Projects

Beat 123 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.10.22 Swipe for notations & 7 more vids! Ok, I started obsessing on this when I began practicing a new @wilco song, “In A Sad Kind Of Way”. It’s a beautiful acoustic folk song that I play a rhythm part on an Indian dholak throughout except for the 2 bridges where this shuffle-esque cross-rhythm is happening to the dotted 8th pulse on kit. So basically drums are playing an implied, triplet-based, faster sounding meter under the 4/4 of the rest of the band - It’s super subtle on the recording but when extracted from the song and played on its own - countless variations present themselves. This beat is an attempt to illustrate the band 4/4 part with the right hand while the other 3 limbs play the implied meter. 2nd vid is more like the drum part on record. Vids 3-6 are all variations of the main beat. I included them because I found different aspects of the beat either emerge or blend depending on how they’re voiced which impacts how they're interpreted, felt and experienced. New solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects- check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 122 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.2.22 Swipe for notations. As promised, here’s the precursor to last week’s beat. It’s got a consistent hand pattern (RH on temple blks instead of octobans this time), but w/an evolving foot pattern - the rhythm stays the same, but the HH gradually gives way to the BD. Again, a broken triplet pattern between the LF, LH & RH - starting on ct. 2 reverses direction for cts. 3 & 4. I like zoning in on each individual limb on this one - each voice seems like it could be the primary one, but they all sound best in concert. Using @creative_percussion shaker mallets, see tags for all the other preparations. New solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects- check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 121 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.26.22 Swipe for notations - I found a cool but forgotten 4 bar loop/sample on my SPD from a past solo show the other day and started to play over it - this beat is what came out. There’s actually a slightly earlier incarnation that had a changing foot pattern - maybe I’ll post that next week if I have the time to capture it. I only need to trigger the loop every 4 bars so I added the little octoban melody in place of a stack/HH sound. The @creative_percussion Z shaker hits on the upbeat of ct. 1 so both are adding a little sonic variety that works well with the electro sample. At the core of this beat is a broken triplet pattern between the LF(HH), SD x-stk (using the @Gruvxpercussion x-click for that) and RH - starting on ct. 2 and then reversing direction for cts. 3 & 4. Either way, it retains that rolling 3 motif under the 4/4 time - I’m a sucker for that. This is actually easier for me to execute evenly when it’s a bit faster - but am locked into this tempo due to the loop. A lot of these beats come from writing & then executing them, but it’s always fun to let the body “write” the groove and then notate it afterwards. Using lots of fun xtra sounds on the HH and SD and finger too - see tags. I found that the customized @Promarksticks #activewave570 sig stk really brings out the tone of the low octobans more than a stick or trad mallet as well. I love messing around with miniature sound variations like that. New solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 120 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.12.22 Swipe for notations - Keeping with last week’s post @Wilco is wrapping up our 20th anniv. shows this weekend for my 1st record w/the band, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. This beat is from the song “Pot Kettle Black” it’s a 2 bar phrase w/ the LH covering the kit part & the RH covering the overdubs: ceramic tiles & electro-buzz sounds on the SPD. This one took me a minute since the RH is doing a counter-clockwise 3-note pattern (w/tag) & the LH is doing a 4-note lateral pattern - lots of targets! The BD also has a 2 bar rhythm & HH opens every 2 repetitions. Again, just trying to stay true to the record for these shows w/strings & horns. I’ve also never played it live this way before this run, so again, counting it as a new beat, although not sure if #120 is actually 120bpm… Using @tackle_instrument stick topper & customized @promarksticks #activewave570 sig stk. New solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 119 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.11.22 Swipe for notations - @Wilco is playing 20th anniversary shows this week for my 1st record w/the band, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I’ve been listening to it to try and represent what I did on the record the best I can live and a lot of the time that means covering my main part and some overdubs simultaneously. The songs morph over time live with parts changing and things being added to make for a more exciting live experience, but since we’re using an expanded band for these shows, it’s been a lot of fun and a nice challenge to stay true to the record. This beat is from the 2nd verse of Kamera - it’s a 4 bar phrase w/ the LH covering the kit part and the RH covering the ceramic tiles that I overdubbed. When the tiles are placed on foam and played with medium rubber xylo mallets, they get a cool percussive pitched (but not precisely) tone. I loaded samples of those into the SPD since the tiles are too fragile to take on the road. Since I’ve never played it live this way before, I’m counting it as a new beat for me… New solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 118 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.5.22 Swipe for notations and 2 alt vids. Using @sunhouseinc #SensoryPercussion to play some house sounds on SD X-Stk and my own samples on BD to give this beat a new direction. I love how the acoustic drums w/accessories blend w/the electronic and pitched chords here. This one almost sounds like a cousin to a 1/2x funk groove or something vaguely South American, but with it being in 5 & having those sounds - it ends up somewhere else. Using an @MeinlPercussion finger shaker w/ @Creative_Percussion shaker mallet & my #ActiveWave570 stk. The 1st alt vid shows how the x-stk is cycling between 4 chords and leaves out the BD samples & the 2nd alt vid is just w/proper SD instead of the x-stk. New solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! Thx @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 117 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.29.22 Swipe for more vids & notations. This one came about after watching the ending ostinato from the new solo video that I posted this week of “Fantasy On The Fifth” - it’s on my YouTube channel - link in bio. I took that right side pattern and added a LH melody to it courtesy of #Sensory Percussion by @Sunhouseinc - I loaded samples of some super cool @morfbeats tuned metal plates that the wonderful @ashwin_deepankar commissioned to get some nice, vaguely-gamelan tones. The second vid has the alternate ending & the 3rd vid has RT to SD sweeps in place of the SP sounds. Using customized @Promarksticks marching tenor mallet in the LH and #ActiveWave570 sig stk in the RH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 116 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.21.22 Swipe for notations and related beat vid. This is a linear beat for the most part. I like how the HH is used