FUNK • FUSION • HIP-HOP • ELECTRONIC - Drum Solo · PDF fileof Modern Drummer . RONALD SPAGNARDI. April 25, ... 101 Drum Tips “Stuff All the Pros Know and Use ... Fans of Jim

Volume #2 • Fall 2003

F U N K • F U S I O N • H I P - H O P • E L E C T R O N I C

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2 Fall 2003DrumPRO GROOVE www.drumpromagazine.com 3DrumPRO GROOVE

CONTENTS • FALL 2003

ARTICLES

9 The Man Called VFX An interview with Tony Verderosa by Donny Gruendler

18 DrumPRO’s YEAR-END GIVEAWAY!

20 Building Electronic Drum Pads with Joseph Caputo

23 Modern Textures, part II Developing a working Rig by Donny Gruendler

27 Drum Sequencing 101 by Justin Opitz

29 Music Business School Featuring “The Musician’s Handbook” by Bobby Borg

DEPARTMENTS

3 Note from Publisher & Editor

5 Book Reviews

7 DVD Reviews

8 Transcript Reviews

35 Gear Reviews

36 Classifieds

HANDS ON

31 Funk-tastic Bass Drum Patterns

Volume 2 • Fall of 2003www.drumpro.com

Sr. Editor/PublisherGeorge Shepherd

Editor/ContentDonny Gruendler

Contributing WritersGeorge ShepherdDonny Gruendler

Bobby BorgJoseph Caputo

Justin Optiz

Art, Layout & DesignRaymie Chapman

Web SiteStryder

Xanthus

CollectionsGuido

NotationsCreated inSibelius

PublisherCDI Publications

P. O. Box 11388Newport Beach, CA

92658

For Advertising Information, pleasecontact George Shepherd at:[email protected]

(714) 436-1234

Article submissions toGeorge Shepherd:

[email protected]

Questions, comments, hatemailor otherwise, send to:

[email protected]

DrumPro Groove magazineis published quarterly

by CDI Publications.

Unless otherwise indicated, all content © 2003 by CDI Publications. Reproduction in

whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited.


mailto:[email protected]


Editor & Publisher of Modern Drummer

RONALD SPAGNARDI

April 25, 1943 -

September 22, 2003

Hello Everyone!

By now, many of you have heard of the passing of Ron Spagnardi, the founder of Modern Drummer Magazine. Ron, like many others, was a visionary and an innovator.

Modern Drummer, the “grand daddy” of all contemporary drumming publications has inspired, educated and gave some of us the courage to follow a career in drumming.

Some may say that community of drumming has lost one of its greatest innovators. I don t̓ believe that Ron Spagnardi̓ s work and vision has been lost, by any means. Ron has given the international drumming community a rich legacy and the resources to evolve into the world of tomorrow. Although, Ron will be greatly missed, his influence will be seen for many generations to come. That is true success! Cheers Ron! We all couldn t̓ have come this far without you…

“Carpe Diem”-Seize the Day! Innovation is the product of enlightenment and enlightenment is the product of courage!

George ShepherdDrumPRO MagazinesPublisher

Thank you for downloading our second issue of DrumPRO Groove Magazine. Although a young publication, we are confident that we offer the professional drummer (and novice alike), a new, unique and broad perspective of contemporary drumming.

You will notice that within our pages, many topics are present that normally do not fall under the banner of “contemporary drumming”. Our goal is to entertain and enlighten. So, in addition to the normal endorsement information and artist interview features, DrumPRO also offers a well-rounded series of informational and instructional articles that relate to today s̓ current working and recording drummers. These topics include, not only, playing various styles and tuning concerns, but also more modern concepts such as programming, creating (and dealing with) loops, sampling, Mic i̓ng techniques and working with software applications (such as Pro Tools) both live and in the studio.

Although, many other publications (and drummers) tend to overlook these areas of study, we believe that these are the new fundamentals of contemporary drumming AND musicianship. Therefore, you will be able to find all of these subjects in our pages every issue.

We hope that it will enlighten, enrich and aid in all of your musical endeavors. Thank you for reading!

Donny GruendlerDrumPRO Groove Editor

2 Fall 2003DrumPRO GROOVE www.drumpromagazine.com 3DrumPRO GROOVE

From the EditorNote from the Publisher

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Please show your support for the DrumPROMagazine Familyby ordering our Premier Edition DrumPRO Magazine T-Shirts or Hats!

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Drumming in StyleBy Gregg Martin

Drumming in Style is the ultimate resource for any musician interested in expanding their musical and stylistic repertoire. Featuring over 400 grooves, Gregg takes an in-depth adventure into the styles of: Funk, Rock, Punk, Disco, Country, Reggae, Shuffles, Blues, Latin, Jazz, Brushes, New Orleans, Swing and Be Bop. Each style gives nearly 40 examples of the grooves that you may encounter in playing situations. To learn more, visit www.cdipublications.com Book Retail Price: $19.95

101 Drum Tips “Stuff All the Pros Know and Use”By Scott Schroedl

It’s official, I could have saved 10 years of mistakes and embarrassing moments if this book was around went I was getting my start as a professional musician! 101 Drum Tips from Hal Leonard is an invaluable resource for all drummers. Scott Schroedl explores virtually any possible obstacle that a drummer WILL come across. From warming up, practicing, technique, time exercises, gig etiquette, studio tips and tricks, this book has it all! And the accompanying CD gives students 76 demo tracks plus exposure to 18 different grooves examples that are demonstrated in the text. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852. Book and CD Retail Price: $14.95

Fun When You DrumBy Gary Marshall

Gary’s 24-page book covers the essentials of basic technique, coordination and rock grooves. This book is great for beginners that want to lay a solid foundation and get started with easy groove patterns and fills. Fun When You Drum can be ordered through Gary’s website at: www.funwhenyoudrum.com Book Retail Price £11.99 (pounds)

The Ritter MethodBy Chip Ritter

And this is why we read books, go to clinics, surf the web and play music. Drumming is not only an art form, but it is a way of living. Chip explains many philosophical concepts to improve one’s playing and one’s self. There are many drum “gods” and teachers that we have all looked up to, but how many of these great players have ever really inspired you to completely change you life or your way of thinking? If you find inspiration, hold onto it, support it and perpetuate it. Chip’s, Ritter Method, is a great inspiration and should be supported. The Ritter Method can be ordered/downloaded through Chip Ritter’s website at: www.chipritter.com Book Retail Price $9.95

“Stop and rest if you must, but never quit. Inspiration is our main source of energy, so gather as must of it as you can.”-Chip Ritter


Book Reviews

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http://www.musicdispatch.com

http://www.funwhenyoudrum.com

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www.chipritter.com

Developing Interdependence Vol. 2By Brent G. Phillips

Some of you may have already heard of this series, but for those of you that haven’t, you are missing a gem of information. Developing Interdependence Vol. 2 explores independence and interdependence through a multitude of jazz exercises. Brent gives over 700 examples in triplets, eighths and 16ths. Fans of Jim Chapin’s Book Advanced Techniques Vol. 1, will appreciate the complexity and musical application of these patterns. A must have for aspiring jazz drummers and anyone wanting to have total control of independence and interdependence. To learn more, visit www.drumpublications.com Book Retail Price: $20.00

The Musician’s Internet

By Peter Spellman

This great resource published by Berklee Press, explores the wealth of Internet potential available to the savvy musician. Peter explores various on-line strategies for success in the music industry. Topics covered include: Net Basics, Getting Started, Search Engines, Communicating with Fans, Teammates & Customers, Sharing/Selling/Licensing, Webcasting, Internet Radio, Signing a Deal with On-line/Off-line Record Labels, Net Career Guidance, Expanding On-line Presence and a ton of Web Resources. This book is a great help to musicians world-wide. To learn more visit: www.berkleepress.com or call (617) 747-2146 Book Retail price: $24.95

The Musicians Handbook

By Bobby Borg

Many of us are familiar with the popular music biz book All You Need to Know about the Music Business by Donald Passman. Here is a book that is destined to become just as popular. Bobby illustrates many detailed aspects of the music industry in his new book. Bobby is also a contributing writer to DrumPRO Magazine. One of the things that set this book apart from other Music Biz books is the author’s point of view- the working musician! This book is the A-Z resource of the music industry. It belongs on the in the hands of every serious musician. I don’t want to sound like a salesman for this book and I have not been prompted to give this text a “good review”, but this is an awesome book, which we stand behind fully as a definitive resource for the music industry. To learn more visit: www.watsonguptill.com Book Retail price: $19.95

