Gavin Harrison here!

Hi Gavin,

After looking at the equipment on your website, I wondered why your 14 x 5 snare is made out of birch, and the 12 x 5 out of maple. Is there a big difference between these wood types? If so, could you describe the difference in sound?
I don't have the opportunity to compare both, since my local drum shop only offers maple snare drums.
I am also curious about your thought on beech shells.

Thanks!

Jeffrey
 
Hey Gavin! It's been quite a while since I've been on here. But then I guess that means that I haven't had many drum related problems as of late, or just overall any questions. But that all stops today. Just a couple questions I'd like to ask:

1) I recently burst into a craving for listening to The Incident many, many times. In that time I finally thought about asking the question that first came to me me when I first heard the album. That question being, is there a definite time signature for Occam's Razor/ Degree Zero of Liberty. I mean, there has to be some way that you and the band know when to play, and I've given up on trying to figure it out myself.

2) Do you think that PT will still continue to play "The Incident" as just as single song on your next tour? I mean, it could be odd in that regard, as it was meant to be heard as one 54 minute long piece (or however long it is), but then you have songs that can stand alone such as "Time Flies" and "The Blind House." I think it could be done, though, as it's really a good song.

3) Unrelated to The Incident, do you happen to know why PT never released XMII as a download, whereas the original XM was? I've listened to it on Grooveshark and a few songs from it on youtube, and I gotta say it'd be cool to have. So do you know why?

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Cheers --Peter
 
Being a fan of Gavin's I naturally had to get a pair of his signature sticks to simply try. I knew they wouldn't replace my normal stick. I normally play with X5Bs and I'm quite small and skinny to begin with; but I couldn't resist.

They are massive, so when Gavin says that, believe him! My favorite thing about them are the blended taper/tip, I really wish it was an option for all sticks, it is top notch.

As Gavin said it's most similar to a ROCK model stick.

Great stick Gavin, very impressive design!
 
Gavin Harrison said:
Hi formula428

Do you still use Safe-hoops (S-hoops) on your toms? If you do, or when you did, where did you find the 10" 5-hole version? Do you know where I could get a set for my 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 Delites?

yes I have them on my toms and years ago they used to make a 5 hole 10" hoop. I can see there's a few hoop variations they don't offer. 8 hole 12" for snare drums would be nice too. I don't know where you can find them now.
Click to expand...

Just a heads-up,

I talked to the manufacturer (Big Bang Distribution in CA, US) and they are considering making a 12" 8-hole version for snares. They are waiting to see how much interest there would be. I would like one too for my GH Sonor 12x5 (which sounds absolutely amazing).

I spoke with [email protected]
 
Hi Gavin,

I was watching your DVD "Rhythmic Visions". I believe that you was playing in a Sonor Delite drumset. What‘s the difference in sound in the studio recording betwen the delites and your SQ2 Euro set?

Thank you
 
Would someone recommend an online store for buying The man who sold himself as mp3 download? I believe I've tried 4 or 5 different stores now, but apparently downloads aren't available in my country, I live in sweden. Help!
 
Hi Gavin,

Me and a friend had an endless argument about the time signature of "The Sound Of Muzak". At first we both thought the song was in 7/4, but after a video a found on youtube about the concept of overriding odd time signatures ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2ReDqc3aFs ) I had understood the song actually is in 7/8 with a quarter note override (so I also state that override does NOT change the time signature). My friend however, listen more to the song as a whole, and states that if you listen to it as a 7/8, you won't find an accent of the first note of the second bar. He says that the only thing you might count in 7/8 is the kick/snare pattern, but the rest of the instruments makes it a 7/4 song. It sounds plausible to me, but the way you keep speaking of two bars in that video, and the fact that you tick 7 eights notes before starting still makes me believe the song actually is in 7/8 but with a little illusion to make it sound like it's in 7/4. So, dear Gavin, help us out and tell us if the song is in 7/8 or 7/4!
 
Gekko12482 said:
Hi Gavin,

Me and a friend had an endless argument about the time signature of "The Sound Of Muzak". At first we both thought the song was in 7/4, but after a video a found on youtube about the concept of overriding odd time signatures ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2ReDqc3aFs ) I had understood the song actually is in 7/8 with a quarter note override (so I also state that override does NOT change the time signature). My friend however, listen more to the song as a whole, and states that if you listen to it as a 7/8, you won't find an accent of the first note of the second bar. He says that the only thing you might count in 7/8 is the kick/snare pattern, but the rest of the instruments makes it a 7/4 song. It sounds plausible to me, but the way you keep speaking of two bars in that video, and the fact that you tick 7 eights notes before starting still makes me believe the song actually is in 7/8 but with a little illusion to make it sound like it's in 7/4. So, dear Gavin, help us out and tell us if the song is in 7/8 or 7/4!
Click to expand...

To answer your question... 7/4 is just two bars of 7/8. It's more in the way it's felt rather than the way it's counted if that makes any sense. They're both technically the same thing, it's whether the emphasis resides with the set of 7 eighth notes or looking at the entire measure of 7/4 as a musical phrase so it flows more smoothly. You can nitpick all day but it could easily be viewed or counted as either.
 
