Billy Ward here!

Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

yeah - I'm playing drummerlive and looking forward to another INCREDIBLE drum/drummer hang!
Mr. Bernhard - I'll be seeing you in a couple - a - weeks at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt!
I love our little community!
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

Hi Billy - so great

(just at the moment I watched/listened "Above the Water" from the DVD....what a groovy song)

Yes, will be great to meet in Frankfurt and then also planning London ...and Austin perhabs?

Bernhard
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

Hey Billy,
I loved your article in the latest Modern Drummer concerning soloing- I thought it was interesting that you didn't like taking solos- you're such a good player! I think I speak for the majority of the drummer population when I say we'd love to hear your musical ideas.
Also, I thought it was funny that your dentist could sing the Inna-Gadda-Da-Vidda drum solo... Proof that non-musicians can both digest and enjoy a drum soloist! Cheers Billy, thanks for all the drumming and great writing over the years.
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

thanks the duke86!

Having my dentist sing that solo to me (just the beginning part of course...) was amazing - and then the fact that it happened the very same week I needed to write something for that issue about solos totally blew my mind!
Life is really funny sometimes.
thanks for the encouragement!
 
Re: I'm here! -

NUTHA JASON said:
this billy ward?

billywardfrank.jpg


seriously? cool... another pro is amongst us. welcome then billy.

j
Billy. Are you a "Big Red Machine" fan or do you just like the shirt?
 
Re: I'm here! -

Nick5 said:
Billy. Are you a "Big Red Machine" fan or do you just like the shirt?

huge reds fan. they are embarrasing of late - but I still root for them first and foremost!
 
A huge doubt

Wow, Billy Ward, you have a really great and creative improvisation, by the way now that you're here, I just wanted to ask....in the solo that you have a small part here on your site of drummerworld, on the Modern Drummer Days festival, you use a technic that I just can't understand, when you make three or four single strokes hitteng the hit-hat under, it's a amazing speed, and you just rise your arm!!!!!!!....i just don't know what to do when I see it....I'd thank if you take the time to explain how do you do that, or what thecnic do you use......anyway, welcome, it's great to see a site where all the greatest are togheter
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

Hey Billy, I recently watched your dvd Big Time just before leaving for a gig. I had to play 36 covers of wich I new about 10. I really felt comfortable and confident going into the set after watching it everything went fine. So thanks for getting me pumped up haha. I do have one question who makes your cymbal stands that you use for stacking w/ the hi hat like top? I looked on DW's sight and didn't see them.



P. S. The earlier post about your age really floored me I thought you were like 35. Maybe there is still hope for me yet!
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

Thanks guys! S2K - I'm not understanding what your question is here. If you or anyone else can clarify, I'll be happy to try to answer. I don't recall EVER playing the hats with sticks from UNDERNEATH... so...huh?
but thanks for the comps!

and...
drumbig said:
Hey Billy, I recently watched your dvd Big Time just before leaving for a gig. I had to play 36 covers of wich I new about 10. I really felt comfortable and confident going into the set after watching it everything went fine. So thanks for getting me pumped up haha. I do have one question who makes your cymbal stands that you use for stacking w/ the hi hat like top? I looked on DW's sight and didn't see them.



P. S. The earlier post about your age really floored me I thought you were like 35. Maybe there is still hope for me yet!


Thanks Drumbig - the part you are looking for is a DW part#9212. It is an arm that sits in a normal DW stand and you can mount two cymbals together like in x-hat configuration. Other companies make this kindo f thing as well, but NONE of them make it so that you can place very heavy 22" cymbal OVER a little 10 or 12 and still adjust the exact amount they are touching each other. Regarding those cover band gigs... I've dont that a ton in the past. This is why my book (modern Drummer publications) ends with my approach for what I call a "quickie chart system". You might enjoy seeing that sometime.
thanks agian-
Bw
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

Hey Billy, just wanted to say I dug the egg shaker groove you came up with. I can't recall the DVD it was on, but it made me laugh with it's coolness. Dig your playing and attitude as well, postive approach always yields positive results ultimately. You're twenty times the player I'll ever be.
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