Music BusinessBook Reviews

6 Fall 2003DrumPRO GROOVE BACK TO CONTENTS

Book Reviews

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http://www.watsonguptill.com/

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Tim AlexanderLive Performance and Commentary

All you Primus and Laundry fans out there are in for a real treat. This DVD of Tim Alexander, filmed at Cutting Hall in Chicago IL, features DRUMS ONLY performances of many Primus and Laundry songs. These are unaccompanied tracks that allow you to see and hear every note of Tim’s favorite songs. This DVD also includes commentary from Tim himself on the development of his grooves. Primus songs featured include: My Name Is Mud, Here Come The Bastards, Eleven, Jerry Was A Racecar Driver and Spegetti Western. Laundry songs include: Ten Gates, What Is Great and Turd Bowlers. For more info on Tim, visit www.timalexander.com For more info on this DVD, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852. DVD Retail Price: $19.95

Learn To Play The DrumsetBy Peter Magadini

This DVD follows Peter’s book by the same name. Peter demonstrates examples from his book and explains the use of his patterns and equipment. This DVD is a good resource for students that want to get a basic and quick knowledge of the drum set. The DVD follows the book so closely that I recommend getting the book if you plan to purchase this DVD. This DVD is definitely for beginners. Topics Covered; Hand technique, Quarter & 8th note patterns, simple 8th note & triplet beats and simple rudiments. For more info on this DVD, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852. DVD Retail Price: $19.95


DVD Reviews

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www.musicdispatch.com


www.virtualdrummerschool.com

Best of BLINK 182 for DrumsTranscriptions by Scott Schroedl

Note for note drum transcriptions for the popular BLINK 182 songs; Adams Song, Aliens Exist, All the Small Things, Anthem Part II, Dammit, Don’t Leave Me, Dumpweed, First Date, Josie, Pathetic, The Bock Show, Stay Together for the Kids and What’s My Age Again. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852. Book Retail Price: $17.95

Best of Red Hot Chili Peppers for DrumsTranscriptions by Scott Schroedl

Note for note drum transcriptions for the Chili Peppers songs; Aeroplane, Breaking The Girl, By The Way, Californication, Get Up And Jump, Give It Away, Good Time Boys, Higher Ground, Knock Me Down, Me And My Friends, Mellowship Slinky In B Major, Minor Thing, My Friends, Nobody Weird Like Me, One Big Mob, Right on Time, Scar Tissue, Throw Away Your Television, True Men Down Kill Coyotes and Under The Bridge. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852. Book Retail Price: $19.95

Foo Fighters One By One

Full Music Scores, including drums for the Foo Fighters Songs; All My Life, Low, Have It All, Times Like These, Disenchanted Lullaby, Tired of You, Halo, Overdrive, Burn Away and Come Back. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852. Book Retail Price: $24.95

System Of A Down ToxicityTranscriptions by Scott Schroedl

Note for note drum transcriptions of the System of a Down Songs; Prison Song, Needles, Deer Prance, Jet Pilot, X, Chop Suey!, Bounce, Forest, Atwa, Science, Shimmy, Toxicity, Psycho and Aerials. To learn more, visit www.musicdispatch.com or call (800) 637-2852. Book Retail Price: $17.95

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Transcriptions Reviews






So you think that you know electronic music? Yeah..Yeah… it is all composed of cold, calculated musical moves and rhythms, AND it is never performed live. It is merely one individual behind a computer desk, (comprised of software sequencers and samplers) who is clicking, dragging and pointing until his heart is content! Right? Wrong!

In a scene that is usually dominated by Turntables and a vast array of application software, Tony Verderosa (a..k.a. VFX) is a breath of fresh air. Rather than drop beats from a turntable or perform by clicking on a laptop, Tony, a classically trained percussionist, prefers to perform electronic music just like Max Roach and other drum set pioneers of the jazz era had, from behind a drum kit and live on stage.

Armed with only his electronic drums, samplers and vocoders, Verderosa s̓ solo live sets are improvisational remixes of his own original compositions. Thus, Tony produces melody, harmony, rhythm and sound design in real-time from a set of electronic drums. All, without the aid of any prerecorded or sequenced material. He is challenging not only how we deal with and view drumming in the 21st century; but also how to, as a solo artist, bring live performance to a medium and audience that never embraced it.

I caught up with Tony in NYC where he is currently running his Independent Record Label, producing remixes and composing tracks for all items under the VFX name.

The Mancalled VFX

Electronic Music Visionary Tony Verderosa.

by Donny Gruendler

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www.vfxtv.net

DrumPRO: Where did you grow up?

Tony V: I grew up about 30-40 minutes outside of Manhattan in a town called Commack (Long Island, NY).

DrumPRO: At what age did you become interested in Music? In Drumming?

Tony V: I showed interest in music and drumming at the same time, around age 3 or 4. I was instinctively drawn towards music and especially the drums...not sure why, but when you are that young, you don’t second-guess or question it, you just go with it. Part of the magic of being a kid I suppose.

DrumPRO: What (or who) were some of your early influences and inspirations as far as music and drumming?

Tony V: My early influences (approx. ages 4-9) were James Brown, Elton John, Mainstream Radio (Pop music), Tony V shows that featured bands like The Monkees and the Partridge Family...essentially anytime I heard music of any kind, I was inspired. Around age 11 or 12, I started to check out Aerosmith, Yes, Zepplin, Rush, Kansas, ELP and many other progressive rock bands. I also had some very cool friends that turned me on to Return to Forever, Pat Metheny Group, John Coltrane, Bill Bruford, David Sancious, King Crimson, Terry Bozzio, Frank Zappa and a host of other amazing artists. In my later teens, I also went thru a heavy classical music phase listening to a lot of Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Stravinsky, Varese etc…

DrumPRO: Did you take lessons when you were growing up? Were you involved in music at school also?

Tony V: My parents were very supportive. They made sure that I started taking lessons at a very early age. I had good teachers from the start but they only allowed me to focus on rudiments and basic reading skills using a practice pad. Once my parents determined I was really committed to drumming and practicing on a pad, they bought me my first kit. I started by teaching myself how to play basic grooves on this small kit when I was around 5 or 6. I would set up my drums near the stereo and try to play along with some records. That was a really valuable experience...it taught me to train my ears and figure out the basic mechanics of drumming from an early age. I eventually started playing in the elementary school band, junior high band and so on….

DrumPRO: Where did you receive your classical composition, piano, and percussion training?

Tony V: I had a great teacher named Jack Snyder, who became my mentor and private teacher when I was around 13 or so. He required me to become a well-rounded percussionist, not just a drummer. He started me on timpani, xylophone, marimba www.drumpromagazine.com 11DrumPRO GROOVEBACK TO CONTENTS

Interview with Tony V

www.vintagedrummer.com

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(2 and 4 mallets) as well snare drum literature and drum set studies. Jack was the most influential teacher in NY at the time. He encouraged me to start playing in the Long Island Youth Orchestra and some College Level ensembles. I also got a scholarship to study and perform during the summers at USDAN, which is a summer music camp that I believe still exists on Long Island. At USDAN, I was introduced to Leigh Howard Stevens 4 Mallet Marimba technique and a lot of advanced percussion ensemble literature. In my late teens, I used to dream about becoming a percussionist in a major symphony. In High School, I studied Music Theory and Harmony with a great Teacher named Andy Blackett. Andy also encouraged Piano studies and original composition. Jack Snyder and my High Band instructor, Pete Brasch actually encouraged me to attend Postdam College (Crane School of Music) in NY for my 4 year music degree. I spent 4 amazing years at SUNY Potsdam studying with Percussionist, Jim Peterscak.

DrumPRO: What subjects interested you in that environment? Did you participate in percussion, piano and composition all at once? Or did you go through phases of interest in each?

Tony V: I always tried to merge my love of piano, percussion, composition and drumming…though in High School, each area was quite separate since I was still deep into the learning curve on each instrument. Postdam College (Crane School of Music) is where I was able to first start experimenting with merging all of these interests. Jim Peterscak is the Percussion Instructor there and he really encouraged students to find their own voice. I was fortunate because in many College Music Programs, students are completely locked into a fixed curriculum for percussion studies. Jim encouraged me to experiment with Electronic percussion, drum set studies and composition as long as the basics were being covered such as 4 mallet marimba studies, classical timpani literature, Wind Ensemble/Percussion Ensemble literature etc.. Jim also had a

really good grasp on the business side of music as well, which proved to be invaluable later in my career. The seeds for what I currently do with my drum system today were all planted at Potsdam/Crane School of Music.

DrumPRO: When did they solidify into becoming one artistic statement?

