THE UK’S BEST-SELLING DRUM MAGAZINE

MARCH
2014 | 226

NEIL PEART ESSENTIAL NEW

ON DRUM GEAR FOR 2014
SOLOS REVEALED!

TOMMY
CLUFETOS
Black Sabbath’s new recruit proves
there’s life after Bill Ward

HYBRID THEORY ELLIOTT HENSHAW JEN LEDGER

PART 4 LEO SAYER SKILLET
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HELLO!
A little elbow grease goes a long way Cover image: Joby Sessions

First of all I’d like to thank everyone for their amazing feedback on last month’s Classic Drum Sounds
issue. Social media was ablaze with discussion. Did you have a go recording yourself after reading? I’d
love to hear how you got on.
The key theme this month is that hard work pays – a mantra we can all follow. Cover artist Tommy
Clufetos tells us how much effort he put in behind closed doors in advance of undertaking the
monumental Black Sabbath gig. “I know to do my homework at home and I show up ready,” he tells
us. “As long as you do your homework and are ready then there’s nothing to be nervous about.” If
you’ve ever seen Neil Peart live you’ll know how impressive his solos are. We asked Neil to be a part of our Drum Solos feature
back in December. Instead Neil wrote us a stunningly detailed piece about his own solos, expressing how much thought and
planning goes into them. They don’t call him The Professor for nothing. Check out part two next month. Finally, Brit drummer
Jen Ledger reveals how moving to the States landed her a mammoth drumming gig – whether she felt ready for it or not. She
has since made the gig her own and is an example to all of us that determination and hard work pays eventually.
As I write this the Rhythm team is hard at work on the beac… trawling the halls at the NAMM show in California where all the
latest drum products are being launched. We’ve rounded up our favourites so far, starting on page 16. Don’t forget you can
catch all the latest from NAMM over at www.musicradar.com. Enjoy!

PLAYLIST
PUMPING ON
OUR STEREO...
BLACK SABBATH
Chris Barnes, Editor 13
Many doubted whether the band
Chris.Barnes@futurenet.com could hold it together without Bill Ward. Turns
out they really could and Brad Wilk did a
Twitter Facebook sterling job on drums. Tommy Clufetos has
@RhythmMagazine /RhythmMagazine been rocking the songs live too.

BAD RABBITS
AMERICAN LOVE

THIS MONTH’S EXPERTS Recalling Prince in his glory days,

these Boston natives have R’n’B down to a tee.

NEIL PEART RICH CHAMBERLAIN DAVID WEST

Neil Peart is a Canadian drummer
and author best known as Rush’s
sticksman, known for his technical
proficiency, stamina and his way with a
solo. Who better then to talk about drum
soloing? On page 48, Neil gives us insight
into the way he composes solos and muses
on the future of drum solos in rock.
This month busy staff writer and
gear editor Rich has been mixing
it with the players of the drumming world
at this year’s NAMM. But before jet-setting
off to Califronia, Rich interviewed cover
star Tommy Clufetos (page 28) as well as
three of rock’s showmen for our Rock
Drumming Round Table (page 58).
A drummer for nearly 30 years,
David is one of Rhythm’s top
writers. This month David got to meet
down-to-earth Brit drummer Jen Ledger,
of huge-selling US rock band Skillet. From
page 42, Jen tells us how a teenager from
Coventry ended up playing massive
stadium shows around the world.
Drummer Sheel Davé provides the unstoppable
backbone to it all.
MARK HEANEY
ORIGINS
He’s been off the radar for a while,
but ex-Gang Of Four drummer and UK
drumming great Heaney has excelled on his
latest solo effort. Full review on page 22.

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Contents Issue 226 March 2014

48
NEIL PEART
Rush

Regulars
06 BEAT
All the latest news and hot gear,
plus tips, classic sounds and more
28
TOMMY CLUFETOS
20 INTRODUCING Black Sabbath’s new drummer
New bands and drummers you need to
have on your radar this month
on his work ethic, getting the big
rock gig and replacing Bill Ward
22 REVIEWS
New stuff from Mark Heaney, Polar Bear,
Bad Rabbits, Blackberry Smoke and more
108 ASK GEOFF
Your kit conundrums solved by our resident
gear guru

42 JEN
54 ELLIOTT

70 Skillet
LEDGER HENSHAW
Leo Sayer

CRISSY LEE
Drumming trailblazer

WANT TO SUBSCRIBE TO RHYTHM?

Become a Rhythm subscriber and you could
save up to 40% off the cover price! 79 LESSONS
93
Head to page 76 for details. GEAR
www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk REVIEWS

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 HIGHLIGHTS
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12 TIPS 16 NAMM 2014

PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR Double drumming from
The Melvins’ Dale and Cody
All the latest gear unveiled
at the Los Angeles show

Lawson was the original drummer for Los

Angeles jazz fusion sessioneers The
Yellowjackets and was Michael Jackson’s
MD on the Bad and Dangerous tours

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 WorldMags.net Ricky Lawson in action in
2009 at the Berks Jazz
Festival in Reading,
Pennsylvania
20 INTRODUCING
New drummers you need
to have on your radar
RICKY LAWSON
RIP
Session great passes aged 59
QThe drumming world
lost a colossal figure
recently as Ricky Lawson
sadly passed away.
Lawson was diagnosed with a cerebral
aneurism after becoming disorientated
during a performance on 13 December. Just
10 days later he passed away at Long Beach
Memorial Medical Centre. He was 59.
Although he was best known to many as
drummer for Michael Jackson – Ricky was
also Musical Director during the Bad and
Dangerous tours – that really was just the tip
of the iceberg in a hugely successful and
diverse recording and touring career.
Lawson was the original drummer for
Los Angeles jazz fusion sessioneers The
Yellowjackets. He occupied the band’s drum
throne from 1977 to 1987, in which time the
group released four albums; their self-titled
debut, Mirage a Trois, Samurai Samba and
Shades. In this time Lawson helped the band
pick up a Grammy for their track ‘And You
Know That’.
Away from The Yellowjackets, Ricky
continued to taste success. It is his distinctive
one-note solo that you hear in Whitney
Houston’s almost impossibly huge 1992 hit
single ‘I Will Always Love You’.
Ricky’s song-serving approach to working
with big name artists can perhaps be
summed up by the following quote from
his 2008 interview with Rhythm regarding
his time with Steely Dan. Recalling his
Ricky Lawson,
8 November 1954 approach for the seminal band, he said:
– 23 December 2013 “You have to get the groove as they played
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© Redferns / Getty Images
it, and then you can put your own little
thing on top of that. If the boss is happy,
then I’m happy.”
And it seems that Ricky kept plenty of
bosses very happy indeed. His astoundingly
lengthy list of credits also give a true insight
into the vast array of skills that Ricky had to
draw on – as well as Jackson, Steely Dan and RICKY &
Houston, Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder, Lionel
Richie, Bette Midler, Eric Clapton and Toto
JACKO
Ricky won a legion
were some of those who recruited the of fans with his
Detroit, Michigan native. displays behind the
Ricky also somehow found time within his kit for Michael
Jackson. Take a
packed touring and studio schedule to look at this 1987
record four records as a band leader, the last clip from the Bad
of which was 2008’s Christmas With Friends. tour to see why he
He was also a talented and much-loved was so loved:
http://bit.
clinician, inspiring drummers young and old ly/1j6YPK6
the world over in the process.
Stars of the music world were quick to
pay tribute to Ricky on social media,
including Sheila E who tweeted: “We lost a
great man, drummer, father, brother and
son. Mr Ricky Lawson. Please pray for his
family. We will miss u.”
Meanwhile, Terry West, President and
CEO of Pearl, paid tribute in a statement
released by the drum company, saying:
“Ricky Lawson was one of the greatest
drummers of our time. Millions of people
have seen him perform while touring with
artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney
Houston, Steely Dan, Phil Collins and
countless others. He was a warm, caring and
kind individual that was truly passionate
about music and the education of the next
generation of young musicians.”
MARCH 2014 | 7
BEAT! PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR
Brian in action on
BBC TV in 1966
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© Redferns / Getty Images

BENNETT’S BACK
Legendary Shadows drummer Brian returns with a new big band
QBrian Bennett is back
and planning to launch a
new big band. Brian was
last on the road with Cliff
Richard and The Shadows
in 2009. Now he’s nursing
a new drum kit, ambitions
for his band and a special
album project.
“I’ve just bought a brand new Yamaha kit,”
Brian tells us. “It’s black like my first ever
proper kit. When I played at the 21s coffee
bar in Soho in the 1950s I only had a bass
drum, snare, cymbal and hi-hat. Then Ivor
Arbiter gave me a complete black Trixon kit
– because I was skint. I said ‘I can’t afford it!’
Ivor said: ‘Pay me when you can.’
Brian used it with Marty Wilde, Gene When Brian was invited to Elvin Jones’
Vincent and Eddie Cochran. “It was nice and
LOUD!” The new Yamaha reminds Brian of CLIFF & THE 75th birthday at the Blue Note in New York
he flew there by Concorde. “Elvin was an
his youth. “I haven’t lost that old excitement SHADOWS amazing player. We went to his apartment
of, y’know… I wanna be a drummer!” Cliff Richard and
The Shadows
for dinner. Upstairs lived Max Roach and the
Brian grew up listening to idols Elvin might get back apartment next door was full of new Gretsch
Jones, Ed Thigpen and Buddy Rich. “I used to together for the kits still in their boxes!”
see Buddy every time he came to Ronnie first time since Brian’s big band won’t be a swing outfit
Scott’s. He had a reputation for being a hard their 50th
anniversary tour.
but similar to the KPM All Stars who Brian
man so when I was invited by Ronnie to “We’ve always left played with in concert with Jarvis Cocker. “It
come backstage to meet him [at first] I the door open to was a stonking band and keyboard player
declined.” Yet on entering Rich’s dressing get together again. Alan Hawkshawe and I thought we’d like to
room Bennett was given a warm reception. And although it form another band like that and do ‘live’
was billed as the
“He offered me champagne and made me last tour ever, I’d
gigs.” In the pipeline is an orchestral album
feel very welcome. We talked about the like to think we’d with son Warren, spotlighting the music of
difficulties of keeping a band on the road could do an John Barry. “Warren will be playing keys and
and finding new talent. I didn’t meet the encore. It’s always guitar along with Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch,
great fun playing
hard man I was expecting, but a warm Mark Knopfler and Peter Frampton. And I’m
together. ”
passionate musician who just didn’t on drums.” Ah, but had Brian paid for that
suffer fools gladly”. Trixon kit yet? “I probably have!”

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ARYA GOGGIN
SKINDRED
Ragga rock roustabouts return with new album
How did you approach recording
drums for Kill The Power?
“This was the second record in a row that we
worked with James Le Rock. He was involved
at the very beginning while we were still
writing. This allowed him to be all over every
aspect of the record from the get-go. We all
really wanted to capture that ‘live’ vibe but
also make it sonically devastating. Critics
have always said our live show eclipses our
recorded output. I love being thought of as a
great live band but this time we wanted the
record to be the talking point!”
Did working with songwriter Russ
Ballard impact on your playing?
“Russ was incredible to work with. He was so
encouraging to everyone. We already had
the music written for songs he helped with
so his attention was more on melody and
lyrics. I was nervous about him hearing my
parts to begin with as he has worked with
some of the drumming greats. But he was so
mellow and he never criticised. He would
offer his idea or simply give another point of
view which always put everyone at ease.”
What kind of drum sound were you
going for?
“I really wanted a huge classic drum sound
on this album. It started when we were first
looking at studios. The drum/live room had
to be massive. We went for a tight aggressive
sound on Union Black so we chose a studio
where the live room was compact. We
wanted the opposite for Kill the Power. We
recorded at Chairworks studio, Leeds. The
drum room was one of the best I’ve been in.”
Which drummers inspired you this
time around?
“I always bring in albums for reference
before I track. James and I had a very similar
idea on what we wanted the drums to sound
like so I trusted him completely. I brought in
The Battle Of Los Angeles by Rage Against
The Machine, Diamond Eyes by Deftones,
and LadyHawke. We got something that’s my
favourite drum sound out of all our records.”
What set-up did you use in the studio?
“I had two kits set up. In the main live room I
had my Tama bubinga 22"x20" kick with an
Arya Goggin went for
a massive sound on
Skindred’s new album
Evans EMAD on the batter and Iron Cobras
with wooden beaters; 16"x16" and 14"x14"
OUT NOW floors, 12"x10" rack. In the small live room I
had a Gretsch four-piece with a 13" steel
snare. I was armed with my trusty Sabians. I
used my touring set-up, which are big
cymbals. 21" HHX Groove ride, 20" Vault
crash, 20" HHX X-Plosion crashes, 19" AAX
Kill The Power,
Skindred Fast crash, 19" AAX X-Plosion crashes and a
19" Holy China. I used lots of different [HHX]
hats as each track wanted a different voice. I
also used a cheeky 10" Chopper which
makes a guest appearance.”

THIS MONTH AT RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Highlights from the online home of the UK’s best-selling drum magazine

GEAR
NEWS DAN SEARLE
Brit metal superstars-in-the-making

NAMM 2014 Architects are back with a new album

and a UK tour. So of course we had to
Don’t miss all of the gear get the band’s huge drumming talent
announced at the Californian Dan Searle to give us an exclusive
megashow. We’ve rounded up preview on what will be a big 2014
all of the new wares from for the band.
drumming’s biggest names.
MUSIC NEWS

MARK HEANEY MIKE PORTNOY

The ex-Gang of Four drummer has just The drum master tells us all about
released a new album, Origins. Head to Transatlantic, his love of a good cover
our website and you can download a song and taking prog to the seas with his
track from the record for free. Prog Nation cruise.

