Todd Sucherman here!

ibantxodrums,

Thanks for getting the dvd and glad you are enjoying it! As for your question, there's no Tears of Joy transcription on the dvd. There are printable PDFs of the "hands on the pad/application" section on either disc 1 or 2 (I forget which one). That's all we had time to do really.

We played Hammersmith Odeon in '05 and Wembley in '07, but no London on the books for now. I'm hoping it won't be too long until we make it back there.

For those interested, our USA summer/fall schedule is here:
http://www.styxworld.com/SilverStripe/index.php

Thanks again and I wish you the best with your playing!
Cheers,
Todd
 
Congratulations!!

Just passing by to say I've visited your site and just discovered that your drum room is amazingly great!

So, congratulations on that and on your fantastic playing and musicality.

Now, let me get back to the drums to practice some more...

:)

Thanks!
 
Hey Todd,

Do you know, which type of wood does your Pearl drum-set, from your dvd, has (especially the snare drum), and which china-cymbal do you play at your dvd (the left one) ??

Thanks for answering all questions!!

Cheers
Clemens


PS: I'm from germany, so my english is not very good!
 
Dan---


Thanks a lot. The pics on Toddsucherman.com are of the old drum room. My website is being redone and will have the new pics up by mid summer. There are current pics on my Myspace page if you have an account. Thanks again!

CL--

The dvd kit is a Pearl Masterworks from 2001. The finish outer ply is Bubinga, Maple center plies, and 2 inner plies of African Mahogany. The Pearl snare is a one piece solid Rosewood Masterworks. The wood hoop drum is the Pro Mark 50th Anniversary drum built by Pete Stanbridge (Stanbridgedrums.com). The China (hi hat side) from the dvd is a Sabian 17" AAXtreme and the other (floor tom side) is a Sabian 19" Paragon.

Hope that helps.

Cheers from Seattle!
Todd
 
Hi Todd,

I was hoping to see you this year when you are in the Boston area but as luck would have it I'm gigging myself. Figures. Do you have any plans on doing clinics in the near future that may bring you to Boston?

Thanks
 
Hey!! I didn't even realize that you are on here! Congrats on winning the Rock genre on the Modern Drummer Awards. I haven't heard much of your playing, but I hear a lot of good stuff about you and your technique. Thanks for joining the forum (even though I'm a bit late on the welcome part). It's a pleasure having you on here!
 
hey! congratulations on winning the "best rock drummer" poll in modern drummer magazine. when you think of how many rock drummers there are in the world, that's pretty significant!
 
Thanks a lot for answering!

I'm definitely checking your Myspace page.

Cheers!





Todd Sucherman said:
Dan---


Thanks a lot. The pics on Toddsucherman.com are of the old drum room. My website is being redone and will have the new pics up by mid summer. There are current pics on my Myspace page if you have an account. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
 
Congrats on being voted number one rock drummer in MD....
Kinda of funny thats what you are labled but IMO you are waaaay more than just a rock drummer...

I have a Bob Mamet CD and there is a certain drummer doin a great job on a jazz record...
 
2b--

Hope you can make the show at the end of the month. We have a great "show" this year with pretty big production, so hope you come out. As far as clinics, no one has invited me to do one out your way. That's how it works, you see. I don't choose where I go....a shop has to invite me. So hopefully I'll be out there at some point.

Paul, Drummer girl and Dairy,

Thanks a lot! I was really quite surprised and very flattered. Thanks again.

Linear--
Thanks, man. Wow....that Mamet record seems like a long, long time ago. I suppose it was.....


Cheers, everyone!
Todd
 
Todd,

Kudo's to you on the recent acknowledgement by MD. Took a lot of years to become an over night sensation huh? lol Is the lesson this, a darn good DVD can have that effect?

Am I assuming too much with thinking that the rise in your publicity is a result of the DVD and broader audiance it has put you in contact with? How much help did you seek out to put the DVD together? There has to be a lot involved that goes beyond drumming alone so how familiar were you with the process before starting? When you come out with #2 what will you do differently or maintain control over? I'm curious about this because when I started drumming DVD's and tapes didn't exist and I think next to a good teacher, their probably the best thing to happen for drummers since the advent of recording. They've opened up a new world of access for drummers and musicians in general.

In the brief write-up with you in the June MD from the Festival in NY, there is an example of one of your exercises, polyrhythmic paradiddle pattern. It's a great exercise, but I wonder why you consider it a paradiddle pattern? As you know the paradiddle is an alternate sticking rudiment and your exercise isn't. Of course this could be a error with MD. If not, why a paradiddle?

Last and quickly, how would you rate your sight reading skills? How important do you think sight reading is?

Thanks.
 
