Gavin Harrison here!

Inspired here!

Greetings, Gavin.

You gave me so much inspiration.
I have recorded an album with a band.
And I really want you to listen to this record.

What is the easiest way to send it directly to you?

Hopefully waiting for your answer.

ARE YOU SURE?
Gavin is very very busy, so nice he answers all these questions - but checking out recordings (would be 500 a week) is for sure much too much - so please!!!!
Bernhard
 
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hi gavin,

i would like to know a few things about the "in absentia" sessions.

1) how much time did you have to prepare for the session? were there any drums on the tracks, when you got them?
2) what were your thoughts and feelings, when you first heard the music?
3) why did you use dw-drums on this album? how did they feel/sound compared to your sonor-kit? did you like them?

thanks again,
all the best,
daniel
 
HA!!! Did Portnoy leave DT!!! You guys are funny. By the time you asked that I believe, I say I believe, that Gavin has already auditioned for DT.. Now of course this is a guess and I am NOT speaking for Gavin. I know the auditions were beginning this past week. As a matter of fact I had HEARD Gavin was auditioning, but that means nothing and is just a rumor unless Gavin confirms. Once again, I HEARD, that there were some heavy hitters audtioning, Harrison, Minnemen, Morgenstein to name the three I heard specifically.

Sounds like you believe everyone wants to play in that "fantastic" band !?
I wouldnt want to play there....
 
Hi Gavin,

I just finished a cover of Wonderful Slippery Thing from Guthrie Govan and Pete Riley and I was looking to cover Quite Firm from Laurence Cottle but, I can only find a live recording from 1995. You said it was only done for you and your DVD, but is there anyway for the public to get their hands on it? And if not, would you ever consider releasing it? (with Lawrence's permission obviously)

It's sugar for the ears. Any feedback would be great.

Thank you,
Jay Dickson
 
cheers gavin!

i've been reading about your practice routine on your website. i've read something that i didn't really understand. I will quote to avoid any confusion;

Q: How often and long do you practice, and what does it consist of?

A: I tend to practice concepts, coordination and timing exercises.

this is just a part of the answer, but i'm curious about that what is underlined; when you say concepts, what exactly do you mean?

best regards from croatia, hope to see porcupine tree here soon :)
 
Hi,
you mentioned you are using Sennheiser mx400 headphones with custom mold of your ear. I was wondering what type of mold are you using, so you can put headphone in it. Thanks
 
Hi Gavin, as you're my drummer idol, I want to ask you for an advice. I have a 20" K Custom Ride. I would like my ride cymbal to sound dry, don't have money to let myself buy a new ride. Is there anything that can dry'then my ride cymbal. Thanks.

Also, as I've been recently deciding which new hihat to buy, I was in a drumshop, I literally spent 1 hour running between two pairs, 14" K HiHats and 14" A Custom Mastersound HiHats. I took a shot and chose the K series ones. But, as I played them for a few days, I realised that they sound too dry for me, so tomorrow I'm going to change to the A custom mastersound. What is your opinion on A Custom 14" Mastersound HiHats. Thank you very much in advance, keep on inspirating young talents with your groovy chops and rhythmic illusions :)
 
Hi euphoric_anomaly

I recently fell in love with your work on OSI's album "Blood".
I noticed in Radiologue, you do the same fancy offbeat footwork that you did in Futile -- where the double bass roll seems displaced by a 16th note, something like that. I think the name for the type of fill was Herta???


I assume you're referring to the last two bars of where the drums are playing? It's not the same as Futile and they're not Hertas. A Herta is two 32nd notes followed by two 16th notes and it's all single stroke sticking (or footing). On this track it's just short bursts of triplets.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, the title track to the album is (at least the intro) 10/8.

I would think of it as 5/4.

Hi RogerTheShrubber

I know you like to use Space Designer when mixing but how many subgroups do you use? Or do you just get a good mix of everything and then send it to one aux bus and then apply reverb, etc ... ?

I normally have the toms on one bus - the rest of the drums on another bus and the reverb on a third bus. The snare and toms get sent via the aux knob on each of their channel strips to the reverb bus.

Hi SimSalaBim

What about the physical aspect of your drumming. How do you keep fit on the road and do you smoke or drink?

The truth is I don't keep fit on the road. Sometimes on the European leg of a tour I can bring my bicycle and have a quick ride every now and then but that's about it. I don't smoke and hardly drink either.

Hi D-a-n-i-e-l

i would like to know a few things about the "in absentia" sessions.
1) how much time did you have to prepare for the session? were there any drums on the tracks, when you got them?


