Freightshaker (Analyse)

Freight Shaker Music Lesson

Overview
Freight Shaker is a heavy blues tune that includes a jazz section and a fun drum solo. This piece features a lot of dynamics, transitioning between loud and quiet sections, and has a fast tempo of around 170 BPM.

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Introduction

• Start with an open hi-hat.
• Focus on the shuffle idea.

Playing the Shuffle

• Lean into the beat.
• Utilize a flick of the wrist to create a bounce.
• Avoid: Playing each note without bounce, as it will not swing.

Jazz Beat Exercise

• Practice bouncing on beats two and four:

  "One, two, three, four, one."

• Let the momentum of the stick take over.

• Remember: If you play every single note, you will lose the vibe of the song. Keep it bouncing!

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Section B

Structure

• Begins on bar five.
• Essentially a blues rhythm with a little push on the end.
• Transition to the ride with a big fill before chord four.

Playing the Fill

• The fill pattern:
  Right, Left, Left, Right, Left, Left, Right, Left, Left, Right, Left, Left

• Move the fill around the kit from the snare to the floor tom.

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Busy Hand Section

• Play all triplets on the hi-hat.
• Personal preference is to lead with the right hand while filling in with the left.

Transitioning

• Be mindful of the transition between the ride and hi-hat; it may be tricky but is manageable with practice.

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Drum Roll into Jazz Section

• This section is marked mp (mezzo-piano).
• Maintain a light touch while building towards the drum solo.

Bold Statements

• Use bold statements to capture attention:

  "Sometimes you just want one simple idea with lots of space, very effective."

• Begin experimenting with semiquavers in your rhythm:

  "Diggity, diggity, diggity, diggity."

Creative Challenge

• Use different rhythms within an eight-bar challenge.
• Remember, bold statements can make a drum solo more interesting.

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Returning to the Beginning

• The second time around, develop your ideas:
  • Incorporate more bass drum.

"An example of the initial figure could sound like..."

Incorporating Variations

• Use ghost notes and accents as you return to the main theme.

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Transitioning to the Bass Solo

• Keep the feel light, using some open hi-hats to push the rhythm.
• Pay attention to the last three open hi-hats leading to a big smash on beat four.

Final Riff and Fill

• Hit the variation in the final riff firmly.

• The final fill consists of groups of two within the triplets:

  "Diggity, diggity, diggity, diggity."

Pulsing Practice

• Establish the pulse and start incorporating the rhythm.
• Once comfortable, play through the complete figure.

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Conclusion

• Freight Shaker is a fun piece with exciting elements of blues and jazz.
• A lot is going on, including various hand techniques and triplet usage.
• Enjoy practicing, and good luck with the piece!