DrummerCA35
Senior Member
My current band plays a mix of R&B, disco, funk, classic rock, and some top-40. It's a really fun band, and I love the music. A LOT of the beats are groove-based 4/4, and simple. 8th notes on the hats, 1 & 3 on the kick, 2 & 4 on the snare or some variant on that. The music is rehearsed as well, with the intros, breaks, stops, endings, etc. The songs range from "Brick House" to "Uptown Funk" to "What I Like About You" to "Centerfold" to "Get Down Tonight."
Well I got called to do a "pick-up gig." Is that what they're called? When you don't know the guitar or bass player, and they haven't played together before, but they call out standards that we all know and have played like "Kansas City", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Rocket 88", "Oye Como Va", to even country stuff like "Jambalya", to 50's music, and so on. Older guys.
I had a freaking BLAST. After all that 2&4 straight 8th shit I was finally playing shuffles again, and triplet fills, and stops breaks. Watching whoever was singing for the breaks, endings, etc. The thing is, these guys were pros, the vocals were wonderful, and it sounded great. It was fun, just going in and playing with new guys, and sounding great. It sounded so.....MUSICIAL...after all that disco and funk. And the thing was it felt so EASY and so natural. Lots of people dancing, having a great time, and re-connecting with the band leader who I've played on-and-off with for over decade.
I couldn't believe how thrilled I was to play "Route 66" and "Kansas City"...making it swing...after all that "8th note on the hats, 2&4 on the snare" stuff.
Playing a shuffle felt freaking GREAT.
Well I got called to do a "pick-up gig." Is that what they're called? When you don't know the guitar or bass player, and they haven't played together before, but they call out standards that we all know and have played like "Kansas City", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Rocket 88", "Oye Como Va", to even country stuff like "Jambalya", to 50's music, and so on. Older guys.
I had a freaking BLAST. After all that 2&4 straight 8th shit I was finally playing shuffles again, and triplet fills, and stops breaks. Watching whoever was singing for the breaks, endings, etc. The thing is, these guys were pros, the vocals were wonderful, and it sounded great. It was fun, just going in and playing with new guys, and sounding great. It sounded so.....MUSICIAL...after all that disco and funk. And the thing was it felt so EASY and so natural. Lots of people dancing, having a great time, and re-connecting with the band leader who I've played on-and-off with for over decade.
I couldn't believe how thrilled I was to play "Route 66" and "Kansas City"...making it swing...after all that "8th note on the hats, 2&4 on the snare" stuff.
Playing a shuffle felt freaking GREAT.
