Music Lesson: Playing the Rock Piece "Piston"

With the rock piece Piston that we're about to play through, there are a couple of things I'd like to highlight that you need to be aware of.

Structure Overview

• Four bars per line: This is a natural structure for musicians, often feeling like four, eight, sixteen, or thirty-two bar sections, which are quite common in songs.
• 16-bar sections: Great for our piece.

First Line Breakdown

• Quarter note snares on beats one and two:

  • I’m choosing to play this right-left to develop our single strokes.
  • If right-handed, avoid playing a loud right hand note and a quiet left hand note. We aim for an even sound:
    • If I was playing: (demonstrate)
    • If I’m left-handed: (demonstrate)
  • The impact we want for this style of music relies on an even sound.

• Guitarist's phrase:

  • After the quarter note snares, the guitarist has a chance to play a little phrase.
  • It's important for drummers to leave space for other musicians; sometimes, what we don't play is just as crucial.

• Bar three reminder:

  • Just quarter note snares throughout.
  • Tip: Don’t pick up speed. It often feels easy, and confidence may lead to speeding up.

• End of the first line:

  • Ending with the same phrase: one, two on the snare for the fourth bar.

Second Line Breakdown

• Groove kicks in: Incorporating hi-hats.

• Bass drum and snare parts:

  • Steady rhythm with a couple of quarter note rests.
  • You might expect a bass drum on beat three in the first and third bars, but it’s not there—watch your timing!

• Sound considerations:

  • Decide whether to play the hi-hats with the tip of the stick or the side for a stronger sound.
  • I prefer playing with the side of the stick for a more pronounced effect since it’s a rock piece.

• First two bars example:

  • Play with the tip of the stick (demonstrate).
  • Choose a method that feels comfortable for you, but consider the sound related to rock music—typically, you want to dig in a bit.

• Fill in bar four:

  • Combination of eighth notes and quarter notes.
  • Allow the right amount of space for each note value.
    • Count eighth notes: “1 and 2 and 3 and 4.”
  • This helps maintain the time feel, preventing speeding up, especially since there's a metronome on the track.

Next Lines Overview

• Grooving in quarter note feel:

  • Watch for rests, especially on beat four of bar four in the third line—a complete quarter note rest: no hi-hat, no snare, no bass drum.
  • Counting through this rest will be your best friend for confident entry into the next line.

• Hi-hat and bass drum:

  • Quarter notes allowing the second half of the bar for guitar again in both bars.
  • Remember: play the snare with the hi-hat instead of the bass drum.
  • Additional fill in the third bar, combining quarter notes and eighth notes.

• Final reminder:

  • Watch out for the eighth note bass drums; don’t let them take you by surprise.
  • Finish strongly with hi-hat and bass drum, followed by hi-hat and snare in the last bar.