Gospel RnB Drumming (its more than shedding)

drummerseahawkboy81

Junior Member
Guys, I'm trying to get to the bottom of this and find out why I see and hear more guys that dont play this style bashing it. I go into the Seattle GC last weekend to pick a few things up, as Im walking in the drum dept I saw two different guys playing on two different kits one of the guys(adult) was playing a simple rock groove in 4/4 and the other guy(younger kid) was playing blast beats loud as hell. When I told the guy what I needed he said they have to go to the back to see if they had it in stock, so Im just chilling waiting and by that time the older getlemen got off the one kit and started looking around so I decided to get on the kit, I wasnt doing anything fancy just simple rudiments I would say but I was jus applying it around the kit in different variations. About a minute in the younger blast beat kid came over and actually asked me what was that I was doing so I did my best to explain. When all this was going on I noticed the older getlemen talking to one of the othr drum dept guys all kinda low while eyeballing me a the same time. I finally get off the kit and go back up to the register to just wait for the guy to come from the back, when I get up there the guy tells the drum dept guy I'll see you later or something like that. So I'm waiting and me and the GC worker struck drum conversation, how long youve been playing, drummers you like etc. All of of sudden he tells the getleman that just left was talking borderline crap about my playing style and how I must be a gospel chops drummer who makes those stupid youtube videos and how gospel drummers dont have feeling or know what a pocket is etc he went on a little more I just dont remeber everything he said.

Bascially guys Im just want to get your opinion on gospel drumming etc because thats not the first time I heard somene talk crap about the style. Theres a couple other drum boards that have a similar topic and sure as you know what there are more guys bashing it that actually liking it. I personally dont get it, it always seem like the ones that bash it are always the rock/metal/punk drummers I could be wrong, To me it seems like the comments I have read or heard sounds more like jealousy than anything else. I mean there is more to gospel and r&b drumming than shedding and having ridicolous chops, people have this misconseption that gospel drummers overplay everything even in studio and that is def not the case. IMO gospel drummers make some of the best and most versitale drummers to date cause growing up in a COGIC church I can honstly say Ive had to play rock, jazz, fusion, funk,r&b,latin just depending on wht type of gospel song it was.
Thomas Pridgen- Mars Volta, Spanky MaCurdy- Lady Gaga, Nissan Stewart- Jessie J, Teddy Campbell- (ex)American Idol stage band now on Jay Leno, Rex Hardy-Current american idol drummer, Aaron Spears-Usher, Chris Coleman- Prince, Chaka Kahn

These are just a few and I mean a few drummers that started off with gospel backgrounds and look at the now very sucessful careers. Dont knock until you underrstand it
 
Hey, I'm mainly into metal and I love gospel players!

I too have noticed recently that they taking a bashing from nearly every type of drummer and it had me scratching my head in disbelief too. It seems like jealousy to me.

These guys obviously use the power of God to bring those chops to life, unbelievable!
You can't get away from the fact that alot of these guys DO overplay but, I accept that as part of the music and always just assumed it was the passion and love of God and being free to express those feelings of simpley being thrilled with life.

Sounds cheesy but, that's the impression it gives me.

I can't knock them for overplaying 'cos some of the stuff I listen to is just as guilty of this.
it's just expression and a new(ish) movement in music where for once the drummer isn't just the backbone, at the bottom of the pile and is a lead instrument too at times.
People are starting to get it too. you can bend time and go crazy but, if you do it right it doesn't matter if the audience doesn't understand what you've done, if they can feel it then you've nailed it.
Everyone is infected by rhythm, it's mesmorizing!

Aaron Spears is one of my favourite drummers and really got me into gospel chops in a big way.

That's my thoughts.
 
I find it's the dynamic touch of this style that can get a bit samey; whilst the skill level is undeniably high, there seems to be too many who are identical in the way they hit the drums, usually very hard. Overplaying seems commonplace, and the vocabulary of the genre is getting a bit tired. Still, I doubt many gospel players are complaining, as there's plenty of work going for them.
 
you should mention Vinnie Colaiuta because he pretty much gave birth to all those guys ......add Gary Chaffee as well because he wrote the book that is their bible after the actual Bible....."Linear time playing"......also David Garibaldi for all his linear influence with T.O.P.

and I'm not sure when it happened.....calling this style "gospel".......maybe when Aaron Spears popularized it by basically playing Vinnie licks a bit faster at the MD festival plying Caught Up...... but if you are not playing it in church to me its not "gospel" drumming....its just funk grooves and linear sextuplet and 32nd note licks

I love all those guys and studied that style for a long time....and continue to.
absolutely love it and never seen or heard anyone look down on it.
I hear players of every genre more and more influenced by these guys every day

yes Chunky....even metal guys :)

I'll add ...John Blackwell , Eric Moore, Jeff Davis, Marvin McQuitty, Nathaniel Townsley, Gerald Heyward
to your list of successful players who came from the church
 
Last edited:
You've got a point about "gospel" GV. It really is only gospel in church but, like many daft genres/sub genres it's taken on a misleading name that once meant something else.

Also Gospel chops sounds cooler than linear patterns and people love sounding cool.
That's why I play lazer beam destructoid-core.

And yeah, David Garibaldi, that man hurts my soul, he's a baaaaaad man! Love him!

Kind of annoying how young people turn up on the scene and take credit for stuff someone else was doing years ago but this happens all the time in music. Sometimes the world is just not ready for some people...
 
You've got a point about "gospel" GV. It really is only gospel in church but, like many daft genres/sub genres it's taken on a misleading name that once meant something else.

Also Gospel chops sounds cooler than linear patterns and people love sounding cool.
That's why I play lazer beam destructoid-core.

And yeah, David Garibaldi, that man hurts my soul, he's a baaaaaad man! Love him!

Kind of annoying how young people turn up on the scene and take credit for stuff someone else was doing years ago but this happens all the time in music. Sometimes the world is just not ready for some people...

all fact my brother

sometimes the world just isn't ready for some cats....then someone else inspired by them comes along when the world is ready and get the credit

but the important thing is the guy getting the credit knows who really deserves it

happens in every genre...metal, jazz, punk, blues, even pop music

its just the way it goes

the people in the know understand where the deserved credit goes...and thats what matters
 
What you're calling "gospel drumming" is the basis for jazz, the real r&b, rock and roll, funk, fusion and just about every other American musical genre worth listening to. Just check out "James Brown Live At The Apollo" or listen to any of the old Stax or Motown records. It takes a lot of talent and discipline to find and lay down a solid pocket. All of the subdivisions are there but they're played >tastefully<. These drummers didn't call overt attention to themselves. Listen to Booker T and the MGs. This is where reggae came from. Music is not an athletic event. All American music came out of the churches in the south. it traveled far and wide but church is where it started. This is coming from a devote agnostic who just happened to get invited to a lot of the church services by his black friends while growing up and who probably saw every act on the "Chitlin Circuit".
 
Back
Top