Tony V: I suppose everything started to click with my approach between 1987-90. I had developed a compositional style based on triggering melody, bass lines, chords and other effects from my drum set in real-time. I was very inspired by watching Bill Bruford with Crimson and Earthworks and I wanted to put my own spin on the concept. He often had other musicians accompany him on stage while he augmented the compositions by triggering single notes per drum pad to execute melodies and some chordal structures. I also got inspired by watching a drummer named Frank Briggs, who at the time, was performing in a progressive


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rock band called 805. They toured and came thru Potsdam while I was student there. Frank was also getting deep into the early electronic percussion systems and was following a similar path as Bruford. They were both extremely innovative and very inspiring to watch…incredible musicians. I wanted to have a totally self-sufficient drum system so that I could perform entire songs/shows in real-time as a soloist. It was around this time that I started my relationship with Yamaha as an artist/endorser/clinician. The Yamaha system was extremely advanced in terms of midi-implementation. There is a big music trade show called the NAMM show, which takes place every January in CA. Yamaha called me one day and said, “We have this new proto-type drum trigger system called the DTS70. We are going to fed ex one to you, learn how to use it and get to California in 5 days to do some shows at Winter NAMM ….oh…and by the way, the shows will be 4 times a day and you will alternate stages with Dave Weckl.”. This NAMM show actually turned out to be a turning point in my career. I played 4 shows a day, triggering 3 different synth modules (and an Ry30 drum machine for percussion and drum samples). I had a 5 piece acoustic kit (triggers on every drum) and about 7 or 8 elec. pads surrounding the acoustic kit. I was able to stack and layer 5 notes per pad, which gave me some nice thick chordal harmonies. When I used the ‘alternate mode’ I could use 5 notes per drum to create melodies. Alternate Mode was also incredibly cool on the bass drum for triggering bass lines. The feeling of playing a killer bass drum in a great sound system, layered with 5 synth bass notes is one of the most amazing feelings on the planet. We had a packed house for every show, I was able to perform in front of some major heavy hitters in the business… an amazing opportunity for a young drummer. After one of the shows, Chick Corea came up to me and asked, “What the hell are you doing?! How are you making all of those sounds?” He really loved the concept of a drummer triggering synths/melodies/bass lines live. He is, in fact, a great drummer as well as a piano player. He was extremely complimentary. That was a great moment, to have one of my hero’s at the time, digging on my approach and my music.

Verderosa has performed and recorded

alongside Coldcut, Underworld, The

Brecker Brothers, Sinead O’Connor,

Philippe Saisse, Dream Theater’s John

Petrucci and Angelique Kidjo among

many others. Furthermore, he is beginning

to achieve a pop culture status, as well,

by appearing in the recent National TV

Commercial called “Tony V’s Mix” for

M&M Mars.

Tony is a featured artist at

www.mixman.com, along with Moby,

Madonna, Busta Ryhmes, Kid Rock

and David Bowie. You can download

interactive version of his tracks, just

search under his stage name of “VFX”.

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www.mixman.com

Weckl became a friend and mentor around that time. Dave was very cool in giving me credit as an inspiration on one of his solo CD’s called MasterPlan. He based one of his compositions on my approach and called it “trigger Happy”. I was also invited to do many live concerts/clinics in Japan, Europe, US and Canada around that time as well as a sound page insert (an actual vinyl record) inserted into Modern Drummer Magazine. I also filmed a video called “Live In Tokyo” around that time. I was getting fan letters from Japan from some guy named “Akira Jimbo”. He said he was a huge fan of my solo CD “Beatnik Rebel Science” and really enjoyed my live video. Turns out, the guy was obsessed with these gadgets and has gone on to a brilliant career as a clinician and overall midi-madman. Amazing drummer and technician, though in drum articles/interviews and videos, he never seems to address the lineage and the people that were experimenting with this stuff in the early years. He always seems to mention Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl and other acoustic drummers as his influences. It is important for young drummers to know the history of electronic drumming, even though electronic drums have not been around that long. There is a deep connection between the instrument makers/designers and the artists that take the bold step of creating new music with these instruments. I could be wrong here, but I don’t believe he has properly acknowledged (in print at least ), his actual influences with respect to triggering/elec drums and so on. As far as I can trace it back, without Bruford, there is no Frank Briggs, no Tony V and so on. Bruford’s work with electronic percussion in the 80’s and early 90’s was absolutely essential to the development of the movement. Pat Mastellato is also doing some amazing work these days with Crimson, in fact, he belongs in the early development stages, as well, since I remember hearing him live in the late 80’s and early 90’s triggering lots of cool samples. I am sure there are now hundreds of young, up and coming drummers who are about to blow the lid off of the entire movement based on the artists mentioned

above. That will be inspiring to witness. Just part of the evolution of the drum set. I think the drumming community is pretty well covered on chops and double bass drum technique. We need more artists to join the electronic movement, drummers who are primarily motivated by composition and sound design. I have certainly not seen that well represented in Drum Festivals with the exception of the Montreal Drum Festival. Those guys in Montreal are way ahead of the curve. Modern Drummer Day? You would think electronic percussion is a dead issue with those guys. Kind of sad. They had a moment 10 years ago when they brought in Michael Shrieve and David Beals as an elec duo. I thought that would be a regular theme and elec. percussion would be properly represented each year, but no go. If you are not hip to “Future Man” Roy Wooten from Bela Fleck, watch out. This guy is way ahead of the curve, developing new techniques and more recently inventing new instruments such as the “Royel”. Roy has that key element that inspired me to listen and study all of the guys I mentioned above. Roy is a forward thinking individual, an artist, a composer, a musician, not just a percussionist/drummer. He is always reaching for something new. That is the place you need to be as an artist, constantly evolving. This era is in many respects, the technology driven, logical extension of “Drummer as Artist/Band Leader” movement, which was started years ago by drummers like Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson and others. The notion of Drummer as leader and recording artist, not just a sideman…that is what is about for me.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC:Your Concepts and Equipment...

DrumPRO: Coming from your classical and traditional background, how did you eventually become interested and immersed into the sampling and electronic music culture?

Tony V: I suppose the answer lies in my desire to find new sounds and also my

desire to try new techniques and styles. I was getting a bit bored and jaded triggering just synthesizers and layering in some congas and drum samples. Most of music until that point fit into the “Jazz Fusion” category. I was really ready for something completely different by around 1995-96. I became very inspired by listening to many of the DJ’s and Producers making “electronica” at the time. It was a new sound and captured my imagination. It was also mostly driven by extreme beats and sampled grooves...very captivating for a drummer.

DrumPRO: This is a scene that is dominated by artists that utilize vinyl, turntables and groove boxes. Since these musicians borrow their material from older (usually obscure) records and then sample, chop, manipulate and scratch or sequence their compositions in fixed time thereafter, how did you formulate the idea that you could also incorporate these various compositional techniques onto an electric drum set and use a percussionist’s perspective?

Tony V: That is a great question. That really gets to the heart of what I am trying to achieve live with my electronic drum/sampling system. Electronic music producers are simply taking slices of samples and pieces of loops to create new grooves and compositions. I had already been triggering samples, vocals and loops for years on my drum set. I just got a bit deeper in to the sound design aspect of techno/breakbeat culture and started triggering these elements live and also began performing in specific venues that catered to that sound and audience as well. Adding a drummer’s/percussionist’s perspective can give a performance another dimension...you get that live remix thing happening where people don’t quite know what to expect next. I just wanted to bring a sense of live improvisation to techno and drum and bass. It is very challenging to say the least. I also think people enjoy watching someone reach up and strike a vocal sample or breakbeat with a drum stick…it is something totally new to them since they are accustomed to watching DJ’s spin records. It brings a visceral quality to live electronic music…a traditional musician’s

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approach to digital music. People still enjoy watching live musicians. It keeps me motivated because I might lose my mind just spinning a record for an hour, I need to be hitting things and grooving live…that is what I do. That keeps me inspired.

DrumPRO: Do you feel that this “real time” method of performance/composition has many more advantages than traditional sequencing?

Tony V: It has some advantages since I can essentially map out each component of my record on many drum pads and triggers, it gives me some more flexibility on stage to remix. It also places a lot of “Human Element” and “non-perfect” timing back in to the sounds and grooves. I am responsible for all of the critical timing issues that produce the feel, not the computer sequencer.

DrumPRO: Does this also make it more powerful for expression and thus adaptable into your idea of a live performance medium?

