Gavin Harrison here!

Hey Gavin I'm kinda new on this site just like I'm new to drumming. You've been a huge source on inspiration for me in PT mostly. I love your style and you phylosophy about drumming and music in general. I used to play a lot of guitar, like for 6 or 7 years, but the thing is, to be a "good" guitarist, you have to play fast, to shred, etc... That means countless hours of forced practice and that's just not what I want. Same thing with drumming. I've seen an interview of you saying that huge solos and all that didn't impress you as it was just practice and practice and so on. That's exactly what I've been thinking since I started getting interested in drumming years ago. What's really cool is that soft snare just at the right place, etc... That's what creativity really is. I wanted to have a drum kit for the past 3 or 4 years but couldn't because of money and space. So I just bought a Pearl Vision 6 pieces along with Sabian's Xs20 and I'm impressed. Have you tried it? If so what do you think about the kit?

Hope I can see you with PT in Quebec City soon! :p
 
Hi Gavin!

Love your playing! It inspires me a lot!

Just a little question...( i am not into copying any others sound or style but i am just experimenting so i am a little curious! :) ) I love your tom sound, so... when you tune... what is the intervallic relationship beetwin the bottom and the top head?

Thanks! :)
 
Hi Gavin!

Love your playing! It inspires me a lot!

Just a little question...( i am not into copying any others sound or style but i am just experimenting so i am a little curious! :) ) I love your tom sound, so... when you tune... what is the intervallic relationship beetwin the bottom and the top head?

Thanks! :)

You will find the answer on www.askgavinharrison.com :)
This question has been asked a few posts before also
 
Hi Gavin. I've been playing with your signature stick for the last few months and I really like the weight and balance of it. It is by far the heaviest stick I've ever consistently used on set, but I feel like I've tried much lighter sticks that actually felt like they required more effort than yours.

I'm not crazy about the grip on the sticks, as it tends to cause the beginnings of blisters forming on my hands if I use them for an entire night of a rock gig. Do you know if there is a plan in the works of Vic Firth releasing a version without the grip?
 
Hi Sam Sanders

Are you gonna change to ProLite or stick with the SQ2?

Right now I have a new Blue Tribal SQ2 at home - but I will doubtlessly be playing some ProLite sets on my up coming drum clinic tour of Canada

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Hi Clay_C

I was listening to "Sentimental", off of FOABP, and came up with a question. What time sig is the intro in? I think it is 4/4, with the piano playing dotted eighth notes, but I am not sure.

yes it's all in 4/4 with the piano playing a syncopated dotted 8th note rhythm at the start.

Hi SheLovesMyDrums

So I just bought a Pearl Vision 6 pieces along with Sabian's Xs20 and I'm impressed. Have you tried it? If so what do you think about the kit?

Sorry but I've never played one.

Hi ingvald

when you tune... what is the intervallic relationship beetwin the bottom and the top head?

there isn't an exact interval between the top and bottom heads. I can tell you that the bottom head is a bit tighter than the top.

Hi deadwing_007

I've been playing with your signature stick for the last few months and I really like the weight and balance of it. It is by far the heaviest stick I've ever consistently used on set, but I feel like I've tried much lighter sticks that actually felt like they required more effort than yours.I'm not crazy about the grip on the sticks, as it tends to cause the beginnings of blisters forming on my hands if I use them for an entire night of a rock gig. Do you know if there is a plan in the works of Vic Firth releasing a version without the grip?

Yes I feel like I work a lot harder with light sticks - especially playing quite loud music. I don't think they are available without the grip. I guess you could try scraping it off with a knife and see how you like it without the grip?

Cheers
Gavin
 
Hey Gavin, I was listening to the Anesthetize DVD and I noticed how Porcupine Tree incorporate one song into another, like in What Happens Now where a guitar riff is very similar to the song Anesthetize and the lyrics for the chorus in Normal are the same in Sentimental. I was wondering why this is. Are there some links between the songs?
 
Hi Gavin,

Is there anything the US (United States) fans can do to petition Sonor to do a Prolite Experience tour in the US, you are already going to be on this continent for the Canadian tour, specifically the New Jersey/New York area.

Thanks
UE
 
Hi Gavin,
Sorry for my english, I'm french and I have not worked hard enough at school : I preferred to play drums on my table rather than listening to my teacher...

First, I want to thank you because you are part of the drummers that makes me love drums and work this beautiful instrument.

My question is about your 5 customs chimes : I know that you cut some A custom crash but do you cut always for the same size (and bell's crash=tune) or the 5 chimes have different size ? how do you defined the place of each one in your kit (Hi to low) ?
Do you come in France for giving drum clinic ? You could give me English lessons at the same time.
I hope to be understandable ; thanks to be here Gavin,
and thanks google talk...
 
Hi JakkP

I was listening to the Anesthetize DVD and I noticed how Porcupine Tree incorporate one song into another, like in What Happens Now where a guitar riff is very similar to the song Anesthetize and the lyrics for the chorus in Normal are the same in Sentimental. I was wondering why this is. Are there some links between the songs?

Just some fun with continuity.

Hi Dustondrums

What's your comfort distance between the pedals of your Speed Cobra?

Do you mean the distance between the left and right pedal? The gap between them is 39cms at the back of the pedals and 43cms at the front....if that what you meant?

Hi UE Nastasi

Is there anything the US (United States) fans can do to petition Sonor to do a Prolite Experience tour in the US, you are already going to be on this continent for the Canadian tour, specifically the New Jersey/New York area.

you can ask your local drumstore to contact Hohner http://www.hohnerusa.com/ (the American distributor of Sonor) and Zildjian and request it.

Hi kalabuchnok

My question is about your 5 customs chimes : I know that you cut some A custom crash but do you cut always for the same size (and bell's crash=tune) or the 5 chimes have different size ? how do you defined the place of each one in your kit (Hi to low) ?
Do you come in France for giving drum clinic ? You could give me English lessons at the same time.


The original little bells were not cut from A Custom crashes - but old Avedis Zildjian crashes (with the small bell size found on this range: 13"-17") most of which them were from the 70's/80's. Yes the size pretty much determines the pitch of them. The biggest one is about 6.5 inches and the smallest is about 4 inches. I set them up left to right = low to high.
I made a drum clinic in France last year - but at the moment I don't have any more plans to make French drum clinics unfortunately.

Cheers
Gavin
 
Hi Dustondrums

What's your comfort distance between the pedals of your Speed Cobra?

Do you mean the distance between the left and right pedal? The gap between them is 39cms at the back of the pedals and 43cms at the front....if that what you meant?

Yes. That's what i meant. Thanks!
 
I also like to sit very low, but sometimes i feel that the height of my snare is not comfortable. Could you share the height position of your snare drum?
 
Hey Gavin/Everyone! I've been following this thread for AGES and always meant to sign up...but only just have! :)

Gavin, didn't you record 'The Incident' at Monkey Puzzle Studio's in Woolpit, Suffolk? I literally live 10 or less minutes away and was wondering what you thought to it? Because I'm trying to find places to record drums and my band are trying to push me down the 'Drum Kit From Hell' route... Eugh...

Thank you! :)

Cameron.
 
Greetings Gavin!

So stoked about your Canadian Prolite tour.

Do you still have your Blue Azzure Delites? What's your opinion of them? Do you notice a big difference between your old Delites and the new Prolites?

Are you enjoying the F1 season so far? It's been an incredibly unpredictable year.

Thanks!
 
Hi Dustondrums

I also like to sit very low, but sometimes i feel that the height of my snare is not comfortable. Could you share the height position of your snare drum?

well of course I can tell you the height of my snare drum but it wouldn't really relate to your setup as I doubt we're exactly the same height, have the same body proportions and sit the same same distance away from the drums. My snare drum is set at 68cms to the top rim closest to me but it's angled back at me -8.3 degrees.

Hi CameronADD

Gavin, didn't you record 'The Incident' at Monkey Puzzle Studio's in Woolpit, Suffolk? I literally live 10 or less minutes away and was wondering what you thought to it? Because I'm trying to find places to record drums and my band are trying to push me down the 'Drum Kit From Hell' route... Eugh...

No I recorded the drums for that album at AIR studios in London. We did our writing sessions at Monkey Puzzle and I thought it sounded very good in there.

Hi Troy McClure

Do you still have your Blue Azzure Delites? What's your opinion of them? Do you notice a big difference between your old Delites and the new Prolites?


I don't have that Blue DeLiite kit anymore. It was one of the sets they loaned me in the States. I haven't really played the ProLites other than at the factory for the promo filming - but as far as I could tell they are the same - but with a few small hardware updates.

Are you enjoying the F1 season so far? It's been an incredibly unpredictable year.

yeah I love it.

I'm coming to Asia in October for a drum clinic tour. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRxy-sQ1PLE
Oct 14 Tokyo
Oct 15 Taipei
Oct 16 Hong Kong
Oct 18 Bangkok
Oct 19 Manila
Oct 21Kuala Lumpur
Oct 22 Singapore
Oct 25 Beijing
Oct 26 Chengdu

cheers
Gavin
 
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Anybody still using askgavinharrison.com?

I can't afford the current hosting so I've killed it. Per Analytics I was seeing 20-30 visits per day with a fairly high bounce rate. I haven't had the time to maintain this thing in years.

I'm sad to murder the project so if anybody wants to help me or take it over - let's talk.

If we all think it's pretty much worthless as a FAQ we'll move on.
 
@ fromyesterday

Yes, I was spending that website a visit every now and then. It's sad to see websites go.

Wouldn't it be possible to copy/move that FAQ content into a new thread here on Drummerworld/in a Drummer sub-thread? Just a thought.
 
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