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Beat 149 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.10.22 Swipe for notations. This one has a few interesting layers if you dig in. There are two concurrent melodies here: the kalimba melody & the rhythmic melody happening between the low left stack and 2nd timbale snare. That rhythm melody is comprised of a dialogue between the stack and SD. On a larger level, there’s also the question & answer going on between that dialogue (the high LH sounds) and the low BD. This one grew from 2 similar beats - maybe more on those another time - but lots of room for variation w/this beat. Solo pieces are still up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projectscheck ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco ...

Beat 148 of my #DrumBeatProject 11.1.22 Swipe for notations & pic. This one came out when I took my new @themillermachine for a test drive. That’s a @zildjiancompany finger cymbal mounted on it. I’m using a @meinlpercussion cajon blastick in the RH to strike the beater part & for a heavier hit on the @creative_percussion guiro stax - using a @promarksticks lightening rod in the LH to get a nice snap from the timbale-snare. This beat is basically a linear pattern w/an inside paradiddle on ct. 1. Still have the @keplingerdrums @meinlpercussion & @upcycledpercussion situation on the HH. Pic is a close up of the Miller Machine. 1 day late due to tech probs….Solo pieces are still up on my youtube channel, link in bio. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projectscheck ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor @wilco ...

Beat 147 of my #DrumBeatProject 10.12.22 Swipe for xtra vid & notations. This started with the idea of HH & SD on the strong beats & BD on the weak beats - swapping their normal roles & having the BD provide the backbeat - then I retrofitted the RH melodic ride (kalimba part) that I came up with the previous day. That’s @creative_percussion & @gruvxpercussion w/the SD xstk to get a cool sound I find vaguely reminiscent of a LinnDrum - at least from where I’m sitting. It matches up nicely w/the @keplingerdrums @meinlpercussion & @upcycledpercussion situation on the HH.
The xtra vid is a super close variation - just adding a few more BD notes to change up the cadence a bit and make it a 2 bar beat. 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 @wilco ...

Beat 146 of my #DrumBeatProject 10.18.22 Swipe for videos, alt beat & notations. This one experiments with broken triplets in beat form. I’ve done a few beats in the past that center around this same idea - but they’re so much fun - they just keep coming out. I picked it because the voicing & accent combos disguise the 3 over 4 feel in an interesting/funky way. OK - the technical play-by-play follows: this one displaces the 2nd SD backbeat so those are on ct. 2 and the “+” of ct. 3. The 1st measure utilizes alternate sticking FLR - FRL on alternating SD/HH & the 2nd mea. is steady FLR FLR, both w/a double RH tag. The 2nd vid is the same beat but a bit looser and the 3rd vid only has the HH openings every other cycle. All have lots of fun preparations on the hats and drums. The alt beat (4th vid w/notations following) keeps the sticking consistent for both bars but the RH stays on HH and LH on SD in the 1st bar (like mea. 2 of the original beat) but because of the sticking - the backbeats are nicely displaced to the “e" of ct. 2 and the “a" of ct. 3. Those are my fave @DaveDeming sticks on that one btw. I’m sure this idea will rear its head again in some form down the road! 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 144 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.30.22 Swipe for notations. My prepared snare is front and center for this one. LH is using the small springs, cuica stick and elec. wires on that in conjunction w/prototype pc from @gruvxpercussion on the RT - all using a Korean Janggu (RH) stick (a mallet is used in the LH on that drum). My right hand might be doing a first (?!) by using glass chimes as a ride cymbal. Is there a precedent for that one? Can’t imagine why anyone would have had a need to but plz let me know if so! Those blue-glass beauties are @Dragonfly_percussion - and add a nice, ancillary high frequency to the beat. They are not shattering since I’m playing them w/a light Lang-Ying stick by @DaveDeming in a Stevens marimba grip with @creative_percussion shaker mallet. That outside mallet hitting the FT is getting some xtra shake and jingle action from the @drumgees mounted there. Lots of fun @upcycledpercussion on the HH as well. Both bars are the same sans the alteration of the moaning apparatus on the prepared SD… If you want to hear more of that, check out the video of my piece, Monkey Chant on YouTube. Other solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio. I did play this one without any of the percussion elements and it works on a 3 pc. kit but it’s just more compelling with all of the disparate timbres imo, but maybe I’ll post one of those down the road... Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @Ashwin_Deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 142 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.6.22 Swipe for notations. This is the 3rd & final installment of Beat 140 variations. This one is different enough to be on its own tho. The RH switches surfaces 3x’s a mea. - this time on toms. The snare part is revoiced on a low left-side stack. This whole process is something I like to do if I have the time; to get a beat really feeling good and then find ways to expand or re-orchestrate it so that other, secondary aspects and qualities of the beat come out to the front - casting the whole thing in a new light. It’s an educational and meaningful pursuit imo - a way for me to keep teaching & challenging myself by getting outside of what’s already ingrained in me… I used 3 posts to illustrate this idea since each iteration/generation is unique (like parents & children). Once again the cool t-shirt design by my amazing daughter Vivian. 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 141 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.6.22 Swipe for variation beat vid & notations. I think I prefer the 2nd beat. It’s a bit more patient which is usually a good thing. Which one do you like more? These are both variations of last week’s beat - same notes but the RH is orchestrated on octobans. In the 1st vid I’m switching pitches every mea. so it takes 3 cycles of the beat or 6 mea. to come around. In the 2nd vid, I switch every 2 bars or 1 complete cycle of the beat - but still 6 mea. or 3 cycles to come fully around to the B-flat on count 1 mea. 1. It might be tough to make out (I record all these on my phone) but the pitches are B-flat, E-flat & C. As you can tell from some previous beats, sometimes I like to melodicize certain voices of a beat - it just changes everything in such an interesting way (and can be a nice challenge too). Using some self-customized @Promarksticks marching tenor mallets in the RH as well as @creative_percussion shaker mallets on the @gruvxpercussion x-click in the LH. Cool t-shirt design by my amazing Vivian. 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 140 of my #DrumBeatProject 9.2.22 Swipe for notations & 2 alt vids. This came out while brainstorming a drum part for a track for a friend. I chose this one because of its ambiguity. It was ingrained in my head as 6/4 but watching the vid, I keep hearing the 12/8 feel. I think it’s due to the ancient overhead bass drum pedal that’s also hitting the cymbal attachment - that sound is making me hear the standard jazz ride cym. pattern but on the BD. I hear it in 6 again when watching the 2nd vid or the 3rd vid where it’s voiced on the toms of the pre-1918 kit (minus the hh of course - btw I have a rule to only use vintage sticks & mallets on that kit…) In the end, that feel all boils down to 2:3. The character really changes depending on the voicing of the RH as you can tell in these 3 vids: Wood Blk then @MorfBeats mini marvin & finally toms. Likely to explore that aspect further in the coming weeks…A few sonic notes - in the main vid that’s an antique flat spatula (you can find a flat spatula in most of my stick bags btw) that’s enhancing the x-stk and a paper-thin vintage splash on my HH stand that’s getting the after-woosh. Also @creative_percussion shaker stk on the gruvxpercussion x-click in the 2nd vid. Unfortunately, my daughter’s amazing design on my T is mostly out of frame… 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 139 of my #DrumBeatProject 8.2.22 Swipe for notations & 4 alt vids! This is a sibling of the last 2 beats. It’s the same syncopated E dorian melody as beat 137 but with a very different drum part that shifts nicely between support of, and counterpoint to, the melody. The HH openings imply slower movement under the prevalent active rhythmic movement too. I wrote this one before I ever tried playing it (it was written a month ago - but recorded the other day), and it’s got a few tricky spots (like the count 4 contrapuntal action between kalimba & HH/BD). Using my small SD w/preparations since the main SD is acting as a resonator for the kalimba. Also experimenting w/diff. Implements: #1 @creative_percussion shaker mallet, #2 my @promarksticks AW570 w/ @davedemming rods - & his fans in #3. As I’ve previously mentioned, changing the implements brings out certain voices and ultimately how the beat is experienced. The last 2 vids are just the drum beat (no definite pitches) both slower & then faster - I also doubled the backbeat for these since it was easier due to the kinesthetic memory that was going on. 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 138 of my #DrumBeatProject 8.3.22 - Swipe for notations. This is a companion to last week’s beat. I'm thinking of it as the 2nd part to a solo piece that I need to write! The kalimba is a bit more challenging than beat #137 but the accompaniment is more stripped down and is built around the BD / kalimba interplay along with a grounding backbeat. It’s got an edgier vibe and is a bit tougher as well, even though I didn’t have the distortion pedal with me. This was filmed backstage in the @Wilco jam room and features the fantastic camera work of @NelsCline. The dressing room area was in a cool barn, but didn’t have interior walls so I’m holding back in volume and intensity as to not disturb too many people - but I think the spirit of it still comes across. This is also in the E dorian mode fyi - see tags for the fun preparations. 