Music Lesson: Exploring "Bleach"

Introduction

Okay, let's check out Bleach, which has a modern rock feel, specifically a hard rock vibe. This arrangement has been inspired by emo bands such as My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, and Fall Out Boy, just to name a few influences.

Recommendations

• Check out these bands: Listen to their music and pay attention to the drummers.
• Get a feel for the energy and power of this style.

Breaking Down the Arrangement

There's a lot going on in this chart. We need to break it down into the groove sections, which contain quite a bit of vocabulary, the ideas we use to express ourselves on the kit using certain techniques, sounds, and stickings.

Groove Vocabulary Includes:

• Flams
• Unisons
• Open hi-hat feel
• Stepped hi-hat

Counting In

The first thing, of course, if you've seen me before (and you might have seen me before in these sessions), I always recommend starting off by getting a good count before you actually come into play.

Key Points:

• Get a good internal count before you start playing the arrangement.
• In this tune, it's very empty for the first three bars until you pick up on the eighth note unison in bar four of section A.

Pulse Example:

• 1, 2, 3, 4
• Make sure you have a solid count before entering.

Predominant Groove

The main groove is characterized by a trashy, open hi-hat feel. It's a great feel for this type of music, and there are different ways to play it.

• Even on this kind of trashy feel, I like to add some embellishments learned from other players.
• There's a down-up movement that creates a slight accent in the groove.

Feel vs. Technique

• This open feel may hide the accent compared to a tighter hi-hat feel, but it still feels better for me.
• I'm playing eighth notes as indicated in the chart, allowing for that slight inflection which helps the groove.

Alternative Feel

If you prefer a more monotone feel, which can be physically more challenging to execute, it could still work well if done in good time.

Rim Shot Technique:

• I'm playing a rim shot, catching both the rim and the drum head for a powerful sound.
• Although it's not compulsory to use rim shots, it's a popular technique that provides a thick, cutting sound.

Maintaining Control

It's crucial not to take your foot off the pedal; otherwise, the sound can become too trashy.

• Control is Key: Keep your foot on the pedal to ensure the sound is more controlled, rather than random.

Experimenting with Sounds

While experimenting, pay attention to:

• The difference in sound when the pedal is engaged versus disengaged.

Flam vs. Unison

In terms of vocabulary, we're transitioning between flams and unison stickings.

Important Concepts:

• Opposite Techniques: When playing a flam, you don't want to hear a unison, and vice versa.
• Practice Separate: It's essential to feel the difference between the two.

Flam Technique:

• I'm using what I call a power flam, generally going from right to left.

Examples:

• Wide flam vs. Close flam: Distinguishing the techniques allows for greater control and understanding.

Practice Exercise:

• Start with a unison, then transition into a flam to understand the mechanics better.

Stepped Hi-Hat Part

In section B, there's a stepped hi-hat part where you play flams along with a small section of unison against it.

Key Tips:

• Don't jump up and down on the pedal: This will only create a splash effect.
• Anticipate transitions into the stepped hi-hat part, maintaining focus on the sound of each section.

Conclusion

As always, play along with the track. Listen to what's going on with the other instruments and check out the overview in your material for additional insights.

Practice Recommendations:

• Listen to as much music in this style as possible.
• Practice everything separately and focus on the specific sounds you want, especially in the groove.

With time and practice, you'll master this chart and enjoy playing it!