Hi Kalma

Here's a little snippet from my 14" Drum Mic. No EQ or something:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17340676/tom14.mp3
Is this the amount you also have on those mics when you haven't edited anything?

It's hard to tell from that because I don't know how loud your tom is in relation to the background.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhlq4...eature=related
On 0:48 - what's that above your 16" tom mic?

It's a Primacoustic CrashGuard.

Hi Jeffx

After looking at the equipment on your website, I wondered why your 14 x 5 snare is made out of birch, and the 12 x 5 out of maple. Is there a big difference between these wood types? If so, could you describe the difference in sound?
I am also curious about your thought on beech shells.

To me Birch has a slightly more EQ'd sound about it (more highs and lows) whereas Maple seems more open and natural. Just my impression. I have never played any Beech drums.

Hi K_HiHats

1)That question being, is there a definite time signature for Occam's Razor/ Degree Zero of Liberty.

Are you talking about the hits at the beginning of the tunes? There is a 4/4 pulse running through them so we can all play them together.

2) Do you think that PT will still continue to play "The Incident" as just as single song on your next tour? I mean, it could be odd in that regard, as it was meant to be heard as one 54 minute long piece (or however long it is), but then you have songs that can stand alone such as "Time Flies" and "The Blind House." I think it could be done, though, as it's really a good song.

I don't think so. We played it many times on the last tour.

3) Unrelated to The Incident, do you happen to know why PT never released XMII as a download, whereas the original XM was? I've listened to it on Grooveshark and a few songs from it on youtube, and I gotta say it'd be cool to have. So do you know why?

I've no idea.

Hi Rítmico

I was watching your DVD "Rhythmic Visions". I believe that you was playing in a Sonor Delite drumset. What‘s the difference in sound in the studio recording betwen the delites and your SQ2 Euro set?

I think my SQ2 Euro set has a bit more punch and volume in it. It's hard to say as I no longer have that blue DeLight so I can't compare them side by side.

Hi Sjogras

Would someone recommend an online store for buying The man who sold himself as mp3 download? I believe I've tried 4 or 5 different stores now, but apparently downloads aren't available in my country, I live in sweden. Help!

iTunes and Amazon don't have it?

Hi Gekko12482

Me and a friend had an endless argument about the time signature of "The Sound Of Muzak". So, dear Gavin, help us out and tell us if the song is in 7/8 or 7/4!

It doesn't actually matter what the time signature is - a time signature is only there to help you play it - the listener doesn't need to know where I might be drawing in the bar lines. In some of the pieces with 05Ric I put bar lines in all sorts of strange places because it makes the song easier to play and understand (to me). Ric quite often uses different time signatures to me - in the same song. You might hear it and understand it as something else. When Terry Branam made the transcriptions for the first two albums of me and 05Ric I was quite surprised sometimes where he was hearing the downbeats. We had a lot of discussions about that and in the end chose the easiest to read options. For instance if you had a song in 7/4 and there was a 4 bar section that had a lot of hard syncopation in it - you might prefer to write it out as 7 bars of 4/4. For what it's worth - I think of the Sound Of Muzak in 7/8 although the bass to snare drum pattern is actually 7/16.

cheers
Gavin
 
Gavin Harrison said:
iTunes and Amazon don't have it?
Click to expand...
I don't use iTunes. Amazon does have it, but downloads aren't available in Sweden so I ordered a physical copy instead. Can't wait!
Gavin Harrison said:
...although the bass to snare drum pattern is actually 7/16.
Click to expand...
Wow, that is really clever, I never noticed it! I always thought TSOM as 7/4 though, since the open hi-hat followed by the snare on beat 7 kind of wraps up the bar. Consequently, I had a hard time understanding why you were calling the accented quarter notes overriding when I saw that clinic video.
 
Hey Gavin.. I read through this whole thread and I thought I'd reply and say thanks for posting here. My only knowledge of your playing was through some youtube videos I'd seen.. Thanks to this thread I've gone out and bought 3 Porcupine Tree records and I'll definitely be picking up your instructional DVDs/books.

I have a question on storage.. You've stated that you've got quite a big collection of snare drums, cymbals, etc. On previous replies I think I saw that you store these items in your garage. So, is your garage climate controlled? Or do you have some kind of storage box or system that will keep your gear cool in the hot months and warm in the cooler months? Any tips on dealing with humidity?

Thanks,
 
Gavin: I've always had trouble with limb independence, specifically using my left foot to work the hi-hat while I'm playing the ride. (Example: what you're doing during the chorus of "The Sound of Muzak" in this video.) Weirdly, I could play bass drum with either foot if I had to, but getting my left foot to operate independent of my right foot or my left hand is a real challenge for me.

Does that kind of thing just come naturally to good drummers, or is it something you had to concentrate on when you started? Any suggestions for getting better at it? Thanks!

Tracey
 
tmccartney said:
Gavin: I've always had trouble with limb independence, specifically using my left foot to work the hi-hat while I'm playing the ride. (Example: what you're doing during the chorus of "The Sound of Muzak" in this video.) Weirdly, I could play bass drum with either foot if I had to, but getting my left foot to operate independent of my right foot or my left hand is a real challenge for me.

