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drummer question
- Thread starter lexington125
- Start date
Before I saw the experienced drummers chime in, I was going to say have him listen to Miles' "Kind of Blue" album.
All I can add is, you the bass player practice with him. The swing and groove of jazz doesn't happen in isolation; it's the result of a tight rhythm section.
Have fun!
All I can add is, you the bass player practice with him. The swing and groove of jazz doesn't happen in isolation; it's the result of a tight rhythm section.
Have fun!
Four-on-the-floor (or four-to-the-floor) is a rhythm pattern used in beat and electronic dance music. It is a steady, uniformly accented beat in 4/4 time in which the bass drum is hit on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4) in common time.
This was popularized in the Invalid Link Removed music of the 1970s.
A form of four-on-the-floor is also used in Invalid Link Removed. Instead of hitting the bass drum in a pronounced and therefore easily audible fashion, it is usually struck very lightly (referred to as 'feathering') so that the sound of the drum is felt instead of heard by the listener. Typically, this is combined with a ride cymbal and hi-hat in syncopation.
Four on the floor (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jazz Drumming Jumpstart
The bass drum
In much of modern jazz drumming the bass drum takes on the role of a third-hand. That is, its role becomes more like that of the snare drum as it interjects rhythmic ideas into the overall mix. Nevertheless, it is still a good idea to develop the ability to play four-on-the-floor. Four-on-the-floor simply means playing straight quarter-notes on the bass drum. This was one of the primary time keeping devices in the swing era. With the advent of be-bop the bass drum took on a more 'soloistic' role and began to participate in the rhythmic 'comping' previously reserved for the snare drum. Even though the bass drum became less of a time keeper during the be-bop era, many drummers still maintained the ability to play four-on-the-floor. It's a useful technique and should not be neglected. The main point to keep in mind when playing four-on-the-floor in a modern jazz context is that it should be played very softly. This technique is sometimes referred to as feathering the bass-drum. The beater will be released only an inch or so from the head. A heel-down approach seems to work best for this bass drum technique. Don't mash the beater into the head. Release the beater and let the natural tone of the bass drum resonate. Keep the volume of the bass drum very low. It should almost be felt rather than heard. Example 3 shows the bass drum and hi-hat combined.
Ex. 3
You should be aware that many modern players do not play straight quarter-notes on the bass drum. In these exercises we are primarily using four-on-the-floor because of its value as a foundational technique, although it can also be very practical. The ability to lock down the time while adding an extra element of 'low-end' can tie everything together, particularly when playing earlier styles of jazz. Just be aware that despite its usefulness, four-on-the-floor may not be applicable to every playing situation.
This was popularized in the Invalid Link Removed music of the 1970s.
A form of four-on-the-floor is also used in Invalid Link Removed. Instead of hitting the bass drum in a pronounced and therefore easily audible fashion, it is usually struck very lightly (referred to as 'feathering') so that the sound of the drum is felt instead of heard by the listener. Typically, this is combined with a ride cymbal and hi-hat in syncopation.
Four on the floor (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jazz Drumming Jumpstart
The bass drum
In much of modern jazz drumming the bass drum takes on the role of a third-hand. That is, its role becomes more like that of the snare drum as it interjects rhythmic ideas into the overall mix. Nevertheless, it is still a good idea to develop the ability to play four-on-the-floor. Four-on-the-floor simply means playing straight quarter-notes on the bass drum. This was one of the primary time keeping devices in the swing era. With the advent of be-bop the bass drum took on a more 'soloistic' role and began to participate in the rhythmic 'comping' previously reserved for the snare drum. Even though the bass drum became less of a time keeper during the be-bop era, many drummers still maintained the ability to play four-on-the-floor. It's a useful technique and should not be neglected. The main point to keep in mind when playing four-on-the-floor in a modern jazz context is that it should be played very softly. This technique is sometimes referred to as feathering the bass-drum. The beater will be released only an inch or so from the head. A heel-down approach seems to work best for this bass drum technique. Don't mash the beater into the head. Release the beater and let the natural tone of the bass drum resonate. Keep the volume of the bass drum very low. It should almost be felt rather than heard. Example 3 shows the bass drum and hi-hat combined.
Ex. 3
You should be aware that many modern players do not play straight quarter-notes on the bass drum. In these exercises we are primarily using four-on-the-floor because of its value as a foundational technique, although it can also be very practical. The ability to lock down the time while adding an extra element of 'low-end' can tie everything together, particularly when playing earlier styles of jazz. Just be aware that despite its usefulness, four-on-the-floor may not be applicable to every playing situation.
