Gavin Harrison here!

Mr. Gavin sir, a strange question;

What was the inspiration for the title of 'Sanity and Gravity'?

Thanks very much, I do enjoy that album, there's some fantastic bass playing on there!

nolonx said:

The snare is around 500 euro in europe. You can see the price here http://www.sonor.com/sonordays2010/images/stories/specials/SONOR_DAYS_Specials.pdf

I ordered mine this morning

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That's funny. I went to high school with the other guy in the flyer, Dave Langguth. I remember him playing Neil Peart drum solos note for note at our high school variety shows, whilst I would be playing Cult covers. Another great player!!!

Gavin, did you get a chance to hear Dave play at all at Sonor Days?

Kevin

floortom13 said:

Thanks a lot, Terry!
At the first glance I think this is just the thing. Now when I look at it transcribed, it doesn't even seem so complicated. Great job!
@Fox:
about the 32nds and triplets: imho, at this speed one can think of those double bass hits like 1/64 notes as well as 32nd triplets. I am not sure there is a difference detectable by ears, so whatever looks more intuitive when written will work fine. Still, I might be wrong...
I can't wait for Gavin to take a look
cheers

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I actually think of it as all 32nd notes, excepnt for the double bass hits which would be 1/64 notes, or flams. Thinking of it as triplets, then 32nds at that speed is just crazy for me, but maybe someone with a more developed ear (like Terry) would say that that's what's actually going on.

Either way, stellar fill!

Hey Gavin!

At first I just want to thank you for answering questions, inspiring me and last but not least your great performance in Bergen, Norway last Wednesday!

My question:
The 5 bells that is placed above your hihat, what kind of stand are they placed on?
(pic below)



Thanks in advance!

I've been looking at the recent kits you've been playing on the tours lately. I noticed on the first leg of The Incident tour here in Seattle you seem to be playing just an all black kit that also seem to have a bigger bass drum then i've seen in picture before that tour. I then noticed halfway through you got the new black and white psychedelic look. Any reason you got a new kit halfway through that tour?

Hi supermac

Of the many questions I could ask about your perfomance in the show, one is about your playing on Dark Matter.The left-hand 'bounces' on the snare you play near the start are something I've never seen played before in that context.Are you able to describe the technique/mechanic you use?

They are not really 'bounces' - I couldn't really control the speed as much as I needed if I just bounced them - I'm playing 32nd notes (sometimes 16th note triplets). Actually it's harder than it looks!!

Hi astroandy

I am a conductor of a few young concert bands, and I am no drummer, but very interested in rhythms and drumming. I was discussing this with some people, what do you think is the effect of cleaning the cymbals?

I never clean the cymbals. With some cymbals they have a coating that you shouldn't really rub off. I think wiping off dust or sweat is fine - but don't get aggressively abrasive with them.

And also, can you give some hint about a book or DVD on tuning the drums?

I have Bob Gatzen's DVD and he has a lot of YouTube clips on tuning that I really find helpful. I think he talks a lot of sense.

Hi Phil Brodermann

What was the inspiration for the title of 'Sanity and Gravity'?

nothing really special - it just came to me as I was lying in bed one night. I like the sound of those two words together - plus the meanings that you might want to read into them.

Hi KevShephard

did you get a chance to hear Dave play at all at Sonor Days?

Yes I did and he was great.

Hi anders_slåke

The 5 bells that is placed above your hihat, what kind of stand are they placed on?

It was a custom stand that a friend of mine built for me. I now use a Sonor stand that is built from parts of their "basic arm" range.

Hi Deathtoll

I've been looking at the recent kits you've been playing on the tours lately. I noticed on the first leg of The Incident tour here in Seattle you seem to be playing just an all black kit that also seem to have a bigger bass drum then i've seen in picture before that tour. I then noticed halfway through you got the new black and white psychedelic look. Any reason you got a new kit halfway through that tour?

I don't think I've ever played a black kit with Porcupine Tree. Maybe it was a trick of the lights? In the States I have a Golden Madrone finished SQ2 kit - and then when we come over to Europe I use my black and white "Tribal" finished SQ2 kit - the bass drums are the same size on both sets.

Cheers
Gavin

anders_slåke said:

Hey Gavin!

At first I just want to thank you for answering questions, inspiring me and last but not least your great performance in Bergen, Norway last Wednesday!

My question:
The 5 bells that is placed above your hihat, what kind of stand are they placed on?
(pic below)

Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

If i can i try to answer you.I hope that Gavin will forgive me =)
This photo if i remember well is from a session during the Rythmic Horizons clinic tour.I asked Gavin about his bells holder, he says that's a custom holder made by an artisan.
Actually, Gavin is using an holder made with Sonor hardware components.little customized by him, i suppose.

Gavin, i have a question for you.
You seems to be a powerful drummer, with a louder hit on drums.But you show a great control of your touch, and you can play amazing ghost notes.
have you some advices for obtain better ghost notes?
Some pages ago, i told you that Italian drummers really appreciate your previous DVD's with italian sublitles.I was sad when you wrote me that i was the first to tell this thing to you.But i have rythmic designs in my hand now.I have to admit that with focused ears and eyes i can follow your lessons.This dvd is simply great.The 2 discussion sections are a bible of knowledge.thanks to share all that things with us.

Cheers from Italy
Riccardo

ps:i added you on Facebook!

Gavin,

This is basically for anyone who wants to jump on it, but I was wondering if someone could transcribe, and/or explain what's going on with the hi-hat in this easily deceptive 4/4 beat.

I figured this would be the best place to get an accurate explanation from all the guru's on this forum.

Thanks a bunch

Eric

euphoric_anomaly said:

Gavin,

This is basically for anyone who wants to jump on it, but I was wondering if someone could transcribe, and/or explain what's going on with the hi-hat in this easily deceptive 4/4 beat.

I figured this would be the best place to get an accurate explanation from all the guru's on this forum.

Thanks a bunch

Eric

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hi anomaly,
as for the hi-hat there isn't much to say: it is a clear 3-note pattern (open-closed w/foot-closed w/hand) over a 4/4 groove. I'd recommend practicing such pattern over some Phil Rudd groove for the start
anyway, I am sure someone will post a transcription
have a nice day

Hi Gavin,

1. I tried the big water bottle trick on the bass drum and it seems to give great results in terms of making the sub work. How do You treat that track by the way? Low pass filter?

2. What's the polar pattern of the DPA mic You use?

3. How do You suspend Your Audix D6 inside Your BD?

4. Whenever You play it seems You never "stumble" or hesitate: do You sing your phrasing and feels in Your head when You play and improvise or You just let Your hands go?

Thanks for all Your replies and time

euphoric_anomaly said:

Gavin,

This is basically for anyone who wants to jump on it, but I was wondering if someone could transcribe, and/or explain what's going on with the hi-hat in this easily deceptive 4/4 beat.

I figured this would be the best place to get an accurate explanation from all the guru's on this forum.

Thanks a bunch

Eric

Click to expand...

As floortom13 said, this is a simple groove in 4, under a hi hat accented every 3 sixteenth note.
Here's a link to a YouTube tutorial, I don't think it's great, but it's OK.
Also, when dealing with polyrhythms, it's not about thinking of the 3s on one side, and thinking in 4 as well, it's all about working it together. So, while conceptually there might be two or more rhythms going on, don't let anyone make you believe they are thinking about all these different rhythms separately, 95% of the time, it's a matter of INTERdependance, rather than independance.


Fox.

Fox,

What a wonderfully accurate transcription. I have viewed the YouTube explanation before and just thought the teacher was an egotistical ass... but anyway, now I can clearly see what's going on. I have tried to replicate it and play along with it, but it is tricky the first few times you play it.

Thanks so much

OK, so I used the search function to try and find a transcription of Anesthetize, and all I could find was that thrashy double pedal part (killer!) but what I am looking for is the part just before that (you know, the part with several high hat chokes at the end.) For some reason, I just can't get my cymbal crashes to line up (I think I start the snare/tom fill too early) Can anyone point me to a transcription? Or at least what time signature for that section and/or what beats those cymbal crashes are at? It's driving me nuts. Thx

cygnify said:

OK, so I used the search function to try and find a transcription of Anesthetize, and all I could find was that thrashy double pedal part (killer!) but what I am looking for is the part just before that (you know, the part with several high hat chokes at the end.) For some reason, I just can't get my cymbal crashes to line up (I think I start the snare/tom fill too early) Can anyone point me to a transcription? Or at least what time signature for that section and/or what beats those cymbal crashes are at? It's driving me nuts. Thx

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There are 2 sections of the hi-hat chokes before the double bass blast from hell. The first one is from 9:36 to approx. 9:51 and 2nd is from 10:45 to 11:00. They are both in 4/4.

Hi Gavin,

In your opinion, what affect do re-enforcement rings have on the sound of the toms, let's say a 'vintage' maple shell vs. a 'thin' maple shell?

Thanks very much, phil

Fox622003 said:

Here's a link to a YouTube tutorial, I don't think it's great, but it's OK.

Click to expand...

That's not a 3 over 4 polyrhythm, the youtube-"tutor" is wrong. A polyrhythm would be 3 strokes against 4 strokes in the same duration of time.

Fox622003 said:

Here's a link to a YouTube tutorial, I don't think it's great, but it's OK.
Also, when dealing with polyrhythms, it's not about thinking of the 3s on one side, and thinking in 4 as well, it's all about working it together.

Click to expand...

That's not a 3 over 4 polyrhythm, the youtube-"tutor" is wrong. A polyrhythm would be 3 strokes against 4 strokes in the same duration of time. Like fox said, it's three note groupings of 16ths instead.

Hi Gavin,

Just a quick question about cutting down cymbals to chimes.
You said that after you were reasonably close the size you wanted a cymbal to be you started filing with same metal sand paper. How close is that exactly? 1/2 of an inch, 1/4 of an inch? Thanks.

Cheers,

Francis

Hi Gavin! First of all: your creativity and skills are absolutely inspiring. Im a huge fan of porcupine tree and your style of drumming just fits perfectly into the band.
So I have a few questions about that:
1. Is the whole band using in ear metronoms live? cause when I saw you playing, I thought that it must be very challenging for wilson and co to keep the time while your'e playing these 7 over 4 kind of things in fills etc.
2. is the vers groove of cheating the polygraph based on septuplets? or do you just play sextuplets in a kind of "different" feel?
3. I found a transcription of your slippin' away version. is this amazing triplet-group of 5 pattern at the beginning the same you're playing at the outro of cheating the polygraph?
thanks for your time!
Matze

euphoric_anomaly said:

There are 2 sections of the hi-hat chokes before the double bass blast from hell. The first one is from 9:36 to approx. 9:51 and 2nd is from 10:45 to 11:00. They are both in 4/4.

Click to expand...

Yes, those are the sections (from Anesthetize,) but on which beats are the cymbal crashes? I always seem to be coming out of it a little late - maybe I'm putting a couple extra eighths in my fill before them. Any help would be appreciated