Jazz brush work

kafkapenguin

kafkapenguin

Senior Member
I'm a newbie and just getting into Jazz brush work. I'm looking for recommendations for a method book and or video. Any info would be much appreciated.

cheers!
 
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Bo Eder

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
I think you need to listen first to the masters. Ed Thigpen, Joe Morello, Shelly Manne, Clayton Cameron, there are so many. Of course, there's that new German guy. Get what it's supposed to sound like in your head, and maybe get with a teacher to learn how. Sometimes I feel when people dive into DVD's and other videos first, they get what it looks like down. What it sounds like ends up being a bit questionable. Who are you currently listening to for brushwork and jazz in general?
 
kafkapenguin

kafkapenguin

Senior Member
Bo Eder said:
I think you need to listen first to the masters. Ed Thigpen, Joe Morello, Shelly Manne, Clayton Cameron, there are so many. Of course, there's that new German guy. Get what it's supposed to sound like in your head, and maybe get with a teacher to learn how. Sometimes I feel when people dive into DVD's and other videos first, they get what it looks like down. What it sounds like ends up being a bit questionable. Who are you currently listening to for brushwork and jazz in general?
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Thanks for the reply. I have been listening to Jazz for many many years. I have a Bachelors degree in music as a string player and educator. Lately I have been totally immersed in Piano Trios, especially Kenny Barron, so major listening to drummers like Paul Motion, Ben Riley, Roy Higgins, Lenny White, etc. I've caught the brush work bug and want to learn all I can.
cheers
 
Bo Eder

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
kafkapenguin said:
Thanks for the reply. I have been listening to Jazz for many many years. I have a Bachelors degree in music as a string player and educator. Lately I have been totally immersed in Piano Trios, especially Kenny Barron, so major listening to drummers like Paul Motion, Ben Riley, Roy Higgins, Lenny White, etc. I've caught the brush work bug and want to learn all I can.
cheers
Click to expand...
Ah. Then you just gotta get out there and start doing it, eh? I probably learned more stuff faster from the dirty looks I got up on the bandstand ;)
 
kafkapenguin

kafkapenguin

Senior Member
After googling around I just ordered "The Art of Playing with Brushes DVD/Play Along CD"
Steve Smith; DVD, and "The Sound of Brushes"
Thigpen, Ed; Paperback; from Amazon. Hope I made a good choice.
 
L

Longfuse

Senior Member
kafkapenguin said:
After googling around I just ordered "The Art of Playing with Brushes DVD/Play Along CD"
Steve Smith; DVD, and "The Sound of Brushes"
Thigpen, Ed; Paperback; from Amazon. Hope I made a good choice.
Click to expand...
All good choices. The Art of Playing with Brushes is great, although it's probably something you'll learn more from later if you're a brushes novice (really inspiring though)

If you're still a little in the dark after reading Ed Thigpen's book, then the typical swish and tap approach is covered really well in Louie Bellson's book (I'd recommend it to all beginners).

Finally, there's some free stuff on my website. This article deals with early brush styles (with simple, modern kick patterns, the Singleton stuff works really well for pop stuff):

http://brushbeat.org/documents/Early_Jazz_Styles_for_Brushes.pdf

Also some little techniques I've stumbled across over the years:

http://brushbeat.org/Tips--and--Tricks.php
 
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