Gavin Harrison here!

Hi Gibbersticks,
I haven't seen that article yet...but I think what I was referring to is that we try to write rhythms that will have some musical sense to them. Not just being clever for the sake of it. If there's a way that we can design a rhythm that may be in an odd time signature, then it has to feel natural to the audience. I quite often see people kind of dancing/nodding along to the songs even though they might be unaware of the time signature. It's not my intention to confuse or lose the audience because of some really smart ass rhythm - and that said - I don't dumb it down for them either, but try to find a happy medium where they might 'feel' it without knowing exactly what 'it' is.

cheers
Gavin
 
Hey Gavin-

I received Rhythmic Horizons last night that I purchased last week off of buringshed.com and started watching it. I'm at the PolyRhythmic Theory part towards the end and I find it VERY helpful when you sing it. I had been playing PolyRhythms, but had "no idea" what it was or where I was suppose to go with it until now. I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do an instructional DVD of this nature. Everything I was doing is coming to fruition now that it is being explained and demonstrated I can follow it and use it. After I'm done I may inundate you with a few questions that I have, but won't do that until I finish the entire DVD A&B side.

Thanks,
Rob
 
Good Evening Mr Harrison,
Being a music fan and drummer for well over twenty five years I obviously have numerous drumming 'heroes' that continue to inspire me. I discovered Porcupine Tree's music only last year (I know it's sad) and in particular your playing captivated my attention. No doubt I could wax lyrically for hours heaping praise but know that I am one of many that appreciate your art.

I'm approaching the big four-oh and love my playing as much as ever. I regularly play in an on-going studio project when I have time away from work, the missus and kids. I thought it was time I invested in a new kit and have just bought a six piece Mapex M Pro with Sabians and for the first time a double pedal. In all honesty your playing has inspired my double pedal choice (something even the great Mr Peart couldn't achieve) no higher accolade imho.

I've just spent an enjoyable hour reading through your previous posts and have several (hopefully brief) questions of my own.

What rudiment(s) would you recommend to a staunch 'single pedal'er' that would ease the baptism of fire that is the double pedal.

Reading through some old 90's editions of 'Rhythm recently and I came across an article written by 'Gavin Harrison'. Am I correct in presuming this is your good self?

Looking forward to the release of the 'Blackfield II' album and I read that you have played on several tracks. Would you happen to know the titles of said songs?

Thanks for your time, Darren aka Ogg.
 
Gavin -

Congrats on getting a feature in the new MD magazine...
Nice to see you get your shine...

Hopefully we'll see you on one of the Drum Festival DVDs soon...
Keep up the good work....
 
Hi everybody!

I'm new in drummerworld world! I com from Barcelona spain. I don't have a good english, but I
try to explain my ideas.
I can not say more about master Gavin Harrison! I Iove his mixture with jazz-funky-pop-metal- fusion- progressive drumming.He is a perfect all-around drummer, and another important thing, he knows all aspects about drums in diferent situations like, live performances, studio, production...and is an illusionist!!

Now I want to explain some "illusions" from India:

We start with 16th notes and make diferent groups like 2, 3 with them, creating new "1's" with 2 bars:
1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2
1 2 3 4 2 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 4 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 2 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 4 2 3 4

You can play this like a snare drum study with accents in each 1,
You can play this with a funky groove style with 16ht between hi hat and snare(ghost notes) and then without pause play the groups, with accents in each 1 with bass drum and hi-hat at the same time.

Very Important: Use a click ! slow first, and them move to 125-130bpm and more.
Use your imagination and musicality!!
Take your time.

Good luck! good drumming!
 
Hi Ogg,
thanks for the message. I don't really know the best way to start on double pedals. I try to play short groups of notes like 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (always starting with the right foot). I don't really play 16ths ostinatos - but they are good to practice. Single strokes starting with the right and then starting with the left. Everything I play on the pedals are single strokes.

Yes I did write a column for Rhythm Magazine from 1989 to 1992.

I don't play on Blackfield 2 at all. I played on 2 or 3 tracks of their first album.

Cheers
Gavin

What rudiment(s) would you recommend to a staunch 'single pedal'er' that would ease the baptism of fire that is the double pedal.

Reading through some old 90's editions of 'Rhythm recently and I came across an article written by 'Gavin Harrison'. Am I correct in presuming this is your good self?

Looking forward to the release of the 'Blackfield II' album and I read that you have played on several tracks.
 
Thanks LinearDrummer!

Hi Toni Serrat,
thanks for the message and the 'Indian illusion'. I actually found it quite hard to read in that format but am I right in thinking it's a series of groupings like this..

