Tagged: dave weckl
Same as it ever was…
I still remember my first Modern Drummer magazine. It was the August, 1989 issue and Chris Frantz of The Talking Heads graced the cover. I was twelve years old and had finally convinced my parents to buy me a drumset (an old red sparkle, 4 piece “Apollo” kit). While we were at the music store purchasing some cymbals to go with the drums (Zildjian Bronze Scimitars), I grabbed a few pairs of sticks and my first copy of “MD”.
For the next month, when I wasn’t in my bedroom playing along to INXS’ “Kick” album, I was reading my first issue of Modern Drummer. I was mesmerized by everything inside. The product reviews of the new Pearl Exports. The Yamaha Recording Custom ads featuring Dave Weckl and his perfectly coifed mullet. This was drummer-porn to the fullest. I was hooked.
It was my first chance to get inside the minds of the drummers I heard on the radio and watched on MTV. I found the interview with Chris Frantz to be particularly interesting. I learned about the history of The Talking Heads and what it was like to play at CBGB’s in NYC (a club I would end up frequently playing 13 years later). Their art school approach to music making made me think about drumming in a different light. It was the first time I heard someone talk about the importance of “music” over “chops”. It was my first step in the right direction.
Loop #58
Today’s loop was inspired by Chris’ drumming with The Talking Heads, particularly their hit “Once in a Lifetime”. Instead of incorporating the tom on the “&” of 4, I play it directly on the 1. This groove is actually an outtake from one of the loop packs I’ll be publishing. More details to come soon…
Preview Here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Download the Logic session here. (198MB)
Get the .wav file here. (no guitar)
Get the .rx2 file here. (no guitar)
Get the .wav file here. (w/ guitar)
Get the .rx2 file here. (w/ guitar)
110 BPM
Lunchtime Lesson – Groove vs Mullets
In this 1989 tribute concert to Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd proves that you don’t need splash cymbals or an unfortunate hairstyle to kick some ass. Though, Vinnie’s left handed lick at the 7:06 mark made my eyeballs pop out of my head.
Dave’s Garage.
This just landed in my inbox. Dave Weckl gives us a tour of his home studio in LA. Lots of nice outboard gear, upside down splash cymbals and complicated drumming technique. I still think he should bring back the permed mullet.
Displacement.
Displacement
Pronunciation: dis·place·ment
Function: noun
Date: 1611
1: the act or process of displacing : the state of being displaced
2: the substitution of another form of behavior for what is usual or expected, especially when the usual response is nonadaptive —called also displacement activity displacement behavior
Displacement doesn’t only occur when diving into pools or dropping too many ice cubes into your drink (Jim Beam & Diet Coke), it can also take place in music. In the world of drumming, beat displacement is a technique where you change the perception of the back beat by moving the whole groove forwards or backwards (usually by an eighth or sixteenth note) while keeping the underlying time signature intact.
I first learned about beat displacement while going through my “Dave Weckl phase”. I was in the eighth grade and listened to nothing but Weckl’s debut album, “Master Plan”, for about three months straight. Apparently, Dave’s “Master Plan” was to confuse the bass player in my junior high jazz band by showing me how to move the beat around. Throughout the album, he constantly uses the technique of beat displacement, ultimately creating rhythmic tension until re-establishing the “one” of the downbeat.
Loop #33
Today’s loop is a basic example of beat displacement. It starts off as a straight ahead groove but in bar three and four I move everything back by one eight note, causing the back beat to occur on the “and” of 2 and 4. This gives the impression that the whole groove has shifted until it turns back around when the phrase repeats.
Note – this kind of stuff (and anything else inspired by Dave Weckl) should be used sparingly. A little goes a long way. Much like cologne or those packets of yellow mustard you get when ordering Chinese food.
Preview Here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Download the Logic session here. (78MB)
Get the .wav file here.
109 BPM
Complicated drumming technique.
Sorry for the lack of loops the past two days. Things have been a little crazy on my end. It’s tax season, you know. Itemized deductions of drumsticks, Dave Weckl albums and hair gel have been cutting into my recording time. But fear not, I’m locking myself up in the studio tomorrow and cranking out some serious jams. In the meantime, enjoy this clip from world-renowned drummer and clinician, Jens Hannemann.