PLUS WEMBLEY DRUM CENTRE ANNOUNCES PETE RAY BIGGIN CLINIC, LEARN TO PLAY DAY 2014 DETAILS AND MUCH MORE
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BEAT! PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR
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MET HITS THE ROAD

New touring facility launched
Q If you’re reading Rhythm, chances are
you’re striving for a career in the music
industry – and the MET Music Academy
could be just what you’re looking for.
The touring music education facility
Mark Richardson comes to the UK this year, with a two-day
will be part of Sakae course at Metropolis in London on 5 and
Drums’ first ever clinic
6 April.
Attendees of the course will learn all
of seminars, workshops, performances
and masterclasses. During the course
you’ll have the chance to pick the brains
of industry experts, network with other
musicians and take advantage of personal
mentoring sessions.
Places on the two-day London event cost
£299 if booked before 14 February, £360 if
booked after this date.

Power Trio kinds of vital skills associated with four core

UK THREESOME JOIN FORCES FOR SAKAE CLINIC
areas – musical excellence, music business,
media and technology. This information will
be presented through an intensive schedule
Big name backers of the MET include
educator Francis Seriau, Sting producer
Kipper and Sony Music’s Creative Group
Vice President Fred Bolza.

Q Ash Soan, Phil Gould and Mark Richardson are teaming up for
Sakae Drums’ first ever clinic. Carlos Hercules (George
Michael) is part of the
The trio will also be performing together for the first time at MET faculty
the show, which takes place at Camden Underworld in London on
18 February.
As three hugely well-respected drummers in their own right,
Soan, Gould and Richardson will be bringing bags of ability,
experience, skill and personality to what is sure to be one hell
of an evening.
Just in case you are somehow not aware of these three star
sticksmen; Ash Soan is one of the UK’s top session players,
having backed mega names such as Adele, Celine Dion, Seal,
Cher, Cee Lo Green, Robbie Williams, Billy Idol and James
Morrison. Phil Gould, meanwhile, has an equally enviable CV,
having co-founded Level 42 and Mark Richardson is the
powerhouse behind Skunk Anansie, and has also played with
Feeder and Little Angels.
Attendees will be able to catch each drummer playing through
some of their best-known tracks and performances, before being
regaled with anecdotes from each on their glittering careers
behind the kit. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A sessions
with the stars of the show.
Tickets for the show are priced £12.50 and £11 for students
with an NUS card. For more information visit www.sakaedrums.
co.uk or contact ryan@sakaedrums.co.uk.

TRY THIS!
SUBSCRIBE!
TO THE PRINT EDITION AND YOU CAN SAVE UP TO 40%
CREATING BETTER BEATS QSAVE UP TO 40% OFF THE COVER PRICE AND
PAY JUST £77.99 FOR TWO YEARS!
QGET YOUR COPY UP TO A WEEK BEFORE IT
HITS THE SHOPS
sticks, as
If you break a lot of QTHAT’S JUST £2.99 AN ISSUE! QFREE CD EVERY ISSUE
ier model,
well as trying a sturd ey are
Th
switch to nylon tips.
wood tips
more durable than
and also produce a
brighter sound

FULL DETAILS ON PAGE 76

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10 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net
   




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BEAT! PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR
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Thomas Lang brings

his boot camp to the
UK in March

Learn from Lang

Think about your
set-up with another
drummer – make sure

THOMAS LANG BOOT CAMP COMES TO UK there’s enough space!

Q Here’s a nice easy question for you, would you like to spend a
weekend taking drum lessons from Thomas Lang? OUR TOP 5 TIPS ON…
Of course you would, and you’re in luck because the
muscle-bound, stick-twirling rudiment machine has announced
that he is bringing his renowned drumming boot camp to the UK. DOUBLE
DRUMMING
Lang will be at Absolute Music in Bournemouth for a
three-day educational camp between 21 and 23 March.
The event, which is presented in association with Mikedolbear.
com and MUSO Entertainment, will pack a ton of drumming
goodness into the three days, with the action running from 9am By Dale Crover and Coady Willis (The Melvins)
to 6pm each day.
Thomas will be there throughout to offer tips, lessons and
DON’T OVERTHINK
advice, but perhaps best of all, the curriculum is not set in stone.
Instead, attendees have the chance to tailor the course to their 1 Dale Crover: “I advise you not to do it.
own needs by requesting topics to be covered. We’ve already done it, you can’t get any
Drummers of all skill sets are invited to come along, as just better than us! No, I’m joking. It’s odd that
about all abilities will be catered for. people think it is so strange and hard. It’s
Places for the camp cost £450. Drummers attending the not that hard. I always thought of it like
course should bring their own practice kit, throne, sticks and playing with another guitar player. You have
double pedal. Head to www.thomaslangdrumcamp.com for two guitar players in your band, you have
more information. two drummers.”

TWO FREE ISSUES

WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THE VIDEO & AUDIO
CLEAR SOME SPACE
2 Coady Willis: “Depending on where
we’re playing and space restrictions we
set up differently. We might set up face to
face or separate from each other, it’s
always changing.”

ENHANCED DIGITAL EDITION OF BREAK THE MOULD

comfortable, we’ve got it down. It worked

QENHANCED WITH AUDIO,

3 Dale: “For some reason it doesn’t fit
right away but we were more careful about
what we were doing. Now, we’re comfortable
VIDEO AND BONUS CONTENT the rock’n’roll band mould. But the bands enough so that we don’t have to say, ‘What
that do it are great. One of the bands that are you doing there?’ He does his thing, I
QREAD ANYWHERE IN THE influenced us are the Swans, they always do mine.”
WORLD THE SAME DAY IT had this brutal, pounding, two drummer
HITS THE SHOPS
QTWO FREE ISSUES WITH
A TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION
attack. They were a big influence and so
were the Butthole Surfers, even though 5 HAVE THE OTHER
GUY’S BACK
they were different because their drummers Coady: “We compensate for each other. I
To pick up your digital copy of
Rhythm scan this QR code or visit
were stand-up drummers. The Allman know where he’s at so if something goes
rhythmmagazine.co.uk/digitaledition Brothers as well, of course.” wrong we know what went wrong and
Available on your iPad, we’re able to compensate and recover.
WORK AT IT
4 Dale:
iPhone and iPod Touch
On Android or PC/ That goes for all the other guys in the band
Mac? Find us on “Coady and I have been playing too. Everybody knows where everybody
www.zinio.com
for six or seven years and we really feel else is at.”

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WorldMags.net

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BEAT! PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR
WorldMags.net

DRUM KIT
Hot New Gear On The Rhythm Radar

C&C CUSTOM DRUMS

PLAYER DATE II HOT
From £1,645 | www.candcdrumseurope.com
DATE
Q Back in the January 2013 issue of Rhythm, Adam Jones was
practically salivating over C&C’s Player Date kit.
In a positively glowing five-star review, Adam said: “The drums
are based on uncomplicated designs, are well made from quality
materials and sound utterly fantastic. The simplest of recipes can
also be the tastiest.”
All of which means that the Player Date II has quite a lot to live up
to. Just how do you improve on five-star perfection?
Well, one major difference is that the Player Date II features
seven-ply maple/mahogany/maple shells, rather than the original
series’ maple tubs. This, of course, has an impact on sound, with the
Player Date II likely to offer a little less warmth but a more immediate
attack than its predecessor.
The kit also ships with centered beavertail lugs, 2.3mm triple-
flanged hoops and butterfly bass drum claws. Heads are Remo
coated Powerstroke III batter and Ambassador Resonant for the kick,
Vintage Ambassador batter and Clear Ambassador for the toms and
Coated Ambassador batter and Hazy Resonant for the snare.
In terms of configurations, there’s a trio of options available that
should cater for almost all tastes. The Be Bop packs a 20"x14" bass
drum, 12"x8" tom and 14"x14" floor. The Big Beat (the kit that you see
here), meanwhile, ships with 22"x14" kick, 13"x8" rack and 16"x15"
floor tom. Finally, the Bonzo gives you a 24"x14" bass drum, a beefy
14"x9" tom and 18"x15" floor.

FINISH
The kit that landed in the
Rhythm office featured this
gorgeous Aged Marine Pearl
finish. Other finishes available are
Natural Maple and Walnut Satin

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14 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
WorldMags.net
SNARE
The kit’s snare is a
14"x6½" and features a
George Way throw-off LISTEN
You can hear the kit in action
for yourself by heading here:
http://bit.ly/1dvQjlV

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MARCH 2014 | 15
BEAT! PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR
WorldMags.net

New for 2014

Another year, another NAMM show and what we reckon is the biggest
year so far for hot new drum products. Check out our top picks…

PEARL
Q The Masters line gains a
birch kit in the form of the Masters
BCX Series. 100 percent Birch forms the
foundation of the kit with 6-ply, 7.5mm shells
created using Pearl’s SST Superior Shell
Technology, as well as OptiMount tom
holders, Masters bridge lugs, MasterCast
die-cast hoops, and Remo drumheads.
As well as a host of new Free Floating
snare models, can you believe that Pearl is
this year celebrating 30 years since the first
Free Floating snare drum? A special edition
– only 45 have been made – snare features a
3mm brass shell with a one-of-a-kind
Patina-look finish. Pearl tells us this special
finish does not require plating which adds
vibration-reducing mass, so the drum can
resonate naturally. The SensiTone snare
range also makes a welcome return this
year. The new SensiTone Series is outfitted
with tube lugs and Pearl’s new SR-150 snare
strainer, featuring a Gladstone-style
throw-off with Pearl’s Click-Lock technology
which works by locking the snare lever and
tension adjuster to retain your settings no
matter how hard you play.

PAISTE
Q Paiste is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Signature Bronze in fitting style – by unleashing
a host of new metals. Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal models slip into the Signature
Precision line, for starters. The RUDE series also welcomes new additions in the form of the
new Basher, Shred Bell and Blast China cymbals. Finally, a trio of crashes and pair of hats have
been added to Paiste’s Masters range.

EVANS
Q Whether you’re a heavy hitter or simply on a budget as far as your
drum consumables are concerned, heads that promise durability are
just the ticket. Evans’ EMAD Heavyweight bass drum and snare batter
heads boast durability without sacrificing tone. The bass drum head
packs two plies of 10mil film, a total thickness of 20mils. The snare
batter employs two plies of 10mil film plus a 3mil reverse dot. Strap
them down and play away, safe in the knowledge that Evans have
made it much harder to put a stick or beater through the head.

WorldMags.net
16 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net
TAMA
Q Slightly off the wall, but our favourite release from Tama this
year is the Cocktail-JAM Kit, which looks like heaps of fun! Tama
suggests it’s most at home on a hip-hop, jazz, intimate acoustic
or tight rehearsal room setting. The kit and its hardware can be
completely packed into just two supplied bags.
Starclassic Bubinga and Maple get a new one-up, one-down
configuration called Natural Classics, featuring a shallow bass
drum. The shell pack will be 22"x16" bass drum, 12"x8" hanging
tom and 16"x16" floor tom.
If you like things blacker than black then you’ll love the
Metalworks black chrome steel snare drums. Boasting 1.2mm
shells with triple-flanged hoops and finished with Evans Black
Chrome heads, these drums are available in 14"x4", 14"x5½"
and 14"x6½" sizes.
The Mini-Tymp is a cool single headed snare with a half set of
snare wires that rest against the batter head. It’s guaranteed to
produce a nice crack and, if you loosen the snares from the
head, you have a great mini timbale to play with.
Finally, Tama’s Silverstar gets a new Tamo Ash shell pack that
comes in two configurations featuring 18" and 22" bass drums.

SABIAN
Q Throughout September and October, drummers from around the world voted
to ensure their favourite cymbals made the final podium for the 2014 Cymbal
Vote campaign, from an initial run of 12 unique prototypes. The new Sabian quartet
hitting stores this year will be the AAX Iso crash, available in 16", 18" and 20" models and
featuring holes drilled around the bell to provide a clear tone; AAX Freq hats, that follow on
from the success of last year’s cutting Freq crash; AAX X-Plosion ride, with a large raw bell and
killer sustain; and finally the AA Raw Bell crash that’s designed for high-volume performance. If
you have an iPhone you can also download Sabian’s new app that’s packed with artist content.

ALESIS
Q No new kits from Alesis this year but plenty to keep drummers
satiated. The Samplepad Pro is a percussion pad that allows users to
load up their own sounds via an SD card slot. There’s also 10 ready-to-
play kits with over 200 drum and cymbal sounds on board so it’s
playable out of the box. On top are eight two-shot, isolated rubber
pads with funky blue LED illumination. There’s also two additional pad
inputs, plus kick and hi-hat trigger/switch inputs.
The Pro X hi-hat is a dual cymbal hi-hat controller for the DM10
and DM8 that’s compatible with standard hi-hat stands and is
intended to replace the standard rack-mounted hi-hat pad for
those kits.
If you’re looking for a better electronic kit monitoring solution on
stage or at home then the Alesis TransActive 400 Stage Amp delivers
up to 400 watts of true bi-amped design tailored specifically for the
electronic kit. To top it off we have the DRP 100 Drum Monitor
Headphones, created and voiced specifically for e-drum monitoring.

WorldMags.net
WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2014 |
BEAT! PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR
WorldMags.net

PREMIER
Q Premier has plenty of history and as such their XPK Special Edition
kit is rather apt, as well as appealing to the cash-conscious drummer.
This eight-piece concert tom kit provides an affordable solution for
drummers who were fans of this classic set-up, or for players looking
to bring a new sound to their playing. The kit delivers an all-birch
shell with classic mounted toms and clear drumheads with a black
dot for a more controlled sound. The set-up includes 8"x6", 10"x7",
12"x8" and 13"x9" toms, 14"x14" and 16"x16" floors, 22"x16" bass and a
14"x6½" snare drum. Premier are also throwing a new series of
affordable XPK snares into the mix. The all-birch drums are available
in 10"x5", 12"x6", 13"x7", 14"x5½", 14"x6½" and 14"x8", sizes and in a
choice of two finishes.
Moving onto Genista and Premier have two new kits – the Quick
Five 22 (10"x7" and 12"x8" toms, 16"x14" floor, 22"x18" bass and
14"x6½" snare) and Bebop 20 (12"x8" tom, 14"x14" floor, 20"x14" bass,
14"x5½" snare). These birch shelled kits feature undrilled bass drums,
Remo Clear Emperor heads and a new tom clamp system.
The iconic Brit drum firm has also released a trio of new T-shirts
as part of their latest P-themed merch line, which also includes
mugs, towels and tote bags.