3 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 2 - 3 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 2

personally it would be easier for me to think of it like this..

3 - 5 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 7 - 2

(usually when I come across a grouping of 5 I accent 1 & 3 of every five and in a group of 7 I accent every 1 , 3 & 5).

Cheers
Gavin
 
hi gavin

i'm asking all the pros this question. i think the answers could be very instructive to many of us.
let's say there was a totally new drum rudiment that was suddenly discovered and was so totally applicable that any drummer worth their salt would quickly try to learn it, master it and use it in recordings and gigs. this hypothetical new rudiment is quite hard to play and totally unrelated to any other rudiment. it is so good that you know that the next time you sit in on a session the writer is probably going to ask you to use it somewhere in their song.
my question is: starting from scratch what would be your way of learning it?

thanks

j
 
Dear Gavin,
Love your forum here and the things I have heard you play. Wonderful feel and groove too. That is actually what I think first of you and actually not the difficult rhythmic illusions stuff, but I adore that stuff too. You bring something new and fresh to the table of drumming.

I read your feature in MD this month and you mentioned briefly about having read Kenny Werner's book "Effortless Mastery". Can you please elaborate more about what this book meant and means for you? It apparently seems that it really struck a chord with you...?

Funnily enough, I have just started on the book myself, and I find it really interesting and I very much look forward to diving more into it....It all seems so natural and right the way he explains things about really letting go of fears, thinking and the like while playing. Fantastic the first few chapters I have read so far....

All best
Sturla

www.myspace.com/sturlanostvik
 
Many thanks for taking the time to reply Gavin...you've made my day mate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"QUOTE=Gavin Harrison:

"I'm glad you like the sound of my kitchen.

It can depend on the style of music but here's the set up I used on that track:

Dualit Toaster
Dualit Kettle
Leisure Sink
unknown juicer

I'd really like to get a Dualit endorsement - they have easily the best sound..."

You should check out the sound of my wife's vegetable steamer mate :). I'm pleased I'm not the only 'kitchen' drummer out there :).
 
Last edited:
Gavin-
Our lead guitarist is the Street Team Captain for Cincinnati, Ohio/United States. For some reason he wanted me to mention that :)

Rob
 
Hi NUTHA JASON
I think first I'd have to hear it - and then be able to sing to myself.
Then it would be a question of going incredibly slowly with it - until it was comfortable - then I would start looking at ways to manipulate it with voicing, displacements and modulations.

Cheers
Gavin

hi gavin

i'm asking all the pros this question. i think the answers could be very instructive to many of us.
let's say there was a totally new drum rudiment that was suddenly discovered and was so totally applicable that any drummer worth their salt would quickly try to learn it, master it and use it in recordings and gigs. this hypothetical new rudiment is quite hard to play and totally unrelated to any other rudiment. it is so good that you know that the next time you sit in on a session the writer is probably going to ask you to use it somewhere in their song.
my question is: starting from scratch what would be your way of learning it?

thanks

j
 
Hey Gavin-

Thank you for the quick reply on tuning. It is always interesting to hear new ideas on what works well for others. I seem to be in love with bflat on my 13" top head and tune the bottom head a minor third below that then the 14" top is the same as the bottom of the 13 and the 14 bottom is down a minor third and so on. I just picked up a 12" Gretsch Maple free floating snare and love it for the high pop.

I noted that Steve will be in the San Francisco area in May and want to know if you will be doing any clinics in this area sometime this next year. - Ah if I only lived in Italy, but I am out here on the west coast and would love to attend one of your clinics. I hope PT will be playing here in the next year so you will have the opportunity to present one. Please let us all know.

Best, Charterman
 
Hi Sturla
I read about the book and thought it might be of interest to me. I took it away on a tour of Italy in 2004 - and during the 3 weeks of rehearsal I read it - and was surprised that it made a difference to my mental state whilst playing. The key parts were really "the fear of sounding bad" and getting past that - plus REALLY listening in a new way open way - and laughing off mistakes. When I changed my attitude I found that I would try more spontaneous things without worrying if they were going to fall apart. The more I tried - the more that things didn't fall apart - the more I felt confident about pushing myself further.

I found of a lot of truth in the book about hang ups. I lent it to the bass player - and he felt the same. I'll probably read it again - and go through it with a marker pen - because some of the paragraphs really hit the nail on the head for me.

Cheers
Gavin

Dear Gavin,
I read your feature in MD this month and you mentioned briefly about having read Kenny Werner's book "Effortless Mastery". Can you please elaborate more about what this book meant and means for you? It apparently seems that it really struck a chord with you...?
 
