Todd Sucherman here!

Hey Todd,
Man I am really digging your playing. Your playing is such a great expression of how rudiments can be practically applied and it sounds just phenomenal. Every time I hear your playing it makes me want to jump on the drums and try out a new idea I hear or a cool lick. Wish I could catch you at the MD fest but Purchase is a little far from me. But thank you for bringing a level of musicianship and versatility to drumming whether it's the angry young man or a swing tune.

Ian
 
latzanimal---glad you enjoyed the MD interview. Thanks!

ChrisBassdrum---thanks. I'm happy you dug the clips. The DVD was produced and edited in Austin, Texas...and the filming location was just outside of Austin. You can order the DVD direct from Altitudedigital.com which is in Austin! Vielen Danke!

Bernhard---my dear friend---thanks for your great work and great site. See you soon!

Trip---hope we run into each other. Hope you have a good time at the fest!

pickupstyx--I'm happy you dig "Tears of Joy". I love that composition and never tire of it. I wouldn't be able to do what you suggest as I didn't write it and don't have the publishing. This would be an expensive endeavor with lawyers, Sony publishing, etc. It's one thing to have a piece of music out for performance or entertainment. It's another for downloaded tracks that people can record themselves with and do whatever they want with, etc. Sorry--it won't happen.

youenjoy00myself--thanks for your kind words. I really appreciate it! I'm assuming you have the dvd with your comment about application of rudiments. (There's a hands/practice pad session that's 30 minutes and then 30 minuets of previous materials applied on the drumset.) I've always tried to reap as many ideas out of one single idea using different orchestrations and note rates. You're vocabulary grows when you approach things in this manner. Hopefully that demonstrated well on the dvd! Thanks again for your positive feedback!

Cheers from San Jose--

Todd
 
Wow - I hadn't realized it was shot just outside of Austin and that AltitudeDigital was based in town as well. I work right around the corner -- wonder if I can get the instant satisfaction of a local purchase rather than wait for shipping.

"Hey, who's that whacko waving money outside the window?!?"

Now if only I could afford a recording space like that, rather than my thin-walled storage unit off IH-35... :D
 
Audball---they're right on 360. Although if you order from Altitudedigital.com, they ship the same day and it would be 24 hours to you mailbox!

Leaving Cali tomorrow, day at home, then off to NY for the Modern Drummer Festival. Anyone going?

T
 
Just posted - with the kind permission of Todd - 8 clips from the great new DVD on Drummerworld.

I spent many hours with watching the DVD - just great. There are so many sections and many aspects are covered. Beautiful.

Thanks sooo much for those clips....

Not that I needed any convincing but now I'm even more convinced this is gonna be one sweet DVD.....Pre-orded it @ Amazon....can't wait!

Todd -
I was wondering do you enjoy playing on the big kit more with all its possibilities or do you prefer the intimacey of the small 4 piecer more?
Just curious.....
 
LinearDrummer,

If I may suggest this: Cancel your order with Amazon and order direct from Altitudedigital.com. We have not negotiated ANY DEAL with Amazon whatsoever. We have no idea how it's even listed on their site. We are investigating. Where will they get the dvds from? WE have 'em! So if you can, cancel your order as you may never receive one!
Thanks, man.

As far as the kits go, they are two different animals. I play completely differently on each. They inspire different ideas. It's a different touch. We're talking a Les Paul vs. a Taylor acoustic guitar. You would drive a Ferrari differently than a Rolls Corniche, you know? In the end--they both get you to the store. I'm at home in either setting and variety is the spice of life!

OK. Thanks again and I hope you get the dvd right from US. It ships immediately!

Cheers, bro--
Todd
 
Todd,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for your big kit, do you still use multiple 8" tom-toms? Aren't they like 8x7 and 8x8? If so, how do you separate the sounds/notes between them since they are so close in size? And does the extra inch depth of the 8x8 give any noticable sound difference over your traditional 8x7?

See you this weekend!


Dom
 
Hey Trip,

There's a huge difference between the 8x7 and 8x8. Tuning plays a big part. The first 8 (x7) is tuned up high for a Phil Collins type "gock" or "bark". The second 8 is conventionally tuned and sounds like a "meaty" 8. So, they are not even close. The extra inch on the 8x8 helps with the meatiness and the 7 depth helps with the bark but doesn't choke. Make sense?

Right on. Hope you have a good time this weekend.

Cheers from Austin,
Todd
 
Yea, makes total sense! Amazing how 1" of drum affects tonality!

I also watched some trailer clips from your new DVD. Holy cow you're smooth as satin!!! I look forward to gettin a copy soon!
 
LinearDrummer,

If I may suggest this: Cancel your order with Amazon and order direct from Altitudedigital.com. We have not negotiated ANY DEAL with Amazon whatsoever. We have no idea how it's even listed on their site. We are investigating. Where will they get the dvds from? WE have 'em! So if you can, cancel your order as you may never receive one!
Thanks, man.

As far as the kits go, they are two different animals. I play completely differently on each. They inspire different ideas. It's a different touch. We're talking a Les Paul vs. a Taylor acoustic guitar. You would drive a Ferrari differently than a Rolls Corniche, you know? In the end--they both get you to the store. I'm at home in either setting and variety is the spice of life!

OK. Thanks again and I hope you get the dvd right from US. It ships immediately!

Cheers, bro--
Todd

No problem man....I'll cancel and put in an order @ Altitude....
 
