortable playing something that I'll have to think only and not feel the groove. But sometimes I have to.

[keaganobrien]

pat, that was very cool.

I've got the groove down pretty good. But I've stopped trying to play along to electronic records where it really is kick and snare on the 2's and 4's, it just sounds unnatural.



thanks!

[oikroitnik]

umb dis or uhmp tiss its the illusive gay house beat That I have been trying to nail myself.
I am going to apply Pat's synchronised uplift next time at it..
I have been playing left/right 16th beats on the hats and trying to get just the right amount of air between them at just the right time but as with all grooves as soon as I catch myself TRYING I know I'm on to a loser.
Stick on some Rammstein at an intrusive volume and have FUN.............KH