Peggy Sue

[brady]

I recently joined a band that occasionally does the Buddy Holly song 'Peggy Sue'. I was wondering if any of you experts out there knew how to play this correctly. I've heard that it's just paradiddles on the toms but I think I hear it as sextuplets. I could be wrong... I could fake my way through it using doubles, but I would like to take the time to play this song correctly. Has anyone played this before or transcribed it? I'm a little lost on this one.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Having just listened to the song I'm sure its singles. But if you can do doubles or para's and make it sound original it really doesn't matter. I'm listening to very few accents so I would concentrate on that and not the sticking.

http://www.jango.com/music/Buddy+Holly?l=0

[brady]

I thought it was singles...I had only heard that it was paradiddles. If it is, they're really smooth.

So it is in sixteenths then? It's hard for me to hear it correctly. I have been working the accent part of it; which basically seem to move from one tom to another. Or more correctly, from/to the snare with the snares off according to a video clip I saw. But I couldn't make out the sticking by watching it...too fast.

[bermuda]

It is 16ths done as paradiddles, needless though they seem for that. Don't forget that drummers who took lessons were very schooled as to sticking - as if they'd end up in marching band - so I guess it's not so unusual. Refer also to Ringo playing L rrL rrL rrL on Get Back, which has a certain feel you don't get with R rlR rlR rlR (right hand on 8ths.)

Bermuda

[larryace]

I 2nd the 16th note paradiddles. I saw an old video and it showed Jerry Allison (I think that's his name) playing paradiddles on that cut. Although you could play singles and no one would be the wiser, but paradiddles are just so cool.

[brady]

It is 16ths done as paradiddles, needless though they seem for that. Don't forget that drummers who took lessons were very schooled as to sticking - as if they'd end up in marching band - so I guess it's not so unusual. Refer also to Ringo playing L rrL rrL rrL on Get Back, which has a certain feel you don't get with R rlR rlR rlR (right hand on 8ths.)

Bermuda



Oh man!! I just drew my first response from Mr. Bermuda!! Sweet!! Truly a privilege... I love your work, sir.

Thanks for the input! Now I just need to get my singles nice and clean up to that speed...

[Chazz]

I remember an old interview with Buddy (recorded of course)
or maybe the a Documentry on tv...
this song was played using "double paradiddles'

[T.Underhill]

He's playing the snare (mostly) and tom here. With paradiddles!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQiIMuOKIzY

[mrchattr]

The song, as Berumda and others have said, is played with paradiddles. Supposedly he originally played a straight beat to the song, and then Buddy heard him warming up with paradiddles and asked him to play that part instead.

The rumor is that the song was originally called Mary Lou, but Jerry asked Buddy to change it to Peggy Sue after a girl that had dumped him and he wanted back...and that he would only play the paradiddle part if Buddy agreed, so he did. I don't know if the part about him only playing the part if the name change is true, but I will tell you this...Jerry married Peggy Sue, who took him back after hearing this song.

[larryace]

T Underhills video link proves it was single paradiddles, right? That's what I'm seeing/hearing...

[larryace]

The song, as Berumda and others have said, is played with paradiddles. Supposedly he originally played a straight beat to the song, and then Buddy heard him warming up with paradiddles and asked him to play that part instead.

The rumor is that the song was originally called Mary Lou, but Jerry asked Buddy to change it to Peggy Sue after a girl that had dumped him and he wanted back...and that he would only play the paradiddle part if Buddy agreed, so he did. I don't know if the part about him only playing the part if the name change is true, but I will tell you this...Jerry married Peggy Sue, who took him back after hearing this song.

I love those behind the scenes stories

[brady]

I love those behind the scenes stories


So Buddy didn't change the lyrics because Sam Beckett suggested he change it from 'piggy suey'? *

* (Obscure Quantum Leap reference.)


Yeah, I love the story behind this song too. And I'm such a huge fan of Buddy Holly, which is why I really want to play this sing as perfectly as I can.

[RogerLudwig]

According to the Idiot's Guide to Drumming, it was straight single paradiddles: RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL, etc. played on a snare with the wires off. The author also says the Hal Blaine copied the beat for Tommy Roe's Shiela

I also read, where I can't remember, that it was a combination of single, double and triple paradiddles. I'll see if I can dig out the reference.

[bobdadruma]

I've always used paradiddles. I put some double paradiddles in on some nights. It depends on how well I'm playing that eve. I've been playing the song for many years now. That is what works for me. keep in mind that I started out in drum and bugle corps.

[El Gos Coix]

This is an old post, but in case someone's interested, here's a video of Mr. Allison taking about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8PjM813QQw. I'm afraid my English is not good enough to understand all of what he says, and my drumming is not good enough to be able to tell what he's really playing, but he does mention the word "paradiddle". I love everything he plays in that video! I wish I could play a box just as well as he! His drums sing, if you know what I mean.

[dairyairman]

This is an old post, but in case someone's interested, here's a video of Mr. Allison taking about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8PjM813QQw. I'm afraid my English is not good enough to understand all of what he says, and my drumming is not good enough to be able to tell what he's really playing, but he does mention the word "paradiddle". I love everything he plays in that video! I wish I could play a box just as well as he! His drums sing, if you know what I mean.

good find! that was really interesting. he does mention that he's playing paradiddles on peggy sue and if you watch what he's doing, you can clearly see he's just playing single paradiddles, alternating left and right.

[eddypierce]

good find! that was really interesting. he does mention that he's playing paradiddles on peggy sue and if you watch what he's doing, you can clearly see he's just playing single paradiddles, alternating left and right.

Jerry Allison was one of the great early rock drummers. He had really nice technique, especially for being so young when he recorded those tracks.

"Peggy Sue" was recorded with Jerry playing single paradiddles on a snare drum with the snares turned off, and the producer (Norman Petty) used effects to change the drum timbre at different points on the recording. When Jerry played the song live he would play the paradiddles around the toms as well as on the snare.

About a year ago a two disc set of Buddy Holly rarities came out called "Down the Line." About half of one disc consists of guitar/drum duets between Buddy and Jerry that were mostly recorded in a garage in 1956 (when Jerry was around 18 years old), and Jerry's playing is great. These tracks originally came out in the 60's with other instruments (including drums) overdubbed on top of the original performances, so that it was hard to hear the original drumming, but with this new release they finally appear without any overdubs, and the recording quality is actually pretty decent considering their age and the source of the recording.

As much as I love Jerry Allison, one of my favorite drumming performances on a Buddy Holly song is that by New York studio legence Panama Francis, who played on gospel tinged “Early in the Morning.”

Ed Pierce

[El Gos Coix]

One thing that caught my eye: I expected him to play it with the traditional grip, but he uses matched grip. Nothing important, I suppose, but unexpected by me.

Each time I listen to his previous version of "Cindy Lou" in that video, I like it more!