The final frontier, rhythm

[larryace]

If I may wax philosophical for a moment....You know, for all the talk going on here about technique and gear, this and that, I asked myself, where is this all leading to? To be able to play really great rhythms right? I love it when a guy can just get up on the drums, all alone, and play something so compelling, so utterly funky, that you just have to get up and dance to it. Chops are good, but only if they're musically relevant. Our instrument is an instrument of rhythm primarily, not a melodic one, and the pursuit of different rhythmic "sentences" is often overshadowed by the enormous amount of time sinks like learning good technique and getting a great drum sound...Yes those things are all vitally important, but I for one want to start focusing on the destination of the journey, instead of putting all my focus into the car I'm riding in. I want to ooze rhythm...

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming

[Pretzel Logic]

If I may wax philosophical for a moment....You know, for all the talk going on here about technique and gear, this and that, I asked myself, where is this all leading to? To be able to play really great rhythms right? I love it when a guy can just get up on the drums, all alone, and play something so compelling, so utterly funky, that you just have to get up and dance to it. Chops are good, but only if they're musically relevant. Our instrument is an instrument of rhythm primarily, not a melodic one, and the pursuit of different rhythmic "sentences" is often overshadowed by the enormous amount of time sinks like learning good technique and getting a great drum sound...Yes those things are all vitally important, but I for one want to start focusing on the destination of the journey, instead of putting all my focus into the car I'm riding in. I want to ooze rhythm...

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming

Frankly, I don't think many of us have the capacity to do something unique with rhythm until we reach a very high level of musical accomplishment. If you feel like you are at that level then by all means go for it.
I completely agree with your statement about groove though. That's the reason I'd rather watch guys like Steve Gadd or Bernard Purdie than these speed demons all the kids my age seem to be so into. It's all about a drummer's state of mind. Some look at drumming as a sport, some look at it as an art. I like to think that the latter will be the ones who are remembered...

[TheGroceryman]

Frankly, I don't think many of us have the capacity to do something unique with rhythm until we reach a very high level of musical accomplishment. If you feel like you are at that level then by all means go for it.
I completely agree with your statement about groove though. That's the reason I'd rather watch guys like Steve Gadd or Bernard Purdie than these speed demons all the kids my age seem to be so into. It's all about a drummer's state of mind. Some look at drumming as a sport, some look at it as an art. I like to think that the latter will be the ones who are remembered...

well except probly WFD champions.

But yea, yer point is well made. I have a friend who has incredible chops, speed around the set, dynamics, creativity. He always plays these crazy grooves and i always tell him "you'll probably never need to be able to play that stuff." I just like sittin back in a groove...and just grooooove... ya know?

[larryace]

Frankly, I don't think many of us have the capacity to do something unique with rhythm until we reach a very high level of musical accomplishment. If you feel like you are at that level then by all means go for it.


Oh I'm not talking about doing what no one has done before, I'm just talking being fluent in the existing language of rhythm. Geez I can't even play good Latin stuff let alone blaze trails ha ha. I guess my point is gear is great, technique is great, chops are great, but musicality and a great sense of rhythm are the real targets. It's easy to lose sight of that with all the other things there are to get together.