Tony V: It makes it a very personal and

powerful means of expression for me. Might be different for others. I have enjoyed the hell out of live ColdCut shows and they use 2 Laptops. It all depends on the artist. It is a very personal approach and I am still re-defining where I am going with it. I am starting to incorporate more triggering of “show-control” features such as mapping full motion video to each drum as well as lazers, robotics and lighting effects in real-time.

DrumPRO: Furthermore, you have also incorporated a songwriter’s perspective into your percussion remix process as well. Where in this equation, did incorporating melody and harmony come into play?

Tony V: I approached my Jazz Fusion compositions in much the same way as I would approach a remix live. I just comes down to making good choices musically no matter what the style is. On the technical side, there are many similarities. I might use a very different palette of sounds to create melodies than I did 8 years ago.

DrumPRO: Given your educational background, you obviously feel that drummers should learn about harmony and theory.

Tony V: Absolutely!

DrumPRO: Are all of your grooves, harmonic and rhythmic concepts, sampling, and chopping techniques used in your compositions performed live (in real time) on your CDs?

Tony V: Yes, though some of the compositions on CD were recorded to a hard disk system rather than tape. I use the computer for convenience and recording when needed. It is still a powerful tool for sound design and composition. I might spend 2 days just creating new sounds in my computer or in my RS7000 before I map out each sound in my sampler to trigger live.

DrumPRO: What are some of your favorite pieces that you have written and performed live or on CD? Tony V: My favorite compositions from the Jazz Fusion days are from my Solo CD “Beatnik Rebel Science”. I am really fond of “Squeet” and also the Duet I did with Michael Brecker called “SleepWalking”. You can listen to both of these on my website. (www.tonyverderosa.com) On my Live Electronic Music Videos, I am really happiest with the Vocoder Improv. And One by One.

DrumPRO: Why?

Tony V: Sleepwalking and Squeet represent the most extreme examples of triggering chords, bass and melodies live. They were really challenging to perform in real-time and I love the recording quality and attitude on that record. On the VFX Live Electronic Music Videos and CD’s, I am happy with the sound design elements and the way the grooves are generated from the pads live. One by One really gives me a chance to stretch on acoustic drums, soling over a really nasty sounding vamp. The Vocoder track is just way too much fun to perform live. I am actually turning my voice into a synthesizer in real-time, creating harmonies, bass and melodies with my voice. People really seem to respond that compositional approach live.

DrumPRO: Ultimately, you see yourself


not only as a drummer; but also as a complete artist, composer, producer and remix D.J. Does the pseudonym VFX comprise all of these facets of your artistic self then?

Tony V: I use the VFX moniker to address the Hard-Core electronic music side of my personality.

DrumPRO: Is that why you chose to call your art VFX rather than Tony Verderosa? To signify the difference between a drummer/sideman and a full fledged multifaceted artist?

Tony V: In a sense, yes. VFX would signify a merger between all of my diverse interests as an artist. That pseudonym brings together the artist, composer, producer, drummer and remix D.J., all

under one banner. DrumPRO: So when you do work with outside artists, whether it’s Sinead O’Connor or John Petrucci – Do you approach the project from Tony V the sideman/drummer or VFX?

Tony V: I don’t really think in those terms when entering a project. I just try to bring all of my creative elements to the table to make the artist happy.

DrumPRO: With all of the various elements in your music, you must hope that you are pushing the art form of drumming forward.

Tony V: I think that is for people that buy my CD’s, videos and attend my live shows to decide. I am just doing what I am compelled to do as an artist.

DrumPRO: Do you hope that with your music, a young student drummer might grow up and develop into a hybrid drummer that involves not only traditional rudimentary concepts, but also sampling, looping and remix techniques?

Tony V: I think that will be inevitable. If kids are surrounded by this technology, it will just become part of the basic language and skill set...as basic as the rudiments. That is where it is headed.

DrumPRO: Thus, if a young (non electronic savvy) drummer is reading this interview and is now excited about learning this new genre – what steps

Tony Verderosain action!


should he or she take to learn this music? Any suggested music to listen to?

Tony V: Kraftwerk, Edgar Varese, Clara Rockmore, John Cage, Pierre Schaeffer, Brian Eno, SquarePusher, ORB, Underworld, Chemical Brothers, Luke Vibert, Sven Vath, Richie Hawtin, Goldie, DJ Shadow….there are so many cool artists out there.

DrumPRO: Concepts to learn about – MIDI, etc.?

Tony V: You can learn online and I also cover many of these topics in my new books and videos published by Hal Leonard.

DrumPRO: One piece of gear that could get them started into this world?

Tony V: Yamaha DTXpress II or a Yamaha RS7000 Sampling Remix device. Or a cool computer with Cubase SX and Wavelab software…also Sonic Foundry’s Acid.

DrumPRO: For those readers who are techies and use electronics in their setups – Could you please describe each piece of gear you use and how it fits into your

compositional/ arrangement process? Example: Rs7000 used to chop samples. Where harmony is created, signal chain etc.

Tony V: RS7000 is used to generate unique loop ideas and to slice musical elements into smaller, easy to trigger components. It is one of my primary writing/production tools. The Yamaha A5000 Sampler is used Live to trigger each sample, loop fragment, vocal phrase and breakbeat. This unit is the heartbeat of my live system. Some guys are trying to push me to use a laptop but I am a big fan of hardware-based samplers. I can depend on these for a live show, plus there is no latency issue when triggering which I still feel with many laptop and computer based samplers. I use the O1V 96 to Mix all of my modules live on stage, a Yamaha Mu100R as a synth module and vocoder for live performance, Cubase SX and many waves plug ins and softsynths to create new sounds on the computer which I later trigger live, the Motif 8 as my main midi controller in the studio and Yamaha Electronic drums (DTX 2.0, DTXxtreme IIS) to trigger all of my sounds live (triggers and pads). My compositions and arrangements generally take place as experiments that I work out live on the kit until it ‘feels’ right. I get inspired by a set of sounds and just keep writing and arranging. I can capture these experiments into Cubase or ProTools to evaluate the ideas…and then refine them from there. The creative process of writing and composing is constantly evolving. There is no right way or wrong way to approach this. Just let it flow and go with your instincts.

DrumPRO: While we are still on the subject of equipment, How did the VFX signature series cymbals come about w/ Sabian?

Tony V: Sabian was looking to create a cymbal line that reflected all of the new styles of techno and drum n bass that were emerging at the time. They approached me to become a signature artist, we set up my entire live remix system in the factory (Meductic, NB Canada) and literally created cymbal effects right there in the

factory as I was playing tracks. It was one of the coolest and most innovative things I have ever seen a music company pursue. Sabian is truly ahead of the curve in every respect…great people, great company. I am really pleased with the new instruments we created, especially the V-wave and Distortion Hi Hats.

DrumPRO: Is that the same process that materialized with your Pro Mark Techno Stick too?

Tony V: That is exactly correct. Promark is another forward thinking and very artist friendly company. The Tony Verderosa Techno Stick evolved in much the same way.

DrumPRO: Since you are a long time Yamaha endorser (both drums and digital instruments) and so highly regarded in the electronic music field - what role do you play in terms of R&D with Yamaha?

Tony V: I have always had a tight relationship with the engineers in Japan that design these instruments. Over the years, I have been tapped to create sample libraries for each elec. drum system and also grooves, songs and patterns for electric drums and sampling groove boxes such as the RS7000. I have been to Japan many times working right along side the designers/engineers. They are always very open to new ideas for software functions and sound elements. Brilliant and creative guys at Yamaha in Hamamatsu, Japan.

OTHER VENTURES...

DrumPRO: In addition to developing product lives for Sabian and pro Mark – You have also produced a series of VHS tapes for Hal Leonard. Tell us a little about them.

Tony V: Hal Leonard is distributing a series of 3 books and 3 videos that I produced that deal with Electronic Music. The first book is called “the Techno Primer” and it is an introduction to all of the various styles, production tools



www.halleonard.com

and artists that have been involved with Drum n’ Bass, House Music, Breakbeat etc…That is required reading for anyone that is interested in this music. I also have another one coming out called “The Drummers Guide to Loop Based Music” which is again, a very detailed study of each style, transcriptions of grooves, analysis of my entire live elec. remixing approach and much, much more…. (Interviews with Zach Danziger, Jo Jo Mayer etc..) There will be a third book called the “Techno Play-along series Vol. 1, that will provide some really cool beats and songs to practice to.

DrumPRO: How does it enhance the video series?

Tony V: My video series provides a step-by-step guide to setting up and exploring Live Triggering/Remixing and performing live electronic music. There are 3 Videos: a 2 Part Educational Series and also 3rd video called “Live in NYC” which is just a 70 minute concert. All of the tapes have tons of live performance/concert footage. It is simply a detailed view of what my system and approach is all about. The books go much more into the history of each style, transcriptions and provide many examples on the enclosed Interactive CD. Each CD that comes with the books includes Sonic Foundry Acid Express, some loops and video examples extracted from my 3 videos.

