Projects
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 88 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.7.21 Swipe for notations. This one seems pretty straight forward but there’s actually a lot to unpack in 4 counts. One cool aspect is that it’s pretty easy to hear the “1” in multiple places, I love beats like that - where it’s a bit more mysterious and ambiguous. My fav part though is the BD & specifically how it goes from a single hit on the “e” of count 2 to the “3-e” of ct. 3 to the “a-4” on ct. 4 and then combines them all for the “a-1-e” on count 1. It’s just a nice development and fun to play. I carried over the HH business from last week, doing the same 32nd double but this time w/the RH & coming just after the HH w/foot, basically creating a rudimental HH ruff before ct. 2. Unlike a lot of the beats that I’ve posted, this one has a very specific BPM that it works - at least for me! Faster blurs the HH ruff and slower makes the BD part feel wobbly. I also noticed that I play heel down on the HH (makes for smoother HH openings imo) for all but one note where I need it super tight for the ruff. The HH openings, X-stk (on @zildjiancompany stack & @creative_percussion guiro stax) & @meinlpercussion finger shaker take it out of the rock realm to some other slightly more exotic place. Also note that the “ 4-e" SD X-stk part is echoing the “3-e” BD part. @upcycledpercussion & Meinl jingle ring on the HH. First time that I put the Creative Percussion jingle bells on the left stack - digging it. Using a super cool @tackle_instrument stick topper in LH & mod. #activewave570 sig. stick. in the RH - like last week. 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
Beat 72 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.20.21 Notations at glennkotche.com/projects. Using @sunhouseinc #sensorypercussion to beef up the sound for this guy. Two main components here - the split doubles between FT and BD and the HH isolated “shine-time” notes to counterbalance. The 1/2x backbeat on SD is doubled w/ stack or trashformer to give a slight variation. I’m so used to the SD and HH being in tandem that the idea here was to split them up and let each one speak independently. This beat is a variation of D022d from 1.22.21. Using @promarkbydaddario Mod #activewave570 sig. stx. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 71 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.12.21 Swipe for notations. When @sunhouseinc #sensorypercussion meets @morfbeats pitched metal slabs. Only using 3 of the possible 10 SP zones on each drum here (head, rim and cross-stick) to switch pitches/chord voicing of the custom @Morfbeats instrument samples. I was recording a solo version of my piece “Stones Flow” last week for the UnDrum festival (coming in June!) & had pitched zones on 4 drums mapped - so I added a Hi-Hat trigger into my @roland_us SPD to get a pitch for my left boot so I could use all 4 limbs. Rhythmically, it plays with 4:6 feel again - similar to Beat #66. BD goes from doubling RH to dbling LH half-way through. LF & LH keep the 4 pulse feel and RH sticks w/ 6 pulse feel. Using @promarkbydaddario Haas JH2 timp mallet on FT and Mod #activewave570 sig. stk in LH. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 70 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.4/5.21 Swipe for notations. A compound beat in 3 that originated from playing around with melodic patterns and stickings on the toms. I initially did a 1/4 note HH pulse - but wanted to hear it with a more active cross-rhythm too. It’s tougher in theory than in practice - switching between the two feels came pretty naturally. I think that’s due to the BD anchoring the first 2 tom accents. SD is enhanced w/ @meinlpercussion jingles, held in place by @drumgees and @upcycledpercussion helping accentuate the pulses on HH. Mod #activewave570 sig. stx. Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 69 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.13.21 Swipe for notations. Was messing around w/ @sunhouseinc #sensorypercussion presets and came up with this pattern-type/linear-esque beat. Nothing too complex rhythmically - the most challenging aspect imo is the voicing - lots of targets to hit! Starts w/a 5 stroke roll split between low stack & hh and ending on the hi stack. HH w/foot on the “+” helps w/the flow. Might be hard to hear the @meinlpercussion hand drum & @roland_us SPD bass tone (& the sensory perc) here, but those colors really make this beat - so crank it up if ur able! Past beats GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 68 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.20.21 Swipe for notations. A big & full sounding beat due to the RH & RF doing an upbeat Swiss triplet ostinato. HH keeps the pulse and the LH, split between rack tom & SD, gets the melody (the 2nd 1/2 is the inverse of the 1st). X-stk on the stack & @upcycledpercussion on HH help bring out those voices amidst the rumble of the ostinato. Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 mod sig stx. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 67 of my #DrumBeatProject 4.14.21 Swipe for notations. A chill & melodic one this week. SD & BD play a doubles-based phrase in 5 within a 4/4 framework. Because of the tom voicing & snares off, it sounds more melodic than polyrhythmic to me tho. It can still get a little tricky playing the SD & BD against the RH even tho the “ride” part loosely follows the drum parts. Upbeat HH injects some levity into it all. Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 mod sig stk in LH to bring out the drum tone & Lightning Rod in the RH on the stack w/ @keplingerdrums jingles & @meinlpercussion jingle ring. The rod works well to showcase the jingle action but without dominating the sound. Also using Meinl finger shaker & jingles to flush out the percussion vibe. W/ upcycledpercussion on HH to help this aim as well. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 66 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.29.21 Swipe for notations. A fun 4 against 6 beat. The devil is in the detail - aka the hihat. It has the fewest notes but is easily the trickiest aspect of this beat and adds that solid 4 feel to create the polyrhythm against the 6 feel of the BD. It looks easy - but took me a bit to get it to flow - def harder than it looks. I added videos of alt HH patterns too - all of which are much easier but have their own charm and groove, albeit with the loss the cross-rhythmic appeal of the orig. The first xtra vid (swipe 3x’s) illustrates 3 HH feels: 1 for every 3 BD notes then 1 for every 2 BD notes and finally in unison w/the BD. The 2nd xtra vid (swipe 4x’s) is another 1 HH for every 2 BD’s but on the upbeats. The SD part moves from a 3 feel x-stk on the rt. stack to the 4 feel on the head & RH goes from doubling the BD to being offset from it. Not shown are the dozen or so beats made from the various component combinations of this one - saving those for another time. Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 mod sig stk & upcycledpercussion on HH w/ @keplingerdrums jingles @drumgees holding down some sleigh bells and goat nails on the heads for interesting textures. Also @meinlpercussion finger shaker on the RH to really thicken up the percussion factor. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 65 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.5.21 Swipe for notations. Pretty straight forward beat in 4, living in the land between legends Jaki Liebezeit and Clyde Stubblefield. It’s got the LH snap-accent of Funky Drummer and aspires to the static/ecstatic groove of Can. It can be pretty funky too if you slow it down and swing the LH a touch. The BD hints at 3:4 and the LF & RH just hold down the fort in unison 8ths for this one. Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 mod sig stk & upcycledpercussion on HH & @lowboybeaters as always. @drumgees rattling on the SD for some grit. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 64 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.20.21 Swipe for notations and more vids. A little idea in 11/8. I started this one by playing around w/truncating my beat to the @Wilco song Art of Almost. I just started chopping off an eighth note, then 2 etc. & came up with two that felt really nice. One in 5 & one in 6 - after playing them separately, found that I liked them more together as a compound beat in 11/8. I left off one BD note for better flow when the idea cycles midway which resulted in a nice counterpoint to the beginning right-side unity. I was playing this after working on a piece that utilized @sunhouseinc Sensory Percussion and decided to record it using those enhanced sounds from their collection. It adds a cool dimension to the beat. I also played it with the RH alternating toms and acting like a chord change = 2nd vid. And also with the RH on a stack which clears out the low end & really brings out the BD part = 3rd vid. LF is the anchor all the way on this one. Using 2 diff. @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 mod sig stks. @keplingerdrums jingles on stack in 3rd vid. @upcycledpercussion on HH & @lowboybeaters as always. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 63 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.25.21 Swipe for notations. A nice melodic beat thanks to the toms. It feels best loose and slightly swung rather than strict even 16ths imo. This is another deceptively tricky one tho due to the foot pattern. The HH stays on 2 & 4 but the BD is either w/the RH accents, or the w/the LH just before or after a RH accent. So this is another that’s been good in uncovering some independence inconsistencies that needed addressing! Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 mod sig stk and a mod marching tenor mallet. I love switching implements to see how it affects my approach, touch, feel & sound. Swipe all the way to see this illustrated in another vid using a steel drum mallet and x-stk. @drumgees & @keplingerdrums jingles on SD, @upcycledpercussion on HH & @dragonfly_percussion razor chimes as cym sizzler - @lowboybeaters as always. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 62 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.21.21 Swipe for notations. The BD figure at the end, w/HH (LF) echoing it at the front, frame/bookend this beat. SD x-stick w/ HH part in the middle is livelier & a nice contrast to the simpler & more direct bookends. RH keeps the quarter pulse going so LF helps to round out that x-stk/HH part = the trickiest part of the beat. Using @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig stk w/ @drumgees @upcycledpercussion & @keplingerdrums jingles on SD & HH & @meinlpercussion jingle ring on stack that adds a fresh flavor to the x-stk - @lowboybeaters as always. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clarkhubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 61 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.19.21 Swipe for notations. An open-handed linear beat w/some residual melody on a chilly morning. It actually feels more idiomatic to me to instead play the HH/LH on the “e” of count 1 followed by the SD/RH on the “+” But voicing it as written here lets the HH open on the “+” which balances things nicely. Displacing the 2nd backbeat a nudge back also funks it up a bit in a good way. Using mod @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig stk. w/ @drumgees on sd and @upcycledpercussion on HH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects - check ’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clarkhubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 60 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.6.21 Swipe for notations. A hypnotic 2 mea. beat a/b/a/b’ form w/Swiss trip between BD & SD on upbeat of each ct. 1. 2nd half of each bar has a kinda “marchy” counter balance to the 2 cts of preceding groove. The trick is the LH on ct. 4 (1st mea.) 3 lefts in a row as to not break up the sd flow & keep the “+” of 4 hh/ride to connect the 2 halves. Long vid to ride out the groove & feels best over the long haul w/ a little lilt - not too strict. Using #activewave570 sig stk. w/ @drumgees on sd and @upcycledpercussion on hh. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar
Beat 59 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.6.21 - Swipe for notations. A beat split in half. The 2nd half of each bar is the orig. beat but then inserted brkn trips (as 16th notes) in between & as the core of the 1st half of each bar, using HH instead of BD tho. Just playing around w/splitting & adding filler to a “normal” beat to yield new results. I’m playing the SD x-stk on rt. side lo stack, but LH can be reg. x-stk or SD- (no snares) or move around the toms & RH can be on any surface. Using #activewave570 sig stk. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 58 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.13.21 - Swipe for notations & var. This one is tougher than it looks: tom melody following a snare hit w/ hh splashes anchoring - but the tricky part is the bd that moves from following the RH accents to preceding them 1/2 way through. Seems easy enough but getting the bd & LH to lock in (especially on the 2nd LH inner beat) is the trick. The hh splashes can also be easily reversed to be on the downbeats - see the 2nd vid and last notation for that. Using #activewave570 sig stk. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 57 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.6.21 - 2 mea. beat w/each bar starting on a broken trip w/left foot, LH on left side stack & RH alt. Between hh & snare. Feels best a little swung imo. Using #activewave570 sig stk w/ @upcycledpercussion on hh. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 56 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.6.21 Swipe for notations. Compounding 2 very similar beats - only diff is the voicing order on the stack accents, giving an almost chord change effect as it plays out (hence the added length of this vid.) Also, 2nd backbeat/focal point is delayed & pushed to count 1 w/ the ft figure leading into ct. 1 creating a kind of half time vibe but w/out losing momentum. I think of it like 3 separate ideas/motifs crammed into a 1 mea. beat. Using mod #activewave570 sig stk w/ @upcycledpercussion on hh. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 55 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.11.21 Swipe for notations. Compounding 2 similar beats - both based around a hh “hook” on count 3. Count 1 would more idiomatic w/RH doubling the bd, but sounds cooler stopping short & leaving the last “a” bd exposed - nice contrast to the flow of cts 1 & 2 in mea. 2. Using @drumgees & @snareweight on SD & mod #activewave570 sig stk w/ @upcycledpercussion on hh. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 54 - of my #DrumBeatProject 1.5.21 Swipe for notations. Another compound beat w/swaying feel between straight & swung on cts 3&4 of each bar, w/ @drumgees on SD & @upcycledpercussion on hi hat to bring out the left foot grace notes. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 53 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.20.20 Swipe for notations. Using brand new @drumgees on SD & BD - loving these! So easy & so many possibilities. Can’t wait to record w/them, keep swiping for pics. So these 2 bars are virtually the same sans the count 4 hi or lo endings. SD & BD are doing a kind of Swiss triplet w/gaps. HH is the anchor. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Happy 2021! Beat 52 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.17/18.20 Swipe for notations. 1st compound beat post. This one has a nice tonal shape w/ the clave in the kick anchoring a linear-ish phrase based around hh diddle & displaced backbt on sd, bd &/or ft - w/Left & Rt sd-ft lateral sweeps. Using modified @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig stk in RH. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects -check’em out! #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 51 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.1.20 Swipe for notations. I think of this one as a sort of trio: LH melody on 2 drums w/ RH clopping away on a temple blk/ft-sweep pulse - over feet ostinato. Using modified @promarkbydaddario tenor mallets, Good times. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check’em out - #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 50 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.14.20 Swipe for notations. A slightly more complex variation of a funk shuffle aka Purdie shuffle but w/2 ghost sd notes. Heard a tape the other day of me playing around with the idea in ‘99 so I decided to dust it off. ‘Tis the season to use sleigh bells as a stick! w/ a mod #activewave570 sig stk. The @upcycledpercussion on @rootseq w/ @drumgees adds a crisp snap. Endless possibilities of alt bd parts & hh openings too. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 49 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.25.20 Swipe for notations. This vid is the live version from #CallingGlenn my collab w/ @ate9_dance - but wrote it out for trad kit assuming many folks don’t have @sensorypercussion & SPD w/bass pedal, so the notations reflect that. Basically right side is playing a vamp, left foot keeps the pulse & left hand has the melody. Turn it up! Using customized #activewave570 sig. stx & @evansdrumheads mesh heads w/ @upcycledpercussion hh flare & custom @lowboybeaters softy. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 48 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.6.20 Swipe for notations. Played this for a while before realizing it’s in 19/16, still flows though (w/a little edge) was just playing around w/cells of 4 and 3. The 2 alt. jingle ride surfaces give a question & answer vibe 2 it. Jingles are @keplingerdrums & @meinlpercussion ring. Using a customized #activewave570 stk too. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 47 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.11.20 Swipe for notations. Tom re-orchestration of a songo var. using 2 diff. customized @promarkbydaddario #activewave570 sig. stx. RH alt between floor toms gives a surdo vibe in the low end supporting the 3 high drum “melody” enjoy. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 46 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.17.20 Swipe for notations. Playing around on my circa 1918 kit using customized @promarkbydaddario tenor mallet & #activewave570. My wooden overhang pedal is surprisingly responsive for being approx. 115 years old?! even w/cym striker attachment, keep swiping for a close up pic. The hh (old but not orig. to the kit) part gives a nice 1/2 time layer w/ alt openings. This one can be felt in either in 12/8 or 3/4, both notations are included - thx to the incredible @mkotche for this kit! ❤️(& @revival_drum_shop !) enjoy! Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 45 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.10.20 Swipe for notations. Using @sensorypercussion on kick & snare (wish I had it louder) to accompany the melodic rh pattern on stacks & temple blk (which is deceptively tricky due to the alternating clockwise/counter clockwise motion). Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 44 of my #DrumBeatProject 10.17.20 Swipe for notations. 3 against 4 foot pattern (see, things that are out of step with one another can work together and groove!) over a little rudimental hand pattern w/mod sig stx #activewave570. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco #everyvotecounts
Beat 43 of my #DrumBeatProject 10.25.20 Swipe for notations. Switching between round bookend sounds & sharp inner beat sounds = balance, using @meinlpercussion cricket for fun & feel. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
Beat 42 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.28.20 Swipe for notations. Playing around w/2 diff. stickings for an all-limb 4 stroke ruff bkbt applied to a simple beat. This one wiggles and dances around the pulse & is maybe the first one that I used a click for - so it still has charmingly greasy lilts, but in time.
Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco
drum beat project
Calling Glenn at Royce Hall, UCLA on Nov. 11
Glenn will join Ate9 Dance Company on stage at Royce Hall, UCLA on November 11 at 8pm for their collaboration, Calling Glenn. More information and tickets are available here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-1ad7-ua4Y
Calling Glenn Collaboration with Ate9
Glenn's collaboration with Ate9 Dance Company, 'Calling Glenn', will premiere of at The Moore Theater in Seattle, WA on March 3 at 8pm. Tickets available here.
Earth Drums Installation at Artpark
Check out Glenn's Artpark installation, Earth Drums, in Lewiston, NY. Free and open to the public during park hours (dawn to dusk). For more information, visit here.
Process of Making Wild Sound
Check out this piece for a sneak peek into the process of making Wild Sound, Glenn's original composition which has musicians construct and deconstruct their instruments on stage as a part of the performance. Glenn will join Third Coast Percussion for Wild Sound next...