Gavin Harrison here!

Hi glen thomas,
yes everything in the drumset is recorded onto separate tracks. What would be the point in bouncing things together? Yes, I played along to the demos - which I had already recorded demo drums to some months earlier. Once I'm finished with the drum tracks - I would pass them onto Steve via a firewire hard drive so that he could import them into his version of the song on his computer. We both use Logic Pro on a Mac computer so we have identical copies of the song and tracks to work on independently. That's pretty much how it works with Colin and Richard too.

cheers
Gavin
 
Gavin,

Thanks for the link to the list of your recordings. Saw the the Sam Brown video for stop from 87. Great singer, song and choice drumming there. That girl can sing !!! Think I am going to check out her work. Thanks !
 
Hi Gavin,

You said you have your drums set up in the control room and record there.

I have a small practice/recording space at home and my mixer is right next to my drumset, so that would be my control room.
The problem I have with this set-up that it is quite hard to set-up the mixer. Because I hear the drum through the mixer but also directly, so I can't really hear what I'm doing.

Eventually I'll get it but everytime I have to do it it's a pain.

Do you experience the same, or do you only use your mixer as an interface to the computer and only change things in Logic.

Cheers,
Dre
 
Dear Gavin,
I don't remember when I last posted on this thread: honestly, I thought you were just visiting for a while (I don't know why I said that!!).But hey, here's you wishing us a great 2008!
Thank you, and I wish you have a great year ahead.
Thank you for all the music.
I have been a big fan of yours since the late 90s when you joined PT. You have been my drumming idol since. Like many on this thread, for me, you brought back some much-needed "inspiration" through your playing. Thanks again.

PS: Shallow and Start of Something Beautiful are two of the best songs I've heard in quite some time to come, including all genres of music.
 
Hi glen thomas,
yes everything in the drumset is recorded onto separate tracks. What would be the point in bouncing things together?

Hi again Gavin :)

Once again thanks for your response. I think it's amazing you take the time
to answer our questions on here knowing how busy you are. It's too bad other
drummers don't follow your lead ;-) All I know is that i greatly appreciate it and
have learned a lot from your responses. :)

I just want to explain my statement about bouncing drum tracks. I've recorded
in some small private studios where they were 16 track or less studios and sometimes,
they took the drumtracks, which may have been 6 tracks and bounced them down
to 2 to make room for other instruments on the other tracks. For example, they
took all the toms and put them on one track when originally each tom was on a seperate track. I've come across that a few times where the studio was using
reel tape or adat, not computer based recorders. They'd mix the toms before bouncing them but I know if a change needed to be made later, it was out of the question.. ;-)
For the most part, the result was still good.

glen thomas
 
Hi Drizzle,

Do you experience the same, or do you only use your mixer as an interface to the computer and only change things in Logic.

Yes of course I can hear the drums direct in the room as well as the sound from the desk in my headphones. Usually I record a drum flat (with no eq) and then send it into the computer. Then I might play that sound back into the desk and gently eq it (on the desk). Then I copy that eq directly onto the channel that has that drum on it - so next time it gets recorded with that eq setting on it. It takes time to go through every drum and bit by bit improve the sound of the drum via the desk. Also I might eq or effect the sound inside the computer after it's been recorded.

Hi glen thomas,
ok now I understand what you mean with 16 track recorders etc. I haven't recorded like that in so long I don't remember what I would have bounced together. With computers you have an incredible amount of tracks - I don't even know what the limit is - I had a song with 100 tracks in it once!!!

cheers
Gavin
 
Hello Gavin.

Just a quick line to say thanks to you and the band for a great show at the Kentish Town Forum on Friday. It was more than worth the trip from Caerphilly. I was lucky enough to recently win two tickets to a PT "one-off acoustic show" from a well-known music TV channel, so hope that I will get to see you all for the third time, very shortly.

Congratulations also on the award for best album from Classic Rock magazine.

Can I ask about something on the page about you on wikipedia?

It states that in 2008 you will be joining King Crimson. Is this a permanent thing or the next project whilst PT have a (well-earned) break?