PRO-MARK
Q Pro-Mark have gone back to the drawing board to identify the key elements of drumsticks in
order of priority: diameter, taper, tip shape, and tip material. They then took the five most
popular diameters and made them the core of the new Select Balance line. Having earmarked
that drummers prefer two types of stick balance, forward or rebound, the Select Balance line
gives drummers the option of both in five diameters that give them preferred balance for any
playing style. The sticks are weight-sorted within 1.5g for the closest weight matching in the
industry, and are also tone-sorted within 6Hz for the closest tonal pairing industry-wide.
MEINL
Q Quite the effort from Meinl this year. The cymbal masters have
pulled out all the stops and unveiled reams of new metals for 2014.
For starters, we have the 14" Byzance Brilliant Serpents hats, new
Byzance Extra Dry Chinas, hats, splashes, crashes and rides, a
spanking new 20" Byzance Jazz Big Apple ride and a pair of new
Byzance Tradition rides. But there’s also new Byzance Transition,
Byzance Vintage Pure, Classics Custom Dark and Soundcaster
cymbals, as well as a dinky new 8" HCS bell. And Meinl’s new wares
aren’t just limited to cymbals, they’ve also unveiled tons of new
percussion. Particularly eye-catching are the hand-painted Rope
Tuned Travel Series djembes, Subwoofer cajons, Slap Top cajons and
Rhythm Bell. Again, if you’ve got
some cash set aside for a
percussion piece, there
willl be something
here to prize
your money out
of your wallet.

MAPEX
Q Two big kit announcements from the big M this year. The first is the
Mars Series aimed squarely at those players wanting to move up a
rung from their starter kit. Mars shells are made of 100 percent birch
with the new Mapex SONIClear bearing edge, which they say
increases the contact between the head and shell and allows the
head to sit flat on the edge, thus improving ease of tuning. There’s
also the SONIClear rack tom suspension system, taken directly from
the Saturn IV range, that supports drums to improve resonance.
Mars also gets its own, sturdy-looking hardware range.
Then you have the new mid-range kit, The Armory, and
we’ve already had it in the Rhythm review studio. You can
read our full and thorough review of this competitively
priced kit starting on page 94.

WorldMags.net
| MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net

ZILDJIAN ROLAND PLUS…

REMO
Q Up first from Zildjian we have Q As the electronic drums dons continue Remo extend the Ebony
something rather exciting: the brand their Hybrid campaign to bring acoustic and line with the Emporer
Ebony for toms and snare.
new Kerope line. The range slots into electronic drums together, here’s a new The heads feature two
plies of 7.5mil Ebony and
the Zildjian K family and these product designed to make it easier than ever 7mil clear film that are
cymbals have been designed to to dip your toes into the Hybrid world. The ideal for pop, funk and
rock playing applications.
conjure up memories of metals from TM-2 Trigger Module won’t complicate your They look ace too. For
the ’50s and ’60s, but while retaining a life. It’s battery-powered, compact and easy those of you not wanting
to make such a racket,
modern edge. Zildjian has also added to mount. It features a massive choice of pro Remo is now offering a
new line of single-ply
to its Gen16 line with the new Buffed kit sounds on board and studio-quality mesh drumheads for
Bronze cymbals. According to multi-FX 2, plus it’s easy to blend these quiet practice applications
– The Silentstroke. The
Zildjian’s cymbal boffins these Gen16 digital drum sounds with the ‘raw’ tone of single-ply mesh material
variants benefit from a warmer tone your acoustic kit. You can also load your own features a soft spring-like
feel at very low decibel
than the original nickel-plated Gen16s. custom WAV sounds, loops, samples and levels. Heads are available
in 8" to 24" sizes.
backing tracks via SDHC card, alongside twin
inputs to support Roland pads and triggers. DW
Some new snares from
Roland tell us the RRP is £195 (you may find DW’s new Icon range have
caught our eye. There are
it for less in-store), so it’s affordable too. Nick Mason, Neil Peart and
If you play an e-kit but you’re still having Roger Taylor models and
we’re looking forward to
trouble keeping the peace with anti-drums getting stuck in with a new
neighbours, then you could always try industrial-looking
machined direct-drive
Roland’s new Noise Eater sound isolation bass drum pedal.
devices. Designed for use with V-Drums kick SONOR
pads/pedals and hi-hat pedals, these The German company’s
One Of A Kind snare series
inexpensive pads help reduce unwanted features an extremely
vibrations and physical noise that travels limited run of specially
designed snares with
through your pedals. naturally grown veneers
and new shell designs. For
each edition a certain tree
has been selected with
only the most ‘exciting’
parts of the grain being
used. Additionally, the

YAMAHA new Baterita cajons are

some of the most vibrant
we’ve seen with stunning
Q Last year may have seemed a time of uncertainty for Yamaha, but any doubts coloured bodies and
can be put to rest with the introduction of the Absolute Hybrid Maple set, intricate tribal veneer.

featuring a core ply of wenge wood with outer plies of North American maple. LOS CABOS
The stickmaker’s Duo
Hook lugs originally designed for the PHX Series bring out the drum’s natural tone ‘multi-stick’ mallet combo
by creating a small footprint on the shell as well as making head changes easy. mixes the company’s
popular 3A Maple
Other features include a new piston-drive snare strainer, hinged floor tom leg drumstick with a 1" hard
brackets, a low-mass bass drum bracket and the same style of spurs first introduced felt mallet on the other.
Los Cabos also unveiled its
on the Live Custom drumset last year. new 2B White Hickory
Nylon Tip model to add to
The Stage Custom Birch also gets a redesign with Yamaha calling the changes “subtle, its 5A, 5B and 7A models.
yet substantial”. Amongst them are thicker ply shells and rounded bearing edges for more
For even more from the
head-to-shell contact which provides a fatter sound, and the Absolute-style lug which NAMM show head to
www.musicradar.com
attaches to the shell using a single screw, requiring fewer holes, thus allowing the drums to
resonate more fully.
Finally, Dave Weckl celebrates 30 years as a Yamaha endorser with two new
signature snare drums. First up is a version of Weckl’s original 13"x5" Maple
6-ply (6mm) model in Black Maple finish; then there’s a new 14"x5½" Brass
(1.2mm) finished in Black Nickel. Both drums feature the unique dual strainer
design along with 45° bearing edges, 3mm aluminium die-cast hoop and
small, stylish cube-shaped chrome lugs.

CRUSH DRUMS
Q Last year was great for newbies Crush Drums. They received rave
reviews in Rhythm and also won the public-voted award for Percussion
Product of the Year at the 2013 MIA Awards. They aren’t taking these
plaudits lightly. First up their fantastic acrylic series gets an ace new red
finish and a new 20"x20", 10"x7", 12"x8" and 16"x14" configuration.
Two new ranges kick off 2014. The Eminent Birch features 7-ply, 100
percent birch shells, dual 45° bearing edges with slight outer round and
some tasty satin and hi-gloss lacquer finishes. The Chameleon Complete
packs 7-ply birch/poplar shells with black painted shell interiors
and powder-coated drum hardware. Finally, the Sublime AXM
range gets a pair of stunning finishes including Trans
Satin Black with Silver Sparkle (pictured).

WorldMags.net
WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2014 |
BEAT! PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR
WorldMags.net
Sounds like
g PRINCE
g CAMEO
g MICHAEL JACKSON
BAD RABBITS
If it’s good enough for Prince…
G
iven that his band is a particularly
potent cocktail of rock, r’n’b and
funk, it’s little wonder that Bad
Rabbits drummer Sheel Dave
name-checks a wide-ranging list of
early musical influences.
“I remember growing up, being forced to go to
Hindu temple with my parents, but now grateful that
I was forced into that,” he says. “It exposed me to a
“WE WERE TOLD PRINCE LEAVES THE CLUB IF
HE DOESN’T LIKE THE PERFORMANCE WITHIN
MINUTES. HE WATCHED OUR WHOLE SET”
ton of live Indian classical music which is very
rhythmic and very melodic. At the same time, my
parents were exposed to American pop music, like
Michael Jackson which simultaneously exposed me
to it. Later on, I started getting into rock music
mainly from the grunge era - Nirvana, Smashing
Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Bush, Pearl Jam. I asked
my parents if I could sign up for some drum lessons.
They said yes. Shortly after that, I started playing
drums in a metal band called Irepress.”
20 | MARCH 2014
That combination of traditional Indian rhythms,
pop feel and metal technicality is being put to good
use with Bad Rabbits. The Boston fivesome are
tireless genre jumpers. ‘Can’t Fool Me’ is funky as
hell, ‘We Can Roll’ has a thick rock groove and ‘Fall In
Love’ has bags of pop/r’n’b crossover appeal.
It’s a heady mix that even caught the attention of
Prince. It seems that the Purple One was impressed
enough to swing by a recent Bad Rabbits show.
“I am not exactly sure if he is a fan or not, but he
definitely came to check us out in LA recently. We
didn’t get to speak to him afterwards, or hear
whether he dug the set or not. Either way, we were
blessed to have him at one of our shows. We were
told by the club owners that he usually leaves the
club if he doesn’t like the performance within
minutes. He watched our whole set.”
While the band’s eclectic sound may suggest a
tricky time for Sheel, he tells us this is not the case.
WorldMags.net
Sheel Dave and
Bad Rabbits
“It’s the type of music myself and the rest of the
band grew up on. It comes natural to everyone. The
biggest challenge is honing in on a particular or
defining sound. It has kind of put us in this weird
realm of ‘what exactly is this band?’ type of category
when it comes to ‘BS’ industry talk. It’s a double-
edged sword. A blessing and a curse. Regardless, we
are grateful for this mixture of sounds that we have
been able to incorporate into one.”
But, the sticksman does acknowledge that there is
one aspect of the band’s live show that can cause a
few headaches. “The most challenging part is being
restricted to a click track. Bad Rabbits doesn’t have a
full-time keyboard player, so I am responsible for
running the backing/keyboard tracks and no one
else in the band is on the click track. So, if I am off
the click, the keys are off and everyone else in the
band is off. It hasn’t caused any major problems just
yet, but it definitely raises my nerves a little before
and during shows. Eventually I would love to be able
to have less of a restrictive live show.”
Key kit: SJC drums and Zildjian cymbals
Download: ‘We Can Roll’
Go to: www.badrabbits.com
WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net
JOHN BUTLER TRIO
Latecomer sticksman making up for lost time
S
tepping into an already
established band can be a
somewhat thankless task. As
the latest sticksman to take
up residency behind acclaimed jam
band John Butler Trio, Grant Gerathy
knew he had his work cut out.
“It can be really hard,” he says, “but
I believe it’s important to really do
ÒI BELIEVE ITÕS IMPORTANT TO
DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND KNOW
HOW THE PREVIOUS DRUMMER
PLAYED CERTAIN SONGSÓ
your homework and know how the
previous drummer played certain
songs. Listen to the recordings and
have a play along too if you can, feel
where they put it, because that’s what
the other players are used to.
“Some gigs you’re expected to play
the parts note for note and that’s cool.
I had to check out three amazing and
totally different drummers that
preceded me – Nicky Bomba, Michael
Only Rivals with
drummer Ally Doyle
ONLY RIVALS
Irish rockers with maturity beyond their years
Expect big things from this Irish rock
quartet in 2014. Bursting out with a
perfectly formed, slick rock sound,
drummer Ally Doyle and Only Rivals
have a touch of You Me At Six about
them. And that lot haven’t done too
badly, right?
New single ‘History’ packs a punchy,
commercially-minded drum sound
that you’d expect from veterans that
have had the benefit of many years
and several albums to hone their craft.
WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Barker and Jason McGann – so I went
in knowing all their parts. It was cool
that John [Butler] and Byron [Luiters,
bass] wanted to hear my input too.
“I’d played quite a bit years ago
with Byron,” he adds, “when it
came time to audition a drummer,
I was lucky enough to be one of
the candidates. We played a few
songs and it just felt great straight
off the bat.”
‘Only One’, the lead single from the
band’s new album Flesh And Blood,
shows that effortless chemistry as
Gerathy’s tasty tom work and funky
chorus beat perfectly complements
Butler’s upbeat hooks.
Download: ‘Only One’
Go to: www.johnbutlertrio.com
Sounds like
g YOU ME AT SIX
g NEW FOUND GLORY
g RED ENEMY
‘Borders’, meanwhile, shows the
band’s more frenetic side with Doyle’s
dark, pounding tom intro helping give
lift off to the track’s buzzsaw riff and a
hooktastic pop punk refrain.
A jaunt around the UK with fellow
Rhythm favourites Max Raptor will
surely only add fuel to this rapidly
spreading fire.
Download: ‘History’
Go to: www.facebook.com/onlyrivals
WorldMags.net
Sounds like
g XAVIER RUDD
g BEN HARPER
g NEWTON FAULKNER
Grant Gerathy and the
John Butler Trio
Henry Brinner and
The Orwells
THE ORWELLS
Stripped-back indie rock from the recent past
It may seem a ridiculous notion, but
noughties indie rock is already retro.
Check US teen five-piece The
Orwells for the proof. Drummer Henry
Brinner and co were barely out of
nappies when Is This It dropped in
2001, but tracks like ‘Who Needs You’
and ‘Other Voices’ have the
unmistakable driving guitar-drum
interplay that helped make New York
cooler-than-thou NME poster boys
The Strokes megastars.
© Kester Sappho
© Jory Lee Cordy
Sounds like
g THE STROKES
g WHITE STRIPES
g PALMA VIOLETS
The Orwells add in just a pinch of
blues swagger to their tried and
trusted, keep-it-simple style. ‘Dirty
Sheets’ could be Jack White fronting a
reined-in Jet, Datsuns or Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club. Whichever way you
slice it though, this is a veritable
early-21st Century indie rock love-in
if ever we heard one.
Download: ‘Who Needs You’
Go to: facebook.com/theorwellsband
MARCH 2014 | 21

