Funk drumming + Solo

I skipped the solo thing and listened to the funk video, and while I can't fault your playing, I wish you'd tighten both heads of your snare WAY up. Funk needs a poppin snare, tuned tight with tight snares, not a slack tuned snare. (Just my opinion) The right sound really contributes to the final product in a big way, or, it can detract.
 
You're right, my snare is to low, it would not be bad to tuned my entire setup before. You have to understand that the first goal of this vid was just to show my actual level, not to make it sound amazing (I don't have the gear to record well anyway!).

Thanks I appreciate your comment! (Take a look at the solo if you have 5 minutes!)
 
Great timing and playing but tune that meridian maple and that snare!
 
I liked the playalong. Very solid timekeeping throughout -- there was just a bit of dragging at around 2:10, but other than that you were right on the money. The solo was a full-on chops fest, and it could have benefitted from dynamic variety.

I noticed that you have a tendency to use the single stroke roll as your main filling material, and the large kit really facilitates that approach. While it's a cool sound, it tends to get a bit repetitive. You could start exploring other sorts of stickings and phrasing approaches to create more variety and flow to your improvisations. You could force yourself out of the "RLRLRLRLRL box" by first spending a couple of weeks playing your kit reduced to a two-piece with a hi-hat and a ride. Then, add the floor tom, and later add one rack tom. This will force you to think of new ways of filling the time: long single stroke rolls just won't work with a small kit. As you revert back to the big kit you may notice that your playing has become more melodic, and you'll get so much more sounds out of the row of toms and cymbals.

You have a good grasp on the basics and some nasty chops in your pockets; now would be a good time to start finetuning your playing and adding more details and finesse!

PS. Invest in a Zoom H2. That's a very cheap and convenient way of recording top notch audio.
 
You're right, since i've got my new 7-piece kit I have some tendancy to make simple RLRL roll fills. Really appreciate your help. I think I'll do what you said, reduce my gear. I'm really motivate to progress so you'll continue to hear me!

Wavelength,
Your new vid is awesome, really inspiring!

Thanks
 
Back
Top