DrumPRO: Do these learning tools help beginning electronic drummers? Or can it also shed light on the subject for seasoned veterans as well?

Tony V: I think my educational series is perfect for players at every level. They were designed with that in mind….and since these topics are so new, they apply to all levels and age groups.

DrumPRO: WOW! You have a full composing and performing career, a line of VFX percussion products by Sabian and Pro Mark and a series of instructional materials. When did you have time to cross over into T.V.’s pop culture with the Twix commercial?

Tony V: A Tony V Commercial that features a drummer playing live and triggering piano, vocals and breakbeats live on camera the entire time? I am still amazed that it actually happened. It doesn’t get any cooler than that. Twix was one of those bizarre things that can happen when you are playing live. I was doing a show in NYC at the Public Theater (Joe’s Pub). I had invited down many friends in the Film and Tony V Industry. Someone from a Big Ad Agency (Grey Worldwide) was in the audience and just flipped out over the concept. They emailed me this cartoon of me performing live in a Tony V commercial for Twix. They have used many artists in past years from the Dave Mathews band, Usher, Anastacia, ‘Lil Bow Wow…I was pretty flattered to be in that mix of artists. Twix campaigns are known for being very wild. The whole process was a blast. They asked me to “just be me”…to totally go for it live on camera. We did a full day of shooting on a large sound stage in LA, recording my entire performance live, in real-time, to Pro Tools on the set. The footage was brought back to NYC for editing. I think the creative folks at Grey did an amazing job. They also asked me to place my name in the music of the commercial and then went on to place “Tony V’s Mix” on the bottom of the commercial as it plays. It is airing all over the world and has been a real blessing for my career. There seems to be a new convergence of the record Industry and “Madison Ave” and I am really lucky to be one of the artists at the forefront of that movement. I also got a chance to meet Rahzel from the Roots and DJ Rap. They are both amazing artists and it was fun working with them as well.

DrumPRO: With what already seems like a full and well rounded career – what is next for Tony Verderosa and VFX. Maybe some sleep?! – you are a busy guy!

Tony V: I think I am going to take a deep breath and get ready for some new live shows, a new solo CD and whatever else comes up. It has been a wild ride, just trying to enjoy each moment and each project! Thanks for inviting me to share some ideas with your readers! I am happy to take questions online. They can email me directly here: [email protected]

16 Fall 2003DrumPRO GROOVE BACK TO CONTENTS BACK TO CONTENTS

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2 Sets Signature Matt Savage X-Beat Snare Sticks Rules: Giveaways are open to DrumPRO registered users and special event participants. Each registereduser is automatically entered at registration. To be removed from the giveaway, send a letter askingto be removed from futuregiveaways to: po box 11388, Newport Beach, CA 92658. This offer is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local regulations. Taxes are thesole responsibility of the winners. The giveaway is not opento employees of DrumPRO Magazine and CDI Publications. Winners will be notified by email, US mail, phone or in person where applicable. Grand Prize Winners will be selected at random on December 30, 2003. A special drawing will be made at the DrumPRO booth at PASIC in Louisville, KY on November 21, 2003. Items selected for this special drawing are: 1 Deluxe Stick Bag, Skid-Proof Drumset Mat, 2 sets of oversized sticks, 7 bottles of groove juice cymbal cleaner, 7 bottles of groove juice shell shine, all promark drum sticks, 1 double stick depot, and 3 sets of stick weights. Additional items may be added to this giveaway without notice. The rules and conditions of this giveaway may be changedwithout prior notice. Winner releases DrumPRO Magazine and it's affiliates from any liability in connection with any loss incurred in connection with the use of prize. Domestic shipping of prizes is included, International winners will be required to remit the proper shipping charges before prizes can be sent. DrumPRO Magazine may offer additional entries to those who pledge support in any special campaigns. Winners agree to all rules, terms and conditions upon entry into thisgiveaway.

Support DrumPRO By $10 Pledge and

Receive a FREE T-SHIRT Plus 10BONUS ENTRIES!!!

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Enter the DrumPRO Year-End Giveawaythe DrumPRO Year-End Giveaway

Thumper CustomSnare Drum

8-Ply 100% Maple Shell13" x 7" Black Satin Finish

2.3mm Brass RimsSolid Brass Tube Lugs

Thumper Custom Bearing EdgeNickle Piston Throw and Butt Plate16 strand heat-treated wire snare

Aquarian heads

>

$500 Value

2 Sets ofExtreme Isolation

Headphones<

$278 Value

Finally hear your drumsover the mix! With DirectSound's revolutionaryExtreme Isolation Headphones!

Pro-Mark OversizeDrumsticks

No more spikes! Big 5X5 foot square pad keeps your drumset from moving

around. Lightweight and compact when folded for storage in your hardware

case. Rip and tear resistant.One year guarantee.

<

$55 Value


>

2 Sets ofTwo Pro-MarkDouble Stick

Depots >$36 Value

Two Pro-MarkDeluxe Stickbags

<Nylon with fleece lining!Ultra durable construction

$90 Value

6 Sets ofStick Weights<$144 Value

2 DoubleSided Pocket Pads

<

$66 Value

Other Items:12 sets of 5a Hickory Wood Tip Sticks

10 Bottles od Groove Juice Cymbal Cleaner10 Bottles of Groove Juice Shell Shine

2 Sets Signature Matt Savage X-Beat Snare Sticks Rules: Giveaways are open to DrumPRO registered users and special event participants. Each registereduser is automatically entered at registration. To be removed from the giveaway, send a letter askingto be removed from futuregiveaways to: po box 11388, Newport Beach, CA 92658. This offer is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local regulations. Taxes are thesole responsibility of the winners. The giveaway is not opento employees of DrumPRO Magazine and CDI Publications. Winners will be notified by email, US mail, phone or in person where applicable. Grand Prize Winners will be selected at random on December 30, 2003. A special drawing will be made at the DrumPRO booth at PASIC in Louisville, KY on November 21, 2003. Items selected for this special drawing are: 1 Deluxe Stick Bag, Skid-Proof Drumset Mat, 2 sets of oversized sticks, 7 bottles of groove juice cymbal cleaner, 7 bottles of groove juice shell shine, all promark drum sticks, 1 double stick depot, and 3 sets of stick weights. Additional items may be added to this giveaway without notice. The rules and conditions of this giveaway may be changedwithout prior notice. Winner releases DrumPRO Magazine and it's affiliates from any liability in connection with any loss incurred in connection with the use of prize. Domestic shipping of prizes is included, International winners will be required to remit the proper shipping charges before prizes can be sent. DrumPRO Magazine may offer additional entries to those who pledge support in any special campaigns. Winners agree to all rules, terms and conditions upon entry into thisgiveaway.

Support DrumPRO By $10 Pledge and

Receive a FREE T-SHIRT Plus 10BONUS ENTRIES!!!

(see back cover for details)

BuildingElectronicDrum Pads

Electronic Drumming has arrived as a major field in the percussion world. With high-end electronic drum sets priced upwards of $5,000 though, it can be a challenge to get involved in this aspect of drumming. However, with a few standard tools and some cheap Radio Shack components, you can get started building your own electronic pads and save yourself a lot of money. This process involves some simple soldering, so anyone under the age of 18 should do this with adult supervision.

Before you start building pads, you may want to find a drum module. You could buy a brand new module for $600 to $1,500 or you could go online to ebay.com and probably find a great, used, Alesis DM5 for around $100-150. I purchased my first module (a DM5) used on ebay four years ago and it still works. If you start building your pads without a module, you probably won’t be able to test them to see if they work!

First, you’ll need some the raw materials. All together, the parts for each pad should not cost more than about $25!

- 1 Remo practice pad (as pictured) $14- 1 large metal coffee can lid (as pictured) $3- 1 piezo transducer (part no. 273-073A) $1.50- 1 RCA phono jack (part no. 274-634) $1.50- 1 spool speaker wire $5- 1 standard soldering iron (these often come with solder)- 1 coil of solder (electronics grade)- 1 large flathead screwdriver- 1 drill, bits 1/8 -1/4?- 1 pair scissors- 1 roll Duct Tape or bottle of super glue- Safety glasses

Be sure to get the same model of practice pad that appears in the photos. As for the coffee can, medium to large cans of Folgers, Maxwell House or something similar will do (any small thin circular metal will work). Keep the top metal lid. The piezo, RCA jack and soldering gun, if you don’t already have one, are available at Radio Shack. Look in the electric components section.

