Drum Beat Project
Beat 176 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.1.23 w/notations. @wilco Loft recording vid here. Nothing technical or fancy, but an appropriate & fun part - imo - to a new song. The HH takes the backbeat instead of the SD - which plays a displaced backbeat instead...The toms embellish the phrase and add some cool dry tones. BD = 4 on the floor. TY Mark Greenberg @loft_relics_guitar_straps for the camera work! Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - subscribe! Scores for all compositions & past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 175 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.27.23 w/alt takes & notations. Last one from the last tour backstage @wilco rehearsal room - this one at the @TnTheater in beautiful Knoxville. You can see my high tech av set-up here (phone taped to a gtr stand). This is ABAC form w/the defining feature being the SD 16ths on the back half of the A parts. Each section —also has the BD-HH-FT 3 note grouping - kinda the theme of this beat. 2nd vid is a slower variation w/SD added on the + of ct. 4 in the 1st mea. 3rd vid w/brooms & @davedeming rods. That’s a @meinlpercussion ankle waterfall rattle on the cym btw. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 174 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.25.23 w/alt take, pic & notations. Backstage at the historic @theryman in Nashville channeling my West African idol, Tony Allen. I actually don’t know how closely this is to something that he would have played, but I tend to attribute any of my beats that are through-composed (not based around the idea of a backbeat or strong & weak beats, so aperiodic) to his influence. Here we have an emphasis on the HH for the 1st count & a half, SD for next 1.5 cts. and the BD as the caboose - making it a true ensemble beat w/shifting rhythmic density & volume traded amongst those three voices. 2nd vid is a slower take. The pic shows my sound enhancements: @stack_ring_percussion & @creative_percussion hand held sounds, SD & HH preparations w/ @Meinlpercussion items too. Using a taped @promarksticks lightening rod & SD5 w/ @tackle_instrument stick-topper attached = gr8 balance! Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, subscribe! Link in bio for my talk 2nite too fyi. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 173 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.19.23 w/alt takes & notations. Another one from the backstage @Wilco rehearsal room in St. Augustine. This one is built around the overlapping SD & BD which are basically Swiss triplets starting on the + of ct. 1. I play it 2 ways here: in the 1st vid there are 4 of those Swiss trips in the first mea. and a shorter HH opening at the end of the phrase / in the 2nd vid there are 3 of them and the HH opening is a full count. The 3rd vid is just a side view to better see my sound accoutrements: @stack_ring_percussion “bracelet” etc. & several @creative_percussion & @Meinlpercussion items. Also using a customized @promarksticks brush w/shot added inside the handle & coin taped on bristles and a pingpong ball filled w/shake and skewered by a drumstick in the RH like in Beat 172. The only tricky part is keeping the RH HH accents on the downbeats against the hemiola SD/BD groupings. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 172 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.19.23 w/slow take, gear pics & notations. This one was directly inspired by the title track of the fantastic new @phillipselway record “Strange Dance” featuring @valentina_magaletti on percussion. Phillip is such an incredible man, musician and drummer that somehow keeps getting better! Some of my fondest musical experiences were double drumming with that man. There’s a super cool reverby, scraped radiator sound on that track which I had just been listening to when I walked into the @wilco rehearsal room, backstage the other day in St. Augustine. I saw this unusual eye mirror on the wall (1st pic) & decided to scrape it - on one of the beats I was developing - in homage to that presumably Valentina sound. Lots of preparations on everything (2nd pic) including a @promarksticks brush w/shot added inside the handle and a pingpong ball filled w/shake and skewered by a drumstick in the RH. HH splash adds a sustaining voice to this pattern-esque beat w/linear leanings. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 171 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.11.23 w/noisy take, slow take & notations. Another melodic beat, was trying out a new kalimba & this emerged. The kalimba & backbeat (bkbt = a customized @promarksticks tenor mallet hitting a rimshot on the @creative_percussion guiro stax — or a @davedeming fan in the 2nd vid) are pretty straight forward but the feet are the most challenging and fun part of this beat for me - especially the HH. The HH preps are @upcycledpercussion @creative_percussion & @stack_ring_percussion - Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 170 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.30.23 w/alt takes & notations. I’m on the road currently but was able to squeeze in enough time in the @wilco back stage “jam room” at the historic @capitoltheater to crank this one out. Thanks to my son, Sterling, for the camera work! This is a 12/8 melodic kalimba vamp over a left-side ostinato on the HH & rounded out w/BD cross rhythm felt in 6/4. Alt takes variate HH playing area &tempo. Loving the super soft @dragonfly_percussion bd beater for this kit. The HH preps are @creative_percussion & @stack_ring_percussion - Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - subscribe - scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 169 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.8.23 w/notations. This is not a vegan post - double whammy of quijada (donkey jaw bone) and goat-skinned riq here. I chose this one not only due to the unique and interesting quijada and Moroccan riq but also because of the HH part. It’s typical for the HH to be an ostinato or the anchor of the beat in some way, but it shifts back and forth a 16th here which is fun. Of course any other sound can be substituted if you don’t have donkey bones lying around… That’s @drumgees keeping the @meinlpercussion jingles on the riq - the usual suspects round out the other preparations... Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations atGlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 168 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.21.23 w/var. & notations. A nice little kalimba melody w/kit accomp. For me the trickiest part of this one is the busy-ish kalimba part. Note that the BD part changes for the 2nd half along with the LH voicings. This particular $20 resale shop kalimba is tough to keep in tune - but when no one else is playing - who’s to say what’s in or out of tune! It’s got the right grit and grain in tone at least…. Lots of fun preparations on the drums and hats thx to @creative_percussion @stack_ring_percussion @drumgees & @upcycledpercussion
And had to turn down the feeding-back kalimba, so both sets of @davedeming dem sticks worked perfectly (as usual!) Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio & scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations atGlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 167 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.1.23, w/var. & notations. The drumkit equivalent of rubbing your belly while tapping your head! This one is deceptively tricky cuz the RH rotary motion of cranking the siren (cyclically w/the rotation speed completely independent of the rest of the groove) against the LH vertical strokes. I’ve loved the siren since first hearing Varèse’s “Ionization” and rekindled that love when immersing myself in the music of John Luther Adams to the point that @jefftweedy gave me this one for my bday several years back (it’s on the @wilco song “Dawned On Me” and my piece “The Haunted Hive” btw). I have 2 HH patterns notated and both are performed here. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio & scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations atGlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 166 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.1.23 sibling beat & notations follow. This one has been an ear worm for me (as tacky as that might sound!). Something about the on/off tom ride and how that interacts w/the groove… A few possible RH variations here, all very similar, but each does affect the LH in some subtle way. When playing - be sure to get the LH buzz, rimshots & RH dead-stroke-pitch bend, small details that make a big difference. Alt beat just adds rim ride on the 2nd bar. New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations atGlennKotche.com/projectscheck ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 165 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.24.23 - related beat & notations follow. I broke out this one-of-a-kind custom marching machine (beautifully crafted by @colindcampbell for the @wilco Ode To Joy tour) since it sounds great and I never got to play it enough.
This beat ensued. I can’t really dissect it - but it’s basically a lot of off-kilter parts colliding around the MM backbeat. 2nd & 3rd vids came first then added the tom sounds (vaguely songo-esque) to make it “complete”. Stack_ring_percussion @creative_percussion & @upcycledpercussion on the FT, HH, BD & SD are enhancing the sound (especially love the way the highs are playing off one another in the 2nd clip). Using my #activewave570 sig sticks. New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations atGlennKotche.com/projectscheck ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 164 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.16.23 - related beat, variation & notations follow. This one and it’s precursor (2nd vid) are both in 5 but the 1st beat has a changing bell pattern over the 2 bars whereas the 2nd stays the same. Btw, do as I say and not as I do, and never set your coffee on your glock! The development went from just HH, SD & BD (2nd beat here) to orchestrating it on the toms and adding the bell variation - played on my new beauty (thx to @ashwin_deepankar) @Morfbeats bell. 3rd vid is the same as the 1st but w/ SD dbles added. The quarter notes are grouped as 3+2 - but there’s no overt/audible 8th note cell grouping which gives it a nice ambiguous flow = why I chose it. All the usual suspects as far as preparations go - see tags for those. New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 163 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.5.23 - related beat & notations follow. As eluded to last week, this is the next phase of last week’s beats - all 4 together are a great glimpse into how I develop beats. These 2 retain the tom melody, the foot pattern and the SD “backbeats” from last week, but add a pitched melodic element on the crotales. The second beat came first with the crotales playing the backbeat & walking up a 4 note scale (that gels well w/the tom pitches), which then grew & developed into the main beat here that’s got a more active crotale rhythm. Using the usual suspects as preparations on the kit - see tags for those. New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 162 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.5.23 - 2 alt tempo vids, 1 xtra beat & notations at the end. Which tempo do you like best? The vids go from 105 bpm to 103 to 100 - I’m leaning towards 100 bpm. This started as a tom melody using the same foot pattern as several other beats lately = BD on 1 & 3 w/HH on a’s following the BD - good for flow and also makes a linear beat when the tom/RH part is added. Then I added the SD backbeat in the 1st 2 mea. but displaced those for mea. 3 & 4 for development - the SD part ends up being the rhythmic melody for the 4 bar circular phrase. The xtra vid is also