Could I also ask have you always been a Zildjian man? When I think of your cymbal set-up, perhaps not all of them would be what some would consider to be classic "rock" cymbals eg the k's, but it all seems to fit in so well with everything else. Is it a case of always having played these and letting them fit in or have you gone down the "horses for courses" route of using x cymbal for this and y for that?

Thanks, again,

Several of these questions have been answered. If you could check out these past posts, you can find your answers!
 
Hi Gavin,

Any chance of getting a "Futile" drum-less play-along track?

Forgive me if this has been asked before, I searched the thread and found nothing.
 
Hi Gavin:

I am from Chile in south America and I just want to say that I admire very much your music and the way you play the drums, your music has cross the world, and let me say you have many fans, even in a far country like this.

Greetings, and hope to see you live someday playing with PT in Chile.
 
Dear Gavin,

while studying your Rhythmic Visions DVD I noticed that you like ghostnotes a lot. What baffled me most was the fact that you mastered the ghostnote after each upbeat so well. In particular that is because there is such a big dynamic contrast between those two notes.

Now I've tried to emulate what you did and see myself confronted with the problem that my ghostnotes come up way too hard after the upbeats. Is there a special technique that you are using or can you shed some light as how to practice these?

Thanks in advance,
michen
 
Hi cjcdrums,

Any chance of getting a "Futile" drum-less play-along track?

Sorry - I'm afraid not.

Hi Mercyful,

Thanks for the message - I last played in Chilie 11 years ago with Lisa Stansfield - we had a great time there.

Hi michen,

Now I've tried to emulate what you did and see myself confronted with the problem that my ghostnotes come up way too hard after the upbeats. Is there a special technique that you are using or can you shed some light as how to practice these?

Do you mean the ghost note directly after the main snare drum hits (the backbeats)?
I've been doing that for as long as I can remember - I guess it came from listening to Jeff Porcaro. If the tempo is slow enough I can usually get a ghost note in a 16th note before and after the backbeats. I can't think of an exercise that's really going to help you other than just trying to do it. Of course I rimshot the backbeat to make the difference in volume even more pronounced.

Cheers
Gavin
 
Hi michen,

Now I've tried to emulate what you did and see myself confronted with the problem that my ghostnotes come up way too hard after the upbeats. Is there a special technique that you are using or can you shed some light as how to practice these?

Do you mean the ghost note directly after the main snare drum hits (the backbeats)?
I've been doing that for as long as I can remember - I guess it came from listening to Jeff Porcaro. If the tempo is slow enough I can usually get a ghost note in a 16th note before and after the backbeats. I can't think of an exercise that's really going to help you other than just trying to do it. Of course I rimshot the backbeat to make the difference in volume even more pronounced.

Cheers
Gavin

Yes, after the backbeats - that's what I meant. I'll just keep on trying then. At least now I know what is technically possible ;-)
Ah, Jeff Porcaro - with the example on Rhythmic Visions you're referring to his "very famous halftime shuffle groove", right? Such a great drummer...

Anyway, thanks for your quick answer!
michen
 
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Hi Gavin,

I haven't seen anyone ask about your unique grip here. I was wondering how you arrived at it and what advantages you see. It seems counterintuitive since (I believe) the fulcrum is so far back from the balance point of the stick. Is it because you get increased power with less motion, while sacrificing a bit of rebound?

My instructor has been drilling into me to hold the sticks with the fulcrum at the balance point (he likes the middle finger/thumb fulcrum), but your style is quite a departure and wondered if you would comment on it.

Thanks!
 
If got a question to your racksystem:
When you out on tour do you have any solution to put your Rack with all tomarms safety into the truck? I have the problem that I have not been found any kind of matched case for my racksystem.
I hope for an advise.
see you,
Chris
 
Hi stoneymonster,

I haven't seen anyone ask about your unique grip here. I was wondering how you arrived at it and what advantages you see. It seems counterintuitive since (I believe) the fulcrum is so far back from the balance point of the stick. Is it because you get increased power with less motion, while sacrificing a bit of rebound?