for flow - filling in subdivisions (two a’s) instead of keeping time. The BD and SD are pretty much playing a straight up waltz tho - but with the other voices and kalimba in there it doesn’t sound like one. To me. the kalimba is playing a bass line with the drums acting as both support and counterpoint. I’m using distortion on the kalimba and mix of @creative_percussion shaker mallet @davedeming Lang-Ying brooms and @promarksticks customized felt mallet in the LH - I really like using multiple implements at once for both sound and feel - usually for recording. The alt beat is closely related but w/a slightly different BD and Kalimba part and no ghost notes. I love how slight differences can have such a huge impact on a beat. New solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 115 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.7.22 Swipe for notations and stk pic. I picked this one because it’s got a nice balance of drum, metal, electronic and shaker sounds. It’s pretty straight forward performance-wise: feet are alternating and grounded around the down beats and the hands fill in the rest of the subdivisions. But my favorite aspects are the compositional characteristics & aforementioned timbral variety: it’s got the spark of the double stack 32nd note figure in count 1(can be played on any surface tho) which is balanced by the longer-tone shaker ball & SPD hit on the + of count 4. The SPD is triggering the bass tone and electronic tear/scratch sound and the shaker sounds are provided by the @creative_percussion Ball Shakers and HH Can Shaker. I’m also trying out some new models of @promarksticks that were so generously sent! Swipe for pic (antique stx are just beneath these new ones too). Specifically Firegrain Rebound 5A & Raw Hickory Forward 5A, both feel great. New solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 114 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.22.22 Swipe for notations. Another melodic beat. The left hand part came first. I then doubled that on drums, adding some BD syncopations and HH openings. So it’s almost like 2 different, concurrent realizations of the same beat - one with definite pitch the other w/indefinite pitch. You can try them separately but it’s much more fun together. I did it with a nylon crotale mallet too which is nice when you’re in the room - but the aluminum one cuts better on the mini-speakers that this will be heard through. If you try this one out, I suggest getting the drum part down first and then just adding one crotale note at a time, repeating the beat until it’s locked in and continuing additively from there. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 113 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.25.22 Swipe for notations. A louder & more aggressive one to reflect my (& everyone’s) frustration & anger w/everything that’s happened this past week… Ok, this is a beat built around a lick - specifically a 3-note ruff incorporating the BD (RF/RH/LH). The wonderful @BobRummage taught me this as a set up for hits in big band settings, but I use it every show with @wilco to punctuate pushes (usually + of ct. 4) - along w/4 -stroke ruffs (RLRF or RLRL). I’ve also used this idea in a few previous beats w/ the LF instead of RF for cool flourishes on HH. I’m alternating between the 2 FT’s here for some pitch variety & my @promarksticks #activewave570 customized sig. stx help to bring out the low end. I added upbeat HH utilizing my @creative_percussion can shaker & @upcycledpercussion Snapple-cap rattle to give it a bit more groove/swing too. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 112 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.11.22 Swipe for notations. Another beat made possible w/threaded spring rods - making it a close companion to beat #107. I’m using them for scraping cyms & each other and swatting - the prepared tambourim - in order to get some fun sounds (not using the spring tips here tho). #107 is in 4 but this one’s in 4+3 =7. I like the range of varied but complementary timbres happening here, which is why I chose it. I’m also utilizing heaps of @upcycledpercussion to really bring out the hats. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 111 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.2.22 Swipe for notations. Another studio post from the recent @Wilco session. Thanks to my cameraman (& head crusher) @mikaeljorgensen - This is the beat to a new song and in order to double up the BD part w/FT for more impact, I had to go left hand lead/ride here. That coupled w/every SD fattened up with a flam - and the HH voice coming in for 3 bars at a time, make playing this require more attention than I thought, even tho it’s pretty basic on the surface -- I love beats w/layers like that! It’s got a lot of space which makes it suit the hypnotic qualities of the song too. Using an amalgam of drums here - my @sonordrumco FTs, a vintage Zykos (!) rack, @WTSdrums SD & a vintage Slingerland BD 2 w/ @lowboybeaters (another @revival_drum_shop find). Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 110 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.8.22 Swipe for notations, xtra vids & gear pic. This one came about after messing around with some of my new favorite instruments from @creative_percussion - they give an otherwise straightforward beat a new life w/interesting sounds and textures. I’ve got a contact mic right under the Guiro Stax on the main vid - VERY present but I love that sound and wanted to magnify it. Also using the offset Z shakers and MFX Jingle Ring w/Gruv_X Mag Sizzler on the stack. The mic is off to the side a bit for the 1st xtra vid = much more subtle scrape sound. The HH is acting as the backbeat and SD part is more bkbt support in this one. The pic is a better view of the accouterment. Final vid is a variation without utilizing the xtra sounds. I played it faster and w/alt sticking on HH part. The 1st SD is now a displaced bkbt - adding a little skip. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 109 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.2.21 Swipe for notations and xtra gear pics. I’m back in the studio this week w/ @Wilco and was reminded of this little clip from when I was recording at our loft in Dec. We were going for some non-traditional drum sounds for a couple of songs so I got to pull out some of my more eclectic instruments. Hidden under the towels are some fantastic @WTSdrums (so great in the studio), vintage boobams & some cool graduated sauce pans (see the xtra pics of all of those). Also, using vintage North & @Sonordrumco floor toms & lots of world percussion on the drums too (thx to @steedmans !). This beat features all of those sounds plus a tennis ball can, wooden sistrum & @Keplingerdrums mtl plate on the HH, a vintage djembe acting as a SD that I’m playing w/ @Meinlpercussion maracas in the bag, an old abused riq, & an @ashwin_deepankar basket-stick of bells. This is basically a pattern beat - nothing fancy but by moving the RH “ride” part amongst these disparate textures and colors elevates the rhythms and injects pitch/melody into the beat and therefore, song. I love that I not only get to, but am usually encouraged to play around like this in the studio. Not knowing what to fully expect when I patch together a new “kit", yields all kinds of new challenges, thoughts, ideas and music - I’m super grateful for that! Thanks to Mark @theloftchicago for taking the video - Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard ...

