Dead Beat

Beat Them Up

     You might ask me, "why are you using so many puns today?", and I would answer "because I can". More importantly, these puns have some meaning. The rhythm section in many new songs these days are simply dead. We need to knock some sense into some artists, and never stop asking "why don't you do something different..?"...

     It boils down to this: today's pop and some rock have very dry beats. simple osculations between snare and kicker, while the hihat dolefully taps on oh-so literally. Where are the triplets? The sophisticated syncopation? For examples. I turn your attention to metal. Yes, metal: the genre which gets perhaps the most hate (dubstep..?). Say what you will about metal, but this genre has, to me, perhaps the most musicality of any genre. Often times in a minor key, they sound more intricet. Metallic songs also tend to have extremely complex vocals, bass lines, guitar riffs, and yes, drum beats. Listen to Korn, or Five Finger Death Punch, or Tool. Any metal, for the most part, is going to display the kind of drum usage I would like to see in more of today's "hot" music.

     Let me just say, I don't want the exact same stuff we see in metal in our popular music. I just mean that pop artists should focus less on what others are doing, and more on what has the potential to set their music apart. Take some hints from metal and add some interesting segways. We call it playing music for a reason. You have to play around. 

     This post might as well be an information-less rant on my part, but let's all just remember that the drum kit is an INSTRUMENT! Yes, kits are instruments, not just something to tap while your vocalist makes money. 

Korn recording in studio. Notice the drum

set is displayed like a king. Yeah.

Take the Show on the Road

Pick-up

     As another Sounds-Around-Town comes up, I can't help think of ways in which I can take myself, another saxophonist, and a drummer to where we need to go efficiently. I had a lot of silly and serious ideas, but I'd like to share with all of you my absolute favorite.

     This idea is simple, and I doubt I'll be writing much: if someone in your small ensemble has a pickup truck, drive it to the lot you intend to perform at, and set up the drummer in the back of the truck. Lay down the appropriate carpets in the bed to make sure the drum kit doesn't slide, or fall, or so on. The other members can stand anywhere on the ground, really. In my case, probably one saxophonist in front of the drummer (behind the truck, facing away from the truck), in front of each brake light. In this way, you have the ability to move around without having to pack up and re-set up your drum kit, so long as everything is tied down, or secured somehow. I fully intend to try this, at which point I'll let everyone know how it worked!