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ISSUE #47b \__\__\___THE____/__/__/ Dec 5, 2000
________________TEMPO DISPATCH _____________
Newsletter For Drummers and Drumming Enthusiasts
Copyright Bill Powelson 2000 all rights reserved.
____________'IT'S ALL ABOUT DRUMS'__________
Tips * Tricks * Hints * Ads * Freebies * Lessons *
____________NOW 5,000+ SUBSCRIBERS!_________

TABLE OF CONTENTS: What is in this issue?

1. Feature Article: 

    "Spice Up Your FILLS": PART II

2. Humor? 


______________________________________
|__________FEATURE ARTICLE___________|

******************************************************
SPECIAL NOTE:  See this lesson in webpage form,
and with sound files, by clicking here:

http://wwwc.catalog.com:82/drummers/hsdrum/fillsc.html
******************************************************


     "Spice Up Your FILLS" (PART II)

    In last months lesson, PART ONE of this TWO
PART series . . . We we're examining the
awesome potential for variety that's
contained within the NOTE-VALUE system.
    The whole point of this lesson is to help
all drummers inject NEW VARIETY into their
tired old, worn-out fills and rolls . . .
    We had just looked at the 8 + 8 roll,
better known as 16th Singles.  And we had
rationalized that it was the MOST OVER-USED
ROLL IN THE HISTORY OF POP MUSIC.

    Let's resume . . . 

    Look at those note values again . . .
    We just played 16TH SINGLES, (the 8+8 ROLL)
most common of the SIX-IMPORTANT-NOTE-VALUE types.

REMEMBER HOW THEY APPEARED ON THIS CHART?

THE IMPORTANT 'NOTE-VALUE' ROLL/FILL TYPES:

     *  Quarter triplets = 3 + 3 (per measure)
     *  8TH-NOTES  = 4 + 4  (per measure)
     *  8TH-TRIPLETS = 6 + 6  (per measure)
     *  16THS = 8 + 8  (per measure)
     *  16TH TRIPLETS = 12 + 12  (per measure)
     *  32ND-NOTES = 16 + 16  (per measure)


    As we played 16ths earlier in PART I, we were
cramming 8 notes per bass drum . . . into the tempo,
and the bass was always contant  . . .  (See last
months TD #47.)

NOW . . . ON WITH THE LESSON:
    To use the OTHER NOTE-VALUE-ROLL-TYPES . . . we will still
need to MAINTAIN THE STEADY BASS, (remain at that same tempo)
BUT, depending on the note-value roll type . . . we will be
cramming LESS OR MORE notes into the same relative space,
'time-frame' or tempo.
    These roll speeds vary from VERY slow to VERY fast.  16ths
are somewhere in the middle.
    NOW, TRY ALL THE OTHERS.

QUARTER TRIPLETS:
    If we want to play Quarter Triplets . . . we'll need
to play very slow 3 + 3 . . . while maintaining that
SAME bass tempo.  That bass MUST remain steady . . . and
at the SAME speed as when we played the 8 + 8 roll. 

    Quarter triplets are so slow . . . they can easily played
with one hand . . . by anyone (no matter what level.)  The
really HARD part is keeping the bass steady as we evenly spread 3
notes across the SAME time-frame where we were playing 8 awhile
ago.

PAID STUDENTS ONLY . . .
    It may help to take a peek at the NOTE-VALUE lesson at the
hidden site.  Scroll down and look at 4th triplets on the
rhythm scale . . . under the sub-heading, "Reading Note-Values".

http://wwwc.catalog.com:82/drummers/hsdrum/fillsc.htmlnotevals.html

PAID STUDENTS, AGAIN:  HEAR 4th triplets with DB#4,
'Shuffle', here.  Let it play several times, until
you 'FEEL' the very-EASY-to-play, 4th triplets . . .

 Note-Value Fills 

    If any non-paid students can hack into the hidden site this
way . . . be honest and tell me how you did it.  I'll give
you free access with all the trimmings.

    ANYWAY . . .     ON WITH THE LESSON . . .