�Beat 108 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.26.22 Swipe for notations. This is technically an excerpt from my piece “Wild Sound” but since this section repeats/loops, I’m calling it a beat (w/melody) hence the recent date - that’s probably a much larger #DrumBeatTheory discussion though…what constitutes a beat?.. This started as the first real solo piece that I ever wrote, was shelved for years and then became the seed for the evening length multimedia work of the same name that was commissioned & performed by the outstanding @ThirdCoastPercussion. I published the score for solo drum kit in 2015 and am putting a recent-ish (there’s a lot of snow in the backyard right now!) @Thunderlab video of me performing it up on my new YouTube channel later this weekend. Check that out at https://youtu.be/7PIm-ej3yAI
It features the RH playing an ostinato in 4/4 while the LH plays the dotted quarter notes tune on amplified & distorted kalimba on top, creating a 2:3 pattern. Learning tip: start with just the drum part (can be done w/one mallet as well - but makes more sense ergonomically to me w/2). Also I’m using a cocktail style BD but any style will due. Then add the LH part on a single surface or pitch for a while before venturing onto the pitched scale on kalimba (or anything pitched). See the xtra vid for a more trad kit interp. I’m using @promarksticks shaker mallets on a collection of @Sonordrumco drums (and a cool old Chinese tom) as well as @Meinlpercussion @Upcycledpercussion and some beautiful @Dragonfly_percussion glass & razor chimes as well. Using @morfbeats in place of kalimba w/my threaded spring rods & some gr8 new creative_percussion shaker mallets in the alt vid. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - and the score is at www.glennkotche.com/scores-2/#drumkit - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

�Beat 107 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.11.22 Swipe for notations. My goal w/this one was to scrape, slide & swipe & not actually strike anything w/my hands. I developed these threaded spring rods around 25 years ago and they’ve been essential for me ever since - so many sound possibilities and they somehow feel great too. This version relies on them, but could be interpreted several other ways as well - just use your imagination! The BD is the hook here & everything else is support. I want to share these implements at some point, leave a comment so I can gauge interest in me doing a limited run/sale of them (if I can source the materials). This beat also features a prepared @meinlpercussion tambourim w/contact mic. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 106 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.11.22 Swipe for notations and 2 alt vids. This one embodies a total-percussion approach to kit. The LH plays a pitched part & the RH is doing marimba-style double lateral strokes in both directions between the SD & FT. In the main vid, I’m using crotales to play the melody, but this can be played on anything pitched. The BD plays a more trad part in the 1st mea. but merges w/the hand pattern in the 2nd mea. (important to keep those 2 limbs / 3 voices even there) so its kinda pivoting between drumset and multi-perc. roles. I’m using customized (I shortened them) @promarksticks tenor mallets in my RH for weight/sound and aluminum glock mallet in my RH to cut through. Lots of preparations going on here @Drumgees keeping the @Meinlpercussion shaker in place and providing the chain rattle on SD & shaker rattles on FT - I love those things! 2nd vid is similar but HH is only on 2 & 4 and using sweeps w/one customized #ActiveWave570 sig. stick in the RH instead of 2. Vid 3 came first so the melody hasn’t fully evolved yet. It’s much slower / deeper groove and using a softer @dragonfly_percussion customized felt mallet (I added shot to the handle) and latex wrapped glock mallet - beautiful implements. Got a heap of @upcycledpercussion on the hats as usual! Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 105 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.21.21 Swipe for notations & 2 xtra vids. Posting this on my first music teacher’s bday - Happy 92nd to my Dad!!! This one has two lives: 1. slightly slower w/ghost notes/inner beats 2. sped up, jettisoning the filler & giving the impression of an odd meter or at least an intriguing “one square wheel” feel. It all centers around getting the consecutive HH and SD notes locked into place. Those first happen on ct. “2-e” and repeat on “a-4”. That’s why I chose this one - the same figure but slid up or displaced when repeated gives this beat its essence. It is deceptively difficult when sped up & using the @Meinlpercussion Night Cricket, a bit easier if using a stick in the RH. Also, found that my feel changed a bit when using a click, depending on the subdivisions I was hearing - that’s a whole chapter of #DrumBeatTheory though! There’s a vid of each version & a 3rd vid of the same beat but w/the BD delayed a 16th and landing on ct. 3 instead the “a” of ct. 2. That was actually unintended initially so thanks to @clark.hubbard - my notation wizard - for catching that! 3rd vid is a good starting place imo if you try this one. Also, big thanks to @ashwin_deepankar for the bday gift of the incredible @upcycledpercussion HH rattle in that same 3rd vid. Using a cool @davedeming Wild Wand in my LH for a proper thwack! Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 104 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.17.21 Swipe for notations. A lively one to ring in the new year - it’s half broken trips & half RH lead. Starts w/the functional brkn trip lick RF/RH/LH - RF/LH/RH & ending w/ a unison LH/RF. Then switches to a punctuation pattern w/RH&RF w/ LH partially filling in the gaps between accents on SD. Using lots of festive preparations on SD, FT and HH - see tags. Using my mod @promarksticks #activeway570 sig. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 103 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.10.21 Swipe for notations and alt vid. This is one that I like equally in theory & practice. It’s a nice groove w/a couple of challenging spots, but doesn’t sound overtly impressive or super fresh - but I included it since I dig the construction of it so much. The 2nd mea. flips the voicings of the 1st - so SD = BD & BD = SD. Simple idea & cool in theory, but doesn’t always work in practice, I think it really does here tho. Try looping each mea. separately for a diff. vibe - and then put them together to get the melodic aspect of this dichotomy to emerge. The xtra vid uses a customized @promarksticks marching tenor radial mallet for a diff. sound that also yielded a slightly looser groove. I do that a lot cuz a simple change in what you’re playing with, can greatly effect how you’re playing something. Lots adorning the drums & HH here - look at tags see exactly what. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 102 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.5.21, Swipe for notations. This is a sister beat to #101, it came out spontaneously right after recording that one & shares most of the same accents and phrasing. It sounds to me like an homage to @ManuKatche - a formative influence for sure & a beacon of musical originality in a sea of chops-centric drumming that was so ubiquitous in my HS & college years. Speaking of College - huge Happy Birthday shout out to 2day to @JBCDRUM - my forever professor! Because the 5 stroke roll on HH begins w/the RH (more natural for me), the rest of the beat is LH lead. So for us Rt. handed players, make sure that BD on the + of ct. 3 is locking in w/the LH HH. You can easily add some double LH’s on HH so it flows on a “normal” set-up (using the SD as the SD and Rack Tom as the tenor drum voice and playing them both w/RH). From a compositional view, the HH w/foot and open HH both set up the cadence points nicely - just sayin’…Using my mod @promarksticks #activeway570 sig. sticks along with usual HH accouterments. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 101 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.5.21 Swipe for notations and evolution vids. This is another inspired by the Köln minimal electronic scene. It’s half acoustic & half electronic on my @Rolandglobal SPD-SX. The left side is doing a 3-note hemiola HH accompaniment (essentially a melodic ride part), while the RH is basically playing the meat of the beat - w/the BD playing the tag/hook in both bars. It’s easy to hear the big bass tone on 1 but it’s actually the pickup and BD/HH that are on the 1. This started as a single measure idea = 1st xtra vid - notice the RH part is slightly different too. Then I added the second mea. w/a different BD answer (2nd xtra vid). The 3rd version then adds the new RH rhythm (3rd xtra vid). And finally, one xtra BD note changed it enough imo, to warrant a new beat which is #101. A slow, but fun, evolution - I decided to stop there - but keep it evolving on your own. Even on an all-acoustic kit. Just have your RH play FT (maybe prepared w/a rattle?)- a cym stack - and snare in place of the electronic sounds. Get creative. Btw using a customized @promarksticks tenor mallet that I cut down & covered in felt in RH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 100 of my #DrumBeatProject!!! 10.20.20 / 12.1.21 Swipe for notations and gr8 bonus vid. This is a long one. I decided to notate it in 20/4 instead of 4/4 since it’s one continuous idea - w/a tag… this is also the first one to explore vocalizations while playing. There are some tricky twists in this one (the rim sweep for ex.) but keep the repeating cadence in mind and it’ll come together. There’s also some unique stickings here, but play around with it and find what’s most comfortable for you…
Thanks to my @wilco bandmates for encouraging me to post this one for 100. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @mkotche ...