The first step is to open the practice pad. Take out all of the screws and place them somewhere where they will not get lost. When you disassemble the pad, you will find a few more ingredients. There are the plastic casing pieces, of course, drumhead, a thin piece of clear plastic and a piece of foam. Using scissors or a box-cutter, slice the foam lengthwise so that you can sandwich the foam around the coffee lid.

Build a performance friendly instrument and learn a little bit about electronics. by Joseph Caputo

BuildingElectronicDrum Pads


www.drumrhythms.com

Now, it’s time to drill a hole in the base piece of the practice pad for the phono jack. If anything, drill your hole too small, because you can always make it bigger. But, if you drill too large a hole you might have to drill a new one and most people would not prefer the Swiss Cheese look.

Soldering time! Soldering irons get EXTREMELY hot, so be very careful. Also, you will quickly find that soldering takes finesse and care. A final warning- solder is made of LEAD, so wash your hands between uses and keep it away from kids. Plug the iron in and set it on a NON-flammable surface to heat up. (While you wait, you can cut some wire.) With the scissors, cut two, 6-inch, lengths of wire. Strip one-half inch of the insulation on both ends to expose the wire. Put on your safety glasses (sometimes hot solder will shoot off of the iron, so protect yourself) and ready the RCA jacks. You will notice that you need to get four items to meet and touch at one point; the iron, the wire, the jack and the solder. You can hold the jack and wire together by bending the wire through the eye-hole of the jack. This will, hopefully, keep these pieces steady. Hold the solder to the contact point of the wire and jack. Then using the iron, touch the tip to the solder. If you’ve done things correctly, there will be a little piece of metal solder holding the wire and jack together. If not, try again.

Now, do the same thing with the other wire and the screw-on nut attachment of the RCA jack. When you have soldered both of these pieces, you can thread the main jack and wire through the hole you drilled in your practice pad. Then, screw the RCA nut onto the

other side. Be careful! The solder will occasionally break if stress is put on it. Now, you can solder the other ends of the wires to the piezo. It does not matter which direction the signal comes from, so you can solder either of the two wires to each other.

The basic component inside of every electronic percussion instrument is the piezo transducer. This little device is, in essence, the drum. The piezo senses stick impact and vibration and sends a signal accordingly. This means that when you hit the pad, it will detect the attack velocity, which is translated into volume.

Now, the RCA jack should be connected to the piezo, through the hole in the pad base. Some simple steps will finish this project. First, you’ll want to glue or Duct Tape the wired piezo to the coffee can lid. This will widen the contact area for the pad, giving the performer a larger range of volume and playability. Now, you can slide the lid and piezo between the sliced pieces of foam. Reassemble the practice pad. Most drum modules accept 1/4 inch cables, so you will need an RCA to 1⁄4” cable to attach your pad to any module. The module must then be attached to an amplifier of some sort, so you will be able to hear it. Fine-tuning for the pad’s sensitivity can be done inside of the drum module. Now, you should be able to hear your pad.

Congratulations, you have entered the field of electronic music and you have something concrete to show for it.


Building Electronic Drum Pads


www.mapexdrums.com

Modern Textures: Part IIDeveloping a Working Rig

A guide to successfully integrating loops, samples and its various hardware into your live drumming arsenal.

By Donny Gruendler

rom Eminem to Sheryl Crow, loops and programmed grooves are all over the airwaves. These textures are not only growing in popularity; but they are also becoming the “norm” among listeners and musicians. In order to stay current and keep working as traditional acoustic drummers, we must incorporate these electronic elements into our daily musical endeavors. In the long run, we should be able to coexist as working drummers, samplists and drum programmers.

In Part 1, we discussed the paramount concept that technology is here to stay and why we need to utilize electronics within our drumming repertoire. We also studied the basic vocabulary needed to maneuver in the electronic world and the three technical working methods of triggering sound effects, playing to prerecorded sequences and manually triggering all timed elements to a click track.

Now that we have these basic concepts under our belt, we can take what we have learned and develop it into a live working rig and situation.

Triggering Various Samplesand Sound Effects As stated in last months article, triggering various samples/effects within your playing is by far the most simple to accomplish. This is because most sound effects are “not timed” and therefore, a click track will NOT be needed to sync up with them.

Scenario 1We will begin with a fundamental setup that includes a trigger interface and a drum machine. (Make sure that your MIDI cable is connected from the MIDI OUT of the trigger interface into the MIDI IN of your Drum Machine.)

First off, we need to assign a MIDI channel to both your trigger interface and drum machine. Midi channels are essentially addresses. In order for each device to communicate with one other, they need to be set to the same address/MIDI Channel. (There are 16 different MIDI channels/addresses available, and each is usually used to connect your interface to a different sound source.) In this case we only have one sound source (the drum machine), so set your trigger interface to send on MIDI channel 1 and your drum machine to receive on MIDI channel 1.

Secondly, we must select the drum samples that we want to use and find out their corresponding MIDI note numbers. (Remember, MIDI operates on the premise that each musical note or sample corresponds to a number). For now let’s choose familiar tones such as a Bass Drum, Snare and Closed Hi Hat and assume that they are in GM (General MIDI) format. Example: Bass Drum is #36, Snare is #38 and closed H.H. is #42.

General MIDI (Partial) Drum Layout

F

C2 36 Bass Drum C# 2 37 Side Stick D2 38 Snare D#2 39 Clap E2 40 Elec Snare F2 41 Low Tom F#2 42 Closed H.H.


Electronic Instrument manufacturers agreed to a world wide standard layout for certain specified sounds - they called this the General MIDI (GM) standard. Here is the General MIDI Drum Layout present on most modern drum machines manufactured today. C2-36 reads as - C (pitch on the piano), 2 (2nd octave on piano) and 36 MIDI note number.

Thirdly, let’s go into the Edit/Assign menu of our trigger interface (such as a DrumKat). Match your pad of choice with the corresponding MIDI number (a.k.a.drum sample.) Now assign Pad 1 to MIDI note number 38/Snare. When you hit pad 1, you should hear your drum machines snare sound. Example: Pad1 = MIDI Note D2=38

Scenario 2This set up almost identical to the last except that in this case a digital sampler replaces the drum machine. Remember, a sampler is a type of synthesizer, which derives its samples from digitally recording sounds, and then stores them in computer memory. There are three major differences between the drum machine and our new sampler scenario. This setup is not limited by the sounds present inside a factory-preset device. We may now (1) Create/record custom samples from any source, (2) Assign our custom made samples to custom note numbers (straying from the General MIDI layout) and (3) Create patches/programs that have more detail than a normal drum machine by including multiple samples of each particular sound.

Custom Drum Layout

C2 36 Scream voice C# 2 37 Bass Woofer D2 38 Electric Snare D#2 39 Cabasa E2 40 909 Bass Drum F2 41 Car horn F#2 42 EFX H.H.

Performing to Pre-Determined SequencesThis section is going to assume that you already have a working knowledge of a basic drum machine and how to operate it. This method is similar to playing with your favorite CD. After the initial rehearsing, this method sounds extremely full and is very low maintenance. All you have to do is play to the pre-recorded tracks.

Simple SequenceThis working method builds upon the previous drum machine scenario. You are essentially going to program a drum machine pattern/beat and play with it while on your acoustic kit. This drum machine beat is basically a stripped down-simple version of a pre-recorded backing track.

Example: While in 4/4: Program Bass Drum (MIDI #36) on beats 1 & 3, Snare (MIDI # 38) on 2 & 4, and Closed Hi Hat (MIDI # 42) on all 8th notes.


Modern Textures Part II

Complex SequenceIn this instance you are going to take the simple sequence ideology a couple steps further and add, not only another groove/section to the prerecorded sequence, but a couple one measure rests too. Since the music you will be playing to has a set form (it is pre-recorded) and during the measures of rest, you will need to play along with (and program) a click track.

Remember preceding Simple Sequence Example? Play/program the previous groove for 7 bars. The 8th measure will be a one-measure rest with an underlying quarter note click playing.

Now create a new pattern with the Bass Drum on beats 1& and 3&, Snare on 2 and 4, keep closed hat on all 8th notes.

Then, put it into another 8 bar format (7 bars of the new groove – one bar of rest w/ click).

Then combine this example w/ sequence 1 and turns into a 16 bar form.

Now, this example is starting to resemble a “real-life” backing track that has sections and transitions, which you might play along with on a job. You can even combine this method of working with the previous triggering sounds method.