8TH NOTES:
    These are easy . . .  You can do these with one hand too!
You are already playing 8th notes on the hi-hat . . . as you are
playing the 8th rock beat. 
    All that's necessary is to move (at the right time)
maybe to the hi-tom . . . an play 4 + 4 of the same
notes THERE, as a fill.  Then, move back to the hat and
resume the beat.
    This 'may' seem almost TOO SIMPLE AND EASY, to be
useful . . . but it isn't! 
     REMEMBER . . . 'VARIETY' . . . IS THE SPICE OF LIFE!
    As we mix and match all these note-value roll types . . .
we'll discover unlimited varieties of combinations.  This is
exactly what you are hearing on your favorite recordings
and it's EXACTLY what you want to learn to do.
    You ad-lib fills are about to soar to new levels!

    Once you've mastered these basic building blocks of all
rhythm . . . you'll also find it easy to identify exactly
what you are hearing on the recordings . . . then emulate
what you are hearing and WRITE it too . . . 

8TH NOTE TRIPLETS:
    Now you'll probably need both hands again.
    Practice this repeatedly.  REMEMBER!  The bass-drum
tempo must remain EXACTLY as it was when we started
with the 8 + 8 roll (or 16ths) earlier in the lesson.
These NOTE-VALUES are all relative to the established
tempo.  If the tempo changes . . . so will the speed
of ALL these rolls.

   This time you'll be playing a steady stream of
6 + 6, indefinitely. 

R L R  L R L
B

PAID STUDENTS:  HEAR this now, at . . .

 8th Triplets 

   Focus on that bass drum . . . keep it steady . . .
repeat the roll until it flows well . . . then
go INTO the beat  . . .
   Cycle back and forth between the beat and roll
until it's easy to do.  KEEP THAT BASS TEMPO STEADY.
We're spreading these six notes over the SAME
time-frame where 3 + 3, 4 + 4, and 8 + 8 were placed
earlier. AND . . . THE BASS REMAINS CONSTANT.


16TH TRIPLETS:

   We are ONLY human!  The tempo of our beat must be
REASONABLY SLOW here or we may not be able to keep up.
This roll may be limited to slower tempos for awhile,
until you develop super-human ability.  It'll come
with enough practice!  :>)

   Imagine cramming 12 + 12 notes into the SAME time-frame
where we just played 6 + 6 above.  If you can do it while
maintaining that constant bass tempo . . . you'll be playing
16th triplets.

   It's a VERY impressive fill or roll!  It'll turn heads
everytime it's used . . . even in moderate tempos.  But
that kind of speed will require considerable practice.
Some of you may have your work cut-out for you here.
But . . . I'll promise you one thing.  Every hour you'll
devote to this roll will improve you coordination and
speed by a factor of 3.   Yes!  I'm saying . . . You can
be 3 times the drummer you are now . . . with one hour of

dull, boring practice on this 12 + 12 (16th triplet) roll! 
   
R L R L R L  R L R L R L 
B

(double groups of 6 / only one bass)

PAID STUDENTS:  HEAR this with 'Shuffle' at:

 Rudiments, Rolls and Fills (Part 2)
    

32ND PRESS ROLL
   
    You'll need sticks for this . . . preferably on a
real drum.
    Here we'll simply play the 8 + 8 roll . . . but we'll
'crush' every note.  Thus creating two notes for every
stroke.  We end up with 16 + 16 by using the 'crush'
or 'press' trick, making the sticks growl on the drum head.

    TO CRUSH A NOTE . . . grip the stick very tightly
with the thumb and 1st finger.  No other fingers should
be touching the sticks . . .
    LAY the stick into the head and force it to 'growl',
producing a 'brrr' sound.  It's a trick! Squeeze the
stick tightly between the thumb and finger as you strike
the head.  Make it growl!
    Now do it with each hand . . . building speed, placing
a bass on the first of every 8 strokes . . . just like the
8 + 8 roll . . . but now we are 'growling' each stroke.
    This is called a 32nd press or crush roll.
    It's very useful as a fill with 8th rock or any beat.