       

WorldMags.net

     


     
        

  



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9

 99
BEAT! PEOPLE | MUSIC | GEAR
WorldMags.net

INBOX
WRITE Sheila E: a great

IN &
ambassador for
women drummers Star
WIN! Letter
The writer of the Star
Letter each month wins a
box of Pro-Mark drum
sticks and T-shirt

YOUR
TWEETS
Another great day
filming for

On women
@Rhythm
Magazine
with James

and drums…
Cumpsty - surely
the best in the
business.
@GDylanSmith
DANCING TO
THE SAME BEAT Was great to see
I was delighted to read Gareth’s article about female drummers in
I’d always read in drum magazines about the @Gretsch_ December’s issue. My day job is as a research scientist (weird right,
Drums 10 lug
djembe and bongos, but I’d never really given that drummers are supposed to be the thick ones) and as
C.O.B snare
taken an interest in them, until I went to featured in with drumming, the scientific and engineering sectors are largely
Bulawayo in Zimbabwe in October to work @Rhythm
with orphans and in a school for vulnerable Magazine vintage male dominated. There is a continuing initiative in the scientific
disabled young people. Some of these guys gear a few months community to actively encourage more women to take up science
back...
are deaf or in wheelchairs and have a whole @thekingbeastie and engineering. In identifying why science and engineering are
heap of disabilities. We went to watch their male-dominated, a number of schools exist including that alluded
Finally got Feb
band not really expecting much, but we
witnessed a group of deaf girls dancing to a
issue. The drum to in Gareth’s article that women feel excluded and that the culture
sounds feature is
dude in a wheelchair with arm disability the best thing is accidentally sexist. I find this hard to swallow and would propose
playing the djembe. Incredibly, the girls were you’ve ever an alternative hypothesis that women – not all, but on the whole –
produced. Just
dancing to the rhythm of the vibrations in simply aren’t as interested in drumming as men are. Men and
what a pro or
the floor! Following this we watched and amateur needs. women are pre-disposed to be different, it’s part of our genetics,
heard a group of young people playing all @MattHobson1
sorts of drums, djembe, bongos, steel drum which extends to our likes, dislikes and eventually to the activities
Check out new
and marimbas. They were such an issue of @Rhythm
we choose to take part in. Having said that it would of course be
inspiration and a blessing. It taught me a Magazine’s great if more women took up drumming and I hope that I will be
lot. Drumming isn’t just a physical thing, it’s 27-page article by
proved wrong. Happy drumming and lots of love.
in your heart! @JHesterdrums
recreating drums Pete Sanders, via email
Hannah Lewis, via email on 10 classic
tracks featuring
BEST FOOT FORWARD our mics. A great email Pete. I agree that Gareth’s column was hugely insightful
Awesome!
As a young drummer I find your magazine
@Sontronics
and his argument suggests that we have slipped into these perceived
really interesting and inspiring and I love differences between male and female drummers by accident. We can
reading in the interviews how all these Amongst the bills
certainly all do our bit to open our arms to everyone in the community,
famous drummers started playing and the in the post upon
our return was the regardless of age, sex, race, ability. Your letter is perfectly timed as
backgrounds that they all came from. So, I latest hard copy of
recently bought a BigDog double bass drum @Rhythm
Rhythm has partnered this year with all-female drumming talent comp
pedal second-hand from my local drum Magazine. Nice! Hit Like A Girl. It’s great to see an increasing number of ladies behind
dealer which is in great condition and I @Chuckthe the kit. Also, check out our interviews with Jen Ledger (p42) and Crissy
Drummer
haven’t got a problem with the actual pedal. Lee (70) in this very issue, and Sheila E last month – CB
What I’m struggling with is finding a double

WorldMags.net
24 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
GET IN TOUCH
email rhythm@futurenet.com
WorldMags.net
THIS MONTH ON FACEBOOK*
Twitter
@RhythmMagazine
Facebook
/RhythmMagazine
Or send it the old way: The Editor, Rhythm Magazine,
30 Monmouth Street, Bath, Somerset BA1 2BW
pedal technique that suits me because I’m
flat footed. This basically means I don’t
have an arch in my feet and they don’t
naturally point forwards when I’m standing
up. This makes it difficult to balance and
particularly when I try playing heel-up I feel
completely unstable, as if I’m going to fall off
my stool. I was wondering if you had any
suggestions as to different techniques to
try, or maybe the positioning of my pedal,
in relation to my stool?
Joe Lumley, via email
Uriah Heep’s Russell Gilbrook responds:
“It depends on exactly how restricted
your ankle movement is. I have hardly
any so I use the ankle pivot that I have
to push the pedals down. For more
power I use my whole legs and then the
pivot, if that makes sense. I can’t play at
all with my heels down as I have no
ankle movement. My heel is raised very
high as this allows me to push down
“He could really swing a band, one
moment with drive and power and the
next as cool as you like, with brushes"
more easily. When the heel goes too low
it is much harder to perform the pivot
properly. The thigh muscles really will
hurt, but you have to work through it.”
And some extra from Pete Riley:
“Hopefully Russell’s technique advice
will help but I’d also suggest practising
single strokes as both 16th notes and
triplets, keeping time with the right
hand and adding backbeats as you get
more comfortable. Also combinations of
four with the hands, alternating with
four with the feet, along with variations
using groups of two, six and eight notes
should begin to develop balance,
consistency and power. Good luck!”
CHRISTMAS WITH ALL
THE TRIMMINGS
My name is Charlie and I am 13 years old. I
have been reading your magazine for a few
years now and I always look forward to the
next issue. I have been playing drums since I
was 18 months old because my grandad is a
drum teacher. For Christmas I got the new
Pearl Export drumset and I think that it’s
fantastic! I have enclosed a picture of me
playing it on Christmas Day. I hope you like it.
Charlie Smith, via email
You’ve been playing since you were 18
months old? You must be incredible! The
WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
What is the best track to air drum or dashboard drum to?
Alan Jones ‘Let There Been dashboard drumming to it for 25 Amazing I haven’t had an accident yet.
Be Drums’! You can get great sounds years and still don’t get the accents in Chaz Damrow This is why I have
from a dashboard & steering wheel! the keyboard break in the right place! sticks I keep exclusively in the car...
Ron Westhead ‘Fool In The Rain’. Rob Greenland Trillions of triplets!!! Mike Raymond ‘Where Eagles Dare’.
Darren Bishop Van Halen ‘Jump’. Cory Block ‘Beast And The Harlot’. Jimi Lee Rush ‘Temples of Syrinx’.
* Join the discussion at Facebook.com/RhythmMagazine
Pearl Export is a great kit. It’s ace to see This month’s heads. Single ply on the 10" and 12" toms
it back in production and you’re clearly edition of and double ply on the 14" floor tom,” he
@Rhythm
loving it. Keep it up! – CB said. “I use coated on the bottom heads.”
Magazine shows
how to recreate Apparently many jazz drummers use this
A NEW LOE the drum sounds trick. I asked how he tuned his drums. He
I recently went to check out a band a few of of 10 classic replied he turned the drum key and used his
tracks. It’s
my drummer pals had told me about, called ears. He also tuned at the gig as every room
awesome!!!
the Bob Loe Band. The band play blues with @Roland_UK sounds different. His bass drum head was a
a real swinging jazzy vibe. These guys are in 20" Remo clear head with a Kickport and no
Pick up a copy of
their sixties, but boy did they swing! The other damping. I have never heard such
@Rhythm
drums locked in so well with the double bass Magazine to read power from an unmiked bass drum before.
and formed a great rhythm section. the review on At the risk of driving this guy crazy, I
The reason for my email is that the #CavalierYouth. asked about his cymbals. I noticed he used
SO happy to read
drummer was as good as my pals had told two Istanbul rides plus two crashes including
this.
me. He was playing a superbly-tuned black @DanMEATSIX an 18" Istanbul Xist crash. His hi-hats were
Sonor Prolite kit. Boy could he really swing a Istanbul Agop Jazz hats. His cymbals suited
Dear @Rhythm
band, one moment with drive and power the music perfectly with that lovely warm
Magazine/ @
and the next, as cool as you like, with Roland_UK If you jazzy sound. I thanked him for his time which
brushes, of which he was a master. could send me a was given freely. This guy is 67 and has been
I was determined to meet him, so I TD30KV to my playing since the age of 12. Apparently
nervously introduced myself as a fellow door for free I will Charlie is a businessman, but his greatest
continue my 12
drummer. I complimented him on his playing year Rhythm pleasure is still his music. What a lovely guy
and asked his name – Charlie Farran. I asked Subscription. and so typical of us drummers, we help and
@johnofisher_ support each other whenever we can. The
This month’s
@Rhythm
next day I ordered a Sonor Prolite kit and a
set of Evans coated heads. I don’t think I will
Magazine about
classic drum
sound like Charlie but I live in hope.
Jon Rutherford, Bournemouth
sounds is
indispensable.
What a wonderful story, Jon. Guys like
Thanks to
Charlie if he would mind me asking @JHesterdrums Charlie are what makes the drum world
questions about his kit and cymbals. I for all his hard tick. Great players, who love the
work.
learned more in 20 minutes talking to this @ajhmurray
instrument and who are so open to
guy than I have over the past 15 years I have giving their time to like-minded
been playing drums. I asked him about how individuals. They rarely get the
he tuned his kit to get such a wonderful spotlight they deserve but you’ve given
sound. “On this kit I use Evans 360 coated Charlie his dues with your letter – CB
13-year-old reader
Charlie Smith and his
Christmas present
WorldMags.net
MARCH 2014 | 25
 COMPETITION
WorldMags.net

WIN!
A PREMIER NICKO MCBRAIN
SNARE DRUM WORTH £499
P
owerhouse drummer for Iron Maiden
Nicko McBrain has been a proud Premier
endorsee for the last 20 years, so it’s only
fair that in 2013 he was given his own signature
snare. Nicko’s Sicko is a 14"x5½" sycamore snare
with a 19-ply, 10mm-thick shell. The drum is
completed with 2.3mm steel triple-flanged hoops,
Premier’s 610 strainer and 42-strand wires, plus the
classy Premier script logo and Nicko McBrain
signature plate. Every drum is dated and hand
signed on the inside label by Premier’s head
designer/builder Keith Keough.
The drum sells for £499, but it can be yours
for nowt as we have one to give away.

HOW TO ENTER
Follow these easy steps: 1. Visit
Premier’s Facebook page (www.
facebook.com/PremierOfficial)
and ‘like’ them if you haven’t
already! 2. Click the win image
and follow the simple
instructions!

WorldMags.net
26 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net

Terms & conditions

Terms & conditions: Under 18s must obtain parental consent to enter this competition. Answers must be received between
23/10/12 and 19/11/12. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received between the relevant dates
and will be sent the prize free of charge. Winners will be notified within 28 days of the closing date and will be required to
supply details of a UK delivery address. By entering this competition you consent to us using your personal details to send
you information about products and services of Future which may be of interest to you. For full terms and conditions visit
www.futurenet.com/ futureonline/competitionrules.asp

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WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2014 | 27
  

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INTERVIEW
JEN LEDGER WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net
42 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net

JEN
LEDGER
SKILLET
JUST WHEN JEN LEDGER
WAS ABOUT TO QUIT
DRUMMING, SHE JOINED
A CHART TOPPING US
ROCK BAND. NOT BAD
FOR A TEENAGER FROM
COVENTRY WITH
STAGE-FRIGHT.
WORDS: DAVID WEST PHOTOS: ADAM GASSON

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WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2014 | 43
INTERVIEW
JEN LEDGER WorldMags.net

C
hristian rock band Skillet might still be
fighting for recognition here in the UK,
but in the United States the quartet has
cracked the Top Five of the Billboard
charts with their last two albums and plays
to packed arenas across the country. The
band is based out of Memphis, however
their 24-year-old drummer hails from the Midlands
of England. Jen Ledger was a finalist in the Young
Drummer Of The Year in 2006 but wasn’t even sure
she wanted to keep playing when she had the chance
to audition for the group fronted by husband and
wife John and Korey Cooper. “Honestly, even getting
into Young Drummer Of The Year was a big fluke for
me because I started playing drums when I was
about 13 and I had never really taken it seriously,”
says Jen when Rhythm meets her backstage at the
O2 in London where Skillet are opening for
Nickelback. “I never practised nor did I really try, and
the year before Young Drummer Of The Year I
thought, let’s knuckle down and see what I can do.”
Despite making it to the finals, she still wasn’t sure
this was what she wanted to pursue. “After the Young
Drummer Of The Year I was going to stop playing. I
had met a lot of Travis Barker wannabe players, they
were like, ‘Unless you play like this then you have no
value and you’re not a drummer.’ It really shut me
down quite a lot. I thought, I don’t really play like
that. I love Travis Barker but that’s not my style so
maybe I’m not meant to be a drummer, so I actually
stopped playing for a couple of years. I thought I was
done with it.” But the drums weren’t done with Jen.