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 136 of my #DrumBeatProject 7.28.22 -Swipe for notations and alt vid. This one features an inadvertent, double-time Son Clave pattern in the feet - 3:2. The first half is based around an alternate-sticking, broken triplet w/the BD. 2nd half features a solo HH answer to that. The 2 together create the clave rhythm - nestled up in lots of cool sounds that melodicize the hands part: @Keplingerdrums custom spoke, @creative_percussion Z Shaker, @meinlpercussion jingle ring on @zildjiancompany stack, Upcycledpercussion on the HH…. This one came out naturally - just blowing off steam while working on another, more intensive beat (#135). I didn’t notice the clave aspect until listening back. The xtra vid is the same but with matched grip. As I mentioned in the post for beat 135, small changes - like grip (and tempo & preparations) - have an effect on internal and external feel, sound and performance - sometimes subtle and sometimes significant. It’s so much fun to try out different things & experiment. 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 135 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.28.22 - Swipe for 2 alt vids & notations. This melody came to me while listening to @Elena_Setien as I walked around Madrid while on @Wilco tour. It’s definitely influenced by her - if not outright lifted! I tried it on kalimba, but it worked best on my @MajesticPercussion glock & @zildjiancompany crotales. Its in 11 & the drum part offers both support and counterpoint to the melody. I included the xtra 2 vids to show a bit of my process. If I have the time, I like to try each beat at slightly different tempos or experiement a bit with implements or grips or preparations too - just to see what works the best. The 1st xtra vid here is at 135 dpm, the second at 129 but I went with the one at 132 bpm as the main beat since it felt the best and the aluminum mallets cut better on my phone recorder than my usual go-to poly ones. The DrumBeatProject at its core is about process - but also about exploring beats in a few different ways. The first is thinking of them as mini-compositions. I started this whole project after writing 3 concerti within a year & then wanting to change things up and shift my focus to the most consise, micro-compositions possible: beats. I also want to create beats that other people might want to use to make their own music with. And, I also view this as an educational undertaking - both for other drummers and myself - whether that’s finding something unique or overlooked to focus on or re-imagining things that are already in my vocabulary or the drumming cannon. Most beats touch on more than one of these aspects, but because of the melodic component and even moreso how it was composed (writing an accompanying part to a lead voice), I think this one falls into the first category of being a micro-composition. 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 134 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.24.22 Swipe for 2 alt vids & notations. This one started from the @Wilco song “A Lifetime To Find” from our new record, Cruel Country, specifically a live variation that I was messing w/on stage in Valencia, ES (2nd vid). Nothing flashy or fancy but harder to execute consistently than it might appear. The spot to watch is the + of ct. 2 where SD and BD are in unison. I wrote it riding on HH w/openings but these 3 vids voice the RH on ride, tambo and FT rim respectively - anything works tho. It seems that people are really drawn to the most showy & complicated drumming posts - but the #DrumBeatProject is about process and is educational (for me at least!) at its core, so I really wanted to include this decidedly un-flashy beat since the musicality of the beat really comes out from the slight variations of sound that result from the subtle shifts in playing areas on the Cross-stick and Ride. Those little movements w/the LH get different tones on the rim or @Gruv-X X-Click as does using 2 playing areas on the Ride or FT rim. The motions and minor stroke height differences that result really impact the groove too - all things that I love dorking out on and didn’t really come to appreciate until I was older and more experienced - the more you know, the more you learn. 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 129 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.4.22 Swipe for notations. Got this one down just before leaving on @wilco tour in Europe. I typically do these the week of so I can keep a sort of loose log of what I’m up to with my drumming & ideas over a long period of time, but no backstage kit on this tour & limited stage time so rolling w/it this month. Scroll to the bottom for more philosophical meanderings on this! This one is about the interplay between the 2 SDs and HH. Since it’s hand to hand, those 3 sounds can be placed anywhere - & this is one of a series of variations - all with those small differences ultimately determining the cadence of the beat. It can easily be done with one snare or incorporating stacks or other sounds too. OK thoughts: I love to go to art museums when I’m on the road & wonder if one of the seeds of the #DrumBeatProject is seeing how some artists did