Another option to either free up your drum machine memory or not bring it to the gig at all, is recorded your music onto a DAT machine or Mini Disc player. Both of these formats are extremely reliable. They will not skip during stage vibrations and the only thing you need to do, besides groove to the tracks, is press play!



Manually triggering loopsand loop fragments With this strategy, in addition to grooving with each loop, you will also be responsible for triggering/playing each and every one of them. On the positive side, this technique allows for the most improvisation and there is no set structure.

This system incorporates some elements that are present in each of the previous working methods.

Thus, you will still need to:- Assign a MIDI channel to both your trigger interface and sampler - Select (and/or record) the drum loops that you want to use- Assign them to MIDI note numbers- Enter the edit/assign menu of our trigger interface - Match your pad of choice with the corresponding MIDI note number of each drum loop

Because each loop/sample you will be triggering is at a specific tempo, you will need to have a click track running to keep you in sync with these timed elements. Your click can be generated from a metronome, drum machine or a DAT/Mini Disc player.

Example: Let’s assume that your loops are at 90 bpm. Start your click at 90 bpm and groove. Now, trigger your timed loops that are also at 90. YOU WILL BE in sync with them. This is the concept!

Dealing with the Click – P.A. IssuesAll right, we now comprehend how to work, create, and play within each of the three methods. The next major hurdle deals with how to send our sounds/loops/grooves to the house P.A. system WITHOUT the audience hearing our click track.

The theory is relatively simple. Any stereo drum machine, sampler or DAT/Mini Disc Player is essentially a two-track entity. There is a right side channel and a left side channel to the stereo field and we can use this to our advantage. While you work with any of the sounds/samples/loops, always pan them to the left channel in the stereo field. While you work with the click track, always assign it to the right channel of the stereo field. Then, when it is time to send your signal to the house P.A. – ONLY send the left (loop) channel. Now, you will be the only person to hear the click track because it is on the right side of your headphone stereo mix and it is not being sent to the house. Thus, your loops will be in your left earphone and the click on your right one.

These are the basic concepts needed to implement and utilize electronics into your drumming repertoire. Remember, using these techniques in conjunction with acoustic playing can be an extremely adventurous and rewarding experience. After working with these effective loop/sample methods on a daily basis, not only will your time improve, but also your sense of form will deepen and your new programming skills will grow exponentially. As always, immerse yourself in this new world and enjoy it. Relax, be patient and do your homework

In the Part 3, we will discuss how many pro drummers use these techniques and the gear they use to accomplish it.

Until next time….



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IN THE BEGINNING It used to be that a PC’s primary purpose was for word processing or games. PCs neither had the power nor the flexibility to handle the steep system requirements of digital audio applications. In those days, musicians were forced to use either multi-track tape recorders or go to studios, both of which cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

Within the past 3 years, PCs have become powerful enough to handle professional digital audio applications such as Cakewalk, Cubase, Digital Performer and ProTools. Today’s musicians no longer have to rely on expensive external recording hardware or studios to write, create, produce and mix their music. With a computer, an audio interface and the right software, musicians can now produce semi-professional home recordings that can be found in stores, web sites and on MP3.com. So, now that Johnny Guitar Player has all the recording equipment he needs in his room, he can start producing professional recordings right? Wrong. Do you think Johnny has the recording space to mic and record a full drum kit? No. So how is Johnny going to record the drums for his album? He’s not. He is going to sequence them with professionally recorded drum

chooses. In this scenario, we would send the info to a drum sampler plug-in that works within the host application. The plug-in expects MIDI information in order to trigger assigned cells loaded with the drum samples. Once triggered via MIDI, the samples playback through the output of the host application.

MIDIUnless you have been living in a bomb shelter for the last two decades, most of you know what MIDI is. But just to recap, MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI does not contain any audio information. MIDI is a common language understood by MIDI devices. The info sent from the MIDI controller to the host application will contain pitch, note on/off, velocity (attack) and duration (sustain) as well as bank, patch, channel and system exclusive data (sysx).

THE PLUG-INSThere are two main factors that contribute to the quality and realism of the sequenced drum tracks: The quality of the sampler/samples and how well the MIDI info was edited to best represent realistic drumming.Drum sampler plug-ins come in many varieties. The basic function of the drum sampler is to play an assigned sound when triggered via MIDI. More advanced drum samplers are velocity sensitive meaning the higher the velocity and the harder the attack, the louder the sample will playback. The most advanced samplers allow the user to load multiple samples into the same cell and map them so that

samples and some advanced MIDI editing.

WHAT IS NEEDED • Computer • Drum sampler plug-in/software • Drum samples • MIDI sequencing/Audio recording software • MIDI controller (optional)

GETTING STARTEDThe goal is to produce realistic drum tracks without recording an actual drummer. Now there are multiple ways of approaching this, but most musicians will be using a host application (MIDI sequencing/Audio recording software) in conjunction with the drum sampler plug-in/software. The MIDI controller will be used to input the notes into the host application. MIDI controllers range from drum machines and drum pads to keyboards and synthesizers. Basically, any MIDI device that can be played as an instrument, can be used to send MIDI information to the host application. From there the MIDI information will be stored in a MIDI track for playback and editing. During playback, the MIDI info is sent to either the MIDI sound generator (found in almost all standard soundcards) or to another playback source depending on the settings the user

D R U MS E Q U E N C I N G

101 By Justin Opitz


they respond to certain velocity ranges. Other advanced features include filters, envelopes, cross-fading and multiple outputs.

MORE IS MOREGenerally when it comes to music, less is more. When it comes to trying to recreate realistic drum tracks, it is better to have more options. If you plan on downloading a free VSTi drum sampler, then the outcome will be disappointing. If you spend a few hundred dollars on a quality sampler and samples, you will be closer to having realistic drum tracks. What you buy is what you get. For example: rock, metal, jazz, etc. I recommend a multi-sampler with multiple outputs. For pop, rap, hip-hop, and electronic music, a velocity sensitive plug-in will do fine.

THE SAMPLESDoing a simple search on an internet search engine for drum samples will yield a multitude of results. When looking for samples there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost is the format of the samples. Most host applications can handle .wav (native Windows audio format), AIF (native MAC audio format) and MP3. I recommend either .wav or AIF as these are uncompressed

are three main parts to a MIDI note that we will deal with: Pitch, Velocity, and Time. Pitch obviously refers to the note value whether it is C4 or F#3. Pitch is important in telling the drum sampler plug-in which cell to activate and which samples to play. For example, the right kick drum will be assigned to respond to MIDI note C4 and the left kick drum to B3. As mentioned earlier, velocity sensitive drum samplers will play a sample louder or softer depending on the MIDI note velocity. You wouldn’t want a drum track where the hi-hat has the same volume every time it is played. Instead you would compose a drum track with accents or grace notes according to the assigned velocities. Time is simply the location where the MIDI events occur. Usually a MIDI note’s time info is in the M: B: T (Measure: Beat: Tick) format.

Both Velocity and Time are important in making the difference between sounding sequenced and sounding realistic. No human drummer can hit with the exact same attack or play in precise time. This is what I call the human-factor. Some sequencing applications even have an editing command called Humanize that makes slight adjustments in note placement to represent the variations in tempo and timing of a real drummer.

RECAPThis is just a brief explanation of the components and techniques used in creating realistic sounding sequenced drums. In future issues, we will go into detail about using the techniques and how to use and edit the sample for more realism.

audio formats that will best represent the original recording. The other sample formats are less common but are still used by professionals. REX format samples are a proprietary format used within Reason. There are also many individual formats used for specific plug-ins. Just make sure that the samples you plan to use are compatible with your host application and drum sampler plug-in. The second factor to consider is whether you plan to use one-hit shots (i.e. one snare hit), Acidized loops (.wav files with tempo and key sensitive embedded information) or standard sampled material. If you want total control of the groove and style then you will probably want to use one-hit shot samples as you can then completely compose your own drum tracks. Acidized loops are pre-composed loops that are usually categorized by tempo and then by style. They allow less freedom but also do not require that you fully compose the drum track, rather, you would piece together loops. I will talk more on this in another article. Standard samples require that you listen and extract sections of the music that you want to use. This requires some advanced audio editing knowledge.

ADVANCED MIDI EDITINGKeep in mind that MIDI is simply numbers fed from one device to another. In most sequencing applications there is a screen available to view all the important aspects of the MIDI events and will allow the user to modify this info. For drum sequencing there


Drum Sequencing 101

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THE MUSIC BUSINESS SCHOOLBy Bobby Borg

POTENTIAL REVENUE SOURCES & GROUP

PERCENTAGE SHARES: THE SONG

Once a group has been signed to a record label, it is extremely important for them to understand the various revenues that may become available to them, and more importantly, the determination of how the money will be divided between the members. Why is this so important? In the words of Mick Jagger, “There is nothing like money to break up the band.”

