Teaching "Dock of the Bay" - A Music Lesson

Introduction
Okay, let's take a look at Dock of the Bay, or Sitting on the Dock of the Bay to give it its correct title. This features the great Al Jackson Jr. on drums. It's a classic soul tune.

Tempo and Feel

• It's a very gentle piece with a straight ahead, eighth note feel at a slow tempo.
• Important: Get that time feel before you come in.

Counting Technique

• We've got these two and four closed hi-hat hits. Feel the time!
• What I do in the performance is count the eighth notes, even while playing quarter notes.
• Think:
  • 1, 2, 3 and 4 and
  • 1, 2 and 3 and 4 and
  • 1

There's a lot of space at this tempo. As a feel concept, it's pretty much eighth notes all the way through.

Section Overview

• This is a debut tune, so we don't have any tom fills, open hi-hats, or cross cymbals.
• Essentially, I'm just looking to keep steady eighth note time.
• Pay attention to the variations in the bass drum pattern:
  • Look for subtle changes in the bass drum patterns between the A, B, and C sections.
  • Note the unison at the end of the B section: two bass drums, two snare drums with the hi-hat.
  • In the C section, watch for a change in bass drum patterns, especially towards the end, which finishes on a bass drum and a hi-hat.

Playing Style
From a feel perspective, this is just very gentle.

• I don't play too heavy on this tune; I'm keeping it really relaxed.
• I use a certain kind of dynamic hi-hat technique:
  • I avoid playing too monotone on the hi-hat.
  • I won't play a huge snare drum figure or a big bass drum figure.
  • It's all about maintaining a relaxed feel.

Performance Techniques

• Center Snare: I'm going to play center snare; no big rim shots are necessary at this grade.
• I will use a nice hi-hat technique that includes a lilting accent:
  • Count: 1, 2, 3, 4
• It's not essential to use that technique, but it gives a nice balance of sounds for a relaxed feel.

Grip and Balance
For the snare drum, I'm going to use traditional grip.

• This technique feels nice, gentle, and easy; it achieves a balanced sound.
• Remember, these techniques are personal; if I were to play this tune, that's how I would approach it.

Conclusion
Great! Have fun with this tune. See you soon!