WFD - WORLD'S FASTEST DRUMMER

[Boo]

music and speed should be applied together. You guys separate music from speed and your wrong. Look at Art Tatum or any technical wizard on guitar or piano or any instrument. They have the speed to go up and down that board at any tempo Speed should be applied to music on all instruments Buddy applied speed to musicality as well as Morello or Chambers
Well put, speed is only the result! It has to get there somehow and I'm sorry to tell ya it don't come all wrapped up with a pretty bow.......

Boo

[Boo]

lol. Well I guess it's settled then.
HAHAHA! I'm just to the end of page one (jumping around trying to get a grasp on so much info) and maybe a year or so late.....This is some great stuff in here. My hats off to you guys for going through all this. wow!

Boo

[Derek Roddy]

I'm not upset at Roddy for what you describe. He is a professional speed demon and now tries to say he's all about art, WFD is stupid, drumometers don't work and so on because he was busted trying to send rigged videos to the same organization he now says is stupid. I challenge anybody to show me any piece of tasteful music he has ever produced. His answer to gettin' caught is to damage the livings of other drummers. McAffee and Waterson didn't do a thing to him except catch him ripping them off. .

I think you need to get your story straight before you come on a public forum and run your mouth.
First of all I don't hate speed. I love speed. Why do you think I play the way I do?
I don't like the concept of the WFD. I never said THE WFD was stupid.
I DID say that the idea of giving a title to a person (based on a machine that took me 8 days to get to trigger "correctly" in MY own enviroment) was stupid.
Dude, I was promoting the WFD before you even knew what it was.
I was sponcering events at a store I worked at...after I saw the attitudes of the people coming in to do it...I got turned off of the idea of the WFD.... NOT playing fast.
These events were 6-7 years ago. There are STILL drummers walking around Ft. Lauderdale saying (and thinking) they carry some stupid title because they buzzed out 1000 strokes in a minute. STILL GOING AROUND SAYING THEY'RE THE FASTEST!
I have NEVER said I was the fastest.... In my whole career of playing. Did I answer a direct question about my personal high score on the drumometer? Yes, I did.
Did I say it mattered?..No I didn't.
Why? because I don't care.
I got involved with BOO and Craig because they were very cool people and I THOUGHT that the WFD educational exercises would take off. THAT'S why I got involved at first. When I saw NOBODY cared about the education part....I stopped wanting to be affiliated.
Although, I still think the drumometer has a strong educational use.

The video I sent in was part of many that I was going to do. I had spent days on the phone with Boo and Craig, trying to figure out a way to make the damn thing trigger correctly.
(yes, I know the unit is better now) but still isn't 100%. They were having problems at the summer NAMM and Boo and Tim came over to ask me to help....which I did.
Funny though.......you didn't have the balls to say these things you say here... to me there.
You didn't even stick around, you conveniently avoided me. I even asked BOO if you were there as I wanted to meet you. I watched you intentionally avoid me. I'd walk over to the side of the both you were at and you move to the other.
Next time.

Anyway, The 1300 or whatever it was I sent in wasn't to fool anybody but to prove that after 8 days of a REALLY experienced trigger user trying to get the thing to work properly most likely wasn't the best way to give someone a title. Another reason Why I got disinterested.
We had gone back and forth on ways to get the unit to work better.
I have 3 units and none of them are accurate over 240 bpm with a stick on trigger. How again can you give someone a title if the machine measuring the note isn't accurate?
Like I said, there have been improvements, but it still isn't perfect. I feel to give someone a "serious" title such as the worlds fastest drummer, you must first have a machine that triggers correctly. This hasn't been done yet.
I think that if I would have been trying to "fool" Boo and Craig, they wouldn't ask me everytime they see me to sponcer the event. Or, give me the props they do for my hard work. Again, I love playing fast and if anybody needs to know how fast I can play...you can listen to one of the many bands I've played with or you can download videos of me playing.
As far as your comments about the music I choose to play... all I have to say is where are YOUR bands?
How many "professional" dates do YOU have booked this year?
Where is YOUR page on Drummer world?
Where will YOU be in 10 years?
I can answer all of those if you need me too!
If you want to get into insulting others....You'll see how far you go.
Talent is 10% of playing the drums my friend.

I normally wouldn't come on a forum and do this but feel this has to be said. Sorry if any of you are put off by my actions.
Peace.
D.

.

[DogBreath]

Although I see no need currently to edit or delete any part of this thread, I respectfully ask that we keep this conversation on a more even tone. I have great respect for the drumming of both Matt Smith and Derek Roddy. Obviously there is some personal history here but I want to remind all parties involved that the DrummerWorld forum is not a place to air dirty laundry. I am very grateful that this website is respected enought to been seen as a place for professional drummers to contribute their thoughts and I feel the best way for this to continue is for us all to show respect for each other here. I am not telling anyone how they should feel, and I want to thank you for participating. Let's keep DrummerWorld at the top.

[Derek Roddy]

Again, I apologize for my tone in my post.
BUT, I will not put up with "falses" being spewed about me. It had to be addressed.
Again, I'm sorry.
D.

[DogBreath]

Derek, thanks for your reply. I sent you a PM, but I want to be very clear that in no way was I chastising you for what you said. My post was merely my way of saying "Let's continue to keep this discussion as civil as it has been up to now." Sometimes these things get carried away and I'd rather ask everyone to take a deep breath now rather than be forced to delete anything later. Thanks again for your participation.

[cnw60]

Just a question - is anyone aware of anything equivalent to WFD on any other instrument? Do trumpet players get together with an oscilliscope and see who can squeak out the highest note, or count how many notes they can play in a minute, breaking it down to fastest single tongue notes, fastest double or triple tongue notes etc. Or pianists (or guitar players, sax players, et al) get together to see who can play the fastest scales or arpeggios?

There's no doubt that players like Art Tatum or Bud Powell were renowned for speed, and God knows that Charlie Parker and Coltrane were fast mofo's as well. Maynard's claim to fame was always how freakin' high he could play - and I'm sure that all musicians have their own rivalries. I can just hear them sitting around backstage, "yeah, I really nailed that triple-'f' last night." and the next guy's like, 'triple-'f', shoot man, I can hit triple 'g'...", ...but I digress.

My point is that while rivalries and competition are human nature and can be found at every level and on every instrument, institutionalizing the competition into an 'event' like WFD seems unique to drummers - is this true?

Just to be clear - this is not an attack on the guys who play fast. I have tremendous respect for the talent and technique required to play at those speeds. But I most admire the guys like Morello, who has beautiful, effortless, spot-on technique with speed to spare, yet his playing is the epitome of taste, restraint and musicality.

Technique and speed are tools that no true master is without, but don't imply mastery on their own. (just my $.02)

[Derek Roddy]

Derek, thanks for your reply. I sent you a PM, but I want to be very clear that in no way was I chastising you for what you said. My post was merely my way of saying "Let's continue to keep this discussion as civil as it has been up to now." Sometimes these things get carried away and I'd rather ask everyone to take a deep breath now rather than be forced to delete anything later. Thanks again for your participation.

Ha, It's cool Thomas. I didn't take it as such.
You'll NEVER hear me say another word about the WFD or Matt Smith,
Don't worry about that! LOL.
D.

[mattsmith]

Derek Roddy's explanation makes perfect sense and I apologize to him for any slight this may have caused him.

I based this information on things heard over a year ago from someone who hasn't posted here in almost that long, and that should not have happened. The fact that all this happened a long time ago in forum time is inconsequential. As for avoiding you, I think the last thing going through my mind at that particular competition is what was said or not said to Derek Roddy several months before at a drum forum in one of its most obscure sections, especially when the main thought is about winning the competition, whether or not you think it's a true contest or not.

As for your musical issues, I have altered that viewpoint too. I suppose again if this was the main issue on my mind I could have corrected this too, but I didn't. As far as pages on Drummerworld, what I am doing in 10 years etc, that's nothing that concerns me in regards to this conversation.

Again, my apologies.

[DogBreath]

...I think the last thing going through my mind at that particular competition is what was said or not said to Derek Roddy several months before at a drum forum in one of its most obscure sections, especially when the main thought is about winning the competition...
I can certainly vouch for Matt's intensity when it comes to the day of a competition, and it takes real maturity to say "Time has passed and I've changed my mind." We could all learn something from today's exchange.

And as for my two cents, I am very much looking forward to what Matt is doing in ten years... but that's a discussion for another place and time.

Thanks again guys for showing the rest of us how to handle a disagreement.

[Derek Roddy]

Derek Roddy's explanation makes perfect sense and I apologize to him for any slight this may have caused him.

I based this information on things heard over a year ago from someone who hasn't posted here in almost that long, and that should not have happened. The fact that all this happened a long time ago in forum time is inconsequential. As for avoiding you, I think the last thing going through my mind at that particular competition is what was said or not said to Derek Roddy several months before at a drum forum in one of its most obscure sections, especially when the main thought is about winning the competition, whether or not you think it's a true contest or not.

As for your musical issues, I have altered that viewpoint too. I suppose again if this was the main issue on my mind I could have corrected this too, but I didn't. As far as pages on Drummerworld, what I am doing in 10 years etc, that's nothing that concerns me in regards to this conversation.

Again, my apologies.

Matt...It's ALL good man. I'm not the type to hold anything against anybody.
And I DO hope to meet you someday. I need a lesson or two for my hands. Ha.
Cheers.
D.

[mattsmith]

Matt...It's ALL good man. I'm not the type to hold anything against anybody.
And I DO hope to meet you someday. I need a lesson or two for my hands. Ha.
Cheers.
D.

OK, it's all good then. Have a good one.

-M.

[DogBreath]

For those of you who have been waiting patiently for WFD updates, here is a video of "Mike Machine" Mallais winning the Battle of the Feet contest last month at the Winter NAMM show with 978 beats in 60 seconds. Check out the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHmdaTtLIg4) and leave a comment of you'd like. Contest hosted by Boo McAfee, refereed by Matt Smith and Tim Yeung, MC and music by Johnny Rabb and Ten Finger Orchestra.

[Mattsdad]

The WFD are not some nice folks! Nice meeting you all at NAMM!

Hey Derrick - great meeting you - I also have some video footage of you when I was passing by the Sonor booth and you let loose!

When any of you guys come to Jersey, give Art or I a call and we'll go out and catch Morello, Mike Clark and/or just have some fun

Hi Mr. Britt,

Knowing of your friendship with the organization, I hope you mean that the WFD ARE nice folks (lol).

[brennenlesser]

the technique mike mangni used was crazy

[Kirsh]

this does not have much to do with WFD but i was watching a video from Matt Smith really good stuff but your gear is placed very low specially your snare you lean foward too much. i'm not criticizing, just giving an advice as once Papa Jo Jones said to Max Roach: "You know, if you keep playing hunched over like that, when you get older you're not going to have a back at all". better to prevent, you might also find it more confortable and centered

[fonz06969]

does anyone know when the finales are/ where they are? because i am so post to go for the double bass and i need to know when it is .

[Captain Bubble]

I think I am the World's Fastest Drummer. Look at The Drumcar 1 and The Drumcar" on you tube. Poor sound and picture quality, and I was in low gear BUT you can clearly see me drummnig at about 2mph, but I have been as fast as about 10mph, and plenty of people here in England have seen me driving along their streets and pavements, in and out of shops and pubs, and all the time drumming faster than any other drummer! I know some divvy will eventually copy this idea, but with a big engine to take the Land Speed Record for a drum kit away from me, but I set it first, and I keep mine slowish so I can use it in public at street festivals. So there you are : 10 mph=WFD

[mrchattr]

I think I am the World's Fastest Drummer. Look at The Drumcar 1 and The Drumcar" on you tube. Poor sound and picture quality, and I was in low gear BUT you can clearly see me drummnig at about 2mph, but I have been as fast as about 10mph, and plenty of people here in England have seen me driving along their streets and pavements, in and out of shops and pubs, and all the time drumming faster than any other drummer! I know some divvy will eventually copy this idea, but with a big engine to take the Land Speed Record for a drum kit away from me, but I set it first, and I keep mine slowish so I can use it in public at street festivals. So there you are : 10 mph=WFD

There are no pictures, sadly...but once, when trying to learn songs for an audition, I actually balanced my SPD-20 on my lap while driving, and practiced each hand individually while controlling the car. I don't recommend doing this, but I know I was playing at over 60 MPH at times.