This is a quick montage of the video from our recent rehearsals in Moline Ill. where we unpacked and assembled the new Yamaha kit. Share on Facebook Share and Enjoy:
#26 Mixing yourself in Real Time
What does this mean, “Mixing Yourself?” It’s very simple. Several weeks ago we had a couple of gigs in a really small Theater in Nigra Falls. It’s a beautiful theater that maybe seats 1000, all the chairs are padded and it’s really tight sounding, like a recording studio, no slap back whatsoever, ie. an arena. [...]
Steve Gadd hat/ride beat ala “Spain”
It’s hard to describe how influential Steve Gadd was to me in my up and coming years. When I make a list of drum heros, he’s definitely in the top 5. He radically changed drumming when he exploded onto the scene. This particular beat can be heard in Al Jarreau’s (I can recall) Spain from [...]
Being tickled and other parental indignities
I’m not sure if anyone “Likes” being tickled. Oooh! Hold me down and tickle me! Uh uh. For some reason, Lorrie says that when I’m tickled, I get violent. Like a bugged-eyed, crazed maniac trying to get loose from certain death. Like an animal that would rather knaw his arm off than [...]
17 years and I’m finally free!!!!! Or so I think…
It was June, 1994. It was hot outside, and I was bringing the car around to the front door of Centennial Medical Center. My wife was in a wheelchair and she was holding our brand new, beautiful baby daughter, Anya. I gingerly placed her in her car seat, placed it in the back seat, [...]
the ‘mid’ snare sound
This snare sound is pretty much what is happening now on the radio. It’s a combination of both crack and low end. It’s also the hardest for me to get, I don’t know why, I’ve just always been challenged with this one. I will tell you it’s easier with a 6 1/2″ snare for me [...]
Kick Drum Tuning
I looove the sound of an amazing kick drum. And usually it’s not by accident. There is a method to getting great sounding kick drum, part drummer, part engineer. Today we’ll cover the drummer part. I like big drums!! Sorry, I just can’t make a 20″ kick drum sound huge. I like 24″ and 26″ [...]
The Sidestick
Oh, man, what a video to not have footage from the third camera! I really needed it on this one, but we were in a hurry to finish, because my wife and daughter (who owns the camera) had to fly to Denver. So alas, when I discovered that the files were missing, it was too [...]
Playing with a Click-Part 1
aaah, the click! In the studio it’s known by many names, the opponent, the enemy, the ignored suggestion. My click in my MPC 2000 is a cowbell and a shaker. I’m getting ready to change the sound though, the reason for which I’ll tell you later. But first I gotta tell you about this weekend. [...]
Goals
Ok, I had the click thing planned for vid #2, and, well, it just couldn’t happen. I can’t remember a busier week. It was just wall to wall sessions, writing, doing trax at the house, and then my wife is out of town with my two oldest boys, so my 16 year old daughter and [...]
Playing with the click part 2
Ok, right now I’m ready to spit nails. Sorry to vent, but I waited til the last minute to do this vid, and now I’m gonna pay for it! It’s 12:30 am, and it’s still streamclipping, which is what you have to do to the video files to make them edit correctly. And tomorrow I [...]
Playing with a loop
okay, just to get this out of the way, the thing on the headphones that looks like a banana is flourescent colored gaff tape. I’ve basically worn this pair of ultraphones so much that the cord is coming off, and I don’t have time to get them fixed. Whew, there, I feel better. Playing with [...]
“Turn on the Radio” groove
This 5 MM was a request from a gentleman who wanted me to break down this groove. It’s one of those grooves that will catch you off guard. Every so often in the studio, someone will ask for a 12/8 thing or some kind of latin groove, and it you don’t know these non standard [...]
Four on the Floor
This is a groove that pops up on a weekly basis in the studio realm. It’s also a groove that you might think, “oh that one’s easy!” Well maybe on the surface, but it’s one that if it’s not pulled off in the correct way, you’ll hear it and you’ll hear it from the engineer. [...]
the Nashville “hand drum”
This technique is used a lot in modern recording in Nashville. It’s a great one to have in your bag ‘o’ tricks. Eddie Bayers used this technique in Wynonna’s Only Love. Check it out and let me know any other songs you hear this on. Share on Facebook Share and Enjoy:
Red Carpet Talk interview
This is an interview with Jamie Hudson and Keith McDonley from Red Carpet Talk. We did it at a beautiful hotel we were staying at in Astoria, Oregan, right on the water. It was gorgeous! This is the town that they shot the Goonies movie! Share on Facebook Share and Enjoy:
#25 Introduction to phrasing–the floor tom mute
This is a very deep subject, phrasing. But before we delve into that, let me just say, I added the acoustic guitar to this weeks’ 5mm, just so you could hear examples of phrasing cutoffs. It’s not necessarily the greatest acoustic playing you’ve ever heard, but I think it’s safe to say, it gets the [...]
Warming up…finding your routine
I’ve been getting a lot of requests from folks about warming up. I’m actually not going to give you a specific routine of paradiddles, flamadiddles, warmadiddles, etc., however, I’m gonna talk about the concept of the warm up. In the 5 Minute Monday video, I’m using Power Wrist Builders. They are heavy brass sticks in [...]
Nairobi Hope Now
- the ‘mid’ snare sound
- Being tickled and other parental indignities
- 17 years and I’m finally free!!!!! Or so I think…
- Kick Drum Tuning
- The Sidestick
- Playing with a Click-Part 1
- Goals
- Playing with the click part 2
- Playing with a loop
- “Turn on the Radio” groove
- Four on the Floor
- Steve Gadd hat/ride beat ala “Spain”
- #26 Mixing yourself in Real Time
- The Billy Cobham kit
- Attitude!!! How is your’s?
- Anya’s gift
- The Billy Cobham kit
- #26 Mixing yourself in Real Time
- Being tickled and other parental indignities
- 17 years and I’m finally free!!!!! Or so I think…
- the ‘mid’ snare sound
- Kick Drum Tuning
- The Sidestick
- Playing with a Click-Part 1
- Goals
- Playing with the click part 2
- Playing with a loop
- “Turn on the Radio” groove
- Four on the Floor
- Steve Gadd hat/ride beat ala “Spain”
- the Nashville “hand drum”
