Displacing a groove by 1/16th note - how do you do it?!

supermac

supermac

Senior Member
I've been practicing with displacement lately and really enjoying it.

Watching my Gavin Harrison DVDs and Matt Garstka on YouTube has been an eye-opener.

I'm reasonably comfortable with 1/8th note displacement, but the 1/16th note stuff is just off the wall.

Has anyone on DW mastered it (other than Gavin)?

Any input/advice/tips appreciated.

Cheers...
 
It's tricky since the 1/16 snare or bass hit falls "between the hats."

I'm sure you'll hear this from many - slow it down, until it's in muscle memory. This and counting out loud really helps me.
 
percusski said:
Just take a groove you love and either displace the ride pattern, or permutate the groove (by whatever subdivision) whilst maintaining the original ride pattern.
This does the former, please excuse the crappy sound quality
https://youtu.be/uj5yA8Zq0Rk
Click to expand...


That example is not about displacing a complete groove..

This (legendary..) recording by Vinnie Colaiuta would be in my opinion a better example in this case..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a91nFHX1r0c

I think should not be that hard to find a decent transcription from that one..
 
Oh displacing a complete groove..why didn't you say so?!
I was simply suggesting ideas for working on getting ones ears around displacement. Another great exercise is playing any groove but to a click starting on all subdivisions of the beat.
 
I remember attending a David Garibaldi clinic and he actually wrote out exercises of complicated funk beats where everything was displayed by a 16th note. It threw me for a big loop until I realized all he was doing was pushing the written rhythm to the left of beat one in the bar. The rhythm stayed the same, just where the "1" was made it sound and read strange.

It's a great mental exercise to be able to read it but I thought in reality, "where the heck would I use this?" I think the most popular beat displacer was Stewart Copeland when he moved everything he played one quarter note to the right, giving some Police songs that recognized lilt.

I'm all for people pushing the envelope of what's possible, it's just not my cup of tea though.
 
Displacement exercises (e.g. Garibaldi) should be done to music loops instead of a dry click, then it makes sense.

You can displace a groove 16 times and end up where you started. With real music to play along to you'll see which displacements work and some will not.

Standard latin loops will fit many unusual displacements, and with some patience this stuff becomes fun!
 
I'm suggesting my book, but I'm well aware and I highly regard David Garibaldi's playing & books. I recommend them as well.

David was one of the inspirations for my section on beat displacement. When I wrote it, I had listened to TOP for many years, I knew his columns in Modern Drummer, and Future Sounds was about to be published.

My approach is different though, and it may be seen as complementary. I recently gave David a copy of my book and I think he may like it.

I also have Gavin Harrison's books + CD, but I admit I haven't worked on them too much. But I do think they can be recommended as well.

Alain Rieder said:
I would suggest checking my own book Time Manipulation that has a whole section on beat displacements.
Click to expand...
 
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