New Orleans Style Drumming Lesson

Pat is a phenomenal New Orleans style drummer in all its aspects. So, do you want to...? Yeah, I reckon Pat should lead us on something New Orleans-based: Big Chief.

Introduction to "Big Chief"

Does anyone know Big Chief? Anyone else?

Yes! Big Chief is a song by Professor Longhair, sung by Earl King. They had quite a big production on this back. It was early in the 60s, I think, maybe late 50s. It's basically one of those tunes that's like a sort of national anthem in New Orleans.

You'll probably recognize it when we kick off. The reason I picked it is that it's on a blues, and we've all got different parts. We're not actually playing the same thing; each of us has a different role, but it ties together in quite a wonderful way.

So, let's just play it! Kick off with the piano, and then we'll gradually come in. Cool?

Performing "Big Chief"

Are you ready? Let's hang on the one actually:

"Sa got my squad out by my side,
My spot boy just went by.
Matter of fact, boy, I pulled a pile.
Me gonna do everything I could;
We gon' dance till the morning."

Did you all hear the different parts in that? It's quite clear, I suppose. Have you ever played that tune? Anyone ever played that tune before? Even though you might have heard it? So, what did you think? Any thoughts or questions on that tune?

Exploring the Rhythm

I guess you have to be quiet. So, it's coming from a more West African kind of thing.

• The bass drum keeps time like that, but you've got to have that and play against it.
• It's got that more carnival feel to it.

So, it's different from the 12/8, isn't it? Different vibe. It's a bit straighter.

Any other questions on that? But it's not quite straight, is it?

No, the thing is, the misconception about when people say "play something jazzy" or "New Orleans-y" is that they think it means sloppy. So, it's like they'll do something like this:

"Nah, nah."

It's got that in a way, but it also has the snap against it. It's like falling over the stairs and bumping its head every now and again, then righting itself rather than just keep falling over, you know what I mean?

Key Takeaways

I hear quite a few bands that just kind of get it. They have the sloppiness, but immediately they also have the snap back.

• It's about those two things.
• But it doesn't have to be that loud either.

Also, this can apply when you're playing rhythm guitar. So, you sort of get into that elbow just there, you know?

Experimenting with Different Feels

Maybe we could try something on a different feel, a more New Orleans thing. Something like that:

"And we have the..."

How that sort of swung over that.

These are my Bourbon streets. Yeah, Bourbon Street!

This is most definitely the blues.

Understanding the Blues

The blues, I suppose, can mean two things: a feeling or a musical structure. But you'll find that there are many blues on this kind of street parade idea as well.

So, let's try something, but with that back together. Yeah, just briefly.

It's interesting to talk about the attitude in playing it because a lot of people think it's this really laid-back thing. But essentially, it's music that came from the street and it's pretty...well, people needed to be aggressive.

Conclusion

There is an aggression in the streets that came out in the music, and it's the same with jazz as well. People think, "Oh, jazz is light and jazzy." And you know, those crotchets might sound light, but they're really heavy.

Listen to bass players like Ray Brown if you've ever heard of him. Check out Ray Brown if you want to get into crotchets and groove; it's a good place to start.

I don't think there's anyone better, is there? I think for me it just stops there, really. Okay, well, there you go! That's a good place to start.

And there are some videos of him just talking about how he plays a walking bass line with crotchets, and it's heavy. Play along to that, that's an education!