Hi Todd,

i saw your videos from your new dvd at drummerworld.com and i´m really impressed. Especially the song "Tears of joy" is wonderful. Can you tell me, what time-signature it has? It sounds like a 7 followed by 6 but always counted in smaller patterns like 4/3 and 4/2. The best is, that the song is so musically although it has it´s crazy and overplayed odd meter signature. Great work! Nice to see, that you can play on Modern Drummer Festival 2008. Enjoy it.
 
Todd, outstanding and inspiring performance at this year's MD Festival 2008!! I loved every second of it and was truly in awe the entire time. And of course when we shook hands and you signed my Methods & Mechanics DVD! Thanks for that! I've watched part of it so far and I can't wait to finish the rest. It's 100 lbs of material in a 4 oz. package!!

I hope we meet again Todd. And from one Sabian player to another, rock on!!


Dominick
 
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A couple of nice licks from the great Todd Sucherman's new dvd:
http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/toddsuchermanfunkydisco.html
sucherman.jpg
 
TODD!!!!! Had so much fun brother. I always look forward to hanging with you.

Your performance was legendary!!!!

I'll give you a shout when I get to PASIC. THAT'S going to be a hoot as well!

Cheers

D.
 
Linear---thanks!

ilikedrums---"Tears of Joy" is in 13/8....but it almost seems like 13/16 as the 8th note rate is pretty quick. The "A" section is like a bar of 7 then 6. The "B" section flips to a bar of 6 then 7. In my dvd I break it down and go through a few of the "3s and 2s" as you can break down any difficult time signature in groups of 3s and 2s. I hope you decide to pick up the dvd direct from Altitudedigital.com. Thanks for your kind words!

Dominick---a pleasure meeting you! Sorry if I left out the "K" in your name when I signed your DVD. Thanks for getting it and thanks for your compliments, man. I really appreciate it. I hope it inspires cool ideas in your playing. Let me know.

Korompay---nice job! Interesting to see things written down. I've never been much of a transcriber--so I appreciate your efforts. Thanks!

Derek--you killed it, my man! I don't know about legendary....but coming from you that's quite a compliment, my friend. I echo your sentiments back to you. We will definitely hook up in Austin!

OK---at home for a day and back out on the road tomorrow. Thanks for all the feedback, guys!

Cheers-
Todd
 
Todd, I've just watched the Hudson music sample (teaser) and man !!! You're a monster, absolutely freaking. Just want to say, I love it.

BTW, your interview was very funny, I mean, all the badluck that happened and you took it with humor and grain of salt. You retrieved me a big smile.

CIAO, take care & A+
 
Mind Drummer--

Thanks a lot! It was really something. We all go through moments of wackiness as drummers and I just had a moment or two at the end of the fest....that's life!

I appreciate you kind words---

Off to Montgomery, Alabama now...
Cheers!
Todd
 
Hey, Todd

I saw your performance at the MD Festival, and I thought your drumming was terrific. Congratulations. Being asked to play at the MD Festival is an honor that most of us will never know, and you did a nice job with it.

However, I noticed that you made reference in this thread to "moments of wackiness." In your Hudson interview, you talked about messing up a fill.

For the most part, when famous drummers log on here, the other forum members offer nothing but worshipful praise. I'm going to go against the grain in this case because I want to offer a different perspective. Honestly, I was somewhat taken aback at the MD Festival when you stopped your song mid-stream and explained that you had botched a fill. I am sure that no one except you was aware of the mistake. When you suddenly stopped performing, we were all sitting there in the audience wondering what the heck was going on.

I can understand being a perfectionist and wanting to have a pristine performance for the festival DVD...but pristine performances seldom occur in real life. Everyone from Elvin to Gadd has mistakes in their recorded history. The "wackiness" you experienced at the festival wasn't really all that unusual, except for the fact that you drew everyone's attention to it.

As I said before, I think you did a very nice job at the festival. Just keep in mind that some very young and impressionable drummers are watching you and listening to your words. It would be great if they got the message that drumming live means going with the flow, playing through our inevitable human errors, and staying focused on serving the song.

Thank you for taking in my feedback here. I wish you the best.
 
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Thank you for your fast answer, Todd. If the Company ships to Germany i will do so. I´m very interested to get your DVD. Great videos from MDF 2008 - you did a fantastic job. Greets!
 
Matt,

Thanks for your feedback and for your thoughts. They are greatly appreciated.

You know, it's funny. Upon watching the review disc of my performance, it seemed clear that I could have continued with the flow and no one would have been the wiser. At the time, being in my body at that exact moment----it seemed like a colossal time lapse---as wide as the Grand Canyon. Had it been just a regular clinic performance I would have continued. But the cameras were rolling on a DVD that would exist on this earth longer than I will. It is a fill that I've been asked about hundreds of times, and one I break down and teach in my DVD. In a split second I thought (only for the sake of the filming) that I should do another take. I suppose the laptop falling in take 2 and then the stick flying out in Take 3 was the universe's way of teaching me that I should have continued just fine with take 1. Lesson learned. We never stop learning....

I hope no one got the wrong message for my reasons for trying again. I'd like to think that the overall resonating message from all my playing and speaking were not overshadowed by the last take. I hope it came off as "endearing" in a way, and overcoming obstacles that will always be there as musicians and as human beings.

Thanks again for your observations and I appreciate your time to drop me a note.

Hope you had a great time at the MD Fest! My best to you-

Cheers-
Todd
 
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