Another locking with the kick drum question...

well the thing is ... the cliché lines combine both notes and rythm not just rythm that all fit with the harmony

 

This. I work with three different drummers at church (week to week, not at the same time), and they all play completely different "patterns" over the same congregational songs, especially the one that plays a "hybrid" kit (half typical drumset, half hand percussion). Being able to lock in with the player (starting with as simple as just hearing the bass drum or snare) is much more useful than picking out patterns and laying stock grooves over that. Especially when they're playing a straight ahead rock thing and you're putting three over it.

 

Try the book "Bass Grooves" by Ed Friedland. It goes through typical drum/bass styles, describes in detail what drums usually play, what bass plays, and variations of both. Really a solid resource.
And you'll have fun toying with the drum machine!

Or another one (more complete and complicated) would be "Essential Styles for Drummer and Bassist" by Steve Houghton and Tom Warrington. Very useful.

After these books, you'll always have something to talk about with the drummers

 

I am originally a drummer (20 odd years) and have never played by "numbered patterns". As they have said, listen. Yes there are standard patterns that you use over certain styles, but there are variations within those styles. Sometimes I would listen to what the bassist was doinf to decide what i would do with my bass drum. Listen, adapt, and roll with it. It is (or at least it should be) an enjoyable experience. m2c

 

+1

I listen to the drummer and the guitar player. I think about songs, not patterns. For the style of music I play and the band I play in, I try to lock with the drummer and compliment what the guitarist is playing.

 

how good is your rhythm notation reading?
For me it was the writing and reading that helped my rhythm the most
Eliminating guesswork and intuitive fudging in exchange for hearing and nailing specific subdivisions reliably
Not so much locking in with the drummer as locking in with myself.

 

I agree with a lot of this thread - a lot about locking in with the bass drum is about listening to the nuances of each drummer, but also about understanding the patterns you hear (ultimately, our ears are our greatest assets, so never discount training them!!!).

With regard to patterns, a lot of the music I play follows a drum machine (not sure if that's a sin or not...welcome to the goth/industrial world, I suppose), so I am very often in a "pattern-oriented" setting. Still, I like to make sure I get all my musical senses properly attuned, so I frequently like to marry the patterns with which I work to my listening skills.

At a recent gig, I knew that I needed to follow the kick/snare pattern almost verbatim; this is where my listening skills took control. I grabbed some staff paper, and, ears ready, I started notating each kick and snare hit. Granted, I've been reading music for twenty years, so I am accustomed to notation, but the idea of listening to a pattern and repeating it (either by playing it back precisely or writing it out on a staff) remains the same.

All in all, taking something you hear and turning it into something you can play/understand is really a critical skill.

I can offer some advice from experience: take short fragments of music and transcribe them. Find any rhythm that you find interesting: a bass drum groove, a bassline, or even a tricky vocal line, and learn to play it back. If you can't read music, learn the lines aurally. If you can read music, try writing down everything you hear. I'm no groove master, but this kind of ear/groove training combination really helped me a lot.

I hope that helps!

Best,
~Nick "Klaus" G.

 

The drummer was likely referring to the 26 rudiments. They are best described as rudimental patterns originally developed for marching band, commonly used in fills. They are not names for various beats in the way that you are thinking. Think of them like a bassist or guitarist thinks of scales or modes.

Most drummers should be able to respond to instruction such as "playing straight time", "swing time" or a "shuffle". There are plenty of variations of course, but this is the type of communication that works.

 

Remember my work Malcom? This is exactly what you need ;-)

 

Groove Essentials from Tommy Igoe:

Rock Grooves:
http://www.vicfirth.com/education/dr...ssentials1.pdf

Funk Grooves:
http://www.vicfirth.com/education/dr...ssentials2.pdf

R&B/Hip-Hop Grooves:
http://www.vicfirth.com/education/dr...ssentials3.pdf

Jazz/Swing Grooves:
http://www.vicfirth.com/education/dr...ssentials4.pdf

World/Ethnic & Special Grooves:
http://www.vicfirth.com/education/dr...ssentials5.pdf
Tommy Igoe Groove Essentials 2.0 DVD
http://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Igoe-Groove-Essentials-2-0/dp/B001IDVVMO



Steve Fidyk Beat Poster
http://www.vater.com/education/Vater_BeatPoster.pdf

7 Beats Every Drummer Should Know


Basic Beats Every Drummer Must Know
http://www.drummagazine.com/lessons/post/dissecting-the-beats/


P.S. Get a free app, "Hydrogen" and program those Tommy's beats.