Sound, Texture, Options & Imagination

Welcome to the final installment of 10 Weeks to Better Drumming. I hope these thoughts and ideas have helped you see both your music and drumming in a new perspective, and possibly opened up some new ideas.
What does this sound like?


 I'm more about sound & texture than I am about technique. Whereas It seems most people are chasing technique on a daily basis. To me, technique is merely a means to an end. That's not to say technique isn't necessary, but that playing paradiddles at 280BPM isn't the end all, be all, of drumming. I would rather have reasonable technique with a good sound, than astounding technique with a poor sound. But then, that's just me.
What does this sound like?


I tend to obsess over sound & texture the way most drummers do over technique. No matter what instrument I'm playing, I am always looking for both a good sound from it, and possible new sounds. Texture is another world entirely. I have bags full of different sticks/brushes/mallets/implements that I use to get different sound textures with.
What does this sound like?
Let's look at some Options & Imagination using these different Sound & Textures:

 Take your favorite beat/song/solo and change the sound textures: use a timpani mallet in one hand and a Blastick in the other. Go ahead, play it. Notice the different sounds, the different textures. 
  • Does this change the feel? 
  • Does this change your approach to playing it.
  • Does this change how you perceive this piece of music?

What does this sound like?


OK, do this again, only this time with a shaker of some type and a knitting needle. 

  • What changed this time from the last, or the original version?

Let's do it one more time with a bare hand/fingers and kitchen utensil, like a spatula.

  • Again, compare the differences from the previous versions.

What does this sound like?

Now we'll do something different. Place a towel/t-shirt over your snare drum and ride cymbal to muffle them. Then put something on your floor tom, like jingles/beads, that will rattle when you play it. Then play with 2 different implements in your hands.

  • What's happening now, both in the music, and in your head?

Don't be afraid to experiment with your sounds, or to change the textures. This can make old things sound new again, and feel fresh to play, not to mention inspire new ideas.

Thanks for checking out this series/blog. Please do let me know of your thoughts & experiences.

~ MB


Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 5, 2013 at 6:33 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Michael BettineJanuary 6, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    sun lightJanuary 5, 2013 6:33 PM

    A paradiddle is the name of a percussion rudiment.
    In percussion, a rudiment is one of the basic building
    blocks of drumming. You can think of it as a letter being
    one of the basic building blocks of words. This is actually
    a good analogy, because there are about 26 letters and there
    are about 26 rudiments.

    [Original comment with links deleted because I'm not here to advertise or sell your product - get your own blog!]

    How ironic this comment is. Obviously this person has NOT followed my blog at all, if they did, they would realize how the paradiddle has very little to do with "Sound, Texture, Options & Imagination." The paradiddle comes out of military drumming, which is all about regimen and repetition, NOT creativity. While I feel that the 26 rudiments do have their place, I also think that that place is often in the past. Time to get a new alphabet and speak a new language…

    ~ MB

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tam Tam vs Gong

Image
I can't tell you how many times this argument of "A tam tam is not a Gong" comes up. It came my way no less than 3 different times this week. Actually, 'tam tam' (also tam-tam) was 1st used in symphonic music back in the 1800s to differentiate a flat faced Gong from a Gong with a raised center 'boss.' (There is no definitive answer as to where the term tam tam originated - some say it's Chinese, some say it's Hindi, still others say it's something else…) To add to the confusion, 'tam-tam' is a term often used for either an   African  djembe or talking drum. When a score calls for a 'tam tam' (like Messiaen’s 'Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum' or various works of Richard Wagner), then a flat faced Gong, like a Chinese Chau, is used. Flat Faced Chinese Chau Gong/Tam Tam When a score calls for a 'Gong' (like Puccini’s 'Madame Butterfly', or 'Turandot'), then a bossed Gon...
Read more

What to Look for When Buying a Gong

Image
Today's blog is a revised & updated blog I posted 3 years ago on my old website. I'm always having people ask me about buying a Gong. Well, here's some tips: •••••••• So you’ve decided to get a Gong. The first thing to ask is, what will I use a Gong for? What type of music do you play? Do you want to use it in a rock band, a jazz band, solo? Are you looking for a meditation device? These are important questions and will help determine what type and size of Gong to get.  One important thing to look at is how big a Gong do you want? Gongs are heavy. Gongs are not easy to transport. If this Gong will stay in your house/studio, then that makes it easy to have a larger size. But if you plan to travel in a band with it,  you need to look at the impact a different size Gong will have on transporting it.  A lot of drummers want a Gong because they look cool and sound cool. They also want that type of sound in their percussive arsenal.  A good place ...
Read more

Music Notation for Gongs

Image
Recently, I was asked a question about how Gongs are notated in a musical score. Here are various examples of different ways they have been notated, from traditional classical, to modern musical forms. The first thing is to differentiate the 2 main types of Gongs: the flat faced, usually termed Tam Tam in a classical score, and the Bossed Gong, with a raised center boss (AKA cup, nipple). A good example of a traditional symphonic Tam Tam part would be from Gustav Holst’s, The Planets . This example is from Mars, the Bringer of War : We can see the Gong/Tam Tam notated traditionally on a single staff line.  The next example is from Puccini’s opera, Turandot . This is the Tam Tam part, notated on the bottom line. Example #3 is also from Turandot. The score also calls for Tuned Bossed Gongs. Unfortunately I was unable to find a score example of them. John Cage used various Gongs in his percussion music. This is an example of how he notated ...
Read more