Soloing; are you into it?

It’s a Jazz thing where a melodic instrument solos for 4 bars, then the drummer solos for 4 bars, and they go through the changes trading 4 bar phrases for a time or two. It’s a blast. You can do it with any instruments and not just drums, but drums do get called to do it a lot.
Thankyou (note to self)
 
People do some drum soloing at jams. I have when asked to, but sometimes also declined. I didn't know the rule. It's a skill like many that I'd like/need to improve.

One Way Out is where I solo. The previous drummer did an extended one and they expect the same. It's been pretty terrible so far, honestly. People have mentined seeing videos of me soloing and I just go ahead and say that in 6-7 more tries it'll get worked out. Only now am I getting an ability of forming one inside the groove, but I haven't properly arranged the vocabulary with what gets a response yet. It also needs to pare down a fair amount. The truncated one I did at the Mayor's deal was short and fit better with the mood. Seeing some good local guys do them is helpful. They do them regularly.

If you watch the people who are dancing or chair dancing when the solo takes off in the song pretty well tells you if you're flailing or landing hits with them.
I've started throwing the snares off while doing one.
Since that is a 2 drummer solo, I've always had trouble doing that solo to my satisfaction. A little rhythm help from your band would help.
This live performance is really interesting, after 2:50 the drum breakdown starts ( notice that all through the song so far, besides the backbeats, snare hits happen on 1's and 3's randomly as these 2 drummers play ) The guitars are playing the right time but, when the bass comes back in around 3:18, he was hearing the the back beat wrong and he is one beat off of the right time. The drummers fix this immediately, most people don't notice it.

 
Cool. There was always something unresolved in that recording but I never broke down what was going on. It's too far into my childhood to recall my first impression there.
 
I would imagine with your marching/teaching background you could create some fantastic solos.

the marching thing helps the most....I can create things that sound way more complicated than they are to paly b/c of my rudimental usage

and actually being a composer/arranger helps a lot too b/c I try to create solos that have some touch to musicality
 
Does playing Wipeout during your setlist count?
Absolutely, Wipeout counts. I play with an oldies band and folks ask for Wipeout quite often. I'm not particularly fond of it... our lead guitar player LOVES that song and it packs the dance floor so... there ya go! ;) I do not go wild on it (like the Ventures' Mel Taylor), mostly play the straight up original Safari's version. Wipeout is pretty easy to play and also very easy to rush the tempo (for all band members). Keeping it locked can be a fun challenge! BTW, somewhere I saw that Wipeout was supposed to be the "B" side of the 45 RPM record. The song Surfer Joe was the "A" side and they needed another song for the "B" side... Wipeout was invented on the fly in the studio.
 
I'm working on it too. We have two songs that have drum features, not actually solo, but drums take lead. One is 16 bars and the other 32.
 
I'm far from a drum Soloist in any shape of form. As a Drummer at home playing as a Hobby and retirement pleasure- resurrecting my playing after 50 Years [1969]. As an Old Timer, there were eras in Rock / Pop Music where Drum Solos were on many LPs & certainly showcased in rock Concerts, but only Drummers could really admire them. Well certain Concert goers would admire the talent for sure. When I'm bored playing the same Ol Same Ol music to play drums to, I'll start to feign mini solos. Other than Buddy Rich with his multitude of appearances on the Tonight Show, leaving me Mesmerized, I try to emulate Ginger Baker. He incorporated lots of syncopation and use of double bass drums. I still get a thrill out of listening to Blind Faith's .....Do What You Like.
 
I love it. I would solo all the time if it were appropriate.

Pretty much anymore I play only improvisational music so I’m making up things on the spot anyway. I dont play patterns so you dont want me playing covers. I like to think of my playing my being on a tightrope without a net and hoping to be alive at the end.

Solos mean I don't have to directly support the music so I’m free to make up my own motifs. But both are fun.
 
I'll have to admit I don't practice as much as I used to. Not my choice, but whatever...

When I do do that, there isn't really that much difference in a groove or solistic approach. Having that flow going and moving in and out of it constantly is the approach. Do it with control and what gets repeated and isolated a bit is smly informed by what doesn't floe and also seems useful inside the framework. That's always the start for me, a musical framework and if it's really hard, there's always the opinion of slowing way down.

I use to joke with my students that if I was to write a book about practicing drums or music in any way, on every page it would simply say..

Too hard? Slow down.

Still too hard? Slow down.

Still too hard? Slow down.

Still too hard? Slow down.

Still too hard? Slow down.

Last page would simply say. Idiot. Return to page 1.


It would be a masterpiece, if I do say so myself. Yours for $29,99. :)
 
I'm not into doing them myself. I'm not good enuf to do the traditional rock drum solo, virtuoso stuff.

I will do 8 bars in the middle of one particular song occasionally, if the guitar player calls it. Basically keeping the form that we're already doing, but mixing it up around the kit. Very remedial to any drummer, but suits the song and my ability, and the people in the audience thinks "its a drum solo"... whooooo, lol.
 
