Beat 299 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.22.25 w/alt tempi & notations. 5+5+6 =16 This one came right out after mounting the little snare over the BD. I didn`t realize it was in 4/4 until I checked out the vid & heard the 16ths grouped that way. I liked the cadence of that 5+5+6 subdivision pattern, so decided to include it in the project. 4th vid shows the BD part best, 6th vid shows the BD/SD Swiss Triplets. Vids 5 & 7 are slower for learning. The stack is @zildjiancompany EFX cym upside down w/spiral stack resting inside & the ride is a primitive unfinished cym that @cymbalcraftsman made for me years ago - its`s completely incredible. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on the new @cutworms single #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun - Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 298 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.18.25 w/diff tempos & notations. I was mixing a new record w/ @DarinGraymusic this week and the drums were soloed up in an irregular loop to check something out. The rhythm of that loop was so odd & cool that I recorded a quick voice memo to see exactly what it was. Turns out it was in 11/16 time - something I haven’t really explored much since it’s not the most practical time sig to work on… I have recorded songs in 11/8 (w/Darin btw!) but not 11/16. Anyway, I started exploring some various ideas in 11/16 along the lines of that groove/feel - this is one of them. Listening back, it kinda sounds like 3+3+2+3 to me but as you can see from the notations, I was thinking of it as 4+4+3. The 2nd & 3rd vids are longer to show how the groove starts to seem more "normal" & it`s easy to imagine a slinky Darin bass line over these. Either way, it was a fun detour from more sample-based, melodic beats of late... Like most beats in this project, nothing super fancy but instead a window into the process that is this project. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on the new @cutworms single #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun - Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 297 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.8.25 w/origin beat & notations. I was working on some potential ideas for my @sound_and_gravity solo set & ended up honing in on and looping this melodic segment from a new piece under construction. ABAC form w/LH melody on @majesticpercussion glock, RH playing alternating chords on kalimba - & BD using @sunhouseinc #sensorypercussion to trigger the electro sample. Like last week (diff. part of the same piece), @upcycledpercussion & @meinlpercussion chimes on the HH as well. 2nd vid is from @wilco backstage in Montana and is an earlier, sample-free version: thx to @nelscline for the camera work! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on the new @cutworms single #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun - Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 296 of my #DrumBeatProject 8.22.25 w/variations & notations. I`m working on some potential ideas for my solo show this coming week @constellationchicago as part of the exciting inaugural @sound_and_gravity fest and thought I`d show how this one is developing. The 1st vid is the current state, 2nd vid is what it was a couple of weeks ago when I first started investigating it backstage @wilco show in MT. I added some customized samples triggered by my BD/rt foot thx to @sunhouseinc #sensorypercussion - RH is playing the alternating kalimba chords, LH on @majesticpercussion glock melody and the HH went from 2&4 (2nd faster vid) to HH splashes (3rd vid) to using @creative_percussion HH extender to mount & agitate @upcycledpercussion key chimes & @meinlpercussion pin chimes (all other vids). 4th vid is me phrasing the Glock line a bit more like a behind-the-beat big band horn part - woozy - so it better lines up with the imperfect sample (that`s still under construction). That proved to be a really interesting challenge, phrasing limbs differently (strict time vs. laying back - gonna keep experimenting w/that in the future!). Btw, I definitely consider this a beat, even though it`s mostly pitched, since I`m using all 4 limbs on percussion. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on the new @cutworms single #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun - Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 295 of my #DrumBeatProject 8.25.25 w/alt temps & notations. I went to check my drums before our 2nd @Wilco Seattle show since @AshwinDeepankar put the new @evansdrumheads HD Dry heads on my kit. They sounded so amazing (last vid) that his tuning inspired this melodic pattern to emerge. I added the SD “clave” part (which required some sweeps) and then the LH part which is just filling in all the rests on the cool @gmdcymbals Accent 1 mounted on a HH clutch here. The last element was the samba foot pattern underneath which I chose since I didn’t have time so work up anything else! *The whole process took all of 5 mins to develop and capture... The HH tambo is by Seattle’s own @Kepplingerdrums - love those dark jingles, and that’s a @promarksticks custom drumset mallet in my RH that gets more tone and less attack from the drums - great for beats like this. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on the new @cutworms single #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun - Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 294 of my #DrumBeatProject 8.13.25 w/alt takes & notations. This one was instigated by my @zildjiancompany field bells. I had a couple out for use on a @Wilco song at sound check and decided to build a beat around them. This one has an A/B/A/C form with the A parts being a bit challenging physically due to the speedy movement required to execute the 32nds on the field bells. I like how the unaccompanied crash and the FT tags balance out the bells and also provide a nice melodic shape to the beat while the upbeat-heavy groove remains the foundation under it all. Thanks for the wonderful camera work! @viqitoi & nice cameo by @mikaeljorgensen in the 3rd vid too. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on the new @cutworms single #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun - Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard @ashwindeepankar #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 293 of my #DrumBeatProject 8.11.25 w/alt vids & notations. I was thoughtfully gifted 4 nice frog guiro/rasps (shocked I didn’t have any?!), so decided to see if I could come up with something in 5 mins on my busy day off in Chicago on this @Wilco tour. Here it is! Not tricky rhythmically, but mostly challenging in getting the scrapes to sound in time and also having that motion go against the circular sliding motion of the brush on SD: those 2 different lateral motions are why I included this beat in the project btw. I pulled out that vintage brush after a juicy brush conversation w/the gr8 @900x (tagging @slingerlanddrums here in hopes they’ll reissue! Those were designed by Jake Jerger - I played his drumset solos for contests in Jr. High). Foot pattern is my go-to Afro-Cuban type thing - is it a Mambo or Cha-Cha foot pattern? Let me know if you know what it is plz! Thx to @frankiegup for the frogs! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 292 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.31.25 w/alt tempos & notations. All about the HiHat! My initial idea this week was for a half-time beat w/an active low end part & a backbeat that was drastically different tonally - which are all components of this one - but the HH part came unexpectedly and ended up being my fav aspect. That`s something that I learned while composing longer chamber pieces: the music often dictates where the piece goes, more than the composer - unexpected turns present themselves during the process and sometimes you can`t be rigid, but have to follow those cues to get someplace truly unique and special musically... OK, so the HH basically acts as an answer here along w/the ride bell to the FT/BD riff - but then carries over in unison w/the BD for the 2nd (FT 2) 1/2 of the beat (most visible in 3rd vid). Using @meinlpercussion waterfalls & birds on the SD for a wide, sharp slap, and customized @keplingerdrums HH tambo to accentuate the HH part. That`s some @sansonic1 sound check gtr. action on the later vids. Camera work by @ashwin_deepankar - Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 291 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.29.25 w/alt tempos & notations. A nice little melodic vamp (best w/headphones) that came together in minutes. I didn’t get much playing time this week due to pre- @Wilco tour craziness, so I guess I willed this one to happen quickly. I started playing an ostinato w/my feet and RH and decided to have the LH do something pitched. Since the ostinatos are straight forward enough, I was able to add some fun syncopation in that LH part. It started w/the RH on cym and one mallet in the LH (last vid) but after hitting the rebolo, realized it w/the rack tom was a much more sonically compelling accompaniment to the crotales thx to the @tackle_instrument stick topper. I switched to two mallets in the LH for accuracy to better get the bigger e-c jump - and also aluminum mallets for clarity over the rumbling drums and @creative_percussion can shaker. Try the LH on any surface first then add the pitches if desired - but this one is easy & fun enough to try imo! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki @clark.hubbard @ashwindeepankar #ABeatAWeek #drumbeatimmersion #drumbeattheory #drumbeatproject #loveyourneighbor...