PAID STUDENTS:  HEAR THIS  . . . with 16th 4/4 at:

 16th 4/4 variations. 

........THE BIG FINALE'.....................

NOW TO TIE ALL THIS UP
AND PUT A BOW ON TOP . . .

    * Try these same rolls with 16th 4/4 . . .
They're the same, but the bass notes will match the
bass notes in the beat.  You'll only play half as many
bass notes in your rolls here.
    * Try these same rolls with Shuffle.  It's exactly
the same as with 8th rock . . . Start your fills on any
bass . . . and return to the hat on any bass.  Extend the rolls
to any length,  or shorten them to one group, as you wish. Play
slow tempos ONLY, while learning . . . BUT KEEP THE BASS STEADY
as you traverse from beat to roll and back!

    *  Try these same rolls with Quarter rock 4/4 . . .
Now you'll either want to double the number of bass
notes to match the beat, which may be hard to do . . .
Or . . . you can simply play the rolls as you learned them . . .
it'll mean that the bass drum will be cut to HALF its 4th rock
tempo.
    The rolls will ALWAYS 'feel' the same!  Only the BASS DRUM
changes as we adapt these fills to the other basic dance beat
categories . . .

THE FANCY RIBBON . . .

    MIX AND MATCH ENDLESSLY . . .
    Theres almost no end to the ways you can combine
all these roll types to produce ENDLESS VARIETY as you
play your fills. 
    STICK WITH 8TH ROCK 4/4, UNTIL YOU HAVE ALL THESE
FILLS ADAPTED TO YOUR STYLE. Then, try them with virtually
ANY beat on virtually ANY song!

WHAT'S THE SECRET?
    KEEP THAT BASS TEMPO ROCK-SOLID STEADY AT ALL TIMES!
Make your rolls and fills fit the tempo of the beat . . .
(not the other way around.)

WHAT WAS THAT THING ABOUT RUDIMENTS?

    Now that you've begun to conquer that steady bass flow,
while playing half measure fills . . . I might add that
most rudiments can be crammed into those same half-
measure time-frames the same way.  After all . . . the rudiments
are nothing more than those same note-values . . . combined
in assorted ways.

    Jam with recordings every day!

                                  Bill Powelson
                       The Homestudy Institute of Drums

_________________________________
|___________HUMOR? _____________|

         'Might as well go fishing! "
       
A young guy from Turangi moves to California
and goes to one of those big department stores
that sell absolutely everything, to look for a
job.
       
The manager says, "Do you have any sales experience?"
       
The kid says, "Yeah, I was a salesman back home
in Turangi." Well, the boss liked the kid so he
gave him the job. "You start tomorrow.
       
I'll come down after we close and see how you did."
       
The kids'first day on the job was rough but he got
through it.
       
After the store was locked up, the boss came down.
"How many sales did you make today?"
       
Kid says, "One."
       
The boss says, "Just one? Our sales people average
20 or 30 sales a day.
       
How much was the sale for?"
       
Kid says, "$101,237.64."
       
Boss says, "$101,237.64? What the heck did you sell?"
       
Kid says, "First I sold him a small fish hook. Then
I sold him a medium fish hook. Then I sold him a
larger fish hook.
       
Then I sold him a new fishing rod to go with the fish hooks.
       
Then I asked him where he was going fishing and
he said down at the coast, so I told him he was gonna
need a boat, so we went down to the boat department
and I sold him that twin engine Chris Craft.
       
Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would
pull it, so I took him down to the automotive department
and sold him that 4X4 Blazer."
       
The boss said, "A guy came in here to buy a Fish hook
and you sold him a Boat and Truck?"
       
Kid says, "No, he came in here to buy a box of asprin
for his wife and I said . . . .

'Well, your weekend's shot, you might as well go fishing.'

THANKS AGAIN:  To Jim Casey at Vermont Drums Online:

 

 Are you among the 95% good, or the 5% bad?
FIND OUT HERE:


END OF TEMPO DISPATCH #47b Dec 5, 2000





Copyright Bill Powelson 1994 all rights reserved.