How did a drummer from Coventry land the gig

with Skillet?
“I’d moved to America and I was doing Bible school
there – The School Of Worship in Kenosha, Wisconsin
– and Skillet’s drummer was leaving and they asked
me to audition because they heard I used to play. At
first I thought, no, I’m not a drummer, I can’t do any
of that cool stuff, but I was praying about it a lot and
thought, I’m meant to try, let’s just go for it. A month
later I was in a touring rock band. My first show ever
was an arena tour called WinterJam 2008 and I had
just turned 18. I was playing in front of 8,000 people
and scared to death but I was praying, ‘God, let me
do okay.’ I used to be really frightened of playing
drums but since Young Drummer Of The Year I’ve
learned that you have to be true to yourself and the
way that you love to play. Don’t try to conform to
“BE TRUE TO YOURSELF AND THE WAY YOU
LOVE TO PLAY. I’M A REALLY PASSIONATE
Was it a steep learning curve to jump straight
into playing arenas and dealing with all the
production issues of a big, touring band?
“It was incredibly stressful. The soundcheck before
the first show there were two people in the room
and I was so nervous that they were in the room that
I was shaking and I could barely play the songs with
the click. Before the first show I just had to pray
because I was still so shaky that I knew it was going
to be rough. From the moment I sat down at that
first show I was fine and the nerves left me. That’s
call out greatness in people. They build you up and
they make you grow stronger rather than the people
who can do chops in their parents’ basement telling
you how you’re not good. Since I’ve been touring I’ve
learnt a lot from drummers like that and some
people are incredible and they can do anything but
they still keep it simple and play with awesome feel.
Usually those are the songs you enjoy more when
people aren’t distracting you by going mental the
whole time. I didn’t actually know any double kick so
two weeks before my audition I was trying to learn
double kick and I just threw it into a solo. I also
learned that if I hit really hard, I’ll look cooler. That
was the one thing the lead singer said: ‘You need to
hit really hard because you’re a girl and no one

PERSON AND I FEEL THE MUSIC AND I’LL
GIVE EVERYTHING I’VE GOT ON STAGE”
things you know will impress other people and I’ve
learnt that people have enjoyed my playing because
I’m just myself. I’m a really passionate person and I
feel the music and I’ll give everything I’ve got on
stage. All my emotion and all my heart go into my
playing. It felt like a long journey of learning
confidence in being true to how you want to play and
how you feel the music rather than feeling pressure
from boys who think you should play a certain way.”
something I’m really thankful for because when you
doubt yourself, it limits you and stops you from
having fun and enjoying it. Even with the first show
with Nickelback, I’m nervous and shaky and I have to
be like, ‘No, you’re here, you can do this, be brave.’ I
have to choose to feel brave because sometimes I
still feel like that 16-year-old girl and I’m like, why are
you here? I’ve found the best drummers in the
business are the really encouraging ones and they
wants to see a sissy girl playing drums.’ I learned
some double kick, I learned to hit really hard and I
learned to be brave and enjoy the way that I play
rather than to try to be like someone else.”
The band was taking a big gamble on you then?
“The funny story is that the lead singer John didn’t
want to audition me because he thought I was 21 and
he thought that was way too young. They had
auditioned session musicians in Chicago who were
excellent and who could do anything and they had all
their own gear and years and years of experience. So
he didn’t even want to try me out but Korey really