Beat 290 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.8.25 w/alt temp vids & notations. This is the first thing that I played on my new @majesticpercussion field drum: it really drew out some of my rudimental tendencies in the best way. The beat starts with RH & LH stutters (basically an inside 5 w/the bookend notes on BD). It then goes to an open HH accent followed by a 32nd note accented figure and ending with consecutive LH & RH flams on SD, all resulting in a very satisfying beat to play. 2nd vid is faster, 3rd is diff. angle, 4th is slower w/wider flams. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projectscheck’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 289 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.11.25 w/loads of vids & notations. This one took a lot more time than I expected. I was inspired & playing around with several ideas after putting my new and incredible @majesticpercussion field snare on the kit. I moved my main snare off to my left and maybe some residual memory of the Bridgemen snare line features from ’81 & ’82 came through to come up w/this beat. The LH does most of the work keeping time on the SD while the RH & BD provide the punctuations on open HH or my beloved giant temple block from @revival_drum_shop - but the tricky part was adding the LF HH part and getting both feet to lock in w/the LH since each foot hits on strong and weak beats. It required me to break everything down in order to isolate and fix anything that was keeping the beat from really locking in. Since a big part of this project is educational, I wanted to show how I did this since I always recommend any students to break new things down in all combinations so the foundation is solid and feels good enough to build upon. Hence the string of vids starting w/the 4th one: just the hands on 1 drum / 5. moving the RH accents / 6. adding the temple blk / 7. splitting between the 2 SD’s / 8. adding T. blk to that / 9. back to 1 drum & adding feet / 10. 2 drums w/feet slow / 11. just the 2nd half / 12. just the 1st half and then 2 additional vids of the full beat at the end. 2nd vid has snares off to show the cool tonal differences w/the SD`s & 3rd vid has no HH in 2nd mea. I definitely came away a better player from it all even though this may not be the most practical beat in terms of playing in an ensemble - but definitely fun and challenging & a gr8 learning process. I suppose this project is as much educational for me as anyone else out there listening and trying these beats! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projectscheck’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes’ #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 288 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.19.25 w/alt vid & notations. This just popped into my head at soundcheck in Dachau a few weeks back and I realized it’s got a lot in common w/last week`s beat - hence me pairing them consecutively. The defining element is that they both have the 32nd note figure on count one & both have a linear pattern thing going on too - even though this week is a fully opened-handed, one measure beat with less cadence and more continuous flow. Btw, thx to @drmtch1 for the camera work & @mikaeljorgensen for the soothing synth work in the 2nd clip! My fav. aspect of this one would be the accented HH openings on the “a’s" of the backbeats but I’m most interested in how an idea can more or less come and go, resurfacing unintentionally in different settings w/diff. stickings and orchestration and limb combinations, but always having a common thread - something in the movement or cadence that’s compelling enough to work out, play and assimilate. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projectscheck’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming Wilco shows still! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold #insideenergy - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 287 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.23.25 w/alt tempo vids & notations. This just popped into my head at soundcheck in Saõ Paolo a few weeks back. Nothing technical or fancy but I revisited it at soundcheck @royalalberthall & I liked the melody & cadence, so decided include it in the drumbeat project. It`s A/B/A/C form featuring a 32nd note tom sweep to kick off this pattern beat. The 1st bkbt in each mea. is on my beloved @zildjiancompany Kerope ride bell and the 2nd on SD doubled w/HH or FT. I`m also interested in how these beat is kinda 1/2 open-handed & 1/2 not. The London kit is my Euro tour @sonordrumco Prolite kit & the Brazil kit is a great sounding Force series rental. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming Wilco shows still! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard @drmtch1 @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 286 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.12.25 w/both kalimba & glock vids & notations. Another one I was working on backstage for a new solo piece. A linear groove w/the drum part nested in between the melodic part (until last the 2 counts of each phrase where the rhythm changes). Each LH pitch is followed by a RH on drums which is in turn followed by either foot on BD or HH. The 16th note subdivisions are felt as 3+3+2 / 3+3+2 / 3+3+2 / 4+4. I like how the HH part is mostly on the “e” subdivision until the last count in each phrase where it lands on the downbeat - subtle change but I like how it comes together & locks in after a more ambiguous feel. I tried it with the LH on both glockenspiel and kalimba in the super-boomy backstage practice room in AL (beat was written in Chicago tho). The flow of limbs starts to feel really nice after a while - def. worth trying - especiallly if you have an out-of-tune kalimba like mine here! (I actually don’t mind it, reminds me of authentic lkimbe or mbira). Several vids w/different views and hence sound mixes - 5th vid has the best view of the drum part. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming Wilco shows still! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 285 of my #DrumBeatProject w/var. & notations. A soundcheck groove that happened on stage in São Paolo (4th vid), initially w/no left foot & slightly simplified BD part (vids 3-5), I added the BD dbls in Antwerp night 2 (1st vid) and per my camera man`s @JeffTweedy suggestion, I added the pulsing LF 8th notes. Got to give it up to him, not many lead singers would weigh in on such matters let alone work the camera! Then tried it all again in Dachau (vid 2) w/ @drmtch1 working the cam. It’s a linear beat starting w/a broken trip. that flows into a LH inside paradiddle rounded out with accented tom tags. Nice to be back on my @Sonordrumco Prolite Euro kit too! I only get to play this kit over here on tour (it stays in Europe) and love how great it sounds on these outdoor shows. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming Wilco shows still! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 284 of my #DrumBeatProject: 2 for 1 this week! 3.12.25 & 5.11.25 sibling beats w/alt takes & notations. These are closely related variations taken from a new solo piece that I`m working on. Both feature the same kalimba melody, but the first one = 1 mea. of 1/2x backbeat w/1 mea. regular bkbt ending on the FT - whereas the 2nd beat stays in 1/2 time & ends on RT. Both are recorded backstage, hence the intense booming reverb & varying volumes of the acoustically diverse @wilco dressing rooms. I chose these because of how the melody rhythm plays against the inside paradiddle motif of the drum part resulting in a nice & groovy feel. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming Wilco shows too! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek...
�Beat 283 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.13.25 w/alt takes & notations. This one popped into my head right before soundcheck, so I decided to grab it super quick on stage w/ @ashwin_deepankar manning the camera & @nelscline tolerating me while he gets sounds! It`s kinda tricky due to the sheer amount of sweeps from toms to SD and trying to keep the ascending broken trips even. Fun, but one of the more physical ones. HH 8ths are the anchor and BD is filling in all of the spaces in the wide-flams hands part. And yes, it`s got @officialphilcollins written all over it as well! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming Wilco shows too! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 282 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.13.25 w/alt tempos & notations. A @Wilco backstage view of a melodic beat/riff from a new piece that I`m working on. It`s a 2 mea. beat w/the 2nd mea. melody being a variation of the 1st - same drum part for both mea. tho. My fav aspect is the HH part & how it interacts with the BD. Many possibilities for orchestrating the RH part more too, I just didn`t have the time. Which tempo feels best iyo??? Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming Wilco shows too! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 281 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.11.25 w/alt vids & notations. Just a little ditty that I messed w/at soundcheck a few times on this last run. I have the @xpercussionofficial Mundo on my main snare and it was just too inviting to resist! I think of this one as an uptempo swing ride pattern in the RH w/Swiss Triplets between the SD and BD underneath. The HH is the anchor with steady 8ths (I’m sure it’s ultimately a Tony Allen influenced thing though…) 1st vid is in Birmingham AL. 2nd vid is a close up from Wilmington, NC. 3rd vid in Chattanooga adds an xtra RH note at the end of mea. 2 and has some unexpected @Wilco cameos. 4th vid is slower. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming Wilco shows too! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek...
Beat 280 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.14.25 w/alt vid & notations. I wrote this one 2 months ago, but just got a chance last week in Atlanta on tour to actually learn and record it backstage. Since it’s in 7/8, it’s a two bar beat in order for the quarter note HH foot splashes to come back around to ct.1. The @majesticpercussion glock part is basically a question/answer melody. The drum part stays the same for both measures w/the first 2 cts.of each mea. accentuating the melody and last 2 ct. playing off of the melody. the My fav part for some reason is the BD part though (although the HH part is the magic element here imo). It came together much quicker than I thought - a nice and achievable challenge - so try it! Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check’ em out! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website & vids on my youtube channel, plz subscribe. Lots of upcoming @wilco shows too! Also, hear me on #Tim Barnes` #atthethreshold - @gyanriley #wintersun Saccata Quartet LP on @wejazzhelsinki - @taylorswift #TorturedPoetsDepartment -@Wilco #hotsuncoolshroud @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek...