Beat 99 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.20.21 Swipe for 2 more vids and notations. This originated from my new favorite sticking pattern - 3 singles & 3 doubles: LRLRRLLRR or RLRLLRRLL This one starts on the 2nd single: RLRRLLRRL- but try starting it anywhere. BD doubles the RH w/ big accents on the 1st left double and last LH giving it a cool irregular sounding backbeat but w/the HH jingles grounding it on 1. The 2nd vid moves it to toms, adds a 2nd HH punctuation and evens out the accents a bit (the RH rack tom sweep can be tricky depending on your tempo). The 3rd vid adds a HH pulse, sloshy stack ride and has only 1 accent - giving it a totally different vibe. Endless fun when you make your own rudiments and try different orchestration ideas w/them on kit. Using my mod @promarksticks #activeway570 sig. @creativepercussion & @upcycledpercussion on HH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 98 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.12.21 Swipe for notations and variation vid. It’s easy to hear this with the X-stk on the downbeats - but better if you hear the HH on 1 & 3 instead - the way it was written, learned & played. This one is inspired by Senking / Kandis - one of my all-time favs. Using @sunhouseinc to embellish the sound and lend it a tonal edge (2 FT zones on the var. vid btw). Turned out harder than it looked & I noticed the groove totally changing depending on what aspect I was mentally focussing on (i.e. the unison on the “a” of ct. 2 - or the HH downbts - or the inside paradiddle between BD & FT). The mental stuff is usually the fun stuff compared to the independence or coordination. There’s something meditative about playing these over and over too - that resonates with me. Using my mod @promarksticks #activeway570 sig. stx @creativepercussion & @upcycledpercussion on HH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 97 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.8.21 Swipe for notations and variation vid. This one is built around the left side 3-note ostinato = HH & 2 “free-hand” hits on the low stack. The free-hand notes are just a pivot-type stroke using 2 different areas of the stick - so using the stack as a fulcrum. It creates a different sound which can be cool in certain settings and which is why I used it instead of stroking or bouncing those 2 notes - more of a ghost note vibe - so it’s not completely superfluous! Might need to crank the volume for the full effect. The beat is in 7 & there’s a couple of ways to write it - see the notations, but there are a few other cool aspects of this beat too. Putting the @meinlpercussion timbale snare on top of the FT creates the snare sound but where I would place the FT notes - and w/the snares off and using @drumgees to create rattle - the actual snare sounds more like an interesting tom but acting as a SD playing the 2 & 4 backbeat (phrased in 7). This gives an implied almost 1/2 time feel simultaneous w/the regular feel = 2 layers of feel. But it’s the ambiguity of the instruments’ sounds (highs and lows) that helps obscure the usual roles/note placement and gives it a charm that wouldn’t be there if I had just played it idiomatically w/the lows on FT and highs on a reg. SD. The variation is just adding a stack crash with the first 2 BDs for more splash. Using my mod @promarksticks #activeway570 sig. sticks along with usual accouterments... Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 96 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.2.21 Swipe for notations. This beat is all about voicing options for LH Swiss army triplet sticking. Been a fan of these ever since playing the snare solo “Swiss Triplet” by my then teacher, Keith Reichelt at solo contest in 7th grade - great solo! Playing them as 16ths & offsetting by a 16th allows for both hands to hit on the ct. 2 backbeat. BD is mirroring RH adding some heft/spine. Dig the interplay between hats and stack and ending each phrase on the FT gives a nice cadence. Probably should’ve written the stickings in the transcription, but you can gather that from the vid. Also try closing the open HH on ct. 3 instead for a slight var. - or alter the groove slightly by leaving out some BD notes…. Using @promarkbydaddario mod #activewave570 sig.stx. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 95 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.19.20 Swipe for notations. It’s been a super busy week - 3 @wilco LA shows & straight to @acltv w/no free time behind the kit so here’s one from the archives - almost a year old. I usually play a bit reserved on this incredible 1900-1918 era kit (thx to @mkotche !❤️) cuz its so cool, special & old (fyi the HH is newer since it wasn’t invented yet when the bones of the kit were made). But thought, why not? & decided to bash a bit! It’s an implied 3:2 vibe going on here w/A,B,B, A’ form. Kind of a mirror beat w/an ! at the end. Easy & fun. The main cym is actually an antique hand cym that I snagged in Korea 23 yrs ago, the other a super paper-thin cr./splash. Check out the overhanging BD pedal (w/wood foot board) - prolly the oldest part of the kit (could be from 18??) & still rocks! Using mod #activewave570 sig. stx. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 94 of my #DrumBeatProject 10.17.21 Swipe for notations and xtra vids. 5 4 Friday! I really went down the rabbit hole backstage @foxoakland after @wilco soundcheck, so many possibilities of subtleties and nuance presented themselves with this one once I started to dig into it. The 1st vid. is the beat - fully swung with all the little filigree on display. Those ornaments have a cool impact on the feel which got me into the idea of bending the feel at various points in the beat. The 1st var. = 2nd vid straightens out the 16th subdivisions for the first count and half and then continues w/dotted 16ths/or swung feel. The 2nd var. = 3rd vid is the same idea but extending a half beat so cts. 1&2 are straight/even and 3&4 are swung - replete w/some ambiguous jelly feel in between the two at spots. 3rd var. = 4th vid is tightening up the 3-stroke ruff between all 4 limbs that leads into ct. 2, by leaving a fraction of space before it. 4th var. = 5th vid is straightening up ct. 3 and leaving the rest mostly swung. Also messed with and notated other combos of 2 cts even & 2 swung - but this is enough for now! Not included: xtra vid. 6 = a short hodge-podge of me writing it & moving the stick shot around and shifting ornamentation and interpretation - realizing the endless possibilities of variation in 1 simple beat. So have fun & experiment if you try this one. For better or worse, this kind of stuff really excites me… Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 93 of my #DrumBeatProject 10.6.21 Swipe for notations. This beat in 13 can be broken into 6+7 or better yet, 6+6+1 since the two cells of 6 are identical and the last count of the beat is basically just a little tag. This popped into my head while taking a walk so I ducked into the @wilco backstage jam room to capture it quickly before sound check - hence the minimal kit and "exploratory" perf. One of the best things about this project for me are the little revelations - not just about beat composition but about aspects of my playing/my drum vocab that need improvement. Since about half of these beats aren’t conceived from behind the drums, I end up writing things that sometimes aren’t in my wheelhouse - and that gives me a chance to explore or improve upon certain areas of my playing… There’s another variation in 11/8 - but didn’t have time to record that one. I like how the HH openings are on the strong subdivisions & countered by most of the “backbeats” on weak subdivisions. Those backbeats are all SD & BD in unison which brings the rock - and those are rounded out by all of the other embellishents creating a nice balance. Using @tackle_instrument stick topper on LH stick & getting xtra rattle from the @drumgees. @meinlpercussion on HH and those are @Zildjiancompany Kerope hats. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 92 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.28.21 Swipe for notations & more vids. This video is the 1st of 2 variations of this beat that came out (along w/several others) while the chorus of @madicunningham “Pin It Down” was happily stuck in my head. Great song, groove and drum part ( @tedpoor on drums I believe). First did it w/out the SD buzz in there - swipe 3x’s for that vid and then w/the buzz on the last SD note - swipe 4x’s. But this var. grooved best imo. It was tricky at first in the second bar where the SD buzz lands w/the 2nd of 3 HH/RH notes - I’m used to throwing in little LH diddles/buzzes in between the RH/ride notes (much more idiomatic) like in the 1st mea. but due to the RH part playing over the bar as a 2 bar pattern - it took a sec to find my footing at that spot in the 2nd mea. I like this beat cuz half of my body is playing in 7/8 and the other in 7/4 essentially. Going internal here - but I guess it’s one of my quirks that it’s natural for me to use traditional grip but switch to matched grip when the buzzes are introduced - I suppose I just get a bit more pressure that way for the quick buzz - holdover from orchestral SD training… But if it was an open double instead of a crushed buzz, I would stick w/trad grip - holdover from my DCI & @thecavaliers @kentuckypercussion days. #activewave570 sig. stx of course! & @upcycledpercussion on HH, w/snareweight on SD &@lowboybeaters on BD. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out! @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 91 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.23.21 Swipe for notations. Picked this due to the rhythmic cadence & pitch contour. Nothing really tricky here at all - try it with hands just on SD and it’s still musical by nature. But when adding the HH and stack sounds in there, more melody emerges. That combined with all the action being up top and giving way to the bottom on count 4, really creates the cadence/phrase/musical idea. Until that moment, the BD is strictly supportive, then it brings balance at the end. This one was completely spontaneous but felt so good to play that I notated it and took the vid. It’s idiomatic, slightly jagged and confident like so many of the beats that I love and that shaped me from records like “Flowers Of Romance“, “Closer“ or “Clear Spot“. I could almost imagine this beat on a lesser version of something like those…. @upcycledpercussion on HH, @rootseq on FT, w/snareweight on SD & @lowboybeaters on BD - #activewave570 sig. stx of course! Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 90 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.21.21 Swipe for notations. A two bar beat based primarily around groups of 3 in 4/4. I really love how this one unfolds - starts with an open-handed inside paradiddle w/the first backbeat landing on HH w/LH. Then moves onto a metered, counter clockwise broken triplet between LF, LH & RH. Then straight into a clockwise, sextuplet broken triplet w/those same limbs and then keeps the broken trips but back to 16ths and subbing the RF in for the LF - all landing on the final backbeat after adding in some tom accents. This one took me a few tries to get smooth: at first I was grouping the 3 sets of brkn trips together too much, creating little unintended pauses between sections. Also the sextups can tend to condense, but they sound better wide. Same with the last brkn trips - you have to think about locking into the subdivisions instead of just the pattern - I had to think micro over macro to get this one locked. Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig. stick in LH and a mod one in the RH for a fatter sound. Some @upcycledpercussion on the HH and @rootseq on SD and a ring version on the FT - @lowboybeaters for BD as well. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 89 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.13.21 Swipe for notations and pic. I was messing around with playing the hand pattern for a Mozambique beat and came up with this one in 5. It uses almost half of that full RH & LH pattern. I used a traditional samba/bossa foot pattern but since it’s 5/4, it only lines up every other bar - 2nd measure lands on the HH instead. I was first introduced to odd time samba (and samba!) from @lesdemerle "Jazz Rock Fusion" book when I was lucky enough to study with him briefly in grade school. I’ve used this 4 surface Mozambique voicing before in my solo “Monkey Chant” w/drums & metals btw, but decided to keep it all on drums here for a more earthy, tribal vibe. I put on @meinlpercussion finger shakers and jingles too in order to get that high pitched chatter accompaniment from my hand mvt. Swipe for pic. The RH mallet really brings out the low end from the Floor toms - that’s just a broken strap from my son’s old swim goggles that I wrapped around one of my @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig. sticks and the other mallet in my LH is a ATA4 marching tenor rubber head mallet that I cut down and made shorter for better feel w/trad grip and easier movement around the kit. I would guess that close to half of the implements in my stick bag at any given time are customized (or homemade) in some way. There’s so much great stuff available out there but there’s something about personalizing it to get a specific sound or fill a particular need that makes it special for me. I suppose there was a time (& still the norm in some parts of the world) where if you wanted to play - you made some sticks or mallets! I always thought that was cool and like engaging in that tradition when it’s appropriate and useful…. I decided to post this one because of the ‘drum ensemble’ sound of it, something about the the note placements & voicing - or maybe the higher chit-chat - that gives it a more full, drum ensemble vibe that resonates with me. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 87 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.2.21 Swipe for notations. Chose this one last minute not for any difficulty or flash etc. but for the counterpoint / exchange between the snare and stacked cymbals - there’s something about how it switches up that creates a nice & subtle added layer to the beat. Like some of the previous beats, this one isn’t 4/4 broken up in 4 groups of 2 but instead divided 3+3+2. The HH business is just a little RH diddle thrown in there. That’s my fav @upcycledpercussion on the HH and @creative_percussion on the SD. Also, not in the frame, but have some @drumgees on the FT. Using a brand new @tackle_instrument stick topper in LH & a mod. #activewave570 sig. stick in the RH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 86 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.4.21 Swipe for notations. This is a compound beat comprised of two similar ideas that I came up w/ at the same time. I couldn’t decide which way to go, so just split it up and made it into 2 distinct beats & then rejoined them here. Both are in 7 but I feel the first as 4+4+4+2 and the 2nd one as 3+3+2+3+3 (w/ a more active BD line) both = 14/16ths or 7/8ths. I’m pretty sure that I must have been listening to some @rush before writing these not only since it’s in 7, but because Neil Peart was a wizard at throwing in the super quick, tight HH openings in grooves and fills and his playing and ideas have always been a companion in my drumming life. I recorded this the other day (you can see that I’m still reading & trying to internalize it) backstage in NYC at Forest Hills Stadium in another jam room trailer setup - all the while hurricane Henri was rapidly approaching and would seriously test the amazing @wilco & @sleater-kinney & @nnamdithegreat fans later that night. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 85 of my #DrumBeatProject 8.19.21 Swipe for notations and alt mix vid. I love how instruments can inspire. This beat came out spontaneously Thurs. the very first time that I played this new @Zildjian cymbal. It’s mellow but defined w/hushed, trashy undertones - really beautiful & easily controlled and the feel of the rebound of the stick is something special. I wrote this beat in 6/4 but it can easily be notated other ways. I dig how the BD shifts from hitting w/the LH to proceeding it & adding a little syncopation. I’ve included an alt. mix video if you keep swiping so you can hear the 3 against 4 foot pattern better since I recorded this in a storage container that was our @wilco backstage jam room - literally a metal box - during a thunderstorm! So some voices speak louder than others due to the position of the camera. It’s so great when I hold a new pair of mallets or stick mods or hit a new drum, cymbal, accessory or preparation, and just get to explore the possibilities and sounds - oftentimes resulting in playing something that never would have happened otherwise - that never gets old! (& an excuse for growing my somewhat bizarre & eclectic collection…) Huge thanks to @cymbalcraftsman for getting the ball rolling on that cym and Kirsten Matt & Joe Pallai for seeing it thru. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 84 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.21.21 Swipe for notations and companion beat vid! I let my trusted friend (and fab drum tech) @ashwin_deepankar pick this one. Seemingly pretty straight forward but with a few subtle twists that I dig: the “backbeat” or emphasized beats are on cts. 1&4 (instead of 2&4) and those all have a BD and SD double-stop instead of lone SD. Also, since I’m using the cocktail BD/FT here, I switch between open (beater off the bottom FT head) and closed (beater buried into the head) sounds - check out the notation that illustrates this. I kept the snares off on my super sweet vintage Sonor pancake SD (thx @Revival_drum_shop ) so the 2 diff. BD sounds could be heard more clearly. The companion beat is kinda this one, but aged a day. Like us, some beats evolve and morph day by day and just come out differently when on a different kit or on a new day - these are dissimilar enough that I catalogued it separately though. Using my @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig stx & @snareweight liberally. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard ...

Beat 83 of my #DrumBeatProject 8.2.21 Swipe for notations. This is a riff on my beat from the @wilco song, “I’m Trying To Break Your Heart”. I started playing around with it not only cuz our tour w/ @sleater_kinney began last nt. & I was getting it back into my hands, but also after being told to listen to “Deja Vu” by @oliviarodrigo which has a gr8 beat that’s cut from the same cloth. I thought it’d be fun to riff on that beat and came up with this one which lands somewhere in between the two - TMI? I put up the very same hubcap that I used on IATTBYH but didn’t have time to hook up the contact mic & run it thru a small distorted tube amp since I was briefly home in between flights… but you get the idea. Using my @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig stx & @upcycledpercussion on HH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 82 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.22.21 Swipe for notations. This is one last post of beats mined from my string quartet, Anomaly. The tom & foot pattern make up a part that happens towards the end of Mvt. 6. I added a SD backbeat here on my @meinlpercussion percussion timbale snare every other count so it cycles every 2 bars resulting in a beat of 3 layers. The accidental tom melody adds a cool sense of suspended motion for me.
Using @davedeming fans in LH & customized @promarkbydaddario mallet in RH w/ @upcycledpercussion on HH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 81 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.19.21 Swipe for notations. Like the last 2 weeks, this one also started from my string quartet, Anomaly, specifically Mvt. IV M.85/86 (or 2:23 if you listen to it) this section is the apex of the Mvt. Came up with this var. while practicing for my performance Mon. w/ @Kamusquartet at @Meidanfestivaali - Most of the drumming in this SQ (w/drums) is more percussion based kit playing but this part is full-on trad drumset. This beat switches between triplet and duple feels and I found it more idiomatic/natural to switch hands between SD and HH for the inside paradiddle stickings (w/ BD covering the last RH). I added the accent on the fantastic custom @keplingerdrums piece. Also enhanced w/ @drumgees on SD and @creative_percussion & @meinlpercussion HH effects. The alternating metal efx add a bit of pitch which is nice. Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig.stx. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 80 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.11.21 Swipe for notations. Like last week, this one also started from my string quartet, Anomaly - the drum part that was in the middle of Mvt. 4. Again, you'd need to hear the strings for the full effect, but it’s based around a triplet HH opening ostinato w/the LH shifting accents to keep it interesting but completing the phrase w/solid anchor “a” bombs on the floor toms. At some point after the premier but before the recording, I dropped the drums in this part to create more space and mood for the increasingly agitated strings - it was just too busy - the dilemma of being both the composer and the drummer - in the end the composer side aka big picture side always wins out. That was an important lesson and why I always try to get into the mindset of the composer/producer/song-writer as opposed to only thinking of my role as the drummer. I find my choices serve the whole much better with a broader mindset….