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44 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net
Jen: “I learned that
if I hit really hard,
I’ll look cooler!”
wanted another girl in the band because touring with
boys kind of sucks, you just want a friend. She was
the one that really pushed for me to try out. John
calls me and he doesn’t want me to get my hopes up
so he’s like, ‘Just so you know, there is less than a five
percent chance that we’ll choose you. I’ve found
session musicians and they can do anything and you
don’t have any experience or any of your own gear,
but Korey really wants you to try out, so I’m going to
let you.’ If I’m honest, I tried to sabotage the
interview a little because I was so scared of playing
drums. I played the solo and the songs they asked
me to play and they went really well and I was like,
‘Oh no, now they’re going to think I’m really good,’ so
in the interview I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve kind of quit the
drums and I’m just not very good at them and I know
I’m not good so I don’t practise, and if I don’t get in
this band I’m probably never going to play again. If I
do get in this band I’ll work really hard and I’ll do my
very best, but just so you know, if you’re looking for a
techy drummer, there’s this whole generation of
Travis Barker wannabes, and if you’re looking for
that, it’s not me.’ I was just really honest with them
and didn’t want them to think I’m something I’m not.
Then I got a call the next day, ‘We really appreciated
your honesty,’ and they wanted to go with me. They
were going to buy me a kit and in-ears and start
rehearsing with me. They took a huge gamble. John
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was like, ‘What are you up to next week?’ I was like,
‘It’s my birthday.’ He said, ‘Are you going to be 22?’ I
was like, ‘No, I’m going to be 18.’ He was like, ‘I would
never have let you even audition had I known.’”
How do you think your drumming has changed
over the last six years with Skillet?
“Honestly I don’t think I’ve gotten better. I feel like
my technique has gotten worse. The more I play live,
the more I don’t care about my technique and the
more I just have fun. I just like to play really
passionately so I’ve realised I don’t hold my sticks
correctly now. I used to be much more technical, but
I have a lot more fun this way and I play with more
heart than I used to. Maybe I used to be sharper on
my rudiments back in the Young Drummer Of The
Year days because I used to work on them all the
time but now it’s like, I’m in a rock band, it’s four on
the floor. It’s not that hard. I’m not learning jazz, I
don’t have to do any independence so in some ways
I’d say technically it has gotten worse but in other
ways I’d say I am a better drummer because my feel
is better and I love to perform.”
WorldMags.net
THE RELUCTANT SOLOIST
“John [Cooper, frontman] made me. I didn’t
want to,” says Jen when asked about her solo
spot every night with Skillet. “It made me so
embarrassed having everyone look at me. He
even got me a spinning riser just to have even
more showmanship. We had a couple of fights
about it. He’s like, ‘Why are you fighting me? I’m
trying to make you look cool!’ I’m like, ‘But I’m
scared!’ But the fans really do love it and it just
proves to me again that the simple stuff hits
people more so I’ve got to stop stressing about
being technical. I like making people cheer and
making people smile. I always map it out and I
have John help me write them because he’s a
great writer. Some of it is kind of cheesy but
even if I think, ‘The drummer’s drummer won’t
think this is cool,’ everyone else does.”
Jen in action with Skillet
at Rock On The Range at
Columbus Crew Stadium
in Ohio in 2013
© Getty Images
Do you have any role models in terms of the
showmanship side of your playing?
“Yes. The whole reason I started playing drums was
because I wanted my big brother to think I was cool,
so that was the first reason, but then in trying out for
Skillet actually they had me audition with Nirvana’s
‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and I watched videos of Dave
Grohl. This guy is so passionate and he’s just going
for it and I love that. Because I’d been told to hit
harder, since auditioning I’ve not played the same
and it’s because of Dave Grohl. He’s been a huge
inspiration to me because he’s just so passionate. I
really like it when people play with feel and heart
rather than super technical. I love the way he plays.”
It is tough when you have to sing and drum
simultaneously?
“I find it quite difficult. I didn’t know that was going
to happen. Korey was unavailable one day when they
were demoing and John was like, ‘Can you just fill in
and sing this song?’ It was ‘Hero’, the first song I ever
sang. They were like, ‘Oh, you can kind of sing.’
I’ve never really had vocal training or anything so
MARCH 2014 | 45
INTERVIEW
JEN LEDGER WorldMags.net
Jen’s Skillet set-up
with DW drums and
Sabian cymbals
after recording the vocals in the studio he was like,
‘You know you have to learn to do this live?’ It did
take some time. I like to figure out what syllable is
with each limb, I had to really map it out at first. On
Rise, I pushed myself a bit more with the drums and
then I sang the vocals separately. And then it was,
‘Oh man, what was I thinking?’ because now I’ve got
to do them both at the same time. I’ve simplified
some of it live so that I can sing better. I do find it
challenging but I try to focus. I find it even scarier
when I come out from behind the drums and sing
and I’ve not got the drums in front of me. Then I’m
like, what do I do with my hands? You have to really
concentrate or you feel a bit vulnerable. I’m learning
“I WANT TO BE SOMEONE THAT PARENTS
ARE OKAY WITH THEIR KIDS LOOKING UP
TO AND COPYING. I DON’T WANT TO HURT
THE WORLD, I WANT TO BE A LIGHT INTO IT”
to get better at that too; you try not to look as
awkward as you feel. It’s nice having that wall in front
of you, you feel a bit safer back there.”
What impact has all this had on you personally?
“I was not looking forward to the thought of living
with a group of men on a bus and waking up having
nowhere to get ready and no privacy. I like my
personal space, I like to take a shower in the morning
but you don’t get those luxuries in touring life. That
was a big adjustment but now I’m at the point where
my bunk feels more like home than my home does.
46 | MARCH 2014
We tour so much and I’m just so close with the
Coopers and [especially] Korey. We’re best friends so
without that I think I’d find it really hard and it’s
stinky and it’s gross but because of the friendship
and the family aspect of our band, it feels quite safe.
I’ve seen people treat us bad and I’ve seen people
treat us good. I’ve learned that no matter how much
success we ever have, I don’t want to become
someone that is unapproachable or arrogant
because of your success. It’s such a fickle industry.
Even if you are successful it could fall away so fast so
I’m just so honoured to be here. There are a million
people that could do this better than me. I’m really
honoured to be an example to young women that’s
different to what you see all over culture, not
sleeping around and doing drugs. To be in the
limelight and to know that people are looking up to
you, I see that as a huge responsibility so I want to be
someone that parents are okay with their kids
looking up to and copying. I don’t take this
responsibility lightly. I really want to do it well and I
don’t want to hurt the world. I want to be a light into
it. I want people to see hope rather than a wreck. I’ve
really learned a lot and achieving things you never
thought you could, I hope people see that in my life
and that they feel inspired.”
WorldMags.net
Given Skillet’s US success, is it important to you
that the band makes an impact in the UK?
“I hope so because growing up in England, I feel like
it was quite dark. Christianity isn’t big here and in
America it’s just a Christian culture. People tend to
be quite jolly and happy. Even if they’re not feeling it
they’ll fake it, where in England people are very real.
I really like that about here, no one is fake. Everyone
is true to themselves and what they feel but I do
hope the band can bring hope here. Our music is
uplifting. I hope we can leave people feeling inspired
after they see us play. That would be really exciting
because I would have loved to have heard a band like
that growing up.”
JEN’S GEAR
DRUMS
DW Drums Collector’s Series in maple: 12"x9"
tom; 14"x14" & 16"x16" floor toms; 22"x18" kick
drum; 14"x6½" DW Braised Brass snare
CYMBALS
Sabian: 18" AAXplosion crash; 19" AAXplosion
crash; 20" AAXplosion crash; 21" Medium ride;
20" AA Chinese; 14" AAXcelerator Medium hats
PLUS
DW 9000 series hardware, DW 9000 double kick
pedal with heavy duty linkage and custom steel
connector bar; Vic Firth 3A signature sticks;
Evans heads – EC2S Frosted Batter with G1 Clear
Resonant on toms, Genera HD Dry Batter with
Hazy 300 Resonant on snare, EMAD2 on kick
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 WorldMags.net
NEIL PEART ON
DRUM SOLOS
1
In the first of a two part feature on his
approach to soloing, Rush’s Neil Peart breaks
down one of his Clockwork Angels solos and
explains why it’s ‘all about the drumset’
WORDS: NEIL PEART PHOTOS: JOBY SESSIONS
W
hen I wrote to a friend that I was
working on a story about my drum
solos on the Clockwork Angels Tour
DVD, and about drum solos in general,
his comment was to send me an Alice
Through The Looking Glass illustration
(see over the page). Too perfect!
I fear that is how all drum solos sound to many
people, and that’s too bad. However, I believe most
humans can be stirred to their cores by rhythmic
drum patterns – it is surely the oldest music. If a
drummer can combine that primal instinct with
structure, conversation, invention, and a touch of
theatre, the audience will be reached, even moved.
Since my first-ever performance on the drums at
a high school variety show in 1967, I have played
drum solos in every band I was part of. My solos
have evolved as I have — even fed that evolution, as
the experiments and technical exercises of soloing
increased my drumming ability in every application.
So… I hope we can agree that drum solos can be
good for the drummer, good for the audience, and
good for other musicians. (Break time!)
Right from the rehearsals for the Clockwork
Angels tour, in the summer of 2011, I was excited to
find myself with three completely different ‘frames’
in which to solo – opportunities to explore separate
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interpretations of what drum solos can be. It was
also a healthy change from previous tours, in which
I always performed one ‘extravaganza’. For the past
17 years the band played two long sets with an
intermission, and my solo was always in the middle
of the second set. This would shake up that habit
as well.
The first ‘seed’ of these changes came about when
we were mixing the Clockwork Angels album. Here’s
how I described it for DW’s Edge magazine:
In the recent past I had always performed a long
solo, around nine minutes, somewhere in the middle
of the second set. But… during the mixing of
Clockwork Angels, our co-producer, Nick Raskulinecz,
an irrepressible ‘enabler,’ insisted that I had to do my
solo out of the drum break in ‘Headlong Flight’. It
happened that that song would appear around the
middle of the second set, but – ¡Jesu Christo! –
‘Headlong Flight’ is a fast-paced seven-minute song,
in the middle of a fast-paced hour-long performance
of the Clockwork Angels songs, with another 30 or
40 minutes still to go. Plus coming out of that drum
break I will still need to drive through a long guitar
solo, another verse, bridge, and a double chorus, all
at a fast tempo.
To say the least, it was daunting. But… once
again I applied some ‘polyrhythmic thinking’.
MARCH 2014 | 49
INTERVIEW
NEIL PEART WorldMags.net
What if I did two shorter solos, one in each set?
Ooh, yes – that had possibilities. Eventually that
notion evolved into three ‘excursions’. The first was a
more traditional solo in the first set, in the middle of
an instrumental called, ‘Where’s My Thing?’ (Thus the
solo is smilingly titled, ‘Here It Is!’)
In the middle of the second set, I would take an
extended drum break in ‘Headlong Flight’, for which I
incorporated samples of the bass and guitar parts
– wanting to create a version of one of my most
admired soloing approaches, as exemplified by Steve
Smith or Dave Weckl, for example. I speak of ‘soloing
over the changes’, where the solo holds the tempo
and structure, while the band joins in on specific hits
or phrases. I have not yet convinced my bandmates
to help me create that exact ‘set-up’, but this is a fun
approximation. One superior element is that because
I trigger the ‘accompaniment’, I can improvise freely
against a set of changes that is random, rather
than arranged.
Finally, late in the second set I would perform
a stand-alone piece on the electronic drums,
combining more melodic synthesized sounds
from a Roland V-Drum patch called ‘Melodious’,
and another array of sampled sounds selected
by me and the band’s longtime programmer, Jim
Burgess, which was more ‘cinematic’ in concept.
(We called that set-up ‘Steambanger’.)
Here is a more detailed look at each of those
solos, beginning with comments by Rhythm’s
Geoff Nicholls.
‘WHERE’S MY THING?’
‘HERE IT IS!’
Very much a powerhouse drumset solo in
the more traditional sense (band leaves the
stage in 1960s/’70s style – and need a
strong cue to come back in), but with the
electronics, effects, and triggering adding a
sonic and dramatic boost, perfect for
stadium-sized shows. So this is the drum
solo expanded by electronics, while never
losing sight of the fact you obviously love
playing the acoustic drumset (perhaps still
first and foremost?).
Yes, everything is all about the drumset for
me, in several ways. The ‘line on the riser’ was drawn
clearly for me in the ’80s, when I first started
experimenting with electronics. I realised right away
that they would have to be ‘satellites’ around the
main kit, and would never replace a single one of my
acoustic drums or cymbals, just augment them.
(That is what led me to the rear kit, and the
rotating riser, around 1984.)
This solo absolutely focuses on the voices and
traditions of acoustic drums. The electronic effects
only add atmosphere, or unusual sound textures.
And, even those are all still played by me, on a
V-drum or Dauz pad, the MalletKat, or Kat foot
trigger. Every sound you hear originates with a stick
or a pedal, randomly triggered at will.
Over the past few years, improvisation has been a
major aspiration for me, both in creating drum parts
for songs, and in soloing. In that spirit, this solo was
approached without any plan other than the above
50 | MARCH 2014
theme: traditional solo with ‘extras’. I would simply
launch into it from the song, and let the dynamics
rise or fall into whatever ‘frame’ next occurred to me.
I don’t think I even consented to attempt it until the
final few rehearsals, determined to keep it as fresh
as possible. I just demonstrated the cue to come
back in to Alex and Geddy, and the rest would be...
a mystery.
(Lighting director Howard was disconcerted by
that - accustomed to my usual ‘composed’ solos,
where he could program fixed cues for lighting
changes. But if I could wing it, I figured he could!)
Right away I loved building out of the triplet-feel
snare fill in the instrumental (thank you Terry Bozzio,
who in turn thanks Tony Williams!). I sometimes held
that jagged, tension-building pattern as long as
mind, hands, and feet could keep it together. Riffing
out from there, that fill dictates the initial feel and
tempo, and after that, I just let myself go.
That felt dangerous at first, all right, but that’s
what I wanted. (‘Danger is my middle name’ – well,
actually Ellwood is, but never mind about that!) I
wouldn’t have attempted that even five years ago,
but I hoped experience would be my guide. Not just
experience in playing solos, it is important to relate,
but experience in listening to them.
It didn’t hurt that my first inspiration to play
drums was the movie The Gene Krupa Story, in
which the man himself performed so wonderfully,
and was even pretty well ‘lip-synced’ by actor Sal
Mineo. In retrospect, I could hardly have chosen a
better starting point.
I count myself lucky to have learned to play in the
mid-’60s, and – of all places – in Southern Ontario. It
is true that compared to now, it was hard to ‘see’ live
music (rare on television, and no instructional DVDs,
websites, or apps). However, on the plus side, there
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were so many bands around in that time and place,
and they were remarkably ‘musicianly’. (Seems the
only word.) Pretty well every drummer performed a
solo, and I noticed some things. There were
drummers I liked a lot when they played with their
bands, but not on their own. They would have the
technique, all right, but, I realise now, no sense of
phrasing, structure, dynamics, tension and release,
or telling a story. All I knew at the time was that while
I admired their drumming, I didn’t enjoy their solos.
Other soloists of the time were brilliant and
inspirational. Two unforgettable Canadian examples
were Skip Prokop with Lighthouse, and Jerry Mercer
with Mashmakhan. Skip was a brilliant technician – a
champion rudimental drummer, I recall – and
delivered a superbly musical solo, while Jerry’s live
solo in ‘Letter From Zambia’ had all the primal power
and drama the title suggests, and seemed to tell a
story. Decades later, their influence remains in
my ideal of what a solo ought to be.
My only other exposure to real rock music (as
opposed to radio pop) in that primitive time was
records, and Ginger Baker certainly opened the
floodgates with ‘Toad’ – the vehicle for my own
first solos. Other worthy recorded solos from
rock drummers of the time were Carmine Appice
with Vanilla Fudge, Peter Rivera with Rare Earth,
and Michael Shrieve with Santana. (Woodstock,
of course.)
Then there was The Tonight Show and Buddy
Rich’s many appearances. Well… I freely confess
that back then I couldn’t even understand what
Buddy was doing – it was way over my head. But
I certainly felt something like Louie Bellson once
said, ‘There are all the great drummers in the
world — and then there’s Buddy.’ I did not ever
expect to attain that level of mastery. Still don’t…
It occurs to me that the movements of the
‘Here It Is!’ solo actually came to represent
something of a drumming autobiography. I don’t
think it’s too much of a stretch to say that drum
soloing, at its best, is a kind of storytelling.
I learned that very vividly at one point in my
life, as recounted in my book Ghost Rider. After a
long, difficult period in which I hadn’t played the
drums at all for about two years, I arranged to
have a quiet, private place where I would be able
just to sit down and play. (Not to see if I could –
to see if I wanted to.) As I got going, just riffing in
what I thought was an aimless fashion, I realised I
was telling my story. Thinking back over the patterns
and moods I had wandered through, I thought, ‘This
is that part, and that was that part,’ and so on. It was
a remarkable insight, and helped me become
‘reinspired’ on the instrument.
In analyzing my solo from the R-30 Tour (2004)
for the instructional DVD Taking Center Stage, I
discovered that it actually had a chronology to its
story – roughly the history of drumming from Africa
and Europe, and where they combined into
American music. Even the big-band finale seemed a
fitting conclusion to that ‘history’. I had not planned
that structure for the story, but something was going
on subconsciously, I have to believe.
In the ‘Here It Is!’ solo, the ‘chapters’ have
their own stories to tell. Right off the top, I have
loved the opening motif of freestyle snare work
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INTERVIEW
NEIL PEART WorldMags.net
Neil in action on his DW
Time Machine kit
over driving bass drum since I was a kid, and it still
‘works’ for me.
And here’s a profound axiom I will offer for free:
‘In drum soloing, what is exciting to play has a good
chance of being exciting to listen to.’
That is a deep observation. In more recent
drumming explorations, the ostinatos are a big part
of my storytelling technique. Max Roach’s ‘The Drum
Also Waltzes’ has served me for practice and
improvisational soloing for about 20 years, while the
Brazilian xaxado (“shashadoe”) rhythm is a more
recent fascination – only attempted in the past two
or three years. It took a long time to get ‘free’ over
the waltz time, but now I can flail around at will, in
any tempo or time signature. I’m not there yet with
the xaxado, but am happily working on it.
ALL ABOUT THE DRUMSET
Here is another way in which it’s ‘all about the
drumset’ for me. In the late ’70s and into the ’80s,
whenever I dabbled with keyboard percussion or –
in the ’90s – hand drums, and thought of getting
serious, I would reach an automatic turning point.
Realising the dedication it would take to try to
master those instruments, I would ‘retreat’ to the
drumset. Because musically, that mix of four-limbed
expressions already represents a lifetime of study,
and of rewards. Glad to say that after 48 years of
devotion to the drumset, it remains completely
fulfilling – challenging and exciting – for me.
For example, when our year-long Clockwork
Angels Tour ended recently, I was happy to lay aside
52 | MARCH 2014
the sticks for a while. For the past 10 years or so, my
bandmates and I have been on a near-constant cycle
of touring and recording, and during that time, I
never thought about having drums at home. (It is
especially complicated living in Southern California,
where basements are rare, so you have to get very
elaborate not to be ‘anti-social’.) Whenever I needed
to rehearse for a tour, the Drum Channel studio was
only an hour up the Pacific Coast Highway.
Sometimes, on a longer break, I even went there just
to play for the fun of it. Not rehearsing, performing,
or recording, just freeing my mind and body to
express whatever emerged.
This October, barely two months into my self-
styled ‘sabbatical’ from drumming and lyric-writing,
my friends at Drum Workshop invited me up to the
factory to try out some new shells, and I jumped at it.
Once again, an opportunity just to play.
(During the hour’s drive up there, I also laughed at
myself for having a lyrical idea. ‘You’re not supposed
to be doing that yet!’)
Returning to the ‘Here It Is!’ solo, the ‘floating’
snare section of delicate rudiments is also a longtime
personal favourite. (It occurs to me that it is played
not to a tempo, but to a pulse.) Then, laying down a
rapid single-stroke on the snare, I bring up the bass
drum and hi-hat for the Brazilian xaxado ostinato.
Again, the delivery of that section changes radically
from night to night, often introducing new figures
worked out on my warm-up kit before the show.
Sometimes that would resolve into jagged,
staccato phrases, with double-pedal triplets and
odd syncopations. Other times I would resolve with
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another device going back to my earliest solos, the
double-hand crossover between the snare and floor
tom. (Inspired by my first teacher, Don George, who
once told me that those and four-way independence
would be my hardest challenges. He wasn’t wrong.)
Like the previous passages, those are never easy,
and each of those sections could vary greatly from
night to night – depending on my oh-so-human
peaks and valleys, mentally and physically. As
Somerset Maugham said, “Only a mediocre man is
always at his best.”
Best of all is when the phrases flow out – never
effortlessly, but when my labour is repaid by my own
excitement about what I am ‘getting at’.
I repeat, ‘In soloing, what is exciting to play has a
good chance of being exciting to listen to.’
Next month: Neil breaks down another Clockwork
Angels solo and considers the drum solo’s future.
WATCH NEIL SOLO
Rush’s new live CD and DVD
Clockwork Angels Tour is out
now. Recorded in 2012 in
Dallas, the live recording
features classic tracks such as
‘Spirit Of Radio’, ‘2112’ and
‘Tom Sawyer’, ‘80s Rush favourites such as
‘The Analog Kid’ and ‘Territories’, plus new
arrangements of tracks from the band’s
most recent album, Clockwork Angels,
featuring a string ensemble.
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INTERVIEW
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ELLIOTT HENSHAW
Elliott
Henshaw
The mastermind behind the 2012 Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial
Concert at the London Palladium, Elliott Henshaw, tells Rhythm about
his varied career in big band, musicals and on the road
WORDS: GEOFF NICHOLLS PHOTOS: ROB MONK
W
hen he was 11,
Elliott Henshaw saw
Buddy Rich at the
Davenport Theatre
in Southport. “I was
playing saxophone at the time and my dad
actually took me to see [lead tenor
saxophonist] Steve Marcus. I came out
saying, ‘No, I want to play the drums now.’ I
did not really know what I was saying. That
was in 1986, and in 1987 Buddy passed
away. I was lucky because not many people
in my generation group saw him.”
Rich set Elliott on his life path. Growing
up in Wilmslow, Cheshire, and attending
Salford University, Elliott gravitated towards
big band drumming, with Buddy always his
ultimate hero. “I grew up playing in
rehearsal bands, getting my reading
together,” he recalls. “I used to do loads of
blow bands around Manchester. And when I
was at college I used to make the effort
every Monday and drive to Pebble Mill in
Birmingham to sit behind Mike Smith, the
BBC Big Band’s drummer at the time. For
me he is the best reader I have ever come
across. He can read anything in front of him
and make it sound great. I do quite a lot of
private tuition from home and most people
come to me and say I want to get my sight
reading together and that is predominantly
from my big band experience.”
WEST END CALLING
It was Mike Smith who got Elliott his first
West End theatre deps. And when Rhythm
spoke with Elliott he was performing a
couple of concerts at the Cadogan Hall,
Chelsea, with the Rat Pack show. “I used to
54 | MARCH 2014
do it in the West End when I first moved to
London in 2002, after college. I started off
on tour and and ended in the West End for
four years. The three guys who played
Frank, Sammy and Dean have now set up
their own company and this year we did a
week in Denmark. And we’ve been to Kuala
Lumpur. Those gigs are great because when
I started I was a Buddy Rich freak and big
band was what I wanted to do.”
Having established a reputation in big
band and West End musicals, Elliott is keen
to keep branching out. “It’s funny how my
career has gone. When I first moved to
London and got the Rat Pack gig they
thought of me as the big band guy. And
“The Buddy Rich Concert was a dream come
true and it was the hardest I have ever worked
in my life. I was shattered at the end of it”
through that I got a lot of deps in the West
End. Then I did The Producers for a while
and lots of shows like Priscilla, Queen Of
The Desert and it was, ‘Elliott, he’s the West
End guy.’ But I never liked the pigeonhole
thing, my heroes are Americans like Steve
Gadd and Vinnie Colaiuta. They will crop up
on a small group album, big band, Latin,
pop, country. And over here we have Neal
Wilkinson, Ian Thomas and Ralph Salmins
who will go across lots of genres. But it’s
harder these days to do that. Ian and Ralph
are a generation ahead of me and they
grew up in an era where there was so much
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work around you could dip in and out of
different genres. Whereas these days it is
harder to be the guy who does everything,
because everyone needs to work and if you
get a lot of calls for a specific style, you
think great, I’ll do that because I have bills
to pay. And so everyone thinks that is what
you do and forget you do other stuff. I am
constantly trying to reinvent myself. And
also, for musical gratification, it pleases me
if I do an orchestral thing, not that I play
tuned percussion. I did a big gala TV
concert with the London Philharmonia in
2012 for the 50th anniversary of James
Bond and it was presented by Honor
Blackman. Carl Davies conducted and we
did every Bond track from every film.”
But Elliott has never forgotten Buddy,
and also in 2012, realising that 2 April was
the 25th anniversary of the maestro’s
passing, he hit on the recklessly ambitious
idea of recreating the first Buddy Rich
memorial concert in London. And at the
Palladium theatre, no less. “It was a dream
come true and it was the hardest I have
ever worked in my life,” he confesses. “I
was shattered at the end of it.”
So how did he pull it off? “I had this idea
18 months beforehand. We’d never had
a Buddy memorial concert here and
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Leo Sayer asks Elliott

