Drum Solo using odd time signatures and groupings

Jonathan Curtis

Silver Member
Hi all,

I hope you'll spare a few minutes to watch my latest video. It's my first ever truly improvisational video, performing an ad hoc solo using odd time signatures and odd note groupings.

http://youtu.be/tjfwMKsUVXQ

I've put a lot of work into this, and it's finally starting to get to where I want it. I'd appreciate all feedback, so please don't hold back. Apologies for any video/audio sync issues, I did my best.

Thanks,
J
 
Hi all,

I hope you'll spare a few minutes to watch my latest video. It's my first ever truly improvisational video, performing an ad hoc solo using odd time signatures and odd note groupings.

http://youtu.be/tjfwMKsUVXQ

I've put a lot of work into this, and it's finally starting to get to where I want it. I'd appreciate all feedback, so please don't hold back. Apologies for any video/audio sync issues, I did my best.

Thanks,
J

I hope you're practising every day because you have the right stuff there Jonathan!! Great paradiddle stickings inside of what sounded to me as 7/8 time. The only thing I would say is there seems to be a bit of repitition with the same sticking, and so to be careful you don't overdo it. I would follow this kind of practice with a session of slow "technique aware" stuff. Even playing the sticking with the hands, just at a really slow pace, for a few minutes at least. Sort of rewarding your muscles after an intense workout. Of course you could already be doing that, n which case ignore what I just said.

Anyway, was it 7/8? Really killer baby!!!

"You and me, we're the same!" -scene in the movie "Falling Down"

Steph
 
Thanks very much. I practise obsessive amounts every day, haha.

This was actually the reward. The reason you are seeing a bit of repetition in the stickings is because those stickings and their variations were what I had just spent about three hours playing very slowly. This video was the reward of all that slow work. I take your point though, and more freedom of phrasing is something I'm still working on.

You're right about the 7/8. It starts out in 7/8, then the bass drum and snare drum start phrasing in quintuplets and triplets inside the 7. There's a bit of 3/4, 10/16, and 4/4 towards the end, but the majority is indeed 7/8, so well spotted.

Thanks again, anyway. Congratulations of your drum-off success too!
 
Great set of hands. Obviously a lot of time spent making this sort of playing happen.
 
I don't know if it's because you're doing it deliberately and it's over my head (a la some of Chris Dave's stuff) or if a few things were a bit unrefined but I couldn't feel it entirely, like maybe there was a bit of rushing or a nervous feel. Or maybe it was just hard to take your playing in context because you're playing odd stuff.

Also have to agree - the snare was a bit repetitive after a while. Otherwise was very good, you technique looks mad.

Btw just want to note that you asked for feedback; that's my honest feedback and I'm trying to help you.
 
I saw this in my news feed. Great stuff! It's hard to keep listening to it though. Try putting more toms in there. Now you are almost only playing a "beat". I think it's much harder to play odd time signatures over times because your left and right hand are not (always) playing seperate patterns as they would in a beat.

So maybe you could do that next. Tom play and a beat interchangeably. (With a build-up and all that solo-stuff)
 
Thanks for the feedback. Everyone. Dre25, yes, I absolutely asked for feedback, no need to put a disclaimer or anything.

I take your points. I think the repetition came about because I had been practising this particular set of phrasing,and I decided to record myself playing it in an improvisational setting in order to check my progress. Basically, I was testing myself to see if I could do it leading in and out of various other things. That might be why the same beat and snare pattern comes up a lot.

That doesn't detract from your points though, and I agree that it doesn't make for the best performance. And yes, a bit of rushing and nervousness was present, simply by the video camera and mics being switched on,. No excuses there, I just need to improve it.

Thanks again for the feedback. I will look to out up another one soon with your points taken into account.
 
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