Performing this live on 7/26 in Finland @Meidanfestivaali w/ @Kamusquartet ! Using @promarkbydaddario mod #activewave570 sig.stx, w/ @Upcycled percussion & @meinlpercussion on HH. & enhancing the X-stk SD with @creative_percussion Guiro Stax and @Zildjiancompany cym stack. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 79 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.7.21 Swipe for notations. This one started from my string quartet, Anomaly - specifically a drum part from Mvt. 3, it sounds a bit precarious & complicated to me w/out the strings so just imagine (or listen to it!) the cello doubling my feet (paradiddle-diddle inversion & reg. p-d-d) and the 2 violins and viola each playing the same triplet based melody but at different tempos, which the @meinlpercussion night sound/RH is accompanying. This is one of several x-stk backbeats that I added to turn the part into a beat. Performing this live on 7/26 in Finland @Meidanfestivaali w/ @Kamusquartet ! Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig.stx, w/@keplingerdrums jingles & @meinlpercussion bells on HH. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 78 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.28.21 Swipe for notations. This one comes from mixing up 2 basic stickings: RLL & RRL.  I just kept the RH on FT and LH on SD and changed where the accents landed resulting in a nice, funky drumelody. Then added a 3 against 4 foot pttn to keep it more ambiguous since this beat can be written and felt in a few different time signatures. A whole lot of preparations going on here. Have @drumgees keeping a @davedeming stk buzzing on the FT / @creative_percussion guiro stax & @Meinlpercussion  jingle ring on SD / more drumgees shakers on BD w/ Meinl finger jingles on the @lowboybeaters / and @upcycledpercussion @keplingerdrums & meinl ankle rattle on the HH - swipe all the way for a closer look. Using @promarkbydaddario mod #activewave570 sig.stx & @meinlpercussion cajon sticks w/ Stevens marimba grip to fatten the snare sound. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 77 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.12.21 Swipe for notations. I’ve been a fan of the Floor tom ride/ BD upbeats idea since seeing someone do it as a substitute for the ubiquitous double bass “running in place” beat/lick - at a clinic at Roselle Music when I was a boy. Then was reminded of it when first hearing @chamberdrums playing on “I Am One” from “Gish” - but realized Jimmy does it on a large rack tom when I first saw him in the early 90’s (amazing btw). Then really got into it when I found that it was perfect as a sub for vocal chanting in my version of “Monkey Chant”. I was messing around w/it but w/dbl x beats a couple of weeks ago and came up w/this pattern-ish beat. The backbeats are re-voiced on count 4 to HH or Stack & @morfbeats combo for a little flavor. Decided to post this one after seeing a @marcusrieck (brilliant) post yesterday where he varies up the end beat of Loose Fur’s “Elegant Transaction” - where I ALSO played it (not to mention in the @wilco song “Kicking Television” etc…. I’m sure there’ll be more to come as well!). Using @promarkbydaddario mod #activewave570 sig.stx & @meinlpercussion on Stack & HH w/ @upcycledpercussion. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 76 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.6.21 Swipe for notations. This is a variation of one that I recently tracked for a new Wilco song. The Hi-hat splashes are on the upbeats, but it can be hard to hear it that way out of the context of the song. It’s basically a 1/2X rock beat w/tom punches instead of a ride pattern (which is supplied by the HH splashes and @Meinlpercussion & @upcycledpercussion attachments). The beat feels really different with additional bass drum notes - the second mea. is one possible example. Yet one more beat w/the boot on my left ankle… Using @promarkbydaddario mod #activewave570 sig.stx. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 75 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.4.21 Swipe for notations. This one came out after I got a rando bass line stuck in my head. The form is A-B-C-B with the B parts on high metals & split between LH on HH w/ @meinlpercussion jingle ring and RH on my new @creative_percussion Guiro Stax. Using a Meinl foot rattle w/ @drumgees to keep it on the snare for an acoustic slap-back effect. BD is doubling the RH stack accents. There's 1 HH w/foot (& @upcycledpercussion) note per mea. doubling the snare accented flams which is nice for my broken left ankle…not a lot of flexibility in this boot! Using @promarkbydaddario mod #activewave570 sig.stx & @lowboybeaters. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 74 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.2.21 Swipe for notations. This one is all about the overlapping (Swiss triplets) between SD & BD. I‘ve played around w/that idea, of beefing up paradiddle permutations, since high school and still absolutely love playing them. The added double stop (unison) notes really thicken and deepen the groove w/out losing the contour of the beat. There’s something about those unison SD/BD that makes it flow along more easily too. This beat also allows my right foot to pick up the slack of my broken left ankle… Using @promarkbydaddario mod #activewave570 sig.stx & @lowboybeaters. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...

Beat 73 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.18.21 Swipe for notations. A hybrid beat - was taping my pieces “Wild Sound” & “Fantasy On A Fifth” recently for the UnDrum Fest (coming in June!) - and had the WS pattern in my body - so tried it with the almglocken pitches from FOAF - which are the 4 pitches from ubiquitous theme of Beethoven’s Fifth and came up with this mashup. Then I added a backbeat split between 2 fav @sonordrumco snares, one w/ @drumgees jingles and the other w/ @eventoed.drumtuckery hide head - which I’m loving! Using @promarkbydaddario drumset mallet & combo @davedeming bundle w/mod #activewave570 sig. stk in RH. Also using the floor tom as cocktail kick for more of a multi-perc / less trad-drumset sound. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar ...