Gavin Harrison here!

Hi Bananers

ooh that was 36 years ago. That was my Gretsch drumset that I bought in 1981. 2 x 24" bass drums (that sounded horrible) plus 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, toms and 16" floor tom - all with Ludwig hardware. On that video I had the 15" up over the hi hat (which I really liked) then a 10, 12, 13 across the front and the 16" floor tom.

here's a slightly bigger (and harder to play) version with the 15, 10, 12, 13, 14 across the front and the 16" floor tom. It would appear I was in a Billy Cobham/Simon Phillips mode at that moment. Fun times !

View attachment 86887

cheers
Gavin

Ahhh Gretsch of course! It's a monster kit, you don't really see anything with a 15" tom these days, or even with the double bass drum set up. What made them sound horrible?

Haha, thanks for sharing that photo - Yeah I can definitely see those influences! Thanks Gavin :)

Alannah
 
Hi Bananers

...with the double bass drum set up. What made them sound horrible?

the short answer is - "I did". The kind of sound I was going for was never going to work with those bass drums - set up with the front heads virtually off - and Black Dot Remo heads on them.

Hi DaEigi

I was listening to the song " Way Out Of Here " ( great song!!) on the FOABP - Album and I started thinking about the lyrics, so I googled what the song was about, and I found out that it was meant as a " Tribute " to a girl that killed herself while listening to Porcupine Tree. I was shocked.
But how did it effect the band? Obviously you must have been shocked, but how did it effect your, for example, Songwriting Process? Were you scared that the music had some negative Influence on her?


I didn't have anything to do with the lyrics - and neither did I know the story about the girl until after we'd been playing the song for quite some time.
I agree that it's a very sad story though.

Gavin
 
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Hi Bananers

...with the double bass drum set up. What made them sound horrible?

the short answer is - "I did". The kind of sound I was going for was never going to work with those bass drums - set up with the front heads virtually off - and Black Dot Remo heads on them.

Ahhh, I see! It's fun and frustrating with how many variables there are to achieve the sound you want, I've been spending almost everyday of the last 8 months figuring this stuff out first hand - it's been a minefield! I've also wildly changed my preferences on bass drum sounds, *just* by trying out different heads... I now prefer absolutely nothing inside the bass but that might completely change down the line... so much trial and error!

Alannah
 
Hi again Gavin!
Two questions please:
1) In some interview I heard you mentioning the app "Live BPM", talking about timing or something related to it. I find it very useful for using it in band rehearsals or practice sessions (with no click tracks) and see clearly where the ups and downs with the time happens and your ears don´t notice those changes (I mean my ears ;)...)
Have you used it or have some opinion on that app?
2) And when will YOUR timing app be available?

Thanks Gavin!
 
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Hi Robthedrummer

can you tell us about what all you have going on right now, or some things to check out?

Right now I'm on a long tour of the Americas with King Crimson. We have 7 weeks remaining. If you're curious to know where we're going - https://www.dgmlive.com/tours

Straight after that I will be rehearsing with The Pineapple Thief for a couple of festival shows in the UK and then after that we're playing about 20 concerts in the US and a couple of shows in Mexico. http://www.pineapplethief.com/tour/

I have been busy mixing a TPT live album (which should be out in November) and I've been writing with Bruce Soord for a new TPT album for next year.

Also some influences that you are currently into?

Mainly I've been bouncing around on YouTube checking out random things. From old Buddy Rich clips to guys like Anderson .Paak and everything in between.

Hi Juan Exposito

1) In some interview I heard you mentioning the app "Live BPM", talking about timing or something related to it. I find it very useful for using it in band rehearsals or practice sessions (with no click tracks) and see clearly where the ups and downs with the time happens and your ears don´t notice those changes (I mean my ears ;)...)Have you used it or have some opinion on that app?

Yes I like that app. I haven't used it in a live concert or rehearsal - but it's very interesting playing old songs through it to see what happens to the tempo. It shows you that things can still feel great but still speed up or slow down.

2) And when will YOUR timing app be available?

It's almost finished. I will see Terry Branam in a couple of weeks time and we would hope to have it available very soon. The idea of the app is really simple. It's an ear training 'timing' game where you learn to recognise when things are 'out of time' to quite small degrees. You test yourself to hear notes ahead or behind the beat - and tempos that might slow down or speed up. I found there was a lot of ear training courses for 'relative pitch' and 'perfect pitch' but not much for 'timing'.

cheers
Gavin
 
Hello folks,
This is a video interview that I did to Mr. Harrison for our online music channel and I would like to share and talk about it if you like.
Gavin was very generous, informative and fun, giving some masterclasses about timing, practicing, touring life, sound...
I hope you like it.
Thanks again Gavin!!
Of course you all are invited to subscribe to the channels in Facebook and Youtube:

This is a teaser we created in our Facebook channel and below the link to the full interview.

Full interview in Youtube:
 
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Very enjoyable to listen to, thank you for posting this. I learned a lot from his insightful answers.
 
Yea Gavin is so real and understandable. His timing is sublime. His technique looks effortless, which is such a high achievement. In my mind, he's easily on the level of Vinnie, Gadd.

What a treasure of a musician.

And you are a great, intelligent interviewer! Loved your questions and where you steered Gavin.

Thank you, Mr. Exposito, for giving this to us.

What's your story?
 
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Thanks for watching it and the kind words.
Hi Larryace, my story is...I´m a drummer, not professinal but I take it seriously ;)
I´´m co-directing the channel since 2018 (https://www.facebook.com/mronlinedrumstv )
From 2014 to 2018 the channel was "attached" to some drum companies (Yamaha, Paiste...), so the artists and the interviews were VERY brand oriented.
From 2018 the channel is free and I decided to open it to other topics (music, production, other instruments...with the drum topic as the main conductor).
Since then and without companies in the way, I could interview Simon Phillips, Bill Evans (sx), Dennis Chambers, Gavin Harrison, Thomas Lang, Dave DiCenso, Dean Brown (gt), Tom Kennedy (bs), John Patitucci (bs), Eric Martin (Mr. Big singer...)
Those interviews with some drum lessons and "music life" lessons are the main contents of the channel.

About the interviews. Only questions that are educative and interesting for the viewer and the artist (hopefully). Not biographical questions, unless some episode is really educative or emotive, helping others with it. Other "auto-forbidden" question are: When did you start drumming? Did you born in a musical family? ...Unless it comes to the conversation for something very related to the present moment o career of the artist.

Thanks for asking!
 
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I watched this when you first put it out the other month Juan, honestly one of the most interesting interviews I've seen, particularly with Gavin ?

Different questions, lots of great views and insights - thanks for this, really really great watch/listen!!!
 
Hello Gavin,
Forgive me for three questions in a row!
1) I think that in Porcupine Tree and The Pineaple Thief you use a click track most of the time (correct me if I´m wrong). Are you the only one in the band with the click? All your bandmates are incredible good musicians, but have you experienced some conflicts or situations because of the fact that you are the one with it?
2) About practicing with the click but with silenced bars. Have you practiced that type of routine with the metronome, for example 2 bars click + 4 of silence or more? How long have you reached with that practicing? Tips?
3) I´ve noticed that many drummers plays always with click, live concerts, band rehearsals and individual practice...They sound good with it but when they play alone, without the click, their timing and time keeping is not good. Simon Phillips, in my interview with him, said: "Young players and bands are growing always playing to a click and they are not developing the quality of good timing as a band without that device". I think the metronome is essential to develope our internal clock but equaly important is to play without it. What´s your opinion on that? Do you think that playing always with a click may go against us in some point?

Thanks x 10.000
 
HI Juan

I think that in Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief you use a click track most of the time (correct me if I´m wrong). Are you the only one in the band with the click? All your bandmates are incredible good musicians, but have you experienced some conflicts or situations because of the fact that you are the one with it?

No we all have the click and it makes it easy for the times where there are not drums playing. When I am playing, I think the band listen more to me than click

2) About practicing with the click but with silenced bars. Have you practiced that type of routine with the metronome, for example 2 bars click + 4 of silence or more? How long have you reached with that practicing? Tips?

I have tried that method of programming silence in the click but I don’t find it particularly helpful. If you want to improve your ability to synchronise with a click I found it more useful to play in between the clicks and judge how even you can make it sound. If you play a rock drum pattern to a quarter note click then probably you will only hear it when you are out with it or you have to have it unbelievably loud to get over the volume of the drums.

3) I´ve noticed that many drummers plays always with click, live concerts, band rehearsals and individual practice...They sound good with it but when they play alone, without the click, their timing and time keeping is not good. Simon Phillips, in my interview with him, said: "Young players and bands are growing always playing to a click and they are not developing the quality of good timing as a band without that device". I think the metronome is essential to develop our internal clock but equally important is to play without it. What´s your opinion on that? Do you think that playing always with a click may go against us in some point?


Of course up until around the very early ’80’s nobody recorded (or played live) with a click so the band was very dependant on the drummer’s ability to hold a steady tempo. It is a different skill to playing with a click and it requires a different mind set. Experience and confidence play a big part in it. Now lots of bands use a click, so it is a skill a young drummer needs to be good at too - but I would suggest practising without one and playing with other musicians without one. Record yourself so you can check if it’s feeling good and not speeding up or slowing down. How good you are at judging depends how good (and quick) your ears are at noticing timing errors. You can only be as good as your ears. At first you might notice that the song finished at a different tempo than you started at. Then you might notice certain sections of the song moved tempo. You might notice certain phrases or fills moved tempo and finally you might be able to notice the evenness of every note you're playing. I think that’s what you should aim for, so that your ears can hear timing issues even within one bar…but remember we are human and nobody has perfect time. The best you can hope for is that it sounds even and tight within a certain tolerance window.

cheers
Gavin
 
HI Juan

I think that in Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief you use a click track most of the time (correct me if I´m wrong). Are you the only one in the band with the click? All your bandmates are incredible good musicians, but have you experienced some conflicts or situations because of the fact that you are the one with it?

No we all have the click and it makes it easy for the times where there are not drums playing. When I am playing, I think the band listen more to me than click

2) About practicing with the click but with silenced bars. Have you practiced that type of routine with the metronome, for example 2 bars click + 4 of silence or more? How long have you reached with that practicing? Tips?

I have tried that method of programming silence in the click but I don’t find it particularly helpful. If you want to improve your ability to synchronise with a click I found it more useful to play in between the clicks and judge how even you can make it sound. If you play a rock drum pattern to a quarter note click then probably you will only hear it when you are out with it or you have to have it unbelievably loud to get over the volume of the drums.

3) I´ve noticed that many drummers plays always with click, live concerts, band rehearsals and individual practice...They sound good with it but when they play alone, without the click, their timing and time keeping is not good. Simon Phillips, in my interview with him, said: "Young players and bands are growing always playing to a click and they are not developing the quality of good timing as a band without that device". I think the metronome is essential to develop our internal clock but equally important is to play without it. What´s your opinion on that? Do you think that playing always with a click may go against us in some point?

Of course up until around the very early ’80’s nobody recorded (or played live) with a click so the band was very dependant on the drummer’s ability to hold a steady tempo. It is a different skill to playing with a click and it requires a different mind set. Experience and confidence play a big part in it. Now lots of bands use a click, so it is a skill a young drummer needs to be good at too - but I would suggest practising without one and playing with other musicians without one. Record yourself so you can check if it’s feeling good and not speeding up or slowing down. How good you are at judging depends how good (and quick) your ears are at noticing timing errors. You can only be as good as your ears. At first you might notice that the song finished at a different tempo than you started at. Then you might notice certain sections of the song moved tempo. You might notice certain phrases or fills moved tempo and finally you might be able to notice the evenness of every note you're playing. I think that’s what you should aim for, so that your ears can hear timing issues even within one bar…but remember we are human and nobody has perfect time. The best you can hope for is that it sounds even and tight within a certain tolerance window.

cheers
Gavin

Great post,,,, but to be devils advocate , the Stones "honky tonk woman" starts and ends in two very different tempos. What do you take away from the drumming on that record ? Personally i think if it feels good,,,,,
 
Hi Michealg

but to be devils advocate , the Stones "honky tonk woman" starts and ends in two very different tempos. What do you take away from the drumming on that record ? Personally i think if it feels good,

That is an interesting one. I think that at the time they recorded it (late 1960's) there we not trying to speed up - it just happened and folks were not so sensitive to it. The guitars are very pushy and with everyone playing together - and with some lack of control - the whole song just got faster. I really don't think it was intentional and they were most likely surprised at how much it did speed up - but it doesn't feel bad. It certainly starts out with a really nice feeling rhythm. Might it have felt better by not speeding up? It was a different era. Interestingly when I checked a live version of the same song from 1998 it doesn't really speed up at all. "September" by Earth Wind & Fire speeds up - that feels pretty good as they all move together. The rhythm feels tight all the way through. It doesn't have to be perfect to feel good - but (with modern ears) there comes a point when a song might start to feel bad to you.

cheers
Gavin
 
Hi Gavin,
hope all is well.
In a recent video of yours, where you solo a bit on soundcheck in an empty arena, (besides a ton of crazy and interesting stuff...) you play a double strokes roll between right hand and right foot towards the end that caught my attention.
May you say a few words about double strokes with the foot? How would you describe your technique? Is it a kind of slide or swivel thing? Are there any useful exercises that helped you achieving it?
(...I find myself having always a bit of trouble with fast bassdrum-doubles. Sometimes they feel super easy almost with no effort and the next second the feeling is gone and I can't get them to work well - its weird.)
Greetz Robert
 
Hi Robert

May you say a few words about double strokes with the foot? How would you describe your technique? Is it a kind of slide or swivel thing? Are there any useful exercises that helped you achieving it?

I guess it depends which kind of foot technique you are using. I can remember a time where double strokes didn't always come easy or consistent. I think playing heel up and about halfway down the pedal board means it's close to just being a twitch. I don't slide or swivel. When your foot is a long way down the pedal board - the foot doesn't really move that much. I see drummers who play with their foot right at the front of the board and of course they have a lot further to travel to make the beater hit the skin (but it works fine for them). I guess I've done it for so long I don't have to think about it anymore.

best of luck
Gavin
 
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