Yes, you're right - I'm way back past the fulcrum point - right on the very end of the stick. I think it's just developed through live playing with rock bands - I want the power and the volume to feel assertive and I know - although holding it at the fulcrum point would be nice - it's just going to frustrate me and my hands will be begging to hold further down to the back of the stick.
Of course the downside is that it requires more effort - but I play from a passion point of view - and I'd rather do what feels right - rather than what is technically correct.
Also I know my grips aren't even - I hold the left stick mainly with my little finger (and that's my technique for getting consistent rim shots) - and the right stick mainly between my middle finger and thumb. I never think about my grip - it's just something that has come about from years of playing - and just doing what felt the most natural to me.

Hi ChrisBassdrum,

When you out on tour do you have any solution to put your Rack with all tomarms safety into the truck?

I take the rack tom arms off. They're all numbered so they go straight back into position (with their memory locks) with no problem.

cheers
Gavin
 
Hi Gavin,

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I was wondering how you came to join PT after Chris left. Was it a chance meeting? or did Steve/ the band seek you out especially for the Job?

Thank you for everything you've brought to PT and I Hope you're well,

Kev

p.s. congradulations on Drop, its a fine piece of work
 
Hello Gavin,

I took my 14 year-old son to see you guys at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio back in October. You guys put on an amazing show (thanks for doing “The Sky Moves Sideways”).

You have a writing credit on “Cheating the Polygraph,” “Start of Something Beautiful,” “Mother and Child Divided,” and “Futile.” Can you tell us what your contributions were to those songs? Did you have a chord structure and/or melodies and SW built a song around it? Or did you guys sit down and write them together?

For songs that are credited to all four band members (“What Happens Now?,” “Way Out of Here,” “Halo,” “Glass Arm Shattering”), is it a case where all four of you are together and you’re just jamming?

And finally!! You are credited for playing “tapped” guitar in “Nil Recurring.” What exactly is that??

Apologies if these are repeated questions and thanks for the time!!

Jason
 
Hi K.Howden,

I was wondering how you came to join PT after Chris left.


I've been friends with Richard since the early 1990's and have worked with him on a few different projects. When Chris left - Richard called me and asked if I would come to New York and record "In Absentia" as a session drummer - which Idid. After that the band invited me to join the band as a full member.

Hi jasonyounger,

You have a writing credit on “Cheating the Polygraph,” “Start of Something Beautiful,” “Mother and Child Divided,” and “Futile.” Can you tell us what your contributions were to those songs?

Yes, I started them all. They began with drum rhythms and some bass & guitar ideas/riffs that I wrote. Sometimes they made it through to the final song - sometimes they were just there to indicate the kind of rhythmic pattern that I thought best complimented the drum rhythms - and left the note choices up to Steve.

For songs that are credited to all four band members (“What Happens Now?,” “Way Out of Here,” “Halo,” “Glass Arm Shattering”), is it a case where all four of you are together and you’re just jamming?

Yes those came out of 'jam' sessions at my home studio.

And finally!! You are credited for playing “tapped” guitar in “Nil Recurring.” What exactly is that??

It's literally me tapping my 7 string guitar in a similar way that people play the "Chapman Stick". You can clearly hear me doing it in the first 32 seconds of that track. There's two tapped guitar parts going on there - over the drums.

Cheers
Gavin
 
Hey Gavin, I saw you mentioned you're approach to gripping the sticks, and I just had a few questions. I actually play the same way (all the way back on the stick) and I noticed at higher speeds, sometimes my hands cramp up, and become a little sore. Do you have this, and if so, what do you do to correct it? Thanks a lot!
Josh
 
Hi Gavin,

Any chance of getting a "Futile" drum-less play-along track?

Forgive me if this has been asked before, I searched the thread and found nothing.

Speaking of "Futile", i've been slowly transcribing this song in my spare time (haha...spare time). It was one of those songs that caught me from the start as one i instantly loved and wanted to know every detail of, and gavin's playing is always inspirational.

i hope to have it finished soon and up for everyone to see. one thing i'm not sure about is a few of the different time signatures i put in there, my interpretation might be a little off (isn't everybody's) as i don't have many transcriptions under my belt.

cheers to everybody, and thanks Gavin for making this forum so interesting and educational.
 
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