Gavin Harrison here!

Hi mstjean,
very nice transcriptions !! Well done.

Hi miha

Great stuff, absolutely great! So energetic and profound. There's a part from the preview which is playing in my head over and over. Can't wait for the final release!

Thanks - I'm really happy with it. It should be released very soon.

Hi mly

You have great timing and groove... Do you have any advice how to develop that ?


By listening really carefully - not only to your drumming but other drummers too. I tried to emulate the feel of the drummers that I grew up listening to. I recorded myself all the time and listened back just to check the timing and feel. It's still the biggest priority to me and I'm still critical of my timing and groove. I'm always looking to improve it.
If you want to practice some swing feel - here's a great CD - I'm playing to it almost everyday at the moment. It's called "Meet The Bass Player" and is produced by Allan Cox. It's basically just a great swing bass player called Paul Morgan laying down some great swing time.

http://www.allancox.co.uk/mtbp.htm

Secondly, is it better to be able to play any style or really focus on one style ?


I wouldn't get too hung up on 'styles'. Work on your timing and musicality and you'll be surprised how easy it is to adapt to most styles quite quickly. Every 'style' has timing and groove at the core level - and musicians who play in those styles will appreciate your good sense of time even if you don't know all the things about that style.
I wanted to play the kinds of music I was listening to - and I wasn't just listening to one style of music. Plus a life in the music business can take some pretty unexpected twists and turns - for instance -I never imagined years ago that I'd end up playing in a 'prog' band - as I do now.

And the last one.. Do you have any favourite books you would recommend ?

I really enjoyed working through the systems that can be applied to the Ted Reed book "Syncopation". If you like snare drum exercises there's an excellent (but hard) book by Fred Albright called "Contemporary Studies For Snare Drum".

cheers
Gavin
 
Hey Gavin, I don't really have any questions at the moment but I just *had* to create this account to congratulate you on the great advice and answers you've been giving on these forums.
I also really liked the interviews in the Vic Firth site, I thought they had a lot of useful tips.
I would like to point out that you have been one of the main influences I've had to try and raise my playing level another notch or two.
So, really, thanks a lot for your dedication to music, drumming and the community in general, keep those great grooves coming, beautiful playing!
Oh and now that I think about it, I do have a question! it's kind of silly, but I've always wanted to know how pro drummers handle rolls at the end of songs. I mean, I usually just fill in with cymbal sound and when/if I go to the drumset, I just try to get the same feel I had on the cymbals. What I was wondering is if this is correct, as opposed to maybe, doing it in time, which I've tried, but it's kind of hard to go to a 32nd/16th (depending on the tempo) feel and keep it tight when you are finishing a song, and it doesn't really sound very good. So, how do you handle these type of things?

All the best, Fox.
 
Last edited:
Hi Gavin,

I posted a question on the gerneral drummerworld website just to gauge opinion and was a bit surprised by the reaction.

I asked if a solo I have worked out at around three and a half minutes was too long for a barroom gig (in the UK incidentally). People at these gigs do usually come to see a band, so they're not just sitting there pouring alcohol down their necks.

Most drummers on this site seemed to think four minutes was way too long. I wondered what your opinion as a pro was.

The solo is not massively technical: Two minutes of 4/4 rolling, jungle toms and marching snare figures, followed by a minute or so of 'letting rip' - Bonham triplets, quads, hi-hat chokes, double bass drum stuff. etc.

Maybe I've just been watching too many drum DVDs. Who knows?
 
I really enjoyed working through the systems that can be applied to the Ted Reed book "Syncopation". If you like snare drum exercises there's an excellent (but hard) book by Fred Albright called "Contemporary Studies For Snare Drum".

I'm working through the Ted Reed book myself right now, great stuff.
 
7/4 Time

Gavin,

Thank you for your suggestion about metronomes and grasping 7/4 time. I recently purchased a Yamaha DD65 electronic kit and found out I can set the metronome to any time signature. I'm still in the "basic" stages of grasping 7/4, only being able to play basic snare and bass patterns with a steady 1/4 or 1/8th note on the ride or hi-hat, but it's coming easier the more I play it. My biggest obstacle is mastering how to play it without sounding so robotic.

Thanks again for the advice

Eric
 
Hi cantstandyourfunk

Thanks for those insights, as always, Mr Harrison. Your 4-part video interview series with Vic Firth also helped a lot


I think there's six parts to that interview.

Hi Fox622003

I do have a question! it's kind of silly, but I've always wanted to know how pro drummers handle rolls at the end of songs. I mean, I usually just fill in with cymbal sound and when/if I go to the drumset, I just try to get the same feel I had on the cymbals. What I was wondering is if this is correct, as opposed to maybe, doing it in time, which I've tried, but it's kind of hard to go to a 32nd/16th (depending on the tempo) feel and keep it tight when you are finishing a song, and it doesn't really sound very good. So, how do you handle these type of things?

are you talking about the last held chord of a song where the drummer usually fills in and the others wait for a cut off cue? I don't tend to play in the tempo of the song - I just play whatever comes to mind at the time.

Hi supermac

I asked if a solo I have worked out at around three and a half minutes was too long for a barroom gig (in the UK incidentally). People at these gigs do usually come to see a band, so they're not just sitting there pouring alcohol down their necks.

sounds pretty long to me. I don't really like drum solos to be honest - and try to avoid them if I can.

The solo is not massively technical: Two minutes of 4/4 rolling, jungle toms and marching snare figures, followed by a minute or so of 'letting rip' - Bonham triplets, quads, hi-hat chokes, double bass drum stuff. etc.

could you not just improvise something on the spot - rather than this pre planned thing?

Hi euphoric_anomaly

I'm still in the "basic" stages of grasping 7/4, only being able to play basic snare and bass patterns with a steady 1/4 or 1/8th note on the ride or hi-hat, but it's coming easier the more I play it. My biggest obstacle is mastering how to play it without sounding so robotic.

Don't worry - it gets easier the more comfortable you get with the time signature. I prefer to play over a riff - like a bass line for instance - then I just sing along to it and it feels much easier than counting.

gibeachhead

I heard the PT DVD won't see release until 2010; is this true?


I'm not sure about that - where did you hear it?

cheers
Gavin
 
gibeachhead

I heard the PT DVD won't see release until 2010; is this true?


I'm not sure about that - where did you hear it?

cheers
Gavin

People read that Steven said it in this interview here (posted just yesterday):
http://www.metal4all.net/index2.htm

Unfortunately there is no English version and I myself cannot read Spanish very well, I mean if Steven said so......but I figured i'd ask. No worries I hope, I am simply curious.
 
People read that Steven said it in this interview here (posted just yesterday):
http://www.metal4all.net/index2.htm

Unfortunately there is no English version and I myself cannot read Spanish very well, I mean if Steven said so......but I figured i'd ask. No worries I hope, I am simply curious.

Yes he does say so in this interview......

That the DVD doesnt have the highest priority and that they are busy finishing the new album and that the DVD probably wont come out this year......

I guess we have to wait untill next year....
 
People read that Steven said it in this interview here (posted just yesterday):
http://www.metal4all.net/index2.htm

Unfortunately there is no English version and I myself cannot read Spanish very well, I mean if Steven said so......but I figured i'd ask. No worries I hope, I am simply curious.

Hi gibeachhead

If i may say, as spanish speaker, you´ve read correctly. That´s exactly what Steven said in this interview. :-(


Gustavo
 
Hi Gavin, just a quick question.

On wikipedia it lists your recording Equipment and in essence describes it as; Drum Mics > Desk > Mac

I was just wondering if you use any Outboards in your set-up, such as; EQ's, Compressors, Gates, Reverbs etc or do you do all your Mixing and Processing in Logic?

Hope you're well,

Kev
 
Hi Gavin,

I understand you records tracks for the new OSI album (with Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore).

Has there been any word on when the CD will be released?

Thank you.
 
hi gavin.
usually i see around you a lot of K crashes.
They sound amazing, but they're expensive, for persons like me, that have no endorsement.
I wanna ask you, what do you think about A custom cymbals?have you used them?are they compatible with pop music and studio records?
thanks a lot.=)
ah, there's a sad news...i broke my (and YOUR =P ) oriental trash 12" chinese.
i don't understant how, do you find this cymbal easy to break?
 
Hi K.Howden

On wikipedia it lists your recording Equipment and in essence describes it as; Drum Mics > Desk > Mac. I was just wondering if you use any Outboards in your set-up, such as; EQ's, Compressors, Gates, Reverbs etc or do you do all your Mixing and Processing in Logic?

I don't use any outboard anymore. It's all inside Logic now - and it's so much easier.

Hi DrumEatDrum

I understand you records tracks for the new OSI album (with Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore). Has there been any word on when the CD will be released?


That is correct - I understand sometime in April - but I don't know for sure.

Hi ItalianRicky

I wanna ask you, what do you think about A custom cymbals?have you used them?are they compatible with pop music and studio records?

Yes they are very good indeed - and certainly compatible with pop records and studio recordings.

i broke my (and YOUR =P ) oriental trash 12" chinese. i don't understant how, do you find this cymbal easy to break?


I have broken them before - but not in the last couple of years since I have developed a new type of cymbal washer. I'll tell everyone more about it when the product is ready to be released.
What I can say is this - I played a 5 week tour with PT around the USA using these new cymbal washers and I didn't break one cymbal the whole tour. Then I came to Europe and played another 5 weeks (same band, same songs and exactly the same cymbals) but I forgot to bring the washers and left them on my US set. I broke 7 cymbals in the first 2 weeks!!!!
Now I have a set of these washers on my Euro set too - and I haven't broken a cymbal since then.

cheers
Gavin
 
thanks a lot ;)

i broke 3 cymbals in 6 years...may this be normal?a crash, this mini china and a 6" splash....
but this mini china gave me impression to be very fragile...
the issue is like this:

http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=immagineuol.jpg

it may depend from the cymbal washer or may it be a problem of the cymbal itself?

You can drill little pinpoint holes on either side of the crack to stop it from growing for a little while. It's really just delaying the inevitable, but if you can't afford to replace it right away it's a good way to get a little more life out of it.
 

i broke my (and YOUR =P ) oriental trash 12" chinese. i don't understant how, do you find this cymbal easy to break?


I have broken them before - but not in the last couple of years since I have developed a new type of cymbal washer. I'll tell everyone more about it when the product is ready to be released.
What I can say is this - I played a 5 week tour with PT around the USA using these new cymbal washers and I didn't break one cymbal the whole tour. Then I came to Europe and played another 5 weeks (same band, same songs and exactly the same cymbals) but I forgot to bring the washers and left them on my US set. I broke 7 cymbals in the first 2 weeks!!!!
Now I have a set of these washers on my Euro set too - and I haven't broken a cymbal since then.

It sounds like you've given all the info that you can here, but I'm going to beg anyway. Any chance you can give us some sort of idea of what these are all about? I've been looking for new washers that relieve the stress on my cymbals for a LONG time. I have a serious issue with breaking crashes and china cymbals and it's expensive. I'm very very intrigued.

Also, when you break cymbals, where do you break them? I get cracks on the shoulder of the cymbal. I'm wondering if the problem you had with breaking that has been remedied by these new washers is similar to mine or maybe something different (like breaking it at the hole or something).

And by the way, Gavin, thanks for this thread. It's been so valuable to me and I'm sure a lot of other people.
 
Back
Top