Hi Charterman,
Sorry I misunderstood your previous question - I thought you were talking about the pitch distance between my toms - rather than the pitch difference between the top and bottom skin of each drum.

The interval on my toms seems to that the bottom head is about a semitone lower than the top.

I won't be out in San Francisco any time soon for clinics. I'd love to do a series of clinics in the US but have no plans right now.

Cheers
Gavin

Thank you for the quick reply on tuning. It is always interesting to hear new ideas on what works well for others. I seem to be in love with bflat on my 13" top head and tune the bottom head a minor third below that then the 14" top is the same as the bottom of the 13 and the 14 bottom is down a minor third and so on.

I noted that Steve will be in the San Francisco area in May and want to know if you will be doing any clinics in this area sometime this next year?
 
Hey Gavin

All this talk of PT touring is getting me excited. I hope you guys can put together some more Canadian dates rather than just the east coast. The major centres like Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnepeg, get all the big bands playing the hockey arenas (10,000 - 15,000 seats). The are tons of other smaller venues that tons of other big name bands play and the shows are more intimate and crazy!!! If you guys got on as an opener for someone doing an area tour, that would be huge exposure for you guys here as no one is promoting or pushing your music in Canada and your music would literaly sell itself here. People just need to hear it. Anyway I really am dreaming of seeing you guys live and I hope this new album does great this for you guys.

Cheers
Daniel
P.s. Any chance of getting an advance copy? LOL!!!
 
hey gavin, thanks for your last reply.

sorry to load you up with questions but here's another one...

in the August 1992 issue of modern drummer there was a great and useful article titled: THE 25 GREATEST DRUM RECORDS. because of it i bought steely dan's AJA in a time when i was almost exclusively addicted to AC/DC.
they wrote this article by researching across the industry but in particular they asked some of the top guys for their top ten selections. i'm hoping to do a similar thing here on DW and post the reults in a separate thread eventually.
So if you would be so kind please give us a list of your own top ten (perhaps your current top 10) records/albums. it would be helpful if you identified your favourite out of those and dropped in a line why it is so...but this is not totally necessary. think of it like if you were going to be locked in a remote log cabin for a whole winter, which 10 albums would you take, if 10 were all you could take?

thanks
j
 
Jason, posting that on several different threads... doesn't that count as spamming?
 
Hey Gavin-

I finish watching the Rhythmic Horizon's that I purchased off of Burningshed.com last night. I find it harder to sing the phrasing than it is to play it, but like you said, "it will be in-bedded in your brain and come naturally to play.

I have a question:

On the last section of the DVD video "Resolving" I' m not sure what frame it is.....You do a drum fill in it that is the same fill you do in the middle of "Futile" it is snare/bass/snare/2nd tom/4th tom/snare. I hope you can translate that.

Thanks,
Rob
 
Hi Nutha Jason,
so you wanna play "Desert Island Discs" huh?

OK here goes..in no particular order

Art Farmer/Jim Hall "Big Blues" drummer:Steve Gadd
(Probably my biggest lesson in taste and sensitivity - not only from Steve Gadd but also the other great musicians on the record).

Japan "Tin Drum" drummer: Steve Jansen
(Some of the best designed drum and bass parts I've ever heard)

Meshuggah "Destroy Erase Improve" drummer Tomas Haake
(Beautiful rhythmic design from this team - extreme and exciting).

Fredrik Thordendal Special Defects drummer : Morgan Agren
(Again extraordinary rhythmic design and unbelievably exciting drumming).

Randy Crawford "Secret Combination" drummer: Jeff Porcaro
(What can you say about a man with the BEST feel IMHO - and real classy musical taste)

The Blue Nile "Hats" no drummer at all.
(Deep meaningful songs performed with heartbreaking emotion).

Art Farmer "Crawl Space" drummer:Steve Gadd
(The epitome of modern drumming recorded in 1977).

Le Mystere Des Voix Bulagares "Volume 2" no drummer
(Very powerful emotive tunes sung by the female Bulgarian choir - completely blows my mind).

Nine Inch Nails "The Fragile" drummer ?

Lewis Taylor "Lewis Taylor" no drummer
(A true unfound genius - songs that haunt me even when I'm asleep).

thanks Gavin


So if you would be so kind please give us a list of your own top ten (perhaps your current top 10) records/albums. it would be helpful if you identified your favourite out of those and dropped in a line why it is so...but this is not totally necessary. think of it like if you were going to be locked in a remote log cabin for a whole winter, which 10 albums would you take, if 10 were all you could take?
j
 
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