Just saw you and the rest of Styx at the White House. How cool was that? Did you get to meet Obama?
 
donv---

Lots of questions! OK........

I think there were a lot of factors other than the dvd that helped raise my visibility in the drum world. In many ways the stars were aligned just right and the dvd helped, but one thing is the fact that I've done 100 shows a year for the last ten years in front of 2 to 15 thousand people a night. Also I've been doing several clinics a year since 2003. We had a live dvd play on HD channels for quite some time, and in 2008 I did Brian Wilson's "That Lucky Old Sun" cd (and live dvd and documentary) which Rolling Stone and Mojo gave 4 stars to........so add in more clinics, more shows, the dvd, more shows, TV, Modern Drummer Fest.......and that's the way it goes I suppose. It just feels I'm doing what I've always been doing.

I had full control over the dvd and will have full control when I do a second one. That's one of the reasons I went with Altitude Digital---Eric Dorris and I were off and running after the first lunch. He's become a dear friend and he's a talented drummer as well as filmmaker. The only thing that will be different on #2 will obviously be the content. We had a small crew but all the contents came from my noggin.'

I'm sorry that I can't recall the lick your speaking of from the MD fest. I may have done a double para/half para hand to hand thing with the accents in a biao rhythm. There was also maybe a half para (RLRR) lick played at the 4:3 rate, that if you lag the left hand becomes the Tony Williams Blushda or Gabloosh lick (in the interview section). But none of those are true poly rhythms in any sense. Perhaps you can be more specific or give the dvd time (ex 29.14) of where you are talking about.

My sight reading most likely isn't anywhere where it used to be when I was doing sessions everyday. I suppose if you don't use it you loose it a little---and would take a bit of work to get back to the level it was. I do think reading is important and has served me well in my career. I just haven't had anyone hand me a chart in quite some time!

Hope I've answered your questions, donv.

shoedaddy---

We didn't meet the President but it was an incredible and memorable day. You can check out part of the story here:

http://www.pearldrum.com/News/News-Item.aspx?id=399

Cheers from Boston,

Todd
 
Anxious to see the gig @ MAC Omaha Council Bluffs July 12th !
I work in radio ..we've been promoting the heck outta the tour !.

Cheers !
 
Todd,

My friend has a new Styx Tribute Band. I don't know if you heard of them. I was asked to be the drummer; but he went with an old friend from his first band who had a booking agency and many contacts in the touring circuit. I think they're good. (Oh, and the band was my idea.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5DL-9C22kk
 
Dan--

Hope you enjoy the gig!

Delta--

You know, every tribute band sends me links to clips and I've seen a minute or so of the one you provided. It's a peculiar feeling to watch something like that....I can't put it into words....but I can only watch 60 seconds or so. No disrespect to your pals or the other tribute bands but it makes me realize how well my band mates play and sing. I know that may sound like a dis but it isn't. I hear MY guys every night and they kill......it ain't easy. Ain't easy at all.

Thanks nonetheless!

Cheers from Boston.....still

TS
 
I hear where you are coming from. The notion of tributes bands is not something that I myself feel comfortable with at all. It's a bunch of middle-aged guys looking for something to do. And they are rarely any good. They say imitation if the sincerest form of flattery. But a bunch of fat middle aged guys in wigs, that's another story.

I know that my buddy, Bob, is a huge Styx fan, and I found it flattering that I was considered because they thought I could handle some of the more intricate drumming that you have brought to the band. Then I would have been on here asking you for advice, and saying hey what are you doing in this song. I wish them luck; but if you don't really like 'em, maybe I ducked a big mashed potato.
 
Wondering if you can give me some advice--I'll try to keep this short.

Started playing using traditional grip as a kid, took ten years off from drumming (college, getting started in life, etc.), then have played matched grip for the past ten years. Have been experimenting with traditional again lately, it's gone better than expected, and I'm contemplating a switch back completely. I've seen that you play mostly if not all traditional.

Can you summarize any advantages I might have playing mostly or all traditional? Speed? Touch? Any advice? Thanks!
 
Delta---

Again, I mean no disrespect to your friends. It's just a hard thing for me to watch/listen to....and I may have explained myself vaguely or incorrectly. (And I'm still unable to come up with words or phrases!)

Shoe--

Although I play mostly traditional, I never consider it one way verses another. I play both ways---and if you think of it like that it simply comes down to playing. Playing is IT. The grip is a means to an end. I see no advantage one way or another but by playing both ways you will think of think of different things to play based on your grip. It comes down to an essence or internal feeling. You might conjure up ideas -- or get inspired to go somewhere with traditional that wouldn't have occurred with matched and vice versa. So don't get caught up in "one way or another." Have fun with both!

Hope I've helped.

Cheers from upstate NY,
Todd
 
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