I had the demos at home for about 10 days before the session. There were just basic drum machine parts on them.

2) what were your thoughts and feelings, when you first heard the music?

I liked it and knew I could do something good with it.

3) why did you use dw-drums on this album? how did they feel/sound compared to your sonor-kit? did you like them?

There was a big mix up with the delivering of the Sonor drums - wires got crossed and things didn't show up - I'd only been an endorser for a very short time. We couldn't wait around because the studio was costing a fortune and we didn't have endless budget so S.I.R rentals brought over a DW set. It was very nice but not like the Sonors.

Hi oldskooljay

I was looking to cover Quite Firm from Laurence Cottle but, I can only find a live recording from 1995. You said it was only done for you and your DVD, but is there anyway for the public to get their hands on it? And if not, would you ever consider releasing it? (with Lawrence's permission obviously)

I don't know what you mean by "get your hands on it" ? You want the arrangement charts for all the players of a big band because you want to perform/record this piece?

Hi marin

this is just a part of the answer, but i'm curious about that what is underlined; when you say concepts, what exactly do you mean?


Ideas - non specific exercises. Like metric modulation or displacement for instance.

Hi mly

you mentioned you are using Sennheiser mx400 headphones with custom mold of your ear. I was wondering what type of mold are you using, so you can put headphone in it.

Some audiologists can make impressions of your ears that these generic 'bud' headphones like the ones you mention can fit inside. Like this http://www.handheldaudio.co.uk/page...=Custom&pic=../images/ear_77x22.gif&pr_id=692

but be aware they sound pretty bad. If you're looking for really good IEMs then check these out. I've been using them for the last year or so and they are amazing. The bad news is that they're expensive - but definitely worth it.
http://www.sensaphonics.com/prod_3d_earphones.html

scottishhaggis

I have a 20" K Custom Ride. I would like my ride cymbal to sound dry, don't have money to let myself buy a new ride. Is there anything that can dry'then my ride cymbal.
You can try putting some gaffa tape on the bottom of it.

What is your opinion on A Custom 14" Mastersound HiHats.

personally I've never got on with the mastersound or soundedge bottom cymbal very well because I didn't like the way they sounded when they were tightly closed. I've been using the 13" Ks hi hats for quite a few years and they suit me well. Everyone has different tastes of course.

cheers
Gavin
 
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Hey Gavin,

i don't know if you remember me. We met in Bremen backstage 2009.
I took a picture from you and me and we talked a bit about your new vic firth sticks.
It was great to meet one of my favourite drummers just like that!
Unfortunately i lost the picture...

Anyway, i love your drumming. It's very inspiring to me. Thanks for your hard work
you put in your playing. I can learn very much from it although i prefer other music (R'n'B e.g.)

I also got some questions:
How important is chartreading to you?
Did the importance of it change somehow in your time as a drummer?
 
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Hey Gavin!
I've got three questions for you:
1. I've been thinking of buying a new double pedal for a long time now, and I have been reading about some pedals having equal distance from the centre of the drum with both beaters and others which got one of the beaters in the middle and the other one off the middle.(a little hard to explain, hope you understand it!)
Do you have any opinions on the differences in feel and sound?
Do you have recommendations for both kinds?

2. I am currently waiting for my Sonor 135th anniversary snare which is a copy of your designer one. Do you know how many of these were made in the end?

3. This is more a question aimed at this thread. Do you learn things from answering our questions? Is this only a source for knowledge for us, or is it for you too?

Thanks in advance! :)

Anders
 
Hi Chris Carle (CareyCopelandCameron),

Do you have the part 2 of the sonor days video with the performances of Gavin Harrison, Dave Langguth and Benny Greb?

Thank you

Marcos
 
I've started practicing 6/8 time. Which I find quite easy to grasp, however, I'm always accenting the 'one' of every group of 3 (ONE two three, ONE two three), either with a stomp of the bass drum or a crack of the snare. Could you suggest an alternative way of counting 6/8 so I could play it without it sounding so monotonous or predictable?

In case you read this, try playing every other note accented, it creates a sort of polyrythmic feel. Play it on the ride with one note on the bell and the other just normally, or opening the hi-hat every other beat.

ONE Two THREE One TWO Three ONE Two THREE One TWO Three ONE Two THREE One...

And a question to Gavin, what time would you say the verse of Cheating the polygraph is? I can easliy count 3/4 and 4/4 although 4/4 is a bit more comfortable. I also have a question regarding the ending of the song (6:50- ) Are you playing RLRLRLRL or is this some kind of pattern? And they are 16th triplets, correct?
 
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