Honey Don't by the Beatles

rogue_drummer

rogue_drummer

Gold Member
I need some help. I have an audition Saturday with a Texas rock / country band and one of the songs I will be auditioning to is "Honey Don't" by the Beatles.

I'm listening to the drum part and I can't tell if Ringo (or another studio drummer?) is playing a simple shuffle on this song or something else.

It sounds like a shuffle, but I can't tell since I'm listening to it on You Tube. It could be a swing beat. I'm not sure.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jCdD8pSODU
 
I don't think it's a shuffle. Just a steady 4 beat with someone playing a very slushy(my term) tamborine along with it. The tamborine makes the 2 and 4 last a little longer, but I don't hear a shuffle. Try listening thru the tamborine to only the snare. There may be a shuffle pattern on the hats though.

Watch this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-IfamsP3KQ&feature=related
 
As Gruntersdad said, it sounds like a straight 4/4 beat to me, the bass is shuffling, but to my ears the drums aren't. Although I guess they could be played with a shuffle if you wanted :)
 
I've played this song way too many times, and it's always felt better just to play it simple and swing it a bit.

This song, Johnny B Goode and Brown Eyed Girl are songs I'd like to never have to play again - But thats a subject for another thread..... :)
 
It might be one of those things where you may have to see where the Bass and rest of the band is at.It sounds to me like ringo could "Play in the cracks" or play like the early rockers,where the feel is right in between swung/shuffle and straight eighths.
 
definitely not a shuffle. and not really a swing that Ringo played either. pretty much straight four on the hats and 2-4 on the snare. really don't even hear a kick on the tune. the guitars and bass pretty much are the feel of the tune actually.
 
Ringo played a kind of "in between" swing on the hats with really no kick drum. but it's basically the guitars and bass that really carry the feel of that tune.
 
No matter what he did or didn't do on the studio recording, you should play a shuffle for the audition, like Ringo did in Grunts video.

Kick on 1 and 3 during verses, kick on quarters for the chorus and leads, backbeat on 2 and 4, shuffle pattern on the hats.
 
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rogue_drummer said:
I need some help. I have an audition Saturday with a Texas rock / country band and one of the songs I will be auditioning to is "Honey Don't" by the Beatles.

I'm listening to the drum part and I can't tell if Ringo (or another studio drummer?) is playing a simple shuffle on this song or something else.

It sounds like a shuffle, but I can't tell since I'm listening to it on You Tube. It could be a swing beat. I'm not sure.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jCdD8pSODU
Click to expand...


Here is what I would play - four on the floor, quarters on hi hat or ride cymbal and 2 and 4 on the snare. The shuffle/swing feel is there in the guitar parts so it would be wise to stay out of their space. You could use the in between shuffle and staight 8th note feel however, I don't know if they will realize that you are trying to be authentic.

Mike

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Thanks everybody, this helps a lot. I think I'll bring this up in the audition, maybe. I'll see how friendly and receptive these guys are and how close to the original they are playing the songs. I have the leader's email, so I may email him and sort of get a feel for how they might play this. I'll practice it straight eighth notes and doing a shuffle, and straight quarters on the hats just so I can play however they play it. Thanks again!
 
i agree that the other instruments are giving it the swingy, shuffle feel. it sounds like the tambourine might also be contributing to the feel.

if i were playing this, i might try playing with rods or brushes and doing kind of a loose, two handed shuffle on the just the snare. i'd make every note very quiet except the back beats.

another thing that might work is to play the shuffle pattern lightly on the rim with sticks and hit the backbeats on the snare.

if you want to get the tambourine sound, you could try putting one of those tambourine jingles on your hats and closing them on 2 and 4.
 
Red Menace said:
Woa! That's pretty snazzy. I sing and play the drums quite a bit in my band but I'd really have to practice to keep a steady shuffle and sing lead. Go Ringo!
Click to expand...

what an absolute PERFECT performance of this tune....GREAT!!!!
 
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