Henshaw if he feels
like dancing

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INTERVIEW
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ELLIOTT HENSHAW
when I went to Toby Cruse, my promoter
friend, I wanted to reunite the original 1989
Buddy Rich Concert, with Steve Gadd, Dave
Weckl and Vinnie Colaiuta. I’ve known Dave
Weckl for some time and he was up for it
straight away. I emailed Vinnie through his
website and he came back and said when
you have a date let me know. Steve Gadd
was a joy to deal with. He desperately
wanted to do it and tried to move heaven
and earth, but Steve can’t dep out anything.
He couldn’t get out of what he had and
Vinnie was away with Sting. We tried Dennis
Chambers and he was off with Santana.”
But Elliott persevered anyway.
“Amazingly, Toby managed to book the
Palladium on the actual anniversary date
night. It was a Monday and it was the only
night it wasn’t playing The Wizard Of Oz. So
it was meant to be. We booked Weckl and
the hard part was contacting Cathy [Rich,
Buddy’s daughter]. We needed her
permission. I sent a message via the Buddy
Rich fan club site and Cathy came straight
back, ‘Here’s my number, give me a call.’
She was slightly stand-offish to start with
– she gets a lot of idiots and non-starters.
So I wrote her a long email and said we
want you to come over and present it and
come on board as a producer. I said Toby
Cruse is the promoter and The Palladium
and Dave Weckl are booked and within a
day she came back saying she was really
excited. She was a lovely person and a joy
to deal with, so then we went ahead.”
The night saw great performances from
both UK and American stars. “Ian Paice,
Clem Cattini and Gavin Harrison were great.
“When I was at college I used to drive to
Pebble Mill in Birmingham to sit behind Mike
Smith, the BBC Big Band’s drummer at the time”
Ginger Baker was a nightmare to deal with
– scary! John Blackwell had done one show
for Cathy back in America but amazingly he
was terrified before he went on.”
So, when is the next one?
“Well, I’ve been chatting to Toby,” Elliott
reveals. “I’m not going to do it again unless
we can nail down Vinnie, Weckl and Gadd,
the dream team. Whether that ends up as a
Buddy memorial concert or a tribute to the
big band drummers... It is a massive outlay
of money to start with, with visas, hotels,
etc. The big draw to get Cathy involved was
that it was on the day that Buddy died. And
we got the Palladium. But the audience
wasn’t as big as we hoped, we didn’t go
public till February and the gig was 2 April,
it was during the holidays so there were no
students around and the Palladium was
expensive. Next time we’d go somewhere a
56 | MARCH 2014
ElliottÕs Echo
Drums set-up
bit more rock’n’roll, like the Shepherd’s but he made it sound expansive. Ronnie
Bush Empire. And do it on a Saturday night, ELLIOTT’S Johnson, who is Leo’s MD, a legendary
NEW ALBUM
with six months of advertising beforehand.” guitarist. He was Van Morrison’s MD for 10
years. And Dave Troke on bass, who is one
CONTRASTING STYLES of the main teachers at the Tech Music
Meantime, Elliott is juggling his diary Schools. It was a lot of fun, a proper
between tours with three veteran singers of old-school rock’n’roll tour.
hugely contrasting styles. “At the start of “I have just
“Leo lives in Sydney and actually that
last year Joe Longthorne decided to reform finished recording was the first tour he has done over here for
a big band album
a band and I got the call. With Tony Christie of my own, titled 15 years. The three of us had to audition in
Trying Too Hard. July for the gig. Leo has a lot of stuff
I got together
with an arranger/ planned for next year – more concerts
saxophonist friend
called Simon
abroad, festivals, and then they’re talking
Niblock and put about America and South East Asia. I am off
together a band
called Spice Fusion.
Hopefully it will be
out this spring. It is
to Germany with Tony Christie in January.
And Joe already has 50 dates in the book
not so much swing
stuff, more almost
Dave Grusin or
Yellowjackets
for next year.”
inspired, but
ELLIOTT’S GEAR
we did a 60-date UK tour to celebrate his arranged for big
band. There are a
50 years in the business and he toured with few Latin charts
an 11-piece band, very much a Northern and a couple of
Soul line-up. He did an album called Now’s
my original
compositions. The
DRUMS
guys on it are all Echo Custom Apollo 1 kit (aluminium in
The Time (2011), with the Northern Soul
incredible players Diamond White powder coat): 22"x20",
influence. No one else on the circuit was and you look at
10"x7", 12"x8", 13"x9", 14"x14", 16"x16";
something like the
touring with that size line-up. The MD, American Gordon 14"x5½" Echo Olympus snare (seamless
Danny McCormack, arranged all the charts. Goodwin Big Phat engraved/lacquered copper); 14"x6"
Band, it is kind of a
We did a lot of Tony’s hits from yesteryear British version to Echo Hybrid snare (brass/aluminium);
which had big orchestras on them, so a lot rival that.” 14"x7" Echo Black Beast (aluminium)
of the art was to transcribe them for a
CYMBALS
smaller band and make them sound big Zildjian: 14" K Custom Session hats; 16"
without the strings, etc. But it was a K EFX; 16" K Custom Dark crash; 20" K
massive sound on stage. Custom Medium ride, 19" K Custom
“Leo Sayer is doing 1970s/1980s pop. We Hybrid Trash Smash, 18" A Custom EFX
just did a tour with a four piece. Again, with
the right guys – Rob Taggart on keyboards PLUS
Aquarian heads; Protection Racket
who is a genius, he has two or three cases; Vater Recording model sticks;
keyboards and must have eight pairs of Lion cajon
hands! Sometimes that can sound cheesy,
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© Rafa Alcantara

ROCK
ROUND
TABLE © Rob Fenn

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GOT YOUR EYES ON BEING

THE NEXT HARD-HITTING
ROCK WILD MAN? SCOTT
P H I L L I P S, BA R RY K E RC H
A N D A R E J AY H A L E S H A R E
THE SECRETS TO
POWERING ARENA-FILLING
MONSTERS OF ROCK
WORDS: RICH CHAMBERLAIN PHOTOS: PRESS

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INTERVIEW
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TABLE
A
s the end of 2013 snaked into
sight, three titans of the
modern rock world joined
forces for a slew of sold-out
arena shows. Alter Bridge,
Shinedown and Halestorm
have sold millions of records and filled venues all
over the globe between them, so drummers Scott
Phillips, Barry Kerch and Arejay Hale know a thing or
two about the art of rock drumming. As the tour
rolled into our town, Rhythm sat all three sticksmen
down together and got their ultimate guide on what
it takes to be a successful rock drummer.
RO C K H E RO E S
SCOTT: “I started playing drums late, I was 18 and
grew up on MTV, a lot of Poison, Def Leppard and
Mötley Crüe. Living Colour with Will Calhoun, he was
the first drummer that I heard and really inspired me
to want to pick up this instrument. From there I
started to appreciate other guys that I grew
up watching. John Bonham was one of my
biggest. Bonham is the godfather.”
BARRY: “Yup, obviously Bonham
for me. I started when I was
seven and I had some great
teachers. I grew up with ’80s
“G E T T H E FA N S
metal, guys like Tommy Lee,
Nicko McBrain, Stewart I N V O LV E D . F O R M E
Copeland as well. Hearing
what Copeland was doing
was so different, that was
THE SOLO IS FUN
huge to me. If you want to
look at some of the new BECAUSE IT’S THE
kids, Ilan Rubin is
amazing.” ONE MOMENT I CAN
AREJAY: “I have two main
influences. My biggest
FEEL LIKE A
influences are these guys
named Scott Phillips and FRONTMAN”
Barry Kerch.”
BARRY: “And that’s coming from the
best player in the room!”
AREJAY: “I love John Bonham, Keith Moon, Buddy
Rich, Gene Krupa, Tony Williams. I love all of the old
cats and the guys that shaped the sound of their
band. I love innovators. I started playing drums when
I was three, just banging on random s**t. I was seven
or eight and was on the way to the dentist when I
heard the drum intro to ‘Rock And Roll’ by Led
Zeppelin and I was like, ‘Turn that up!’ That changed
my whole life.”
OV E R P L AY I N G
SCOTT: “It depends on the band to some extent.
There are straight-ahead bands with really creative
drummers and that makes the band. Then, there’s
technical bands with a drummer that lays back. The
approach I take is to find the moments to overplay,
but let the song speak for itself and find your
moments to shine.”
BARRY: “It’s all about the song, that is what people
60 | MARCH 2014
come to listen to. You have to service the song. Only
the other drummers in the audience are checking
out the drummer.”
AREJAY: “No, only the ladies are checking out the
drummer!”
BARRY: “Drumming is an art and everybody has
things that they are better at. I’m definitely more of a
groove-orientated drummer, I’m not a Neil Peart,
even though I do enjoy his playing.”
AREJAY: “All of us play in bands with really powerful
lead singers. The most important job a drummer has
is to enhance your lead singer. That’s what people
will hear first and that is the most important sound
of the band. You have to support that.”
G RO OV E
SCOTT: “The first time I recorded anything the
producer was going, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ It
was a battle at first. I finally realised that just laying a
pocket and letting everything sit on top of it was
better than trying to play every accent that I could.”
AREJAY: “That’s a real challenge too, learning things
that can be unique but simple and figuring how to
make your drum parts stand out without just adding
a whole bunch of crazy fills. It’s hard to make it stand
out without stepping into everyone else’s space.”
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BARRY: “That comes with maturity, I think. As a
player the older that you get the more you want to
just lay back and service the song. Some guys can do
crazy stuff that fits the groove, Abe Cunningham
from Deftones being one of those guys. Abe plays all
sorts of stuff but it works.”
S H OW M A N S H I P
SCOTT: “If I try to even spin a stick everything will
stop. I can spin a stick between songs but that’s
about it. Again, every drummer has their own style
and finding what works for you is the key. For me, I
find that hitting hard – but not to the point where it’s
overplaying, but just looking like you’re into it while
being consistent – that’s my thing.”
AREJAY: “My trick is to make it look like you caught
the stick but to actually just grab another one! It’s all
smoke and mirrors.”
BARRY: “If you see a band that is into it,
whether they can throw sticks or not, if the
audience can see you’re having a good
time up there, that is where
showmanship comes from. If you
watch videos of Bonham he was
just into it.”
AREJAY: “It has to be natural
and it has to be genuine. I
have a f**king blast on
stage! I love it more than
anything else in the world.
When I’m on stage I feel
like I’m free to do anything.
It’s part of your personality
coming out. Watching these
guys you can tell that
they’re into it and that is
infectious.”
T E C H N I QU E
BARRY: “Technique is your
foundation. You need to know your
rudiments, they’re your scales. I’m a
student of drums, I still take lessons when
I can and I’m learning every day.”
SCOTT: “I’m a very basic rudiment kind of guy. I only
played marching for one year and a lot of what I
learned was self taught. It wasn’t until I started
meeting other bands and drummers that I started to
pick up technique.”
AREJAY: “Proper technique gives you longevity. One
good technique is the Moeller technique where you
use your whole body, it’s a whipping motion. You’re
not wearing out your arm, you’re using your back,
shoulder and elbow to get volume. That way is much
more comfortable and you’ll have more stamina.”
BARRY: “Playing tense is not good for you at all.”
S O LO I N G
SCOTT: “I’ve never really done a drum solo unless a
guitarist breaks a string and they’re like, ‘Man, do
something!’ I love drum solos but I’m a drummer
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WorldMags.net Our rock round table
(clockwise): Scott Phillips,
Barry Kerch and
Arejay Hale