Mediocrefunkybeat said:
Hey Billy, just wanted to say I dug the egg shaker groove you came up with. I can't recall the DVD it was on, but it made me laugh with it's coolness. Dig your playing and attitude as well, postive approach always yields positive results ultimately. You're twenty times the player I'll ever be.

thanks medfunbeat - (funny name) youm ight be right, but that doesn't mean you can't be a far better MUSICIAN! :D

Billy
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

billy ward said:
Thanks Drumbig - the part you are looking for is a DW part#9212. It is an arm that sits in a normal DW stand and you can mount two cymbals together like in x-hat configuration. Other companies make this kindo f thing as well, but NONE of them make it so that you can place very heavy 22" cymbal OVER a little 10 or 12 and still adjust the exact amount they are touching each other. Regarding those cover band gigs... I've dont that a ton in the past. This is why my book (modern Drummer publications) ends with my approach for what I call a "quickie chart system". You might enjoy seeing that sometime.
thanks agian-
Bw

Billy I really appreciate you taking the time to look that part up for me. I'm definately going to get your book. Thanks again.
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

well i'm coming up on going to my first drum clinic (god knows why i left it so long) and it's seeing mr Billy Ward in scotland! i greatly look forward to it, as i really enjoyed the clips i saw here and you rhythm interview was interesting too. and, it'll take my mind off exams, which start 3 days later (grr!).
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

Hi billy.
here is a photo of me at my smallest gig (just me and a guitarist/singer). we play on a stage that is 1.5 metres wide so i play a 2 piece drumset and and forced to use small cymbals.
the reason i put it in your thread is that my hihat (2 splashes) is 10''.
works very well.
i have to play very softly but still do nirvana, greenday and blink 182...go figure. its a good exercise in restraint tho.
ever do stuff like this in your past?
j




 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

Hey btw Billy, great articles in MD these past few issues! Definitely great advice for people putting together a studio for the first time.

Have you ever tried out the Earthworks drum mics? I know you said youre into pure overhead sound, and I have these mics and they as accurate as I've ever heard a mic. And the snare sounds amazing without a snare mic! Just the set of three and a room mic has gotten me amazing recordings ...

oh yeah and just a note ... I used to tune my snare super high ... and then decided to tune it down for this song I did, kindof like that article you have on how you tune your snares ... and it sounded amazing. So, thanks for that great tip!
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

wow - some more posts lately! Thanks to those of you who are coming to my UK clinics! Be sure and come up and say hello!
Nutha - yeah, that's familiar alright! Just keep doing what feels good. Do you know that i offer a different way (than yours) to place the hat compared to the snare in my DVD? You might want to check that part out again and try it for a while... or not :D

And yeah, Azzz - I like Earthorks mics. They work really well - and also the omni patterns forgive "iffy " placement - so they are great for starters or seasoned veteran engineers.
If you play well - your drums will sound good! So you must be pretty good!!! :D

thanks again folks-
Billy
 
Re: I'm here! - Billy Ward

yeah. but on that particular stage (which was actually the darts piste) i could only set up my kit one way. heck my feet were almost tucked under the snare drum. the hihat tripod was getting in the way of the snare and i couldn't even use my bass drum spurs (i had to tuck two jackets under each side of the drum to stop it rolling).

funnily enough it was because of these weird limitations that i came up with totally fresh ideas. my art teacher used to make limitation rules that would encourage us to think outside the box...like we had to draw a portrait but the rule was that it had to be done with a ballpoint pen and that once the pen was down we couldn't pick it up (so the whole drawing was one continuous line); the results were surprising. to draw the portrait effectively we were then forced to consider how to make the pen lighter or darker and how to inbed its movement into the texture when we had to move it to another part of the page and how to work any errors into the final product so they appeared to be deliberate creative actions.

...sometimes i feel a lot of my drumming is exactly like this. lol

j
 
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