Danny Carey

i heard his playing is quite mathematical, sometimes his rhythms are based o nthe fibionacci sequence like his kit being arranged to make some strange symbol

They're a bit into that, but from what I've seen of their music it seems to just be a clever trick thing - you know, pick a bunch of numbers and then try to phrase around it musically. I don't think there's any actual musical value in using things that far out into the mathematical realm, any musicality that is there is something independent of that.

It's cute, but I don't think it's anything other than being a smart-arse. Mudvayne have demonstrated quite nicely that using "arcane number systems" (blah) doesn't make your music any less awful if you're not already good.

(you may be thinking of Maynard's vocal phrasing on the verse in Lateralus, BTW - the syllables are grouped together as 1 (black) 1 (and) 2 (white are) 3 (all I see) 5 (in my infancy) 8 (red and yellow then came to be) 5 (reaching out to me) 3 (helps me see) or something like that, which is a run up and down the first chunk of the fibonacci sequence: 0 1 1 2 3 5 8)
 
I just can't be bothered anymore. I saw them in 1997, 2001 & 2002 and just gradually watched them decend from being a fantastic band to just having a fantastic show. In 1997 they were nothing short of astonishing live - Maynard had phenomenal stage presence, and the whole band were tearing the roof off the place. Come 2001/2002 they were just a bunch of boring guys hiding behind a giant array of screens showing dodgy CG...

That's fair enough, for those of us who are only in our early 20's now we'd have been lucky to see them in 2001/2002 and definitely not before then. So I'm gonna stick by what I said, their show is fantastic, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I also thought they were among the best live bands I've seen. Mastodon were also excellent.
 
that's interesting, i've never heard of anyone playing snare off with the snares really tight to make it sound like it's on. I'm going to listen to Tool more to check it out.


i still find myself somewhat confused... how exactly does Danny configure his snare(s)? I also sing, so in my years as a Tool fan it was mainly because Maynard is probably my favorite male voice of all time, or at least in the rock/metal/pop genre. But as i have developed as a musician ive really taken in all aspects of their music and image, and Danny Carey's style has really intrigued me. I'd be curious to know if anyone knows for a fact his tuning/set-up techniques =]
 
It doesn't really sound as though his snares are on when they're not. If you listen to the recordings there's a distinct difference. The bit that really comes to mind where it's obvious is in "The Grudge" where it's first building up to go into that rock style riff that ends with Maynard singing "...and we're sinking deeper" or something along those lines, can't remember the exact lyric. I like the way he uses the snare as a dynamic in that sense, it sounds much softer and less aggressive then bam! it's there. Tool have an amazing way of building their songs from swirling, atmospheric riffs to rocky, hard guitar based music. Brilliance! I still think they're one of the best live bands, I can understand for someone who's been with them from Aenima they may be disappointing now but I picked them up from Lateralus and I love that style.
 
It doesn't really sound as though his snares are on when they're not. If you listen to the recordings there's a distinct difference.

On pre-Aenima recordings and 10,000 Days his snare drum sounds very different snares on/off, but I think on Lateralus and especially Aenima, they sound quite similar.

Yes, there certainly is a difference, and perhaps as you listen more and more it becomes easier to tell, but I've never heard a snare drum that sounds that similar with the snares on and off, and perhaps it has something to do with the recording but still, it's closer than anything I've ever heard. It leads me to believe he really cranks those heads. I agree with you though, that it is a great effect when he does flip 'em on for a section, almost like slapping your car into 5th and flooring it on a straightaway.
 
anyone have any good videos uploaded of his playing? im having a hard time with YouTube...
 
sorry if this is somewhere else, but i cant find it,

does anyone know what danny carey's cymbal set up is with his jeff ocheltree kit, the one seen on the video on drummerworld.
all i can find is his current set up.
 
sorry if this is somewhere else, but i cant find it,

does anyone know what danny carey's cymbal set up is with his jeff ocheltree kit, the one seen on the video on drummerworld.
all i can find is his current set up.

The setup on that video is a scaled down version of what he normally plays - see the lack of electronics? He's been playing those for over ten years now.
 
Danney carey is my all time favorite drummer. He has a style like know other. His abilaty to create is like that of god- for any religous people out there, that was an exageration not a slight against god, intent was not to offend- His skill and coordination is undeniably great. Tool for that matter is the most amazing and creative rock band out there, in my opinion of course.

By the way I did hear a bit of volto I tried to download but I do not know how to where I need to go to download volto, and I dont know how either. would any one be able to help me. I am severely computer challenged.
 
I don't know if this has been posted on these boards already but there is this nice interview of Danny on The Drummer's Digest site:

- Danny Carey Interview
 
thanks for the link man. that bronze kit still fascinates me. HAVE to play one somewhere down the line, so beautiful.
Good interview as well...
 
I don't know how people think that Tool has been on the downward slope from Aenima. In my mind Lateralus was their best album. Given that, they have only had one release since then (10k days)!

I'll admit that 10,000 days wasn't as good as Aenima and Lateralus, but it was still an awesome album. And I can't believe some people liked Opiate and Undertow better than 10,000 days.

As for the live show, I saw them two days ago in Sydney. They were nothing short of amazing - I don't know how they would have had a better live show 9 years ago.
 
I had the privilege of seeing Tool last Sunday at Big Day Out. Even though it was an outdoor stage and nowhere near as big as the size stage they would be used to it was still an awesome show. I managed to get almost right up to the barrier, seeing a drummer such as Danny that close an unforgettable experience. The way he hits is just phenomenal; even when he is playing quietly his strokes still have such power behind them.

On his snare - I think in an interview with Danny’s drum tech he said that he has his snare head tuned really tight. If you notice in some photos he has a spare snare sitting behind his kit just in case he breaks the head on the edge of the snare. I guess playing those paiste snares doesn't help it too much.

He uses clear G2s over G1s on his toms and a power stroke on his snare. I'm not sure what bass heads he uses, but I know his reso head is a mesh of some sort; I was able to see through it when they played.
 
I had the privilege of seeing Tool last Sunday at Big Day Out. Even though it was an outdoor stage and nowhere near as big as the size stage they would be used to it was still an awesome show. I managed to get almost right up to the barrier, seeing a drummer such as Danny that close an unforgettable experience. The way he hits is just phenomenal; even when he is playing quietly his strokes still have such power behind them.

On his snare - I think in an interview with Danny’s drum tech he said that he has his snare head tuned really tight. If you notice in some photos he has a spare snare sitting behind his kit just in case he breaks the head on the edge of the snare. I guess playing those paiste snares doesn't help it too much.

He uses clear G2s over G1s on his toms and a power stroke on his snare. I'm not sure what bass heads he uses, but I know his reso head is a mesh of some sort; I was able to see through it when they played.

He's on EC2's on his toms batter side now, I have something on one of the recent-ish Drummer magazines about it, I emailed the magazine to make sure. It's EQ3 Clear on the batter of the kick and a "Retro Screen" on the front head of the kick.
 
Danny is such a master at his style of music. It's to bad he couldnt find a better Tabla instructor, Aloke is definitely not one of the Tabla greats in the US right now. You would think Danny would want to take from the best......
 
I can use 5 adjectives to refer to Danny Carey's playing. These adjectives would have to be polyrythmic, odd-time signatured, original, surpising and flawless. Enough said.
 
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