THE DRUMMING DICTIONARY.

NUTHA JASON

Senior Administrator
Let'c collect all the odd terms and phrases that surround our instrument and make an online dictionary. to standardise responses please print out the term or phrase in bold capital letters, with a brief and above all accurate description of its meaning beneath. like so....



CUT TIME
this is a marching beat description so the time signature would be 2/2. There is a strong upbeat - downbeat feel, oom-pah oom-pah...etc. sometimes with lots of syncopation. it often occours in musical theatre and circus music. an example would be: 'The Stars and Stripes Forever'

PERMUTATION
Taking a sticking phrase and moving it so that the phrase is started at different points, thus creating a new rudiment or phrase. for example: paradiddle:
RLRRLRLL can change to LRRLRLLR and also RRLRLLRL and then RLRLLRLR.
from the above example it can be seen that permutations can provide new patterns and also that the number of patterns possible depends on the number of strokes in the basic unit. a paraddidle has four strokes so we get four variations. a double paradiddle has six strokes so we could get six variations. this concept can be very effectively applied to grooves as well, particularly in funk music.

SEXTUPLETS AND SEPTUPLETS
don't get them confused. 'sex' and 'sept' are numerical prefixes based on latin. sex means 'six' and sept means 'seven'. in terms of difficulty the latter is harder to play, and count since the word seven is the first number with two syllables in it. i count it like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, tack, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, tack ...etc.
 
GHOST NOTE

A note played very lightly, usually on the snare, and usually interpolated between other notes.

For instance, a typical rock groove plays 8th notes on the hi hat. To add ghost notes, play the snare on the off-beat 16ths: (1) E (&) A (2) E (&) A. The result is you're playing RLRLRLRL etc. in 16th notes between hi hat and snare.

Play ghost notes very very delicately. They should be felt more than heard. Their purpose is to give a extra sense of forward motion to the groove.

[If I'm missing something, let me know and I'll update this entry.]

Ghost notes should not be confused with grace notes (flams).
 
HEMIOLA
When say a series of 3/4 bars (or other odd time) are articulated in a 2/4 or 4/4 feel.

Example: An example would be Led Zeppelin - Kashmir. John Bonham is playing 4/4 time over the 3/4 bar phrasings. So essentially, Bonham is playing 3 bars of 4/4, while the rest play 4 bars of 3/4.

POLYRHYTHM
When two or more rhythms are played simultaneously.
(A polyrhythm is NOT a hemiola because a polyrhythm is 2 different rhythms in a measure. A hemiola is 2 different time signatures coming together.)

Example: One of the most simplistic example is playing 3 over 2. Or triplets over eigth notes. You can hear this on some metronomes or play it yourself.

METRIC MODULATION
When you use different notes values to decrease or increase the tempo or feel of the song. Say the tempo is at quarter note equals 120. You are playing backbeat on 2 and 4. Then we begin to play triplets. We transform our "backbeat" from 2 and 4 to every other note of the triplet beginning with the second part of the triplet. This makes them tempo feel as though it has jumped from 120 to 180 in a very smooth transition. This can be used to help change the tempos throughout songs.

Examples: I can't remember the song, but Vital Information with Steve Smith is the band. Also, Dream Theater - The Mirror. The song seems so much slower and heavier, then soon picks up tempo maintaining the heaviness of the song. Very good listen to for Metric Modulation.
 
Some examples of metric modulation...

Lionel Ritchie - Say You, Say Me. It might not sound like it, but there's metric modulation and it's somewhat tricky. The slow part, before it goes into the quick part has a triplet fill and those triplets become 8th notes in the new time signature - which then goes back to the old time signature.

Dave Weckl - Here and There. More forward and backward triplets to 8th notes.

There's another semi-popular tune out there that has it as well, but I can't put my finger on it. I'm sure I'll remember when Winamp finally decides it's time to play it.

What shocks me is I can't find any examples with Yes, Sting or Dave Matthews that are what I'd consider "true" metric modulation. In fact, I'm looking at my Frank Zappa stuff and I really don't see any in there.

As for Hemiola - Vinnie on Ten Summoner's Tales loads it up. Probably 1/2 of the songs.
 
POCKET
a drummer with good time-
plays all his notes exactly on the beat. dynamics aside he would sound like a programmed drumbeat.

a drummer with good pocket-
plays his notes close enough to the point of the beat to be acceptable and faithful to the rhythm of the song but is able to put the strokes slightly (we're talking milliseconds here) ahead or behind the actual beat point to create tension/edginess (if ahead) or fatness/swing (if behind). most of the time drummers are talking about playing behind, particularly on the back-beat. the more behind you are able to play without actually slowing down, the more deeper your pockets are. mixing 'on', 'ahead' and 'behind' the beat snare strokes can be immensely effective (listen to the rolling stones - 'anybody seen my baby' [bridges to babylon], watts has so much pocket that his loose chane hits his ankles when he walks!)
 
Nutha, give some examples. "In the pocket" is one of those terms that is better understood if you can put it to music. Much like "laying back" in a swing tune.

FYI - laying back is being behind the beat but not to the point of dragging the tune. Pull out any medium-swing big band tune with any of the legends and you'll get the idea.

In the pocket - Vinnie Colaiuta on "Fields of Gold". God, that is SO right-there.

NUTHA JASON said:
POCKET
a drummer with good time-
plays all his notes exactly on the beat. dynamics aside he would sound like a programmed drumbeat.

a drummer with good pocket-
plays his notes close enough to the point of the beat to be acceptable and faithful to the rhythm of the song but is able to put the strokes slightly (we're talking milliseconds here) ahead or behind the actual beat point to create tension/edginess (if ahead) or fatness/swing (if behind). most of the time drummers are talking about playing behind, particularly on the back-beat. the more behind you are able to play without actually slowing down, the more deeper your pockets are. mixing 'on', 'ahead' and 'behind' the beat snare strokes can be immensely effective (listen to the rolling stones - 'anybody seen my baby' [bridges to babylon], watts has so much pocket that his loose chane hits his ankles when he walks!)
 
i must be the only drummer who doesn't know the exact meaning of "chops"
enlighten me, please
 
Chops
most people agree that this refers to the technical skill of a drummer. a drummer with 'great chops' has loads of different rudiments and applications that they can draw on in a solo or gig setting. chops can be thought of as tools. its an abstract concept for the accumnulation of tecnical applied and thouroughly applicable drumming knowledge. it is often used when describing guitarists as well.

Double Time and Half time
are what they say they are. a song may be played at a certain tempo, lets say 120 b/min, the bridge may be a half time bridge so the band or part of it (the drummer while the rest continue as normal) halves their time and plays at 60b/min. at the end of the song for example there might be a double time section where things are sped up exactly twice. so then the time jumps to 240. the important thing with doubling and halving is that through out the song the actual tempo stays the same and the people who are dancing needn't adjust, metronomes needn't be reset. its just the density of notes/strokes that changes. try it. it is a great exercise and can be a wonderful way of pumping energy into a song or leaving oceans of space for the melody or guitar solo to breathe.
j
 
Vamp - a woman of loose morals. Vamps are something that a backing band will do when there is an (for lack of a better term) "pre-song activity that cannot be timed". For instance, it's a cabaret gig and the MC does "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we blah blah blah" and this goes on for an indefinite length of time. How does the band time something like this? They'll pick 4, 8 or 12 measures of intro or chorus and repeat it over and over. This is a vamp. Once the MC is done talking with the audience, it's a natural progression for the vamp to end, proceeding into the opening number.

Another good example is something like "the bride cuts the cake". You'll vamp in that tune as well.

I've actually seen "vamp" written over 2-bar patterns in some times. You just repeat it. More of a formal vamp than what I listed above.

cicatrizoo said:
could someone come up with good def's for:
Vamp
 
Ducky said:
can someone explain what a batter drum is?

I personally have never heard of a batter drum but that does not mean it doesnt exsist!

Maybe where you heard it they were referring the the batter head on the drum.

The top head which you strike with the stick is the batter head where as the head on the bottom of your drum is the resonant head.
 
"Comping" is not something I think of when it comes to drums. Comping is what the other rhythm section players are doing during solos. Piano and guitar tend to comp more than anything and it's basically playing chord changes through the solo, but not really structured chord playing. I guess drums could do it, providing light fill work through a solo.

Ruffs and drags are the same thing according to Vic Firth.

k3ng said:
Could I get a definition for 'comping'? I know what it is, I just have a little trouble explaining it to my students. (And I must not let them know how horrible a teacher I am)

Also the difference between ruffs and drags( or are they the same?)
 
TitanSound said:
I personally have never heard of a batter drum but that does not mean it doesnt exsist!

Maybe where you heard it they were referring the the batter head on the drum.

The top head which you strike with the stick is the batter head where as the head on the bottom of your drum is the resonant head.
oops,yes, i am an idiot. i meant batter head. but thanks for the explanation.
 
BATTER HEAD
also known as the top head is the drum head/skin that you hit with your stick or pedal. it is usually made of thicker materials than the...

RESO HEAD
or resonant head or bottom head. the skin on the bottom of the drum or the front of the bass drum which is usually designed to vibrate and is activated by the pule of pressure formed when you hit the top head. it is ususlly quite thin and will not survive gig level drumming should you put it on the wrong side.

j
 
Double Bass Pedal

p2652d.jpg


Two foot pedals joined together with linkage, meant to replace a second bass drum.
 
mlehnertz said:
"Comping" is not something I think of when it comes to drums. Comping is what the other rhythm section players are doing during solos. Piano and guitar tend to comp more than anything and it's basically playing chord changes through the solo, but not really structured chord playing. I guess drums could do it, providing light fill work through a solo.

Comping, to me, is basically anything you do in jazz playing which is:

* Additional to the basic "ten-ten-to-ten-ten-to" ride pattern and hi-hat chick on 2 & 4; and
* Improvised by the drummer to fit in with what the rest of the band is doing, both the soloist and comping done by other parts of the rhythm section.

Typically this means snare/bass material co-ordinated against the ride line, the kind of stuff you develop using the Ted Reed book.
 
NUTHA JASON said:
Double Time and Half time
are what they say they are. a song may be played at a certain tempo, lets say 120 b/min, the bridge may be a half time bridge so the band or part of it (the drummer while the rest continue as normal) halves their time and plays at 60b/min. at the end of the song for example there might be a double time section where things are sped up exactly twice. so then the time jumps to 240. the important thing with doubling and halving is that through out the song the actual tempo stays the same and the people who are dancing needn't adjust, metronomes needn't be reset. its just the density of notes/strokes that changes. try it. it is a great exercise and can be a wonderful way of pumping energy into a song or leaving oceans of space for the melody or guitar solo to breathe.
j

I think that's maybe a little complex. You don't need to get into the BPM thing to define half and double time, the simple way would be to go:

STANDARD TIME (rock or pop)
A 4/4 groove with snare backbeats on the "2" and "4" of the bar and bass drum downbeats on the "1" and "3". Bass drum notes can be varied, often to follow a bass line, but excessive syncopation of the snare drum backbeat can cause confusion in some songs.

DOUBLE TIME (rock or pop)
A 4/4 groove with snare backbeats on the "and" (8th note off-beat) of every beat. Common in punk music and some heavy rock styles as a "gear change" upwards.

HALF TIME (rock or pop)
A 4/4 groove with a snare backbeat on the "3" of the bar and a bass drum downbeat on the "1". Common in some rock ballads and often used during heavy "rock out" bridges in songs to bring a heavier, slower feel into play.
 
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