Bo Eder
Platinum Member
In an addendum to the "playing like Stevie Wonder" thread, I just thought of something that might be useful to our newer players that I learned when I was a kid. When I was playing in the school bands of my youth, the statement "Get to the next bar in time" was somehow drilled into my head. Meaning, when you got to the bar, get through it in time, mistakes and all. So if you were playing something particularly difficult in that bar, if you flubbed it up, then do that, but make sure you get to the next bar on time. Staying together with the group was deemed more important than actually playing your part correctly.
This phrase stuck with me through my lifetime and it has done me good on more than one occasion.
So if I apply this to drumming, basically, for us drummers, this means "get to the next BEAT on time" since we always deal in where the quarter note is. If you're playing a Stevie Wonder groove, or anybody's groove, for that matter, whatever notes you're playing on that particular beat, just get to the next beat in time. So if you can't do the Stevie Wonder swung hi-hat part quite in time, the most important thing will be where the snare drum is. So always pump out the 2 & 4 in the beat in time, rather than let your timing waiver because you're trying to play all the notes in the hi-hat part. Because after all, your job is to provide steady time for the band to play the music. I noticed that in a Stevie Wonder performance that he doesn't always play the swung hi-hat - depending on what it needs to feel like, he may just play straight 8ths on the hi hat to better propel the song. I tend to simplify my hi hats parts if the band seems to be lagging on their parts and state the time even moreso just so long as we stay in time and groove together as a group.
Of course, in the beginning, definitely slow down and work out how you want to play the parts. This is why practicing alone at home is so important. Work up your technique and get it together - this would be the most ideal thing. BUT - once you're playing it with the band, you are now listening to the band becoming another cog in the wheel to keep the whole thing rolling. You may discover that the band isn't keeping time very well and they'll need the help from you to state the time for the audience - at this point there's nothing wrong with laying down four-on-the-floor bass drum and 2 & 4 snare with a straight hi hat part. In fact, it's always a good starting point too because just the drum part isn't the only thing gluing everything together. The other musicians may be playing stuff that propels the song forward too - so you need to be sensitive to that. Don't get too upset if you didn't get to play the part as you practiced it at home - you're thing is to be the glue for the band, and lots of times the band determines how much glue is needed. Just so long as the song is played well and the audience is digging it, should be your barometer.
This reminds me of what Max Roach once said when he performed at one of those jazz/drum festivals. He said he and other luminary drummers were there to play and display their incredible chops, and at the end of the night, they brought out Gene Krupa whole proceeded to play "Sing Sing Sing" which was all just 8th notes - and the crowd went nuts. Max said that was a great lesson that night
This phrase stuck with me through my lifetime and it has done me good on more than one occasion.
So if I apply this to drumming, basically, for us drummers, this means "get to the next BEAT on time" since we always deal in where the quarter note is. If you're playing a Stevie Wonder groove, or anybody's groove, for that matter, whatever notes you're playing on that particular beat, just get to the next beat in time. So if you can't do the Stevie Wonder swung hi-hat part quite in time, the most important thing will be where the snare drum is. So always pump out the 2 & 4 in the beat in time, rather than let your timing waiver because you're trying to play all the notes in the hi-hat part. Because after all, your job is to provide steady time for the band to play the music. I noticed that in a Stevie Wonder performance that he doesn't always play the swung hi-hat - depending on what it needs to feel like, he may just play straight 8ths on the hi hat to better propel the song. I tend to simplify my hi hats parts if the band seems to be lagging on their parts and state the time even moreso just so long as we stay in time and groove together as a group.
Of course, in the beginning, definitely slow down and work out how you want to play the parts. This is why practicing alone at home is so important. Work up your technique and get it together - this would be the most ideal thing. BUT - once you're playing it with the band, you are now listening to the band becoming another cog in the wheel to keep the whole thing rolling. You may discover that the band isn't keeping time very well and they'll need the help from you to state the time for the audience - at this point there's nothing wrong with laying down four-on-the-floor bass drum and 2 & 4 snare with a straight hi hat part. In fact, it's always a good starting point too because just the drum part isn't the only thing gluing everything together. The other musicians may be playing stuff that propels the song forward too - so you need to be sensitive to that. Don't get too upset if you didn't get to play the part as you practiced it at home - you're thing is to be the glue for the band, and lots of times the band determines how much glue is needed. Just so long as the song is played well and the audience is digging it, should be your barometer.
This reminds me of what Max Roach once said when he performed at one of those jazz/drum festivals. He said he and other luminary drummers were there to play and display their incredible chops, and at the end of the night, they brought out Gene Krupa whole proceeded to play "Sing Sing Sing" which was all just 8th notes - and the crowd went nuts. Max said that was a great lesson that night