I was thrown an unexpected solo by a singer once at a jam.

Unexpected because we were playing "Stand By Me" lol

The same singer cut me off like 3 bars early at the end of my 8 bar solo lol
 
Being an improviser on any other instrument I played before I started playing drums I don't really see a difference. The concept is the same.

Every Saturday the weather is nice and I'm not doing anything else I play a 2 hour drum solo down town. Actually used to be 4 hours, but then it turned into more of an endurance test.

It'a a skill you build over time much the same on any instrument. It's a mistake to think you have to shred and show off. Start playing a groove, keep simple time and start building phrases that make musical sense to you.

I think it's a great thing to work on even if you don't play many solos live as you improve so many aspects of drumming and your musicality. Here are the drums. Make some music.

Many people aren't into the ide a of reducing the kit starting with one instrument and then add one piece by piece, but what you're doing is putting a limitation on your soloing that' makes it less daunting that can be compared to other instruments doing a similar exercise by limiting the types and numbers of notes etc.. The dreaded situation when the teacher aks you to just play something and you have no idea what to do, but with a bit of instruction or set parameters you suddenly can quite easily.
I agree, I have started solo on keys when I was 15, my jazz teacher showed me the blues scales and said, ok, do it, just go for it...then, anytime someone is throwing a solo at me, I do it, sometime it sounds crazy good...sometimes, they applause but I know it was juts few of my usual tricks. And one drums, i play alone so, it's almost all the time, a groove, then another phrase, then solo, then groove back...I still need guidance to link my phrases, I have a hard time to link them...But I do love solos on any instruments...Ok, I,m a jazz guy at first so, solo is mandatory.
 
I can't solo to save my ass. If I could solo like Buddy Rich I'd solo with my kit set up in some dairy queen parking lot....BUT. 😥.
You and I suffer from the same affliction. I'm a TERRIBLE soloist! You want me to play a cheesy 3-chord rock song? Yep! I'm your man! Want me to solo? No thanks, Bro. I'm bad... really bad. :(

That said... On rare occasions I have been cornered on stage to perform some sort of "solo". As the consummate team player, I do my best (normally just a fast series of single stroke rolls across the toms, some cymbal crashes and assorted tricks) but I pray to God there isn't a drummer in the audience.
 
You and I suffer from the same affliction. I'm a TERRIBLE soloist! You want me to play a cheesy 3-chord rock song? Yep! I'm your man! Want me to solo? No thanks, Bro. I'm bad... really bad. :(

That said... On rare occasions I have been cornered on stage to perform some sort of "solo". As the consummate team player, I do my best (normally just a fast series of single stroke rolls across the toms, some cymbal crashes and assorted tricks) but I pray to God there isn't a drummer in the audience.
That..is funny AJ. 😃. I'm with you bro.
 
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I really can't solo........I possibly could if I really focused on it and made an effort.

But I love listening to really rhythmic, grooving solo that breathes.........a mix of technique and feel.

Just adding a few displacements to an established groove in the song..... heaven.

Like the little drum break in the "Grease" single.

I really don't like the blocky, linear, octopus kinda solos that are blazingly fast.....they kinda bore me.
 
In our band, I get a drum feature on Santana's version of "Black Magic Woman," where I play a lot of drums, but I'm never left on my own. The band is always with me. The "solo" is at the end of the "Gypsy Queen" section of the tune, where I dominate the music. We don't have three percussionists like Santana, so I try and replicate the groove and feel of the recording at that point in the song with a lot of drumming. It almost always gets the most applause of the night, and I usually get audience compliments, so I guess it's effective. That's as close as I get to a solo, other than a short break on "One Way Out" by the Allman Brothers. That's good enough for me.

I remember going to the men's room most times when Bonham went into his solo on "Moby Dick." It was fifteen minutes of bombast and repetition.

I simply don't like doing extended drum solos, because unless you're a fabulous technician and very musical, they are usually pointless and boring.
 
In our band, I get a drum feature on Santana's version of "Black Magic Woman," where I play a lot of drums, but I'm never left on my own. The band is always with me. The "solo" is at the end of the "Gypsy Queen" section of the tune, where I dominate the music. We don't have three percussionists like Santana, so I try and replicate the groove and feel of the recording at that point in the song with a lot of drumming. It almost always gets the most applause of the night, and I usually get audience compliments, so I guess it's effective. That's as close as I get to a solo, other than a short break on "One Way Out" by the Allman Brothers. That's good enough for me.

I remember going to the men's room most times when Bonham went into his solo on "Moby Dick." It was fifteen minutes of bombast and repetition.

I simply don't like doing extended drum solos, because unless you're a fabulous technician and very musical, they are usually pointless and boring.

Really enjoyed your post on this.

Really good insight......

Bob, do you have any recordings of you playing this online anywhere?
 
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