mostly linear between the tom melody and reversed foot pattern but with a LH maraca ride part/ostinato. Some other ways to expand this one too - more on that soon. Using the usual suspects for sound enhancement, see tags for those. New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 161 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.2.23 - 2 alt tempo vids & notations at the end. This one is deceptively tricky to nail and came out of an exercise of mine where I just create a unison hand pattern mixing up 1, 2 or 3 note groupings, all w/a single subdivision rest in between. I then fill in the rests w/feet - either in unison or alternating - this one is alternating BD & HH. Lastly, I keep the pattern in one hand and treat it like a “ride” part and deviate the other hand to make into more of a SD or “backbeat” part. So for this beat, the first mea. is unison hands & in the 2nd mea. The RH keeps the pattern (ride) and the LH only plays a couple of select SD (backbeat) notes. I’m also switching timbres between the 2 mea. from toms to @Creative_percussion guiro stax and SD x-stick on the @Gruv-x X-click. I’ve got a brand new CP shaker BD beater too that you can’t see but is sounding great - also a shaker mallet by them. The trickiest part for me is the feet. Since it’s in 3/4 and there are 5 notes per mea. the feet reverse in the 2nd mea. that coupled w/the feet being highly syncopated (AND when the RH goes from a reg. horizontal stroke to a lateral scraping motion) makes it tougher to really lock in when you’re playing it than it might seem when you’re watching it. The contrast between the 2 measures and the rolling feel of it all make it worth the effort though imo! That’s also@stack_ring_percussion and @upcycledpercussion on the HH and an @meinlpercussion finger shaker for a little xtra spice.The 2 xtra vids are just different tempos - also included notation for a breakdown ex. to try out first.New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 160 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.23.23 - 3 alt tempo vids & notations at the end. This one popped into my head as a bass line (which happens quite a bit) that I then simplified into a beat. I wasn’t sure what tempo I liked it at best, so included an offering of several here. The first 3 counts are the same linear pattern in both mea. but the 1st ends with the space of a hanging HH opening & the 2nd as a BD upbeat punctuation. That contrast is why I chose this one. That’s @creative_percussion Guirostax that I’m hitting as a SD rimshot & @stack_ring_percussion and @upcycledpercussion on the HH. Last vid uses @davedeming lang ying brooms that really blend nicely with the other timbres. New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 159 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.10.23 - 2 xtra vids & notations at the end. Studio vids: not your typical IG drummer fare here- nothing flashy or difficult - but this one embodies what this project is all about - giving a glimpse into my approach to playing, composing and teaching. The vid is from an actual drum take in the studio with @wilco last week. That’s my little booth at the loft in Chicago where I’m trying out a new part to a new song. It’s only 3 voices but uses all 4 limbs. This one eschews the normal rock ebb & flow of BD & SD alternation in favor of a HH event/part that gradually opens and expands over 3 counts w/bookend punctuations on SD & BD. The hardest part is getting those openings consistent without losing the musicality of the part. The 1st xtra vid is of the HH isolated. The rest/space is actually on count 1 - but it’s easy to hear that space on count 4 - but by having that unison SD/BD marcato accent on count 2 it sort of acts like a backbeat accent. In the second xtra vid I say “1” so you can calibrate the timing.
New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 158 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.4.23 - Notations & alt vid at the end. This is a compound beat in 3, comprised of 2 sibling beats that have the same notation but diff. orchestration - the RH is on HH for the 1st half and moves to the alternating toms for the 2nd half & LH goes to the stack for the 2nd 1/2 as well. The xtra vid includes part of another, 3rd sibling beat, on non-alternating rack toms. I tried a few different stick choices but the @tackle_instrument stick topper felt and sounded the best. So using the shoulder of the stick on HH and then the felt topper part on the toms - those toppers are such a great tool to have! That’s a @Gruvxpercussion & @creative_percussion situation on SD along w/ @stack_ring_percussion and @upcycledpercussion on the HH. New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 157 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.2.23 - Multiple notations & alt vid at the end. Yet another kalimba beat! Woke up w/the melody and BD pulse in my head. Then added the staggered HH pulse which, w/the BD, creates an underlying 12/8 feel over the more 6/4 feel of the melody. It can be written/felt either way - hence including both notations here. The SD x-stk answer to @meinlpercussion Waterfall and Birds creates a 3rd layer of action - & having to use 2 diff. techniques (sliding on the percussion and then striking the SD) is a nice challenge too. This isn’t my fav melody but I choose this one because of those multiple layers & feels which create a lot of opportunites to break this down several ways for teaching purposes - more on that in the future tho… SD situation is a @zildjiancompany FX Spiral Stacker using @drumgess w/ @creative_percussion guiro stax & @gruvxpercussion click - that timbre cocktail just blended better w/the other elements than a reg. SD. The alt vid is moving the kalimba rhythm to ride cym - a good initial step in learning the beat before introducing the pitches. New solo piece - Equilibrium - is up on my youtube channel, link in bio, scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco