through outdoor

stevie nicks’ jimmy paxson, up close with danny seraphine & studio master JR Robinson
m
a
g
a
Th e O f f i c i al P ub l i c ati on of D ru m Workshop • 8.0
in
z
i
n
e
abe laboriel jr.
through
theoutdoor
how he landed all the inside gigs
Plus dw artists hit europe, Q&A with the drummers of nashville, DW’s latest gear and more!
NOW HEARTHIS EDGE 8.0
16
Introducing the DW Collector’s Series Super Solid, a completely new look at solid shell drums. Why is Super Solid so dramatically different? The
answer is a groundbreaking Molecular Compression Process that produces the most dense solid maple shell ever created. And this is truly a one-piece shell, no glued
reinforcement hoops or plies. We endured years of research and development and expense to do only one thing, bring you our best sounding solid shell drum ever.
12
24
©2009 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
06
ARTIST FEATURES
12Drummers of Nashville
Featuring Billy Mason, Travis McNabb and Cactus Moser
16Abe Laboriel Jr
A Legacy Endured. Family, Schooling & the beginning of a legend.
22
IN EVERY ISSUE
06 Time Machine: JR Robinson
10 Up Close: Danny Seraphine
11 Road Tips with Drum Tech - Robbo
22Road Stories: DW Artists hit Europe
24 Artist Feature: Jimmy Paxson
26 DW Drum Clinic with Denny Seiwell
28 New Artists
PRODUCT NEWS
02 Exo-X Project
04 PDP Update
08 8000 Series Pedals & Hardware
14SSC Technology
20 3Drumsticks
EDGE Magazine is a publication of Drum Workshop, Inc. ©2009 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved. #PRCAEDGE-V8.0 For promotional use only. NOT FOR SALE.
Eco-X Project
d
ru m m er-t es t ed , dr u m mer- appr ove d.
By B i l ly WA r d
Here’s
my
review of the
Eco-X
DW
drum kit.
I
have the first
“Eco-X
kit”
DW
ever
constructed.
It is the very
first prototype
Billy Ward
that
John
Good
made
and, like most all of his experiments, it
went directly into the showcase room at
the factory to be played with ensuing
opinions to be gathered. John Good and
I discussed this kit by telephone before it
was ever made. JG desperately wanted
to make a kit that was more affordable,
yet with absolutely no sacrifices in
terms of quality and tone. When he
realized it could also be “green” (better
for our environment) his enthusiasm
went ballistic!
The Eco-X experiment began with
my snare drum and its finish is also
experimental - “blue jean” stain and
it really looks cool - like blue jeans! So
they made the bass drum and toms in
the same blue jean finish. The only
problem was the toms and bass drum
came out in PURPLE, not blue! End
of the Blue jean color experiment!
Since receiving this kit, I’ve seen the
two beautiful natural finishes that
the production models come in. I’m
partially jealous that I don’t have one of
those beautiful factory finishes, but my
little “ugly ducklings” sound so good, I
can’t let them go!
Out of the box, the bass drum is sick.
Un-freaking real-super bottom. JG
says they ALL have this quality and
he doesn’t really know why. Well, it is
the best 18x22” bass drum I have ever
heard. I normally abhor the DW pillow,
but as is - this drum is perfect. I have
not touched the heads or the tuning
since it came out of the box. Normally
I immediately put my Evans heads on
my new drums, and someday I will as
this batter head will inevitably get tired,
but why try to improve on “perfect”? I
have to try to remember to bother John
about making some Eco-X woofers!
Next out of my box-o-new-toys were the
toms. They came out of the box tuned
really low. Like “Come Together” by
the Beatles really low. There’s a nice
“pop” on the stick sound – nice attack.
I played them as is for a while and then
I put the Evans heads on and the toms
were very comfy way down low (my
guess is it’s the X-shell causing this).
The Eco-X 12x14 easily tunes lower than
my Jazz Series 16x16 that I played at the
MD Fest 08!
After feeling like Ringo in the 1970s for
an hour or so, I did my thing and started
randomly moving the pitches around.
I’ve never had toms that are so easy to
tune to where you get a good sound no
matter what. Helen Keller could tune
these things and I’m not kidding! If
you see a kit in a drum shop, tune the
bottom head evenly – simply “ballpark”
it. There’s no need to be fussy. Then
tune the top head anywhere. Get crazy!
Check out what happens with raising or
lowering just one or two lugs! It’s really
incredible! I had well-known NYC
drum tech (credits include S. Gadd and
JG desperately
wanted to make a kit
that was more
affordable, yet with
absolutely no
sacrifices in terms of
quality and tone.
When he realized it
could also be
“green” (better for
our environment)
his enthusiasm went
ballistic!
S. Jordan) Artie Smith witnessing this
at my studio (he couldn’t sit back and
listen. He grabbed a drum key and went
at it!). The tuning range on these toms
is astounding. Also, even though they
are x-shell (and therefore you would
think they want to be low) these guys
LIKE being tuned really high, perhaps
not Peter Erskine high (go as high
as possible and then go higher), but
high. This is the first time I have ever
fantasized about taking a drum key and
lowering the floor tom four steps with
the turn of one or two lugs in between
SONGS on a stage!
trying to get this snare to do something
radical by experimenting with different
heads, die cast hoops, crazy-different
Purecussion snares and what-not, but
the snare drum always complied and
sounded musical. Again, the tuning
range is sick. Right now I have mine
tuned up super high, like a side snare
or reggae snare. It will do anything you
ask it to do.
OK, they are flexible, so what do they
sound like? I think there might have
been some truth to those who once said
there was a “DW sound”, but now we
have many very good brands of drum
heads and many drummers look for
more musical options in a drum than
just “loud and proud.” Anyone with
half an ear can distinguish the sound
of DW’s Jazz Series from the various
Collector’s Series, and now with the
bamboo/birch combination of the
Eco-X drums, there is clearly another
sound available. These Eco-Xs offer
great tuning flexibility. The bass drum
is pure gold. Period. The snare is so
flexible, I intend to take it into any
unknown rooms (such as at a night club
or studio that I’ve never played before)
because it will adapt to anything. The
toms sound unique. While, typically for
DW, they get along with each other very
well, they offer uniqueness in tone and
sustain. They really speak quickly and
sustain incredibly. In fact, the 12X14
floor tom sustained so long I ended up
leaving my stick bag slung over the side
to cut the sustain a bit, which is nice,
because I enjoy having such easy access
to my stick bag. There is a bit less honk
or lower midrange frequencies in these
toms, which along with the incredible
sustain makes these drums my first
choice if I ever get a gig with Elton John,
Bob Seger or Tom Petty. I’ve already
purchased gig bags for these drums
and intend to use them on local gigs
here in New York City. The fact that
these drums cost less than the rest of
DWs lineup should be considered John
Good’s present to each of us. After you
get yours and fall in love, send him a
thank you note. I did.
The snare drum took a while for me to
enjoy and accept, not because it wasn’t
good, because it was so flexible. Just
like the toms, this snare drum will do
anything you ask of it. Of course, it
feels as perfect in terms of edges and
hardware as the other Eco-Xs, with all
the hardware being the same as on the
other DW kits. I spent quite some time
[EDG E 8.0] 3
Int roducing t he
All-New
PDP M5 Series
A n A l l -M a p l e, a l l -L a cq uer, feat ur e-Pa cked
5-p i ece ki t d e s i g ned fo r eve r y s t y l e o f mus i c.
Nothing sounds quite like maple. It offers drummers attack,
resonance, warmth and plenty of projection and volume. That’s
why many of the most sought after professional players choose
maple when it comes to touring and recording. It just sounds good.
Pacific Drums and Percussion’s David Leon explains, “Traditionally,
maple kits are associated with a high-end price. Drummers would
have to shell out big bucks to get the benefits of boutique-quality
all-maple shells. From the beginning, our mission with PDP was to
offer drummers an exceptional value, by bringing quality drum kits
to the masses. Why should drummers with smaller budgets have to
suffer by playing junky kits that were designed by massive overseas
factories? We feel like the new M5 kit is the perfect balance of quality
and value.”
travis smith_trivium
eric moore_suicidal tendencies
paul bostaph_testament
jon wilkes_red jumpsuit apparatus
M5 sets come in five stunning burst and fade lacquer
finishes in F.A.S.T. sized 8x10, 9x12, 12x14 toms,
matching 5x14” snare and 18x22” bass drum. 7x8
and 14x16” toms are sold separately and can
be added to expand the 5-piece set up.
Available at PDP retailers today or
check them out on the web at
www.pacificdrums.com.
PDP’s
X 7 S eri es G oe s Maple
No other va l u e - price d 7-piece kit comes c lo se.
Pacific Drums and Percussion has announced a major upgrade to their best-selling
7-piece kits. Shells are now made entirely of maple with absolutely no change in
price. That means drummers can now get pro features such as True Pitch Tuning,
STM (Suspension Tom Mounts), Remo heads and more, combined with a sonically
superior all-maple shell. Offered in a variety of stage-stealing lacquer and
wrapped finishes, X7 kits come in F.A.S.T. sized 7x8, 8x10, 9x12, 12x14 and 14x16”
toms with a matching 5x14 snare drum and 18x22” bass drum. See the upgraded
X7 series now at participating PDP dealers or online a www.pacificdrums.com.
Pl at inum Series Sounds
as Good as it Looks.
Launched just two short years ago, Drum Workshop’s PDP Platinum Series already has a serious list of notable
players taking them PDP’s all-maple Platinum Series features a sleek new patented dual oval tube lug design
with STM (Suspension Tom Mount) standard. It’s also got killer custom-inspired finishes, but what many
drummers many not know is just how good they sound. The secret is a straight 8-ply maple shell with a sharp
45 degree Pro Cut bearing edge. The warmth and projection of maple provides a big round tone and a lack
of reinforcement hoops means Platinum drums are big and open. A perfect combination for all hard hitting
players, from Gospel, Hip Hop, R&B to Hard Rock, Punk, Metal and beyond. See PDP’s high-end Platinum
Series drums at your favorite drum shop or online at www.pacificdrums.com.
[EDG E 8.0] 5
>Time Machine: J R r ob in s on
>TIME
MACHINE
J ohn JR Rob i ns o n:
track and I played to it. It must have went
well, because they asked me to come back
every week at that time to work with them
and I became the studio drummer. There
were a couple of “famous” drummers at that
time, that will go un-named that I replaced,
who couldn’t play to the
click.
a c areer retr o spec t iv e
by rich m a ng i c ar o
RM: As you know, John
– it’s not something that
every drummer can do
well. Not only to play with
the click, to lock with it, but
also to play musically with
it.
I’ve known John JR Robinson for a while now. Four
years ago, I had the distinct honor of signing him
to his Paiste endorsement agreement. Ironically,
this was one of the last major achievements that
I enjoyed while working with the Swiss cymbal
company, because shortly after that, I moved on
from my career there to pursue my playing and
writing full-time. Now, after all these years and
most ironically, I’m once again experiencing an
honor when DW asked me to interview John for
his article in Edge. John and I have become good
friends over the years and while we’re colleagues
in this business, I never loose sight of who this
man is…and I’m continually humbled.
Very few musicians have achieved what John has.
Since he began his recording career back in the
late 70’s, John Robinson has played on more hit
recordings than just about anyone in the history
of popular music. Just naming a few of them –
“Rock With You”, “We Are The World”, “All
Night Long”, “Back In The High Life”, “Change
The World” – these songs are household titles…
without even naming the artists. And the list
goes on…and on. We sat down recently at DW to
have a conversation about his big decision to leave
the drum company that he was with for 28 years,
why he did this and basically try to review his
massive career, all within an hour! Through the
magic of the Internet, you can find that interview
on DrumChannel.com, by the way. You may find
some little gems that don’t quite translate here in
print. Don’t worry – we kept it clean!
Rich Mangicaro: John, this is a major change for
you and I know, one you thought very carefully
about. When I found out, it seemed to make sense
to me.
John Robinson: I think the natural evolution
of me being with DW is coming full circle
because when I was a kid, I was playing
maple, American drums. It’s great to be
welcomed and made to feel like family, right
out of the gate.
RM: And they’re right around the corner from
your house!
JR: It is…I can roll outta the rack and in
twenty minutes, I’m here!
RM: Before we get into your history, I want to
address this change. You had a long association
with your previous drum family and I’m sure
many would like to know how you came to this
decision. I know you’re a very loyal guy and take
your relationships very seriously.
JR: You know, being with one company
for almost 29 years and then leaving, is like
a divorce. You get used to certain ways
things are done and of course, I made a lot
of great records on Yamaha drums. But, as
life progresses and changes, both companies
and artists grow and change and it was time
for me. With DW, the question was how
was my personality and soul going to come
through with these drums. I just did a gig
this past Saturday with David Foster for the
Andre Agassi Foundation in Vegas and I had
that Christmas morning anticipation. I got
to sound check an hour early and hardly had
to do anything to them…they just sounded
amazing almost right away. On that gig, I
was playing with Lionel Richie, Macy Gray,
Tim McGraw, Daughtry and Cherise, so there
was this huge variety of styles and everybody
said that I sounded better than ever.
RM: You know, I’ve known both John Good and
Don Lombardi for a long time and have enjoyed
watching their success. You’ve known them as
well for some time, right?
JR: Yes…I’ve known John for a long time
and as you know, when you walk into his
office, it’s filled with beautiful, raw shells
and different exotic woods. I’m a wood guy
so I just love that. We’re the same age, have
similar concepts and we both like football!
Everything translates into these drums. It’s
been really nice to exchange ideas and then
realize that we’re on the same page.
RM: So you’re originally from Iowa. What was
it like growing up in a small town? Was there
any kind of a music scene?
JR: I was young so the scene was my Dad
would wail on me when I didn’t practice
piano! He was very musical as was my Mom
and both my Grandfathers as well. I also
have cousins that play but I was the one who
was crazy enough to try to make a living
out of it. Mom taught me what Swing was,
the concept of it and pointed out examples
on recordings. What got me though was a
45 I had of “When The Saints Go Marching
In”, from a film about Red Nichols featuring
Danny Kaye. I was 7 and I played that over
and over and wore it out. That led me to my
first drum set when I was 8. It was a 1940’s
Ludwig kit, no Toms, just a snare, bass drum,
hi-hat and old Zildjian cymbal. I wasn’t even
holding the sticks correctly but I played a
swing beat, right away.
RM: Were you in school music programs?
JR: Eventually. When I was 10, I met a guitar
player through my parents and we had a duo
photos by Rob Shanahan
that played and opened for older aged bands.
I studied snare drum and also sang in church,
which I think helped with my drumming.
Then in Jr. High, there were two drummers
ahead of me, a few years older and I finally
got the chance to play. I made a lot of mistakes
reading the chart but the band director, Dick
Bauman thought my feel was much better
than the other two guys and I finally got my
reading together. Then during High School,
I played in bands and went to Jazz band
camps during the summers. That’s when I
met Ed Soph. At that time, I was trying to
decide whether to pursue a career in music
or basketball…I had an offer for a basketball
scholarship but finally decided that I wanted
to make a career of music. It was Ed who
inspired me to choose the Berklee College of
Music in Boston.
RM: So, who was else was at Berklee when you
were there?
JR: Whew! In Gary Chaffee’s class was
Steve Smith, Kenwood Dennard and Vinnie
Colaiuta! That class was intense.
RM: Would you say that Gary was your
predominant influence?
JR: Actually, it was Alan Dawson. I was very
fortunate to get 6 months in with Alan. I
think between my Ed Soph education and
Alan’s, it’s all melody-based. With Ed, he
changed me from a toe bass drum player to
a heel-down player. That took a couple of
years to do.
RM: For melodic reading, was it with mallets or
piano?
JR: It was mallets and at that time, I wasn’t
allowed to use piano as my minor instrument
and I was distraught about that. I wanted to
have piano under my belt, but at that time,
mallets were what they viewed as the way
for drummers to learn melodic reading. But I
did end up studying with Dave Samuels and
we became friends and did gigs together as
well.
RM: So you were giggin’ all the time during
Berklee?
JR: Always. Although there weren’t many
gigs at that time, I began playing around
town. Also, there was only one studio at
Berklee at that time and I ended up getting
asked to replace some drum parts on some
music-minus-one stuff and I didn’t even
know what a click was! They pulled up the
JR: Well that’s it. I think
then, I realized that I
wanted to be a studio
drummer. My plan was
to get through Berklee
and then move to New
York. I was in my 3rd
year and then left to just
focus on working.
“Working with John
and this company
is so exciting and
when you hear
their drums and see
what goes into it all,
there’s no question
why they’re the
leader. ”
RM: Is this when Rufus found you?
JR: I was in a band called “Shelter”, touring
around the Northeast and Midwest and one
time, in Cleveland, Rufus came with Chaka
into the club we were playing. At the end of
the set, they asked if they could sit in with
me. By the end of the night, that entire band
was up on stage with me and we did an
entire set…and it was smokin’! Four weeks
later, I was in Los Angeles and in that band.
RM: So you began touring with them?
JR: They were on an international tour and
my first gig was in Hawaii! That’s were
I met Danny Seraphine! I had always
idolized Danny, with the Midwest connect,
the Chicago records…now we’re golfing
buddies!
RM: So did you record with them right away or
was there touring work first?
JR: We toured for about a month…I finished
out their ’78 tour, before I went in the studio
with them. I ended up doing quite a few
records with them.
RM: Your drum part for “Ain’t Nobody” is
really great…I’ve heard you talk about that in
some of your clinics.
JR: Many think it was a programmed part,
but it was me playing that groove. It’s a
very robotic part, which is what we were
going for. It was a big hit for them.
RM: And that was around the time period when
you met Quincy Jones?
JR: I had met him before that, but he then
came in to produce one of our records. Not
long after that, I got the call to work with
Quincy on Michael Jackson’s “Off The Wall”
record.
RM: Did you have any idea of what you were
getting into, at that time?
It seems like that record
was Michael’s transition
between
his
Jacksons
era and his solo superstardom.
JR: And Quincy is the
great master of that. He
really brought Michael
to the enormous place. The timing of all
this was amazing. All the players on that
album were stellar including my old band
mates from Rufus and Paulinho Da Costa on
percussion. That record changed history.
RM: It seems that it
changed your career…
you’ve
been
working
constantly since. Since
space in this article doesn’t
permit to thoroughly cover
your discography, although
what article would, I love
how you’ve organized
your recording credits by
year, on your website. I
recommend our readers to
check that out. It’s quite
incredible.
JR: Man, I’m trying to
remember ‘em all. I’m
still trying to organize
and catalog it all. I still
haven’t figured out Asia
or Europe!
RM: One has to wonder whether you ever had a
social life back then. Tell me about a typical day,
when you were recording so much. You were
doing 3 sessions in one day. Was this also when
cartage services began to take affect?
JR: Exactly. I had Rufus’ roadie
helping me. I had heard storied then
about Steve Gadd doing this type of
schedule too. It was typically a 10am,
2pm and a 6pm. Sometimes, we’d
even have an 11pm hit too. Those
were the hay days of recording and
LA was just flowering. That’s why
I loved Jeff (Porcaro) so much…he
was very kind to me when I came to
LA and we found ourselves sharing
the load on many records. Now,
our industry’s changed so much
that there are very few record dates
anymore that feature a rhythm
section, playing live, like back then.
I still get called for that, especially for
film soundtrack sessions, but it’s the
reason why I and many other guys
have built studios in our homes.
RM:
John, will
all
the
great
hit records that
you’ve played on,
do you have any
favorites?
JR: Well, Steve
Winwood’s
“Higher Love”
and “Back In The
High Life” were both incredible and they
allowed me to do what I wanted. It’s very
rare that we get to do that and producer
Russ Titelman really gave me the freedom to
express. That whole record was great.
RM: John, what would you say to young players
out there, given the current state of our business,
who are trying to get in and make something for
themselves?
JR: I just wrote a curriculum for Berklee
about this. I’ve always had some kind of
home studio so I feel it’s always important
for drummers to control their own destiny.
I say always collaborate and co-write with
others. Log your ideas and learn electronics…
not just electronic drums but learn a protools rig, know your Mac and know how to
mic your drums and learn what mics work
best for what drum. I also wanted to say
something about my new association with
DW. My new drum set is extraordinary.
Working with John and this company is so
exciting and when you hear their drums and
see what goes into it all, there’s no question
why they’re the leader.
S el ecte d D i s c o gra p hy :
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Barbra Streisand: The Concerts
Peter Cetera: You’re the Inspiration: A Collection
Quincy Jones: Ultimate Collection
Celine Dion: Unison / Celine Dion / Colour Of My Love
Bonnie Raitt: Nine Lives-Remastered
Mariah Carey: Rainbow (Bonus Track)
Babyface: Collection of His Greatest Hits
Dave Koz: Dance
Clint Black: D’Lectrified
Chris Botti: Slowing Down the World
David Foster: Touch of David Foster
Randy Newman: Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman
Luis Miguel: Todos Los Romances
Joe Cocker: Greatest Hits [EMI]
Steve Perry: When You’re in Love (For the First Time)
Bette Midler: Bathouse Betty
Stanley Clarke: Bass-ic Collection
Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Heavenly
Joe Cocker: Across from Midnight
Boz Scaggs: My Time The Anthology (1969-1997)
Vonda Shepard: Vonda Shepard
Karen Carpenter: Karen Carpenter
Neil Diamond: In My Lifetime
Disney: Music from the Park
Rufus & Chaka Khan: Very Best of Rufus Ftg Chaka Khan
Peter Frampton: Frampton Comes Alive II
The Temptations: Emperors of the Soul
Elton John: Duets
Wilson Phillips: Shadows & Light
Manhattan Transfer: Anthology: Down in Birdland
Kenny G: Breathless
Mike Oldfield: Tubular Bells II
Rod Stewart: Vagabond Heart
Jeff Lorber: Worth Waiting For
Patti LaBelle: Burnin’
Robbie Robertson: Storyville
Tom Scott: Keep This Love Alive
Aretha Franklin: Through the Storm
Rubén Blades: Nothing But the Truth
Glen Fry: Soul Searchin’
Michael Jackson: Bad
Steve Winwood: Back in the High Life
Bob Seger: Like a Rock
David Lee Roth: Crazy from the Heat
Laura Branigan: Self Control
Fee Waybill: Read My Lips
Peabo Bryson: Straight From the Heart
Herb Alpert: Magic Man
Rufus: Numbers
[EDG E 8.0] 7
>HARDWARE
NEWS
80 00 ser i es u lt r a h eav y - du t y
ped a ls & H a rd war e
and hardware. Rock’s elite swears by
DW 9000 series pedals and stands,
but what about the really hard hitters,
the guys who play massive cymbals
and even bigger drums? Until now,
heavy-alloy 22” crash cymbals, highflying china cymbals, floor tom-sized
rack toms and larger-than-average kick
drums have been a drum tech’s worst
nightmare. Those days are over.
Roy Mayorga - Stone Sour
Drum Workshop is known for designing
and building some of the world’s most
reliable, heavy-duty, road-tested pedals
Recently, DW launched its largest scale
hardware to date. The ultra heavyduty line includes two types of hybrid
pedals, the chromed-out 8000 and
8000B Black Diamond Power Footboard
models. Both include a 5000-like fixedcam hex shaft for maximum throw, with
the versatility of a 9000 adjustable cam.
All-metal construction and a diamond
steel base plate means these pedals
were designed to survive the toughest
beatings and the 8000B’s extended
footboard provides optimum leverage
to push lots of air. Matching hi-hat
stands are available for both models in
2-leg versions for double bass drum and
double pedal players. “We wanted to
create the ultimate chain drive pedals
for Metal drummers”, comments DW’s
R&D Specialist, Rich Sikra. “There are
some direct-drive, boutique pedals out
there that cater to a heavier style of
play, but we wanted drummers to have
the option of a fast, yet powerful chain
drive pedal”, continues Sikra. “Then we
decided to do a heavier line of stands to
compliment the series.”
DW 8000 stands feature Mega-Tripod
bases for a wider footprint and largergauge steel tubing to avoid sway
and flex. Oversized tube joints and
memory locks were tooled-up to keep
stands planted in place, and removable
counter weights and T-Ball tom arms
come standard. “DW Chairman and
R&D Chief Don Lombardi explains,
“We have a retro-styled 6000 Series
for Vintage and Jazz players, a 7000
Series single-braced line for gigging
drummers and 9000 Series hardware
for just about everyone else, but what
we didn’t have was an over-sized stand
for heavy rock guys.” The 8000 Series
includes a straight/boom 8700 cymbals
stand, 8300 snare stand, 8999 double
tom stand with three cymbal arms, 8500
& 8500B hi-ht sands and 8100 & 8120
4-leg thrones with included backrest.
Lombardi concludes, “This stuff is for
monster drummers, guys who hit hard
and play big drums and cymbals. We
dare you to break this stuff.”
We Believe that a pedal
should be built like a tank,
but never play like one.
The 8000 pedal, a hybrid design that combines key features from its 9000 and 5000 Series
cousins. A road-ready workhorse that provides drummers with the unmatched versatility of an
infinite adjustable cam and the power of a time-tested, chain-driven hex shaft. The best of both
worlds atop a sturdy piece of steel diamond plate. Sure, the 8000 is built to last, but its
smooth, responsive playability is what drummers really love.
8000 Artists (L to R) Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour), Paul Bostaph (Testament) and Travis McNabb (Sugarland).
Product (Clockwise) 8500T Hi-Hat, 8500TB Hi-Hat, 8002 Double Pedal, 8000B Single Pedal.
The complete line of 8000 Series pedals and hi-hats, see them at
Product (L to R) 8300 Snare Stand, 8700 Cymbal Stand, 8500TB Hi-Hat, 8500T Hi-Hat, 8120B Throne, 8002 Double Pedal,
8000 Single Pedal, 8799 Triple Cymbal/Double Tom Stand, 8002B Double Pedal and 8000B Single Pedal.
www.dwdrums.com
©2009 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
>TECH
TIPS
building chr is tia n’ s k it
>UP
CLOSE
danny s er ap h i ne: CTA
By I a i n “ro bbo ” R o b ert s o n
By Rich Mangicaro
Photos by Rick Malkin
don’
t c a l l i t a c o me back
l e g en d a r y d r um mer danny se raph i ne returns to the spotlight.
Danny Seraphine was put on this earth to
play drums. He’ll tell you it’s what he does best.
And as many of us know, he’s been incredibly
successful at it. As a founding member of the
multi-platinum, Grammy-winning band Chicago,
Danny has carved his place in music history as
one of music’s most influential drummers. Any of
us who play drums have, at one time in our lives,
spent time learning the grooves for such enormous
hits as “25 Or 6 To 4”, “Make Me Smile” (that
drum solo at the end!), “Beginnings”, “Saturday
In The Park”…the list goes on and on. How many
of us have played in cover bands, playing these
songs…playing his parts. All of us! Being one of
the few bands in history to fuse Jazz and Rock the
way they did, Danny’s playing provided a new level
of drumming in popular music and to this day,
continues to inspire generations.
In this issue’s Up Close, we wanted to know what
Danny’s up to lately. We found some exciting
things to check out, to listen to and to look forward
to.
Rich Mangicaro: Danny, your band California
Transit Authority-C.T.A. is great. Tell us about
this project. You formed the band in 2006, right?
RM: I know Rick Van Horn is a huge fan of your
playing, so I’m sure it was a dream-come-true for
him to do the introductions!
DS: Rick was great…everyone at the magazine
was.
RM: Was it sort of a launching pad show for you
and the band?
DS: We began playing shows around the
country, yes. However, we still haven’t found
representation for the band yet. You would
think with these members and what they each
bring to the table, we’d have some interest, but
we’re still trying to find that match. I think it’s
a bit political that we don’t have an agent yet.
RM: That and what’s happened to our industry in
the past 8 years. That’s what is so wonderful the
drum community – we’re all here to support each
other and I’ve experienced this love and support, no
matter what level of player, no matter what region
of the world. Drummers just like to hang and share
ideas. What DW and DrumChannel.com are doing
is just that – extending this exchange and support,
worldwide.
Danny Seraphine: Yes. Peter Fish, a friend and
keyboardist/composer told me that he wanted
to play in a band with me. At that time, I
was jamming with Gregg Bissonette, who
introduced me to guitarist Marc Bonilla. We
had met with Don Lombardi, DW’s Founder
and he suggested we put a band together to
play for photographer Lissa Wales’ benefit
concert in Arizona. So we did some rehearsing
in LA, brought in Ed Roth on keyboards and
Mick Mahan on bass and it sounded really
good. When we got to Arizona, we still
needed a singer and Larry Braggs, who flew
in with David Garibaldi and Tower Of Power,
volunteered. Well, Larry brought it to a whole
other level and, in front of my eyes, I’m seeing
this band blossom. It was like Chicago on
steroids…like the original C.T.A. I realized
then that this was the band I’d been waiting
for. After our 3 songs, the ovation was pretty
overwhelming and I looked at Peter and said,
“Hey, we got somethin’ here.”
RM: How was the experience when you guys played
Modern Drummer’s festival? I saw the video of it,
which was fantastic.
DS: Thank you. Man, that was a really great
thing. The reception from the crowd was so
warm and enthusiastic. I was humbled by it
and you know, it had been a long time since I’ve
played those songs in front of a large crowd, so
it was really great to feel the appreciation from
everyone. It was an emotional night for me.
drum m er: C h r i s tian Eigner
band: D e p ec h e M o de
>>>
DS: I executive-produced a movie called
“Lonely Street” and produced the soundtrack.
The story is about an older Elvis, played by
Robert Patrick, who fakes his own death
because he hated what he had become…and
then plans his own comeback. The film is
available to rent now and the soundtrack will
be available soon…I’m just finishing it up. I’ve
also produced a couple of Broadway plays
and I’m doing a series of clinics now, which all
my companies are graciously behind. I love
doing them and meeting other drummers.
Regarding the band, C.T.A. we’ll be in the
studio soon to do our next record, which I’m
really excited about. We’re planning on doing
mostly original material and a few Chicago
tunes. There are a few Chicago songs I cowrote that, although not quite as well known
as the bigger hits, were really cool tunes and
will be fun for us to do in this band, our own
way. I’ve also thought about doing some bigband arrangements of the tunes…I’d love to
do that. Otherwise, we have some shows this
month back east and in San Diego.
RM: Thank you Danny. It’s been an honor and I’m
looking forward to seeing the band soon!
T e ch :
r o bbo
The main kick is tuned to be as BIG as
possible – it is a 20x24” and has a loose
Remo Ambassador bass clear head. We
have a 6” hole cut at 4 o’clock in the
front head, which is also as loose as
possible without wrinkling. There is a
double pedal on this kick.
a big snare sound. (Enjoy the Silence).
The second kick is tuned as high as
possible on both front and back heads.
There is no dampening at all in here.
The idea is to use this as an FX kick.
We put distortion and reverb on it and
Christian uses it in a couple of songs
almost like a gated snare! (Never Let
Me Down).
Tom 1 is also 10” but a slightly deeper
shell (5”) – again it is tuned as high as
possible - as if it was piccolo 3, but its
positioned to the right of the main hat
to fit with required tom fills. (In Your
Room).
There are 2 piccolo toms (4x8” & 4x10”)
mounted on the left of the kit above
Snare 2 – these are double headed
piccolo toms - both tuned as high as
possible on top.
The main snare (5.5x14”) sounds so
naturally good at most tensions that
it is tuned almost entirely for stick
response. At the required tension it
has natural lows, but still has plenty of
high-end crack on rim-shots.
Racks 2 and 3 (6x12” & 6x13”) and
Floor 1 and 2 (14x16” and 16x18”) are
more traditional toms. Tuning starts
with the 18” floor, trying to get it as low
as possible without too much flapping
(Personal Jesus) and then tuning up
roughly in 4ths, as I usually do on
Simon Phillips’ kit.
Snare 2 is deeper (7x14”) and is tuned
as low as possible and with the snares
looser – it too, is used with reverb as
We have been amazed at how
deep and rich a sound we
can get from the 12” and 13”
toms considering their shallow shells–
they sound like others’ regular depth
13” and 14” toms respectively.
In fact, Christian started by spec’ing
deeper shells on rack 2 and 3, but he
likes his rack toms almost flat and with
24” kicks we had to angle them to get
them at the correct playing height. By
knocking an inch off the depth of these
shells we are now able to get them as
flat as he wants and still achieve the
desired deep, rich tom sound.
Finally, can I just say how much
Christian and I enjoyed building this
kit with the DW Rack system? This is
a big kit with a lot fit into a confined
space – often with no more than 1/8”
between items. With other rack systems,
you invariably find that the position
you want is in between 2 cogs on an
angle bracket, and it usually involves
compromises. With this DW Rack, you
can adjust things to exactly where you
want them to go and then, lock them
off!
Christian’s
depeche mode rig
DS: That’s right. I’ve been
with them for a long time
and love what they’re all
about. And Don Lombardi
was instrumental in the
inspiration for this band.
RM: So what do we have to
look forward to with you and
also C.T.A.?
Collector’s series
SSC Maple in classic marine finishpy™
20x24” Kick Drum, 20x24” Kick Drum
5.5x14” snare, 7x14” snare
4x8” piccolo, 4x10” piccolo
5x10” rack tom
6x12” rack tom
6x13” rack tom
14x16” floor tom, 16x18” floor tom
DW 5000 & 9000 Series Pedals
DW Rack System Hardware
[EDG E 8.0] 11
>4 QUESTIONS:
1 legendary music city, 3 in-demand pl ayers
Travis McNabb • Cactus Moser • Billy Mason
1. There are so many talented
players in Nashville, how do
you manage to land big gigs on
a consistent basis?
The Nashville music scene is always
evolving. With the demise of a
traditional music industry, Music Row
has been whittled down to a select few
major labels and studios are going out
of business faster than you can say,
“Pro Tools”. Nowhere are these global
music biz changes more prevalent, than
in a music-centric city like Nashville.
It’s a city that synonymous with
American music, musicians and music
fans. So what’s a drummer to do when
record sales are declining, local gigs
are fleeting and it’s getting harder and
harder to make ends meet as a session
cat? Answer: you hit the road.
We posed the identical four questions
to Sugarland’s Travis McNabb, Tim
McGraw’s Billy Mason and Julianne
Hough’s Cactus Moser to see what we’d
come up with and the answers are both
interesting and enlightening. It seems
there are many ways to reach Nashville’s
lofty heights, but only a select few will
actually make the climb.
Cactus: For me it’s been interesting. I
had my own band, Highway 101, for
many years and that of course has the
upside of being your own boss. So, I
only had to kiss my own butt to get the
gig...no wait did I say that out loud?
What I mean is you only have to worry
about making hit records in order to
keep yourself employed. Granted,
that’s a daunting task some of the time.
It’s great to know why you’re working.
I feel that a big part of being successful
in this business, is knowing why
some players are able to get and keep
themselves employed! I have worked
with other artists , at the same time
as being in Highway. I just am always
looking for situations that will let me
do what it is that I love to do, and that is
play! Studio work here in
Nashville is as tough to
get as it is in any music
city. So, I always try to
make sure people are
very aware that I am here
and not on the road all
the time so they will call
and give me the chance to
say yes or no to working
opportunities. I feel like
producing and finding
ways to create music, such
as writing, really are great
ways to stay employed.
Billy: I landed my gig because
I was willing to play any gig
Travis: More so than any particular
drummers, I think so much of my
musical voice was formed by my
surroundings. My dad played in
a Rock band in the 60s and his dad
played Bluegrass music in the 40s,
so I feel like so much of what I do
comes straight down the line from
those guys. I grew up with a healthy
exposure to so much different music,
which is reflected in my career, and
by my work in the Rock and Country
worlds.
Photos by Gregg Roth
in town for 50 bucks a night, or even
for tips. You’ve got to be humble and
willing to do whatever it takes. Then,
you’ll meet more players and get in the
circle.
at the quality level they need, but that
are people they actually WANT to be
around. If you couldn’t make the music
feel good, you wouldn’t even get a shot.
But on TOP of that, being a positive force
and being easy to deal with personally
makes it feel good on other levels, and
that goes a long way.
2. What’s the Nashville studio
scene like these days?
Travis: It goes
w i t h o u t
saying that
y o u ’ r e
expected
to ‘bring it’
m u s i c a l l y.
One thing
some guys
overlook
is the fact
that A-list
artists can
afford to
surround
themselves
with people that not only can play
Travis: I’m relatively new to the
Nashville studio scene. The bulk of my
session work has been in Los Angeles
until recently. I will say that there is a
lot in addition to Country happening
in Nashville, and so far folks have been
very kind and welcoming.
Billy: The studio scene is tough here.
There’s so much music downloading
going on. Now, people are recording
at small studios and putting it out on
YouTube themselves.
Cactus: It’s still healthy, yet with the
recording world becoming something
we all do in our homes, it’s changed a
great deal. When I first came here from
Los Angeles there were drummers
working all day and every day, making
demos for song writers. Now many of
those demos are being done on Garage
Band or Pro Tools rigs in writers’ homes,
so there’s a lot more players trying to get
the same gigs. You have the guys that
were only doing master sessions, now
doing demos and the demo mill guys
doing live touring gigs. It’s still a “be
ready and be professional when you get
there world.” Maybe more personal PR
is required to keep you in the mix than
it use to be. Just talking to people opens
many doors.
3. Who are your Nashville
drumming heroes?
Billy: Lonnie Wilson, Paul Liem, Eddie
Bayers.
Cactus: Larry London is a guy that was
as creative a player and as diverse, as
any of those that have come from this
town. I came to Nashville from Los
Angeles and Larry was one of the
players that I had heard on Elvis, or
on Conway records, or even on a Steve
Perry record. Greg Morrow is a guy that
has a very similar playing style, being
able to play with root feel and chops
that match. Eddie Bayers basically
defined the session drummer of the last
20 years. He has played on so many
records, it really is amazing! Doing
that many master session dates in one
career…priceless!
4. What advice do you have for
young, up and coming players
that want a career in Nashville?
Cactus: Be as professional as you can
in your attitude and in your playing
ability. You have to look at yourself as a
product. Ask yourself, how can I present
my product in the best light possible?
Your playing has to be solid, you have
to be able to play with the click, and
be creative. Finally, know when and
how to interact with the people you
are working for and with! It’s not brain
surgery, just be polite and smart. That’ll
go a long way to having a great and long
career doing something that’s not a job,
but something you honor doing!
Travis: Character in one’s playing
matters. Machine-like ‘perfection’ is
BORING! Get your time together, get
your chops together, get your feel
together, and then play with PASSION.
Embrace your natural tendencies, let
them become your own musical voice,
and play like a human!
Billy: Young players need to work hard
to play every style of music out there.
Take as many gigs as you can, anything
that comes along. You’ll learn so much
playing with different players. That’s
what I did, and I guess it worked.
[EDGE 8.0] 13
>TALKING
DRUMS
SSC S p ec i al i z ed s he ll c o n fi g u rati o n
Nei l P e a rt & J Ohn Good
discuss the fi ner point s of dw’s
l atest shell technology
Neil: Hello. Neil Peart here. I’m with
Professor John Good and he is going to
explain to us a very complicated subject.
I’m just going to be the chief device for
exposition. I’m the student, as I always
like to say here at Drum Workshop. I’m
the student and resident, always glad to
learn from all of the great drummers that
come through and John about the nuances
of drum construction. He’s going to tell us
today about something called “Specialized
Shell Construction” and everything that
covers and as we’ve applied it between the
two of us in instruments and as John is
going to make available to all drummers,
a truly individual choice in each shell and
its note and response that you can combine
together as you wish, really, in the creation
of your own custom DW drum set. Over to
Professor Good.
with incredible sustain and I love that in
the lower toms for them to have that great
note recognition and quality, so that became
a part of the shell design. It started with
the lower toms, I think, and with the bass
drum, John applying his ideas in creating
tonality by combining the wood grains in
different directions.
John: Well, having said that, I, in the
earlier years of drum shell construction
and making, I always thought it was
the thicker the shell, the higher the
pitch, thinner the shell, lower the pitch
and that’s it.
Neil: Huh…OK, I didn’t even know that.
John: Oh yeah. Well, like cymbals. The
thicker ones have a higher pitch and
the thinner ones have a darker, washier
pitch. So, today we’re going to mess
with that theory entirely.
Neil: I mean investigate that science.
John: And the way we want to start
doing that is I brought three pieces of
veneer here and I’ve drawn some lines
so you can actually see…
John: Thank you. Thank you very
much. Now Neal, essentially we’ve
been doing this for a number of years,
you and I. And I think it started with
your R30 kit.
Neil: They didn’t grow that way.
Neil: Yeah, you started to get some glimmers
of inspiration back then.
Neil: Ha ha ha…But we’re looking.
John: Yes, I did because you were, I
remember you landed your kit, the red
kit, in my showroom and you said, “Look
at it. Live with it for a couple weeks and
look at the way I’ve got it tuned”. And
before that I was just giving stock pretty
much, shells that I was making and you
were tuning them in ranges that maybe
they wanted to go.
Neil: Or that pleased me, yeah. There are
various needs that you have and from my
upper to lower toms is a perfect example of
that chromatic spread that the upper ones,
I actually like to be very bright and tonal
and tune them really tight and then a lot
of times use percussive dynamics, so that
when I really hit them full-out rimshot
across the head, that head stretches and
detunes slightly, so that becomes a part of
the throaty quality that I want the high
toms to add, but as I move down into the
lower ones, tonality is everything. I’ve done
a demonstration before with my DW drums
tapping that floor tom with a finger and
ooooh, it just produces a pure resonant note
John: They didn’t grow this way. It’d
be pretty cool to find a tree that does
that.
John: So, I’ve drawn an arrow on the
direction of the grain…to understand
really what we’re talking about here,
you really need to understand veneer
first and so, I will use you as my
student.
Neil: Hmm.
veneer and this is very, very thin
obviously, but the grain is running in
the direction. If you hold your hand
out, you will see that it holds itself very
well.
this wacky, wild diagonal cut piece of
grain here and if you hold your hand
out, you’ll notice that it twists like this.
Neil: It keeps its shape.
John: Now, if you tap the side while
I try to straighten it out, look what
happens. Tap the side.
John: And the grain is running this
direction. Now, every piece of wood
has a musical note value and you’ll
be able to hear this. Tell me if you can
hear it.
Neil: It wants to spiral.
Neil: Tap tap tap tap tap tap…it seems
to me an even exaggerated raising of the
pitch.
John: There’s a note in there. Ok now,
see the way I’m tapping this, I’m gonna
hold it and I want you to tap it for me.
John: It’s raising the pitch, but it’s
getting its tension from a whole
different place, so we’re going to call
that “diagonal grain”, right? What
does all this mean? Ah…
Neil: Listen...Remarkable.
Neil: Ha ha ha. How can we use it?
John: So the pitch went up, right? And
the pitch went up with tension. Now,
feel this tension here. That’s a fair
amount of tension.
John: How can we use it?
Neil: Yeah.
Neil: When we hit things with a stick.
John: It absolutely does. So that’s what
we’re going to call “horizontal grain”.
Then we have another piece here that
is a similar size. If you hold your hand
out, and you notice the grain is going
the opposite direction, it’s going “short
grain”. Hold your hand out, you’ll see
how it just falls.
John: Which we’ll get into later and is
a very interesting concept. How can
we us it? I have 5 drum shells here and
the first shell is the typical ….the shells
that I love….many years…olive grain
on the outside…on the inside, crosslaminated in between. It’s a 7-ply shell
with 3-ply reinforcing hoops…one goes
this way, the one behind it goes that
way and then this way…and you have
to have….So that’s a 7+3, 3-ply hoop....
Neil: Like a piece of wallpaper.
and more at www.dwdrums.com/ssc
Neil: It wants to straighten out.
John: Ha ha, basically yes. And it has
a note value as well, but I wouldn’t be
able to change that because I can’t put
any tension on this, so we’re going
to call that “vertical
grain”. Then I
have
John: OK, here we have
a piece of 1/36”
[EDGE 8.0] 15
in through the outdoor
He’s a got a personality as big as his football player
physique and a feel and pocket that won’t quit. A
dynamic stage performer and studio ace that was
once was an outsider like the rest of us, and now
has music’s elite on his speed dial.
photos by Rob Shanahan
It’s hard to imagine
our
world
of
contemporary music
without the name
Laboriel attached to
it. Performing on over
4,000 recordings and
soundtracks,
Abe’s
father Abraham Sr., has
inspired generations
Rich Mangicaro
of musicians.
Abe
Jr.’s
destiny
was
inevitable…he had, of course very natural abilities on
whatever he picked up. His father impressed upon
him the importance of the feel and flow of music
and how to be musical, regardless of style or tempo,
complexity or simplicity. The key was always to play
for the song.
I first met Abe Jr. during his high school years, at the
NAMM show in Anaheim, California. That year, I
had booked Jeff Porcaro with a band he assembled
to perform in our booth at Paiste and Jeff came to
me and said, “Rich, meet Abe Laboriel’s son, Abe Jr.
He’s gonna sit in and wait till you hear his samba!”
The feel and groove coming from this 17 year old
was so deep, something you could feel inside of you.
Something you could tell was coming from an old
soul.
abe Laboriel Jr.
Rich: I remember that day so well at the NAMM show,
when Jeff introduced us.
Abe: Yeah, it’s amazing…we’ve known each other for
22 years! You signed me to my Paiste Endorsement
and you were the first one to take a chance on me…
so thank you, man.
RM: Well, I’m honored. It’s great to have our long
friendship and to see where you’ve taken it. I admit that
I have some pride attached to it. You know, I’m sure in
all your interviews, you’ve been asked how it all started…
especially growing up with your Dad, who’s such a legend
in music. But, tell me – how do you remember it all
starting for you?
AL: Really, quite literally with pots and pans, 18
months old, wooden spoons, with headphones
on and just banging away. I got my first drum set
when I was 4 years old, which was a gift from Jamey
Haddad.
RM: Jamey is amazing…I didn’t know you had that
early history with him. Tell me about your other early
influences.
AL: My Dad plays a little drums and would show
me some things to play. He has an amazing feel and
would show me a simple beat and stress the pulse
and feel. I would play it and he would jam with me. I
would also listen to records and try to emulate what
I heard. We moved to LA when I was 5 and by the
time I turned 10, I told my Dad that I wanted to be
a professional musician, seriously. I would go to
sessions with him and watch him play with Gadd or
Jeff and many others. So then, Dad asked Alex Acuña
whom I should study with and Alex said, “I’ll teach
him.” Alex really gave me the freedom to explore
and learn improvisation.
RM: Was there reading involved?
[EDGE 8.0] 17
AL: A little bit. You know, we had the
“Syncopation” book but that wasn’t what attracted
me to the instrument. I think the freedom that I
had to explore with Alex kept me interested and
it wasn’t until later, when I was 16, that I began
studying with Peter Donald, from the Dick Grove
School and had some theory and reading lessons.
RM: How early was it that you began hanging with
Jeff Porcaro?
AL: I was about 15 when Jeff would call my Dad
and ask if he could take me to some sessions. He
would come pick me up and I got to watch him
record or rehearse. What was great about the
hangs with Jeff was that it was not just about the
drums but more about the interaction. When I
would geek out and ask him how to play a fill,
he would say, “Ah, you don’t wanna know that.”
But, he would eventually show me. With Jeff, I
learned about interacting with others and about
having a well-rounded life.
RM: What about Carlos Vega?
AL: With Carlos and Vinnie (Colaiuta) and J.R.,
it was more just hangin’ at sessions, coming with
my Dad. I’d ask them what sticks they used and
how they tuned the drums. Vinnie was the first
guy that I saw using coated Ambassadors, top and
bottom, which, at that time most guys were using
clears on the bottom. That helped me understand
that you can break “rules” and use different
combinations. Also, I would learn from them how
they would interpret a song, either from listening
or from a chart.
RM: Were you giggin’ around town at that time?
AL: Not really. My first real gig with my Dad
wasn’t until I was just about to leave LA for
Berklee. It was at the Baked Potato with Larry
Carlton and Greg Mathieson.
RM: Remember that day at the Paiste booth, when you
came and sat in? Had you ever played with them before
that day?
AL: No. Jeff just asked me to sit in and I was
foolishly confident enough to do it.
RM: Did your father ever sit with you and teach?
AL: Yes…the two things he would enforce were
groove and time. When we would jam together,
he would make sure I kept that focus. My Dad’s
understanding of syncopation is heavy. When
playing Jazz, he would make sure I kept the
melody in mind while playing time. He would
have me play the melody on the drum kit. This
was invaluable to me and when we play together
now, we know exactly where we are in the song.
There’s this unspoken language that we have
from our history of jamming so much. My father
has taught me practically everything I know.
RM: Tell me about your first recording experience?
AL: The first one was a Justo Almario record, with
my Dad and Alex Acuña on percussion. They
actually hired me to play drums on the record!
I wanted to be really prepared so I brought a
drum machine with all the clicks programmed
with different sounds and upbeats, so I was able
to control what we played to rather than try to
communicate that with the engineer. I had my
drums tuned just right and hired Ross Garfield to
see to that. It was so much fun and Dad was just
so proud. We were there 3 or 4 days.
RM: Were you gaining studio experience at Berklee?
AL: A little bit, but it hadn’t quite picked up there
yet. I went through a couple of teachers at Berklee
before landing with Ian Froman the instructor
who I really connected with. He opened my head
SO much and pushed me to think outside the box
and beyond the downbeat…in a more free-form
way. I learned from him how to trust the other
players more. Ian’s approach was a continuation
of what my Dad and Alex taught me, but he put it
in a different context that resonated with me.
“There’s this
unspoken language
that we have from our
history of jamming so
much. My father has
taught me practically
everything I know.”
RM: Did you finish school?
AL: Yes, although whilst there, I got an offer to
tour with Barry Manilow and I considered it
pretty seriously. At first, I wasn’t finding my niche
at Berklee. What I did get into was working with
Phil Wilson, the ensemble leader. He really took
me under his wing and pushed me to improve my
reading. The first time I showed up outside his
office, with my kit on my back…I figured out how
to carry an entire kit on my back…(laughs). When
he saw me, he laughed and I said, “What – am I
early?” I then looked in his office and he had the
smallest office! He said, “No man, all you need is
your snare!” He really opened my eyes to the fact
that I hadn’t really explored just one of the pieces
of my instrument, let alone all of it. I left the rest
of the kit out in the hall and, with Phil, I realized
all of the different tones and sounds you can get
out of just one instrument. Using sticks, brushes,
hands, snares off, hitting the side of the drum, or
any combination therein. This was another lifechanging experience for me. I think this is why
I’ve never felt the need to have a bunch of toms or
a large kit and to explore as much as you can with
a simpler setup.
RM: That’s a great compliment to Phil as you’re kind
of known for that. So, what happened with that offer
from Barry Manilow?
AL: It was a hard decision, but I decided to stay in
school. I changed majors…I felt I had gotten all I
could out of the drum department and switched
to Music Synthesis. I still studied with Ian, but I
wanted to work in a field that would really have
merit in the future of recorded music. So I worked
a lot with synthesizers, sequencing, programming
and some production techniques. Sampling
was really at the vanguard then and that really
interested me. So, I did that for the last 2 years of
school, while still playing in bands around town.
RM: You know, the first time I saw you with
McCartney, you were singing background vocals and
I thought, what an amazing experience to be singing
those vocal parts with him! Recently, I saw a video
clip of you singing lead for a French artist…what was
her name?
AL: Mylene Farmer. Yeah, that was in Paris and
we did 13 shows in a row in an arena that held
18,000 plus.
RM: How did that gig come about?
AL: In 1996, I had worked with Steve Vai, Seal
and also Jonathan Brooke, doing theater gigs in
the States. I then got a call to play with this French
Pop star. That was Mylene. When I got there, we
walked into this arena, 20,000 seats and I had no
idea that she was that big. We rehearsed there for
2 weeks and then, the first night of the tour, I was
shocked by the crowd. It was like a Beatles crowd!
I had never heard that before…they were so loud
and intense. That was my first experience playing
to a crowd like that.
RM: That spawned a few other French artists, right?
AL: Yeah…I toured with her for about 6 months of
that year and then worked for about a year with
Johnny Hallyday. My first night with him was in
Paris, in front of 85,000 people and I was again
blown away by the intensity of that situation. So,
by the time I toured with Sting and Paul, I was
comfortable playing those types of venues and all
that comes with it.
RM: So how did Paul McCartney find you?
AL: I received a random call from a friend named
David Kahne, who was a producer and A&R guy
for Warner Brothers. We would run into each
other from time but had never worked together.
Paul hired David to assemble the musicians and
produce his “Driving Rain” CD. I remember
getting the call from David, asking me, “How do
you feel about making the next Paul McCartney
record?” I almost dropped the phone. The night
before I met Paul, I didn’t sleep much. When
I got to the studio, within 5 minutes of shaking
Paul’s hand, we were listening to a demo and
recording.
RM: Is that when the big diameter thing came into play
for you?
AL: When I was juggling between playing softer
volume gigs with artists like k.d. to playing very
hard with Steve Vai and Seal and I was finding
out that I was choking out drums. I found that
the smaller diameter drums were maxing out
from the way I played and not giving me what I
wanted. So I went to a 26” bass drum and loved
the range…the way I could hit it soft and the note
would be a darker tone, but then I could hit hard
and it would punch and follow me, dynamically.
I remember getting the call from David, asking
me, “How do you feel about making the next Paul
McCartney record?” I almost dropped the phone..
So I asked D.W. to make me a kit with 12”, 15” and
18” toms and the 26” bass drum. Since then, I’ve
never gone back to smaller sizes.
RM: So for Paul, you began working immediately?
AL: Yeah – we were at Henson Studios, which
used to be A&M. My drums were there; Paul’s
drums were there. Paul was in the tracking room
with us, myself, Rusty Anderson and pianist Gabe
Dickson. Paul was very open to our ideas, during
the creative process.
RM: How long did you record?
AL: We recorded for 2 weeks, took a break for
a couple of months and then came back and
recorded for another 2 weeks. It was just a
beautiful experience. He was so open to exploring
things with us. I was into a more organic type of
programming and rather than getting a computer
out, I was using guitar effect pedals and loop
pedals and also using the Roland Handsonic,
which I love. I would create the loops on the
guitar gear, which enabled me to be all about the
live feel, then triggering it where I felt it should
be. I would then run all theses things through
flangers, delays and various effect pedals and
all through guitar amps, which further gave that
organic sound that Paul loved.
RM: That was 2001?
AL: Yeah, we finished the record in June and he
was considering touring but had not finalized
plans when a few months later, September 11th
happened. Two weeks later, I was in New York,
playing with k.d. Lang and got the call from
Sting. He had some dates to finish and Manu
Katche wasn’t available. Two days before Sting’s
rehearsals were to start, Paul’s “Concert For
New York” benefit was to be my first big show
with him. During that weekend, I did that show
with Paul and also began rehearsals with Sting.
I finished out Sting’s dates and while I was on
the road with him, I got a call from Paul’s camp,
letting me know he wanted to begin doing some
shows, but I had to say no, which was one of the
scariest things I’ve ever had to do. Luckily, he
understood my commitment to Sting and waited
‘till I was done, to do his tour.
RM: Wow, what a position to be in. Abe, of all the dates
you’ve done with Paul, I’m particularly interested in
the trip to Russia. I have the “In Red Square” DVD,
which I highly recommend to everyone.
AL: That was just an incredible experience. Paul
had never been to Russia…even with The Beatles.
Back in the day, popular music from the West
was banned there, so that was his first trip and
he was completely moved by the whole thing. I
was so honored to have been a part of that. Not
to mention playing “Back In The U.S.S.R.” in Red
Square!
RM: Yes – it must have been amazing. That DVD
really captures the emotion of the event. You know,
after all your work with such amazing artists, have you
worked on your own material?
AL: Yeah, I’ve been working on some songs and
probably have enough for a record, at this point.
It’s just been about finding the time to record them
and probably, now is the time. I enjoy writing,
even just for the sake of exercising that muscle.
RM: Do your song ideas begin more melodically or
with a groove concept?
AL: It’s melodic with harmony and a lot of leading
tone stuff. Eventually the melody forms and lyrics
come, hopefully. There’s a bunch of songs that I
want to record and I’m not sure what I’ll do with
them yet…maybe I’ll set up a website. We’ll see.
I’m just having fun with the creation process.
RM: What is coming up for you in the near future?
AL: This year, I toured with Eric Clapton and
Steve Winwood. It is sort of a Blind Faith reunion.
It is an incredible experience to learn about
American-influenced British Rock from the very
pioneers of it. I’ve been approaching this tour
with more of a tribal mindset. As a tip of the hat
to Ginger Baker I’ve added some more toms to my
kit. My set from left to right is 14”, 12”, 13” rack
toms and 15”, 16” floor toms. I also have more
shows scheduled with Paul too.
…At this point, Abe picked up an acoustic guitar
and played a song. It was moody, in a minor key,
almost Spanish in flavor…reminded me a bit of
Sting. The song’s lyrics were about someone
realizing a love that’s right in front of them
and the struggle to get out of their own way to
appreciate it.
Abe is honored to have the influences he had as
a young, up and coming player and is thankful
every single day. Unlike most of us, he had the
amazing fortune, not only to have great studio
legends take him under their wing but also to
have a father guide him in a way most of us can
only imagine. Even with his inherited talent and
natural ability, he learned very young the value
of hard work, the importance of mutual respect
and the invaluable tool of listening. Listening to
everything…to the words spoken around him, to
the subtle lessons between peers, to every style
of music, to his mentors and finally to himself.
Abraham Laboriel Jr. was destined to endure a
legacy…a legacy that still thrives today.
[EDGE 8.0] 19
m
a
n
these feel
”
,
r e a l ly
really good.”
>GEAR
GUIDE
3 d r umsti c ks x l mo d els
www.pacificdrums.com
3 XL ... S o m e o f 3’ s m o s t p o p ul a r s i z es
ar e now offered in extra l arge.
By now, everyone knows that 3 Drumsticks are made from premium hickory and are
quality-checked like no other sticks on the market. Superior wood and unsurpassed
consistency makes for a pretty player-friendly drumstick. No rolling to find the
bananas or weeding mismatched weights to find the “right pair”. This means you
don’t have to worry about quality control when you buy your sticks, or worse, when
you get home. You just get to play.
Now, both of 3 Drumsticks biggest sellers are available in a longer, more beefed-up
version. The 5AXL and 5BXL feature the same high-quality hickory as their standard
length cousins, but offer a slightly longer profile with a wider shoulder , more suited
for heavy hitters. DW VP of Sales and stick expert, Jim DeStefano elaborates, “Guys
seem to really like the feel and playability of our sticks and they’re always asking
us for very specific sizes. That’s not really our thing. We don’t do signature sticks
and we don’t make the ‘way out there’ stuff that other stick companies make. We
concentrate on the most popular sizes, the ones that drummers always have in
their stick bags”. DeStefano continues, “So when we decided to come out with XL
versions of our 5A and 5B, it was a big deal. As always, we decided to keep things
simple, both are only available in a beefier Acorn-style tip. So far, the response has
been amazing. Drummers really like the longer sizes.”
®
®
3 Drumsticks newest XL sizes are available at authorized dealers or to learn more,
visit www.3drumsticks.com
5AXL ACORN
5BXL ACORN
Sure, 3 drumsticks are made at
Drum Workshop’s own factory
from the finest hickory. And
yes, they’re quality-matched
to exacting standards, but it’s
their feel that has drummers
talking. Just about everyone
who tries them says, “Man,
these sticks feel really,
really good.” But don’t
take our word for it, try them
for yourself. We’re certain
you’ll end up saying the exact
same thing.
Platinum Series
travis smith_trivium
The answer is yes, these guys really do tour with their Platinum Series
drums. They proudly rock their PDPs on some of the world’s most highprofile stages because there’s no doubt in their mind that the drums look
and sound high-end. They even get to design their Platinum drums just
like they would with much pricier custom kits. Guess what, it’s not just
reserved for the pros, you can do it too. Besides, you have more in common
with your drum heroes than you think, you both live and breathe drums.
To see the full line of professional
quality, all-hickory 3Drumsticks visit:
www.3drumsticks.com
©2009 Drum Workshop, Inc.
The 3 logo is a trademark of Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
®
pacific drums and percussion _live and breathe drums.
©2009 Pacific Drums and Percussion. All Rights Reserved. The PDP logo is a registered trademark of Drum Workshop, Inc.
Road Stories:
Snow Patrol,
Johnny QuinnEC, March 09
N
Birmingham
DW Artists hit europe
photos by Dave Phillips
Neil Peart
Rush,
Birmingham
NEC, Octob
er 20
07
D
Plain Whit e’Mar Hamilton
e T’s, Read
ing August
2008
,
sD
rman Tenaciou
Brooks Wacke t 2008
Reading Augus
das Priest,
Scott Travis JuEC, Feb 09
Birmingham N
Cora C
oleman
Drumm
er Live,
London
June 20
09
Roger Taylor Queen, Bir
mingham NEC, October
2008
Ian
Leicester De Matthews Kasabian,
Monfort Hal
l, May 09
View,
rrison The
Steve Mo
all,
Wulfrun H n, Feb 09
pto
Wolverham
of the Stone Age,
Joey Castillo Queens
Reading August 2008
Daniel Ada
Birmingham ir Nickelback,
NIA, May 09
, Birmingham NIA, April
Jack Bruno Tina Turner
09
Paul Bosta
ph Testamen
t,
Birmingham
NEC, Feb 09
[EDGE 8.0] 23
jimmy paxson
under the radar
no more
Stevie Nicks’ stickman isn’t a newcomer and he’s
not an overnight success. He’s an L.A. drummer
who got the gig because he’s just that good.
By Rich Mangicaro. Photo by Rob Shanahan.
The underdog. We love rooting for them.
But when we look further into their
history, we find these ‘overnight success
stories’ have already accumulated
credits, have spent years schlepping on
the road and have paid their dues – ten
times over. Thus is the case with Jimmy
Paxson. When I first met him, I had
heard of his mother, Jazz keyboardist
Sunnie Paxson. When I dug further, I
found an astounding lineage of talent.
and some other cats. Gregg was teaching
at the time, so I studied a bit with him,
which was great. Later, I met Joey
Heredia and he hipped me to Murray
Spivack, who ended up reworking my
entire approach.
Rich Mangicaro: Jimmy, I was intrigued
when I learned about your musical family.
What was it like to grow up in such a
creative environment?
JP: Studying with Murray was the greatest
thing I ever did for my drumming. In
the beginning, he said to me “Play like
you play and practice like I show you.
What I teach you will creep into your
playing and the change will take care of
itself.” It was a whole different way of
holding and controlling a stick. Lot’s of
emphasis on up-strokes, down-strokes
and things like the mechanics of a flam.
Learning the up-stroke itself was the
biggest breakthrough and it is the one
thing I see missing from players that are
struggling with technique.
Jimmy Paxson: My dad was always
blazing on the drums and I watched him
play all the time. He never sat me down
and said “Well son, this is how you…”
It was more through observation. He
would have me play along to all these
great Jazz records while my Mom
would have me listening and playing
to Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and
whatnot. She is really artsy and helped
me get in touch with the emotional side
of drumming.
RM: What was it like when you first got to LA?
JP: Well, first thing I did was called a
few drummers that I hoped to study
with, finding their numbers through the
Musicians’ Union. I left messages for
Vinnie, Jeff Porcaro, Gregg Bissonette
RM: Let’s talk about Murray. I think there
are many drummers who don’t even know
about him. Seems to be more of a West coast
thing…
RM: Jimmy, explain a bit more about the
‘up-stroke’?
JP: The up-stroke is a delicate release
where the hand naturally drops,
putting the wrist into motion and a
stroke happens on the way up. For
example, the leading hand of a 5-stroke
roll would play the first 2 strokes on an
up-stroke and the 5th would be a down-
stroke…three strokes from one up &
down motion. It’s just a more efficient
way of playing.
RM: Makes complete sense. While you were
studying with Murray, what was going
with you professionally?
JP: There was a jam session at a LA club
and I met Chris Chaney there. Chris
later introduced me Gary Novak and
honestly, a lot of what I’ve accomplished
as a drummer stems from their early
support. Later I ended up subbing for
Gary with Robben Ford. It was my
first actual tour… and a serious crashcourse. From there, I went on to work
Ronnie Montrose, which turned into a
gig that lasted, on and off for years.
RM: What was the gig like with Ronnie?
JP: It was great…all instrumental
music. The hard part was that I knew
I needed to establish myself in more of
the mainstream music world. Strangely
enough, it was around that time in ‘99
when I got an unexpected call from
Alanis Morissette’s tour manager
asking me if I could leave for Venezuelaimmediately. At first, I thought it was
someone playing a joke on me but
actually Gary was leaving the tour with
short notice and Chaney recommended
me to take over. It was an interesting
position to suddenly be in, to say the
least. Alanis was one of the warmest
individuals I’d ever met and I’m happy
to have been there.
RM: So, without the kit to learn the tunes,
how did you prepare so you felt ready?
RM: Jim, being thrown into such a situation,
how do you learn to nail it, on-the-fly like
that?
JP: I transcribed pretty much note for
note what Mick, Russ Kunkel and
Stan Lynch played and pretty much
slept with headphones on. I had some
pads in my room…that, with a lot of
determination, I got through it. When
I got home, I entered what I call “Camp
Waddy!”
JP: I follow these five steps: 1) Listen to
the tune. 2) Make a chart. 3) Play to the
tune, with the chart. 4) Play to the chart,
without the tune. 5) Play the tune,
without the chart or the recording. My
goal is that when it comes time to play, I
don’t need to reference anything.
RM: So, how did Stevie Nicks find you?
JP: On a break from touring, I came home
and my cartage guy, Ross Garfieldowner of Drum Doctors, had heard that
Waddy Wachtel, Stevie’s bandleader,
was looking for a drummer for her.
Ross recommended me, for which I’m
eternally thankful.
RM: Along with learning all the songs, I
know that you’re great at focusing on the
right drum sound for the gig. How did you
apply that to the Stevie audition?
JP: I am a firm believer that bringing the
right sound for any situation is key. I
knew from learning Stevie’s music that
I wanted the snare tuned way down into
that Mick Fleetwood/Russ Kunkel/Stan
Lynch zone. Ross has an old 7x14 Tama
bell brass snare that I rented a few times
and we both agreed it would deliver. At
the audition, I hit it once and everyone
noticed. That IS the sound for Stevie’s
music and she heard it right away. To
achieve this now, I use a DW 8”x14”
Edge snare that just sounds unreal.
RM: When did you find out you had the gig?
JP: I was on the road with Edgar Winter
and I didn’t hear anything from them
for 3 or 4 days. In an airport, I noticed
a missed call from Waddy. His message
said: “Ah, Jim, it’s Waddy Wachtel.
Listen, I don’t know what to tell ya…
but, you got the gig. Welcome to the
family. Hope you’re not doing anything
for the next year or so!” That was about
5 years ago.
RM: Wow! How did it feel, getting that call?
JP: Incredible. I’ve had other big gigs
but that call was life changing. I had
about 3 weeks of back-to-back work in
Europe with both Sophie B. Hawkins
and Edgar so I had no choice but to
learn all the songs in hotel rooms and
actually got home only the night before
the first rehearsal.
RM: How is it playing with Lenny Castro?
“My goal is that when
it comes time to
play, I don’t need to
reference anything.”
JP: Playing with Lenny is effortless…
he’s simply the deadliest percussionist
there is - period. His feel and choices are
second to none and we quickly became
real close, both on stage and off. I thank
God for every moment with him and
on top of playing all those great songs,
Stevie gives us a big solo every night.
With Lenny, you never know which
direction it’s gonna go. For example,
one night he may play his entire solo
on his gong bass drum and a cowbell…
other nights, he may use his entire rig.
We both look at our solos as a place to
be spontaneous. We have a set ending
worked out, but other than that, it’s
wide open.
RM: Who were your influences that helped
you learn to construct a good solo?
JP: Tony Williams’ Lifetime “Believe It”
record is THE drum bible. Also, there’s
a live solo with Steve Gadd and Ralph
McDonald on a Grover Washington
Jr. video, which blows my mind. Any
Dennis Chambers or Simon Phillips
open solo and finally, John Bonham on
Led Zeppelin’s “How The West Was
Won”. These are all huge for me.
RM: Jimmy, working for such diverse female
singers, how do you adjust your playing to
fit their varied styles?
JP: I try to get acclimated to where
they lay the cadence of their vocals, in
relation to the beat - their way of feeling
the groove. Then, I connect with what
they’re saying, lyrically and emotionally
and convey dynamically what’s needed
from there. It’s all about the subtleties.
RM: That’s so true. So, what’s happening
currently for you?
JP: For a while, I was working with
Giorgia Todrani, who is one of Italy’s
most iconic singers. Recently, I’ve
been doing some one-offs with Johnny
Rivers, who hits include “Memphis”
and “Secret Agent Man”. Other recent
projects include CDs with A Fine
Frenzy, Sharon Little, The Casualties
Of Jazz, Julian Coryell and I recently
did an eclectic tour opening for Louden
Wainwright III, with my girlfriend,
singer/songwriter Jenni Alpert.
RM: Jimmie, your drum collection is really
a drummer’s playground!
JP: I’m a bit of a collector. DW has really
raised the bar over the years on drum
quality. I have quite a few of their kits,
including Stevie’s favorite, a VLT Gold
Glass finish set. I am also a junkie for
old classic American drums, as well as
import mahogany drums from Taiwan
and Japan.
Regarding cymbals, everyone at Paiste is
like family to me and I use a combination
of their lines. For drumheads, I use
Evans and my sticks are Vic Firth.
RM: Talk about your studio a bit?
JP: My room is a recording/rehearsal
space…I operate both Pro Tools and
Logic. The room is about 20’ x 40’ with
a 16’ ceiling and I do a lot of sessions
there.
I have an extensive drum
collection, including some cool, vintage
kits and tons of percussion stuff, so it’s
a one-stop shop.
RM: Jimmy, what would you say to players
who are trying to make something happen
for themselves, especially given our tough
economic situation?
JP: WORK ON YOUR TIME AND BE
PREPARED!! With the Internet and all
the available resources, the knowledge
is out there to be absorbed 24/7. Like
they say, ‘practice at home’. Once you
get on a gig, if you’re lucky enough to
have people to lean on, know that they’ll
only carry you so far before you’re
expected to stand on your own. Always
support the music first and know the
boundaries…then know when and how
to step out without being musically
distracting. The pressure is immense,
but if you love music and you play
for the song, that’s what it’s all about.
You never know when the call is going
to come in so just keep growing…and
keep going.
[ EDGE 8 . 0 ] 2 5
Lesson 6
Upon reaching the completion of the first five
exercise, we now count backwards with an
exercise for the number 4,3,2 and finally 1. Here
we go!!!!
>DRUM
CLINIC
9 fun da m e nta l rud i ment s
B y D e nn y S ei w el l
photo by Alex Solca
In
Denny Seiwell
My years of playing and teaching drums, I
always wanted to simplify the 26 rudiments into
the strokes necessary to actually play the drums.
By trial and error, I have been using this concept on
beginning students to professional drummers. If either
the pros or the students spend 10 minutes working on
these exercises, it will greatly improve their drumming
overall. It employs all of the necessary strokes that
must be mastered in a fun and easy way.
Lesson#1
First we should learn how to hold the sticks. There
are two types of grips used for playing drums. The
traditional grip, which was developed due to the
fact that originally the drum was hung around the
neck with a strap, and therefore sat at an angle.
This is not how drums set players today need to
adjust to hit their drums. The traditional grip is
wonderful and will be explained and taught at a
later lesson. However, the other grip… the match
grip is more in use today and simpler to get
started. So we will start with this grip.
Think of the grip, with holding hands palm
down and waving goodbye. In this way, the wrist
hinges most easily, and goes up and down very
effortlessly. Next, we place the stick between the
tip of the thumb and the first joint of the index
finger lightly closing the hand around the stick.
Do not squeeze! It should be held as if holding a
bird in the hand. The only pressure will come from
fulcrum, which is the thumb and index finger. This
is also light but firm for control’s sake. Next, we
start by “waving goodbye” with the stick in each
hand which produces the first stroke; the single
stroke roll. Slowly, we make the same stick path
raising the sticks approximately 8 inches above
the drum and down as we “wave goodbye” with
both sticks. If you are right-handed, your left stick
might not cooperate. Don’t worry about this, it
will improve with these exercises. Start to increase
speed of the single strokes RLRLRL accelerating
slowly but trying not to tense up the arms or
hands. Best results come when you play as fast
as you can until tension appears, and then stop
and start over again. Try to make the same sound
with each stick. Again, if you are right-handed
the left stick might sound different than the right.
This exercise is the very first thing we must learn
in order to start getting control over the bouncing
of the stick.
Lesson #2
Now that we have a grip and a stick path, the
ability to stroke from the wrist, not the whole
arm, we must learn how to bounce the sticks and
stop and control the bounce. We now learn the
“two stroke roll”. This was taught as “mamma
dada”. We start by dropping the right stick and
making a second sound with the bouncing stroke,
but only one stroke. The right stick strokes and
bounces one time and then must be stopped after
the second note is heard, “mamma”. RR. Next, we
do the same stroke with the left hand. Stroke and
bounce stopped after the second note, “dada”.
This is the hardest part of playing drums and
when this is mastered all drumming becomes so
much easier. It is the bounce stroke that will allow
speed and ease of play. In this exercise we shall
learn how to bounce and control the sticks. We
start the same as the single stroke roll, by making
the same stick path 8 to 12 inches from the head
or playing surface if you are using a practice pad.
Starting with the right-hand, we make the initial
stroke with the right-hand, and follow it by a
bounce stroke. Do not make two strokes of the
wrist. It is a matter of dropping the stick lightly
and allowing it to bounce one time only. RR.
Next, we do the same with the left stick, which
may be a little harder to do . Don’t worry, this will
improve in time. Then we start hand-to-hand by
making the stroke and the bounce from RR to LL
and accelerate slowly, trying to make both notes
(RR) (LL) the same volume and sound. As we get
aster the bounce becomes easier, but try to keep
the same space between the two notes and the
same stick path up and down. You are now on
your way.
Lesson #3
We now learn how to incorporate the fingers
into the stroke, since we have the wrist and the
hands working properly. When we practiced the
bounce stroke, we automatically used he fingers
to help stop our stroke. Now we will take that
a step further by making a “3 stroke roll”. We
start with the right hand making the stroke, the
bounce and another bounce... ONE STROKE only
with the wrist, and the bounce comes from the
weight of the stick being dropped and allowed
to bounce. ONLY two bounces though. Here
comes the control part. (RRR) (LLL) etc. Again,
we start slowly and pick up speed as it becomes
more comfortable. Without having to think...we
are using the middle fingers to stop the bounce
stroke. This will also help us with our “2 Stroke
Roll”. RRR, LLL RRR LLL. Trying to maintain the
same stick path and sound of each stroke. This
exercise will make your hands work with the
proper pressure of the stick grip.
Lesson #4
We now move on to the “4 Stroke Roll”. This
allows us to use more fingers in our stroke, which
provides more control and power. We start by
making a stroke, followed by “three” bounces
of equal volume and space if possible. This
exercise will not have to be played as quickly
due to the degree of difficulty. (RRRR) (LLLL) etc.
starting slowly and gradually picking up speed.
Remember, DO NOT stroke from the arm, but
from the wrist and fingers. One down stroke from
the wrist and the bounces from the fingers. Again,
we will use the middle fingers to help produce the
bounce strokes, as well as to stop it. This exercise
will enable the student to really learn to control
the bounce stroke.
Lesson #5
We have now learned several of the 26 Rudiments,
which I have boiled down to 5 basic rudiments
that must be learned to enjoy playing the drums.
.Next we learn the first of the hand-to-hand rolls
beginning with the 5 Stroke Roll. We start this by
a stroke and a bounce stroke with the right hand.
Repeat this with the left hand, and add a single
stroke at the end... producing the 5 stroke roll.
RRLLR---LLRRL etc. again speeding up gradually
and using the same stick path and sound of each
note. This short roll will be followed by many
measured rolls of various lengths. When this roll
is played correctly, the last note of the 5 strokes
will be accented slightly. Sometimes this roll is
counted easily by the strokes 2- 4- 5, since they
are played fairly quick. A bounce stroke with each
hand, and a stroke with an accent at the end. The
5 Stroke Roll. When playing these hand-to-hand
ie. RRLLR LLRRL RRLLR LLRRL becomes easy,
you are more than on your way to being able to
execute just about anything on the drums.
There... If you can remember to count to five, you can
play the drums. As we now count backwards from
five... we are going to learn a few more disciplines and
rudiments of drumming... yes It Is That Simple !!!
On the way back down from 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 again,
we will cover all the main ingredients that are found in
the original 26 rudiments of drumming.
Having been at #5 we move on to #4 which is
called the “4 Stroke Ruff”. A ruff is a series of
notes played in rapid succession and in musical
terms is made up of grace notes (softer notes
than the original stroke).... so... we are going to
play 4 notes rapidly starting with the right hand.
RLRL. The last note (L in this case) is louder
than the first 3 notes. It should sound like “dig
ida bop” if you said the phrase quickly. With the
accent or louder note being the “bop”. Once you
have played this evenly, try to start the ruff using
the other hand. LRLR, it is played faster than you
can say 1234, hence the dig ida bop phrase....this
is a way cool rudiment!!!
Lesson 7
Coming back down the count of exercises
1,2,3,4,5,4 we are now at 3 again. This is an
exercise very similar to the last one using the
ruff. However this is only 3 strokes long...hence
#3. We start this rudiment by playing two soft
grace notes with the left hand, and a regular
stroke with the right....llR....rrL....llR....rrL.
The grace notes are played softer and spaced
evenly like the 4 stroke ruff, but shorter. In
the demonstration of sticking you will notice
small letters for the grace note, and caps for the
finishing stroke. llR....rrL....etc. going hand-tohand or starting each time with your other hand
makes this rudiment very fluid to play when the
motion is felt. The grace notes are played very
close to the drum head, and the stroke uses the
stick path used in all other rudiments so far.
Lesson 8
This brings us to the Flam, a rudiment which is
basically 2 notes. A soft one, and a louder note
played almost together. However, the grace note
or 1st note is soft and the second note is louder.
Again, the grace note is played much closer to
the head or playing surface, and the main note
is the same stroke used in all the other exercises.
When you can play this rudiment going from
hand to hand, you will notice a definite pattern
and motion of the hands. This challenges the
student into playing a loud and soft note almost
together, and at the same time.
Lesson 9
This brings us back down from exercises
1,2,3,4,5,--4,3,2 and 1 again. This time we perform
the same single stroke roll that we performed
in exercise #1. This time though, after having
done the prior exercises, we can now hopefully
perform this roll with more agility and speed.
So there you have it, in a nutshell, if you can
remember the exercise connected tot the number
1 through 5 and back down to 1 again you have
an entry level understanding of the 26 rudiments
of drumming. At least enough to move forward
with a few illustrations and exercises designed
to get you behind the drum set and play a few
simple patterns. The next section will give you a
very basic tutoring in drum music as it is written,
so we can help you find your way around the
drum set enough to play a few simple beats.
Congratulations! Who said drummers have no
attention span?
[ EDGE 8 . 0 ] 2 7
>NEW ARTISTS
D = Drums, Pedals and Hardware
P= Pedals
PH= Pedals & Hardware
[1]
[19]
[1] Scott Phillips – Creed D
[12]
[25]
[2] Daniel Adair – Nickelback D
[3] Scott Travis – Judas Priest D
[23]
[4] Travis Smith – Trivium D
[5] Eric Gardner - Street Sweeper Social
Club/Gnarls Barkley D
[21]
[6] Roger Taylor – Queen D
[7] Fiona Daniel – The Whip D
[22]
*[8] Joe Beck – The Spill Canvas D
[4]
[20]
[9] Joe Plummer – Modest Mouse PH
[10] Jeremiah Green – Modest Mouse PH
[9]
[11] Jennifer Ledger – Skillet D
[3]
[12] Ryland Steen – Reel Big Fish D
[13] Taku Hirano – Bette Midler PH
[14] MICHAEL ALAN BERKOWITZ – Liza Minnelli D
[7]
*[15] Jonathon Mover – Independent PH
[11]
*[16] Dan Greco – Studio D
[6]
*[17] DANIEL HETHERTON – Elliott Minor D
*[18] Warren Oakes – Against Me! D
[19] Jamal Moore – Backstreet Boys
PDP DRUMS & DW HARDWARE
[17]
[2]
[20] Adam Aaronson – We Are Scientists PH
[14]
[21] Jason Bittner – Shadows Fall P
[22] MATT LETLEY - STATUS QUO PH
[23] ADAM MARCELLO – Katy Perry PH
[24] Dave Grohl - Studio D
[25] Dominic Howard - The Muse D
[24]
[10]
*Artists not shown
[5]
[13]
[EDGE 8.0] 29
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