Revenue sources may include record advances, recording fees, record royalties, video royalties, live performance monies, merchandising revenues (i.e., income from the sale of T-shirts and hats), and music publishing royalties. In this edition of Drum Pro Magazine, we’ll cover music publishing. Publishing is perhaps the most valuable of these revenue streams and the focus of our discussion. A successful song can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars long after the band has parted ways. So how are percentages in a song divided?

Divisions in a SongUnder copyright law, when two or more people collaborate on writing a song, and each writer contributes either musically or lyrically or in both ways, the split is “pro rata” (an equal share of the composition), unless there is an agreement between the writers that stipulates otherwise. A musical contribution includes the melody, and any pre-existing riff or groove that becomes an integral hook to the song (for example, the bass line in Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” by John Deacon or the drum intro to Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” by John Bonham).

When groups spend hours together in rehearsal, experimenting with song arrangements, tempos, and instrumentation, a certain percentage of their songs may initially be divided among all members, allotting a larger share to the songwriter(s). For instance, one group composed of four members allotted 12.5 percent of every song to each member in the band. The remaining 50 percent per song went to the member(s) who contributed to the music and/or lyrics.

Often, when it is each member’s unique performance that shapes the band’s signature sound, the band simply divides all of the compositions equally. For example, guitarist Stone Gossard and vocalist Eddie Vedder wrote most of Pearl Jam’s songs, yet the band originally split the percentages in its compositions equally—each member (five in total) received 20 percent. However, as the

Bobby Borg is the author of “The Musician’s Handbook: A Practical Guide To Understanding The Music Business,” which is scheduled for release in May 2003by Billboard Books.

For more information, visit his website at:http://www.bobbyborg.com

E-mail:[email protected] Write: Bobby Borg, P.O. Box 18564, Beverly Hills, CA90209.

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group became more successful and vocalist Eddie Vedder was recognized as “the star” or “the man,” essentially becoming the only irreplaceable member of the group, the band wanted to keep him happy. The group allotted 36 percent of each song to Vedder, and 16 percent went to each of the other three members of the band. In any case, division shares in your songs must be indicated to the record company before the release of your record. As you will see below, this is extremely important!

Revenues You May EarnWhen you share in a percentage of the compositions, you are entitled to special monies from the record company for every record that is sold. These monies are called “mechanical royalties.” Mechanical royalties, which are licensing fees the record company pays to you for using your songs on a record, are different from record royalties and are typically not used by the record company for recouping recording costs. As of the year 2002, the statutory mechanical license rate is $.08 (i.e., 8 cents) per composition per CD. However, the record company typically negotiates a lower rate for new bands at 75 percent of statutory ($.06 or 6 cents). If there’s four members in a band, dividing the composition equally, that’s 2 cents per song. Mechanical royalties are one of the more immediate sources of income related to record sales. Statements are sent out to you four times yearly compensating you for each record sold.

In addition to mechanical royalties, you’ll also receive royalties from public performances of your compositions on radio (assuming that these compositions are played regularly), and television, including MTV and VH1. These are called “performance royalties.” Performance royalties are paid out after joining and registering your songs and percentage shares with one of the major performing rights organizations: The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), or The Society of European Stage Authors And Composers, now simply known as (SESAC).

Secondary publishing income may include “synchronization fees,” for the use of your songs in film and television, and “print” royalties, for the use of your songs in sheet music and music books. Again these monies should be divided according to each members share of a composition.

In cases where a publishing agreement has been signed with a music publishing company, an organization that specializes in collecting royalties world-wide and exploiting musical compositions in a variety of mediums, a specified percentage of the income is designated between the “publisher” and “the writer.” The publisher offers an advance, recoupable from future earnings, which again should be divided between the writers in proportion to their individual shares in a song.

A musical

contribution

includes the

melody, and

any pre-existing

riff or groove

that becomes an

integral hook

to the song (for

example, the bass

line in Queen’s

“Another One

Bites the Dust”

by John Deacon

or the drum intro

to Led Zeppelin’s

“Rock and

Roll” by John

Bonham).


Music Business School

Funk-tasticBass Drum Patterns:Part 2 By George Shepherd

In Part 1, we explored the creation of funky grooves by layering ten high-hat patterns against 32 sixteenth-note bass drum patterns. If you played all of them, you would have practiced 320 new grooves (10 x 32).

Now, we will study the relationship between triplets and 8th notes as demonstrated in the 2:3 polyrhythm. The bass drum patterns in this study use a combination of triplets, 16ths, 8ths, quarters and quarter note triplets. You will begin to recognize these rhythms almost immediately because of their frequent use in R&B, Hip-Hop and Funk music.

Realize that the triplets will only line up with the 8ths on the 1, 2, 3 and 4 of each measure. Refer to the following example. The Bass Drum pattern must feel even through the groove.

This next example demonstrates the 2:3 feel in bass pattern #5.


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Hi-Hat Patterns


Funk-Tastic Bass Drum PatternsPart 2

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Bass Drum Patterns



You too can be a DrumPRO friend! Just contact us at:(714) 436-1234 or [email protected]

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MRP Drums Aluminum Snare Drums & LightSpeed Pedals

MRP Drums announces the addition of the Aluminum Snare Drums to their Special Edition Snare Drum Collection. These new snares feature a warn open sound with plenty of cutting ability. 2.3 mm counter hooks and MRP’s Single Edge Bearing Edge Technology (instead of bent over flange), make these snare drums truly unique. They weigh 76% less than stainless steel snares and are priced with the economy in mind. Sizes available: 5”x12”, 3”x13”, 5”x14”, 61/2”x 14” For more info, visit www.mrpdrums.com

MRP announces the release of the LightSpeed Bass Drum Pedals. These pedals feature: Ultra Fast/Ultra Smooth Action, Noiseless Strap Design, Adjustable Tension and Beater Angle, Aircraft Grade Aluminum and Reversible Footboard. For more info, visit www.mrpdrums.com

Oregon Drum

Oregon introduces a new line of hand-crafted snare drums made of Myrtle. This rare wood is unique to the Coos Bay, Oregon region. In addition to segmented construction, this new snare is available in a lathe-turned solid shell model. Neoprene washers, low mass lugs and unique hardware plating make these drums unique. Each drum comes with a padded hard-shell case. For more info, visit www.oregondrum.com or call (541)269-0383

34 Fall 2003DrumPRO GROOVE www.drumpromagazine.com 35DrumPRO GROOVEBACK TO CONTENTS

Gear Reviews

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C L A S S I F I E D A D SWriters and Authors!

Do you have a unique drum book, story idea or philosophy that could change life as we know it? CDI Publications and DrumPRO Magazines are looking for the best in modern drumming publications. We help artists and authors get their works our to the public. CDI’s authors are published and promoted around the world!

Don’t wait any longer.

Send manuscripts and press info to: CDI Publications, Attn: Publishing, P.O. Box 11388, Newport Beach, CA 92658-1388 or call us at: (714) 436-1234

DONNY GRUENDLERDrum Set Teacher inLos Angeles area Author of this month s̓ article:“Modern Textures: Part I”A guide to successfully integrating loops, samples, and its various hardware into your live drumming arsenal.

Specialities include:Programming, performing and recording with loops and samples. Playing a wide variety of stylesChart Reading

• Masters of Music Degree Wayne State University Detroit, MI

• Bachelors of Music Degree Berklee College of Music Boston, MA

• Vic Firth Inc. Endorser and Education Team Member

Please Contact by phone (818) 613-4315 or E-mail: [email protected]

HEY! Drummers & ManufacturesGot a service or a HOT product to sell?

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Study drums with Berklee Alumnus and DrumPRO’s own George Shepherd.

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Learn how to become a professional drummer!

For more info, call (310) 908-6961 or email [email protected]

Three INTERNSHIPS Available!

Get hooked-in to the music industry!

DrumPRO Magazine and CDI Publications are accepting applications for 3 internship positions.

These positions require good organizational skills and a desire to get to know everything about the drum scene. Applicants will be interviewed by phone or in person.

Please contact:George Shepherd at (310) 908-6961

(You may not be required to reside in the Los Angeles area).



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FUNK • FUSION • HIP-HOP • ELECTRONIC - Drum Solo · PDF fileof Modern Drummer . RONALD SPAGNARDI. April 25, ... 101 Drum Tips “Stuff All the Pros Know and Use ... Fans of Jim