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The “Scuffle” beat

by on 01. Aug, 2011 in 5 Minute Monday

This is a pretty challenging groove to play, and let me be the first to say that this one is not totally up to the drummer. In the scuffle beat, some players are playing more straight and some are swinging more. It’s a push/pull kind of beat that’s really a joy to play. Last week we did a Justin Moore Christmas record and we used the scuffle beat, I’ll eventually put a link on this blog to that song, if I forget, someone remind me!

NRBQ is a band that could really do the scuffle great. Al Anderson is a legend around Nashville, he’s a highly successful songwriter and a legendary guitar player. Here’s a link to a song they had called “Get Rhythm,” you’ll hear the push pull thing immediately. Another on is I’ve got a rocket in my Pocket.   Fun stuff to play!!

This isn’t a common groove to play, and it takes a little getting used to.  But in the studio world, you can’t get caught with your pants down, you need to be able to cover a lot of bases.  So practice this one and lemme know what you think!   Also, give me some examples of grooves that you consider challenging, would love you hear your thoughts!

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Studio Etiquette

by on 11. Jul, 2011 in 5 Minute Monday

Wow, this is the 20th video! Hope these are getting better. This is one that I thought I would take advantage of a quiet dinner break at Oceanway A in Nashville and put some thoughts down on the computer. Since I recorded it, I’ve thought of a few other things I probably should have covered. So here we go.

1. If a engineer or a 2nd engineer comes into the room to adjust a mike or tweek something, for God sake, don’t slam the drums at 110db when his head is near the kit. Have mercy people, you’ve got headphones on! A really good friend of mine was adjusting the under snare mic, when the drummer, actually a very busy “A” team Nashville session drummer hauled off and smacked the living crap out of the snare. Oooooooooooh, 4k ring in the ear, for the rest of the day, that’s all he heard, the eardrum just shut down. Don’t be a creep and do that! I even go as far as when one of the other players walks into the room if I’m getting sounds, I’ll go immediately to a really quiet bossa groove, for a couple of reasons, 1. to not kill them, and 2. to give them a hint that they’d better get out of the line of fire!

2. I’d like to put an adjunct idea on the “screwing around” rule that I put out. If you ever come to a session that I’m on, there’s gonna be funny stuff happening, I’m gonna crack jokes, or do impressions, or anything to make people have fun. But here’s something to think about. If you do something at the beginning or end of the take, keep in mind that the engineer and the producer are gonna hear that about 6000 times. Don’t let it be something that by the time they mix it, they are gonna be saying, “Holy crap, I don’t want to ever hear this again!!!” Make them dig your playing and ask you back because you slammed the crap out of the tune. Don’t give them an excuse to not want you back!

Would love to hear some of your thoughts about stuff that has happened to you in the studio or on a gig, that you would consider bad “etiquette.”

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“Turn on the Radio” groove

by on 20. Jun, 2011 in 5 Minute Monday

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 grooves, they can really catch you off guard. In the studio, I keep a journal of grooves that I have trouble with, and need to practice, this used to be one, and since Reba added this song to her showlist, I’ve learned it inside and out. As my drum teacher Jim Delong used to say, you’ve got to ‘own’ it. Here is the youtube link to the song http://youtu.be/KF1dQgE8BmE. Another great example of this groove, played by Jeff Porcaro, is “Frenchman’s Flat,” on the Sleepwalker record.

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Playing with a loop

by on 14. Jun, 2011 in 5 Minute Monday

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 a loop is a little different from playing with a click. Sometimes they are so grunged out, it’s hard to pick out a downbeat or a backbeat. And that’s cool, that’s what they are sometimes supposed to do, but that’s where your friend the click comes in. It really does come in handy to have a click with your loop. Sometimes you don’t need it as much. If a loop is very sharp and percussive, then cool, just play with that.

Loops can be strange as well. I’ve had people bring me loops to play to and the original piece that they took the loop from was actually a different tempo, so they just chopped it off at the bar line and looped it. So you had a loop that had a two and four that wasn’t with the click and repeated thus every bar. Ok, now play to that and make it feel good….uhhhhh.

I did put one shameless plug in the vid. Check out “Lost in this Moment” by Big and Rich. It was a number one song and there a really cool 808 kind of loop.

Anyhoo, let me know what you think of this. Also, let me know what loop devices you make loops with. I’m always curious.

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Playing with the click part 2

by on 06. Jun, 2011 in 5 Minute Monday

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 have a triple. 12 straight hours of playing drums, with a click!! So let’s talk about it!!

The little trick of turning the click around is not really earth shattering, but it’s a great exercise in hearing the click differently, thus learning how to play with it better. I’m finding lately that I’m liking different permutations of click, really dependent on emotion. Friday I did a Daryl Worley record, and I was wanting fewer subdivisions, not really sure why, just did. I’m also trying to get away from anything in the click that sounds like a hi hat. If you can use something that cuts through, but doesn’t sound like a hat, it’s a good thing. If you have something that mimicks the hat, there is a chance that the players will listen to it instead of the hat, and if you drift, they won’t drift with you. Alot of guys use a sidestick and a really dull shaker.

I really like the idea of programming a click with 1 bar of click and 1 bar of blank. Then just repeat that and practice. Then, make it 2 bars, and 3, and see how high you can get!! That’ll kick your butt.

One quick story about time. When I was touring with Ricky Skaggs in the 90′s, I was the only one in the band that heard the click. We had 10 guys on stage, and I had to drive the band and stay with the click, while no one else heard it. One day we were getting ready to soundcheck, we were waiting on something, and Ricky started playing “Angel on my Mind, by himself on the guitar.” I dialed up the tempo for that song, and turned the click on with him. He did’nt hear the click, I was the only one who did….long story short, he stayed dead on the click for about 25 bars. It was amazing! I want that kind of time!! That’s an internal clock!! That’s what we strive for!!

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Goals

by on 23. May, 2011 in 5 Minute Monday

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 I are with the 3 youngest kids…..whew! I’m still 1 drum track behind, I’ll try and get it done tomorrow after rehearsal.

So, I have an ‘audible’ list of topics that are way relevant to musicians. Today’s topic is goals. What are your goals for playing? Practicing, yes I like to have goals for practicing. For learning new techniques and beats. For career paths.

I really want u guys to all expand your minds. What is the difference between musicians that play on the road or in the studio with major artists vs. people who don’t. Their choices. They at one point made a choice to learn, hone, risk, and move to a town where they could open the doors of opportunity that can only be presented to people who put themselves in that position. But they are people just like you and me. Someone has to do it. So why not you? Why not????

Well, obviously, the stars have to line up somewhat. You’ve gotta have the chops, the musical talent, and the drive to not quit. You’ve got to have the attitude and the networking skills. Sooooo…..

If you think you can do this, then do it! Set goals. Set goals that will get you to your goals, like mini goals. Baby step goals. U can do this!! Someone like you did it, and so can you. And…next week we’ll get back onto the click thing, you know……the opponent. ;)

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NAPA Knowhow!!

by on 22. May, 2011 in some tunes I've played on

We did this commercial at Black River Recording, which used to be Ronnie Milsap’s studio, in fact there is still braille on the console. Wendell Mobley, who is an amazing hit songwriter, wrote and sang this jingle. He’s another one of those singers that when you play for him, the vocal fader goes up, not down. He’s magical to listen to.

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