Welcome to Mind the Gaps: Grade Eight Rock School Drums

Okay, welcome back! Or welcome, depending on if you've been here or not. This is Mind the Gaps, Grade Eight Rock School Drums.

Tricky Funk and Soul

We're diving into a tricky one again, in a kind of funk and soul genre, but more specifically, a funk style. Here are some essential points to keep in mind:

• Timing is Key: It's got to be tight and really in time.
• Inter-Dynamics: Be really aware of your interactions between the kit, the bass drum, the snare drum, and the hi-hat. They form a beautiful little trinity. Balance them, and everything will be cool.

Introduction and Accents

• We have a lovely little intro with nice, tight hi-hats.
• Bring out the accents!
• Pay attention to the little five-stroke rolls; they add so much texture. Be delicate with them.

Cheeky Fill in Bar Four

• Be aware of the hand-to-hand transitions around the kit; it will sound great.

Triplets at Section B

At section B, we encounter those little triplets at the end of each bar. As it states in your walkthrough section, there are a lot of ways to approach this:

• Personal Preference: I would do it in a push-pull manner; for me, it's just the most nimble way to execute it.
• You could use the molar technique as well, which works great!

Six Stroke Rolls

• At the end of section B, focus on the six-stroke roll or an inverted paradiddle-diddle, whichever term you prefer.
• Practice: Work on it repetitively on a pad and then around the kit. It doesn't need to be limited to one spot; play it wherever you like. It's a highly useful pattern.

Technique and Coordination

Moving forward, let's discuss technique:

• Six Stroke Rolls & Five Stroke Rolls: Incorporate some tricky bass drum patterns and fast doubles.
• Advice: Practice it all with a metronome, starting slowly and building up your speed. You'll become fluent in no time.

Coordination Tips at Section C

In section C, we have:

• Pedaled Hi-Hat and Bass Drums: While playing pedaled hi-hats, play the bass drum on all four semiquavers of the beats.
• Doubling Up: Adding doubles will enhance your coordination significantly.

Timekeeping

• Larger Ensemble: This piece involves a larger ensemble with horns; it's a big funk band.
• Clarity: Be exceptionally clear on where the time is situated, especially with the hits that are set up, whether written or indicated above the bar.

Drum Solo

This naturally leads us into the drum solo.

• Catching Hits: The hits are indicated on the last semiquaver of the bar, and you need to catch them!
• When soloing over a vamp, make sure you connect with the rhythms you're playing over.
• The backing is there to support you, catching those hits makes it all sound better.

Soloing Techniques

• I recommend catching those hits on the cymbals or an open hi-hat, in a nice high register.

Development at Section E

For example, at section E:

• Groove with One Hand: I'm starting to play a groove using just one hand on the hi-hat while playing the offbeat triplets open.
• Influence: Vinny Colaiuta often does this in odd time signatures, and it sounds fantastic!

Variations

• Instead of just one triplet, try playing both triplets and explore variations.
• This technique allows you to incorporate six-stroke rolls or inverted paradiddles, depending on your style.

Listening Recommendations

I encourage you to check out:

• David Garibaldi who is amazing with Tower of Power.
• Snarky Puppy for large band instrumental funk; Larnell Lewis and Sput are fantastic players.

Feel free to "thieve" their ideas, just as I do.

I hope this was helpful! Enjoy playing it; it's a really cool tune.

Take care!