series of self-portraits over decades, documenting not just the development of their technical skill but more their vision & insights too. Not comparing my DBP to high art - but perhaps that’s one inspiration behind this whole thing. I honestly went into this project blind with no aim at all but to follow a gut feeling. Reasons for embracing it & continuing it are slowly being revealed tho... New solo piece is now 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 128 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.6.22 Swipe for notations and 2 var. vids. I was listening to some African drumming earlier that day which influenced this one. It’s basically a call & response between hands & feet w/the hands doing x-stk the 2nd time/call. I’m so used to my limbs working in concert to play beats that it’s a nice change to divide things up in a little conversation like this. 1st var. vid is just with snares on, but that one simple sonic change really affects the character of the beat. The 2nd vid is an earlier iteration w/out the x-stk. I like positioning that lower right side stack so the x-stk is striking both the stack and the @gruvxpercussion x-click for a beefier sound. New solo piece is now 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 127 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.6.22 Swipe for alt beat vid/notations and 2 diff. balance example vids. This a longer one in 15 but is super repetitive so not complex as it might seem. I think of it in smaller, 16th note cells = 4+3+4+3+4+3+4+3+2 OR a+b+a’+b+a+b+a’+b+c. Using 2 snares here but can be done on 1 and the LH stack can also be played on a rim or anything else. This popped in my head while dropping the kids off at school and I was able to take a couple of quick vids when I got home, but I really hear this with the RH parts on something pitched too - since I’m back on tour w/ @Wilco though, that’s going to have to wait! The 2nd & 3rd vids are a var. w/out LF but w/LH on HH and interpreted 2 ways: @creative_percussion shaker mallets w/ @zildjiancompany metal castanets & w/my @promarksticks #ActiveWave570 sig. stx and sizzle pang hit thx to @gruvxpercussion. The last 2 vids show how certain voices/sounds/limbs tend to naturally emerge and retract while playing this continuously for a long while. 1st one I’m emphasizing the toms and 2nd the LH on stack, whereas the main post vid focusses more on the SDs. Each interpretation has its own charm. New solo piece is now 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 126 of my #DrumBeatProject 6.1.22 Swipe for a diff. mix & notations. This is a composite beat constructed from layers of percussion for the live version of Sold Out Sky, an #OnFillmore song that’s in the works. I came up with something similar for our show last weekend at #SolidSoundFest - but added the BD part and better sounds for this vid thx to the @MorfBeats mini marvin. Some of my most fav beats to play are ones that arose from live interpretations of multiple overdubs on the recording - it forces me to come up with creative solutions that are often challenging and push me to do something that’s not yet in my vocabulary... The BD is playing off the dotted 1/8 pulse & the HH = the anchor. Using my threaded spring rods on cyms, guiro stax & @meinlpercussion birds for fresh colors in plaa a ce of a SD. That closest cym is a super cool @Keplingerdrums btw. 2nd vid is the same beat, but has a louder FT but quieter CBell. New solo piece is now 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 125 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.14.22 Swipe for notations - This is a beat based on a melody, specifically Undiu by Brazilian legend Joao Gilberto. I’m playing a hybridized but stylistically passable foot ostinato with hands doing a new rhythm pattern/melody set to his pitches - all possible w/ @Sunhouseinc #SensoryPercussion to play the @Morfbeats metal plates. This is a partial reduction of sorts of my solo adaptation of this tune - which will go up on my youtube channel (link in bio) next week. Past beats at GlennKotche.com/projects- check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor ...

Beat 124 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.7.22 Swipe for notations & 2 more vids. This is a sibling to last week’s beat - same rhythms but the RH is playing 3 sets of pitches on the #octobans w/an A-B-C-B form. Again, this originated in the drum part for the forthcoming “In A Sad Kind Of Way” @Wilco song - this and the 2 xtra vids all feature 2 intertwined feels: duple based 4 against triplet based 3 is my best explanation of it. The difference this week is, these all have a pitched RH part. 1st xtra vid beat is a pivoting chord change, 2nd xtra vid beat is a loop using distorted vibe samples. Between the 8 var. last week, these 3 and some more that I didn’t share - you can see how one simple idea (duple:triple juxtaposed with 3:4 here) can lead to vast, new territories - some of which can really be worth exploring deeper. 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 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 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 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 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 ...