Does that kind of thing just come naturally to good drummers, or is it something you had to concentrate on when you started? Any suggestions for getting better at it? Thanks!

Tracey
Click to expand...

This question fits better in Drum technique... But yes, it does come naturally. I find The sound of muzak particularly hard with maintaining 1/8 notes on the left foot. The only way to get better at it is to actually do it, so just keep your left foot going whenever you're not playing the hi-hat with your hand, as long as it fits the musical context of course.
 
Hi Gavin!

My question is about the Basic Sonor Arm System. Recently, I got a few cracked cymbals (Paiste Formula 602 hihats, and some other stuff), and a friend of mine is gonna cut them down with a CNC-machine so I could use them as "bells-chimes". The cymbal stand is the tricky part. I could recreate a basic version of your old quite famous cup-chime-bell thingee-holder, but it would take too much time away from work and other stuff going on in my life lately. So I decided to order the Sonor-version of the cymbal-holder.

I'd think that yours is something like this:
1pc BR12 MC Basic Rack, with Arm
5pc BA-CH Basic Arm Cymbal Holder

Is it something like that? And are the BA-CH arms adjustable? Meaning can you adjust one to a shorter version, so the bell is more lower, and adjust the other to have a longer "arm" to use the other bell (next to the previous one) higher? Or did you have to cut the arm down, and recut the threads?

My version will only have 3-4 bell-like cymbals, the last one will stay my old faithful Sabian HHX Evolution splash. I hope the BR12 is a long enough arm for 4-5 of these BA-CHs.

Thank you in advance for your time!
Cheers,
Matthew
 
Hi xxdrexx

You've stated that you've got quite a big collection of snare drums, cymbals, etc. On previous replies I think I saw that you store these items in your garage. So, is your garage climate controlled? Or do you have some kind of storage box or system that will keep your gear cool in the hot months and warm in the cooler months? Any tips on dealing with humidity?

I do keep a load of stuff in the garage - but it's not climate controlled. The drums are wrapped up and inside cases so they never get that cold. In never gets crazy hot in England for any length of time so overheating isn't really an issue.

Hi tmccartney

I've always had trouble with limb independence, specifically using my left foot to work the hi-hat while I'm playing the ride. Does that kind of thing just come naturally to good drummers, or is it something you had to concentrate on when you started? Any suggestions for getting better at it? Thanks!

Can you play 8ths on the hi hat foot whilst playing the same 8ths on the ride? How about 8ths on the ride and the in between 16ths with the left foot on the hi hat? Then try putting a bass drum on 1 &3 and a snare on 2 & 4.
Independence is something that gets better with practice of course.

Hi szokematyi

I'd think that yours is something like this:
1pc BR12 MC Basic Rack, with Arm
5pc BA-CH Basic Arm Cymbal Holder

You might need a BA-CR to get from the stand to the bar.

Is it something like that? And are the BA-CH arms adjustable? Meaning can you adjust one to a shorter version, so the bell is more lower, and adjust the other to have a longer "arm" to use the other bell (next to the previous one) higher? Or did you have to cut the arm down, and recut the threads?

I had have the threads cut right down to the bottom for the low mounted cymbals. You might not need it if you can get them all in a line.

Cheers
Gavin
 
Hello Sir,
I had a few questions regarding your Drum song and Cymbal song.

1) What was composing process like ? As in did you first record the parts and lay them down during the editing phase or did you first conceptualize what the song would sound like and then record the individual pieces ?

2) Did you place short video clips on a click or did you play through the song with each drum and cut out the video where you're not playing the drum ?

3) Did you edit the video yourself or did you get someone else to do it ?

I recently made a drum ensemble video (which is actually more of a tribute to you) and I came across the above problems. Hence the questions.

Thanks again for all the inspiration :)
 
Wow, I've got to go through this thread, a wealth of info from one of the most musical drummers today! It's really such a privilege that you respond and share your knowledge.

Gavin, I've been a fan for a short time as I'm a 37yr old late bloomer, been playing the drums for about a year now and loving every minute of it.

First I just wanted to mention that there was an interview you did I had watched not too long ago where you said that musical drumming is what impressed you. You mentioned someone (who I don't recall at the moment) who had no chops but could play the drums musically.

This was close to heart for me because of my lack of technical skills I often try to come up with other ways of expression and have since enjoyed drumming even more. Of course I still practice rudiments and do speed exercises so that the ideas in my head can be expressed, but I no longer have that as a main focus.

My question to you is: Why Sonor drums, what was it that drew your attention to them and have you considered other companies like DW, Gretsch? (I play a sonor 3007 by the way and would love to own a De-Lite or Pro-Lite kit later on)

I haven't read this whole thread so if you've answered that already I'm sure I will come across it once I get through the thread.
 
Hey Tyger,

First I just wanted to mention that there was an interview you did I had watched not too long ago where you said that musical drumming is what impressed you. You mentioned someone (who I don't recall at the moment) who had no chops but could play the drums musically.

I think you might be thinking of Steve Jansen, the drummer for Japan.
 
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