© Jphn Stephens & Jonathan Lipking

© Rob Fenn

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INTERVIEW
ROCK ROUNDWorldMags.net
TABLE
Halestorm’s showman
drummer Arejay Hale
in action
so of course I will gravitate towards that. I know that
Arejay does a good solo and busts out the big sticks.”
AREJAY: “People that aren’t drummers or educated
in rhythm would find solos boring if they’re just
showing off ‘triple flabberdiddles with a doo dah’. We
started doing a drum solo to give our singer a break
but then it became a staple in the set because people
don’t do it anymore. It just works for us. The fans dig
it. If you want to make a drum solo entertaining it
has to be more than just technique. You need to get
the fans involved. For me, it’s fun because it’s the one
moment I can feel like a frontman. The band love it
because they can take a break. It’s a moment in the
set that people can take home with them.”
SCOTT: “Two drummers I’ve seen do drum solos that
do exactly what Arejay is talking about are Tommy
Lee and Alex Van Halen. With these guys it’s
entertainment. It engages the fans.”
AREJAY: “Everything those guys do is simple, but it’s
all larger than life.”
BARRY: “I’ve never done a drum solo live, it doesn’t
work with our band. I think our singer hates drums!”
SCOTT: “All singers I’ve come across are not fans of
drums! They see drums as a necessary evil.”
BARRY: “I love watching guys solo. It’s about being
musical as well, Neil Peart is really good at that.”
GEAR
BARRY: “I’m a basic a drummer, I’ll have one rack,
two floors and sometimes an extra kick drum. If you
have a standard 12", 14", 16" you can pretty much
62 | MARCH 2014
play any music. It’s when you get smaller kits or
super-large that you have to be careful because it
might not fit your music. As a young player when you
can’t afford a lot of drums just get your basics and
work from there. Hardware is where you should
spend your money. You need to have reliable
hardware, a reliable pedal, hi-hat stand, that is the
stuff that fails when you start touring.”
SCOTT: “Exactly, your tom shells aren’t going to
crack, but cymbal stands will go out on you.”
AREJAY: “We’re all hard hitters as well and we all
tour a lot so durability is key. Scott has two huge
bands to tour with so his stuff needs to last!”
RECORDING
AREJAY: “This one producer we worked with made
me strip my whole kit down to just snare, kick and
hats. I was a kid and I was like, ‘What, but I like the
rototoms!’ You’ve got to start small and get confident
before you start adding gear in the studio.”
SCOTT: “I did the same thing. I had basically the
kit that I’m playing now which is a six-piece kit with
two rack toms and two floors, but at that time I
didn’t have the ability to play that kit. The guy that
mixed the first Creed record was like, ‘Go in there,
get rid of a rack tom, a floor tom and a couple of
cymbals and master that. When you get comfortable
with that you can start adding things back in.’ At the
time it was a tough pill to swallow but it really
helped me later on.”
F I T N E SS
BARRY: “You need to stay healthy out on the road. It
is very easy to get caught up in the party.”
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© Rob Fenn
SCOTT: “Yup, I’ve done that!”
BARRY: “I’ve had my share of that but you need to
stay in shape. You can have fun, you can go out to
the bar, but don’t make it a consistent thing.
Drumming is a very physical job, especially in a rock
band, you will feel it in your joints if you don’t look
after yourself.”
SCOTT: “You’ll start to hear it in your playing if you
do. And you can feel it too. Touring in general is
extremely tough on your body.”
AREJAY: “You need to work on your stamina and
make sure you stretch.”
TOP TIP
BARRY: “Believe in yourself and have fun. If you can
get to our level, that’s great, but don’t do it for
money, just do it for the fun and having a great time.
There’s no money left in rock’n’roll anyway.”
AREJAY: “Yup, you can earn a lot more money doing
something else that you hate. So definitely do it
because you love it.”
SCOTT: “That is the best advice you could get, be
passionate and do it because you love it.”
AREJAY: “And master it. Before you try to make it
huge, master your craft and learn your technique,
you’ve got to work hard.”
SCOTT: “Start with the basics first too. Just nail
down a 4/4 and find that pocket and then take it
from there adding things here and there. That
worked for me.”
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FEATURE
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HYBRID THEORY

HYBRID THEORY

PART 4

Using a hybrid set-up to

customise your click and
improve your timing both
when playing with click
and without

WORDS: PETER MARWOOD-BATEMAN PHOTOS: PRESS

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66 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net
Hybrid set-ups –like this
belonging to Ryan
Jenkinson – can help
you develop your timing
S
o many drummers, so little time…’ or so
the old joke goes – the fact is, having a
great sense of time for any musician, not
least a drummer, is important. It’s one of
the two main pillars any performance rests
on – the other is being in tune. Fortunately for us,
unless we’re playing tuned percussion, we only have
to worry about one of these.
We all know we can work on having a better sense
of time, from beginners to high-profile session
players – improving our internal Swiss movements is
a life-long process – we get better but we can always
improve. There are two key timing skills that we need
to develop – one is playing in time with a click and
the other is keeping great time without a click.
Working and developing your ability to do one will
improve the other. Click playing became the key skill
of the studio musician, initially with the advent of
multi-tracking in the late-’50s to its growth in
popularity and subsequent ubiquity in the ’60s and
evermore. It enabled songs to be recorded by several
musicians on different days meaning that a regular,
global marker of time was required. Then in the ’80s
along came MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital
WE ALL KNOW THAT WE CAN WORK
ON HAVING A BETTER SENSE OF TIME –
IMPROVING OUR INTERNAL SWISS
MOVEMENTS IS A LIFE-LONG PROCESS
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Interface) which enabled instruments to be
sequenced and, of course, they don’t play out of time
– meaning the humans that played along with them
couldn’t either. MIDI was first unveiled at the NAMM
(National Association of Music Merchants) show in
1983 and interestingly Roland (whose first ever
product was a drum machine) founder Ikutaro
Kakehashi won a Grammy in 2013 for his part as one
half of the duo that created MIDI. Playing and
recording to a click was here to stay.
There used to be a misunderstanding that playing
to a click dehumanises a performance, that it strips
the life out of a piece of music and that “you may as
well use a drum machine” – but over the last decade
or so, the skills that the busy session players have
developed to be able to play within the click while
retaining vibe and that human feel has been
demonstrated enough to put that rumour to bed.
This brings us back to the context of this feature
– what does a hybrid drum set-up and playing to a
click have in common? Here’s the problem: when
you’re playing an acoustic kit, how do you play along
to a click? There are numerous products on the
market (Yamaha Clickstation, TAMA Rhythm
MARCH 2014 | 67
FEATURE
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HYBRID THEORY
PLAYING WITHOUT
A CLICK
Using loops to help your inner timing
Developing your inner clock is such a
fundamental of playing – of course there
are always circumstances where we won’t be
playing to a click but that doesn’t excuse us
from keeping great time. Naturally, the way
to check we’re keeping good time is to measure
it. As previously mentioned, some modules
already provide a function that allows us to
play a number of bars to a click before it drops
out and we then have to maintain accurate
time, so when the click comes back in, you
should be still with it. However, you can use
a sampler to do a similar thing and once
more it will help you develop your ‘loop
coordination’ for live.
The first idea is to make several loops – all at
the same tempo, all the same number of bars
but with a varying amount of beats and then
assign them to pads. For example: pad 1 –
eighth notes; pad 2 – quarter notes; pad 3 –
beats 1 and 2; pad 4 – just beat one.
Then you play over it and trigger whichever
pad you fancy at the end of bar 4. The trick is
that you need to record this practice to a DAW
(Digital Audio Workstation) that is recording at
the same tempo as your loops – then you can
analyse where your timing is going adrift.
By using the loop function on the sampler,
you can set yourself another challenge using
the ‘Just beat 1’ pad (make sure you have the
sampler settings so that when you trigger the
pad each time it doesn’t stop the initial loop).
Play a groove at your tempo and then trigger
Pad 4 on beat 1. When you are comfortable,
trigger Pad 4 on beat 2 (you should now have
clicks on beats 1 and 2) carry on the process
until you have a whole bar of click and even
carry on and play on the offbeats to make an
eighth-note click – it’s quite a challenge and
helps you develop your time and co-ordination.
Once you are comfortable with this idea, try
chopping up a one-bar loop into eighth-note
sections and see how accurately you can
rebuild it whilst playing! Good luck!
Make a percussive or melodic
loop to play along to as an
alternative to a click
68 | MARCH 2014
Watch, for example) that are great for practice
and learning – listening to the click is a case of
using headphones or a speaker. But, move these
devices into a live or recording situation and you face
problems; how do you (and the band if necessary)
monitor your click device, how do you sync your click
in time with backing tracks, how do you start or
change your click for each song in the set, and even
syncing your metronome with the studio/DAW click?
This is where a hybrid set comes into its own.
PLAYING TO A CLICK
Almost all electronic drum modules on the market
these days have a built-in metronome, with some
THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO PERFECT
YOUR PLAYING IN 15/16 THAN TO
MAKE UP A LOOP AND PLAY AWAY
TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT
manufacturers realising the practice capabilities of
electronic kits and developing some really great time
development tools. For example, Roland and
Yamaha kits contain coaching features which analyse
how accurate your playing is to a click – some even
mute the click and punch it back in to see how well
you maintain time.
If you have a drum module, there’s no need to
shell out on extra devices for a click with your
acoustic kit. By adding a module to your acoustic set,
you have a click you can practice along to. You can
change the tempo and, depending on your module,
can even be edited, such as changing time signatures
and the click sound.
It’s when you take your hybrid kit to a gig that
the click feature comes into its own. Some modules,
such as the current Roland range allow you to
send the click through headphones only. That
means you can use your samples or modelled
sounds (see parts 1 and 2 of our Hybrid Theory
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series) but only you have the click in your monitor,
headphones or in-ear monitors (IEMs). Some
modules allow a ‘kit’ or ‘patch’ to save the click
tempo – so when you change the kit for a different
set of sounds, the right click tempo is pre-stored
ready to start the click.
So what about the studio? A studio engineer
usually will send a click to the drummer directly
from the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software –
this way every band member plays to the same
click. For that reason, you won’t be using your own
click in a studio in case your click drifts from the
click in the DAW software. The problem is, if you’ve
been in that situation, the click you’re listening to
can be vastly different to the click you have been
listening to – sound, volume and accent (quarter,
eighth-note accents etc).
At the exact time you need to be on the money,
the click track throws you and you have to re-attune
yourself to the new click. If your drum module has a
MIDI connection (the better ones do) you can sync
the click timing in your module with the DAW
software by connecting the two. You stay in control
of the sound and volume of your click – in fact,
it’s the same click you’ve been practising to for
months, but the engineer has control over the
timing sync.
For next level live click, revisit last month’s part 3
of Hybrid Theory. The section on ‘making the gig
easy’ describes exactly how you can record your own
click, even with your own voice markers, and trigger
it perfectly in time with backing tracks.
CREATIVE CLICK TRACKS
It has to be said, the monotonous ‘beep’ of even the
best click can start to become dull after a while. It’s
at this point you usually reach for a playalong track
and the timing practice falls by the wayside. One of
best ways to develop your time playing is to find or
make a percussive or melodic loop that is perfectly in
time and play in time to that – there’s no better way
to perfect your playing in 15/16 than to make up a
loop and play away to your heart’s content.
It’s not as hard as you might think either – you can
either create a percussion track in DAW software and
import this into a sampler and play it back or you can
use a percussion pad capable of creating phrases
and loops (such as an Octapad) for quick and easy
loops on the fly.
To really dial-in the use of electronics however,
really push yourself by creating several different
loops (for example an intro, a verse and a chorus
idea) and not only will you need to play accurately in
time over the loop but you will need to work on your
coordination to trigger the next section on the
sampler whilst staying in time – a key skill for playing
live with samplers, clicks and loops!
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70 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
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The
“IT’S HARD WORK WITH WOMEN. I DON’T
MIND YOU QUOTING THAT. THAT IS WHY I
WENT FOR A MIXED BAND IN THE END.
BUT IT WAS ALL GIRLS FOR A LONG TIME
AND WHEN THEY PLAY WELL, MY GOD
THEY PLAY WELL, THERE ARE SOME
BRILLIANT GIRLS OUT THERE”
Flying the flag for British women drummers, the eternally youthful
Crissy Lee talks Rhythm though a career now entering an
unbelievable seventh decade
C
rissy Lee celebrated her 70th
birthday in June 2013 with a special
concert at Felsted School in Essex
where she has taught drums for
27 years. Dame Evelyn Glennie
sent Crissy a personal video
message. And Crissy challenged
all-comers to a drum-off.
Born in 1943, Christine Leeworthy played her
first drum at the age of four. She has never stopped
since, a beacon for female drummers over the
decades. By eight she was parading through
Colchester with the Salvation Army. “They couldn’t
find a strap tiny enough so my dad would walk in
front of me holding the drum. I’m only 4ft 10in now
but I was really tiny then.”
Crissy made her TV debut at 13 on the Carroll
Levis Discoveries talent show and within a couple
of years was playing professionally. It was not easy,
with open prejudice against women drummers in
the early days. She says, “I am really pleased to see
so many female drummers out there today. It was
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interview
Crissy Lee
WORDS: GEOFF NICHOLLS PHOTOS: PRESS
quite lonely for many years”.
Arriving at the end of the big band era, Crissy has
an abiding love of jazz. But she has always worked to
keep up with trends and in the 1960s her pop group
briefly supported The Beatles. Back then women jazz
players were still rare and many got their start in the
all-girl orchestras of Ivy Benson. Crissy travelled the
world with Ivy and then broke free to lead her own
groups, big and small, both all-female and mixed,
right up to today. Her enthusiasm for drums and
current trends is undiminished, whether playing or
teaching. Chatting today, one minute she is
describing an acoustic gig on cajon, the next
enthusing over her love of double bass pedals,
laughingly recalling how the latter startles her
fellow musicians, while helping to keep one step
ahead of her young pupils.
Crissy, congratulations on your amazing
career…
“I was born in 1943, so I’m 70 this year and I thought,
let’s go for it now. So I’ve been having lots of parties.
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The main one was the Crissy Lee Celebration Concert
at Felsted School [search ‘Crissy Lee 70th’ on
YouTube]. We played the Dave Mancini ensemble for
drumset and tuned percussion and it was fantastic,
with the other [percussion] staff members, Rob
Farrer and Tony McVey. And ex-students Richard and
Peter Rayner. Richard was in the Young Drummer Of
The Year finals a couple of years ago. They are both
excellent musicians. Halfway through the night I got
a beautiful video message from Evelyn Glennie, who
had opened the new music department at Felsted,
saying what an inspiration I had been over the years.
“I’ve been at Felsted for about 27 years. I only do
seven hours a week now, teaching kit to the 12 to 18
year olds. When I first went to Felsted drums were
not important and I feel quite instrumental in making
that what it is today. Felsted is very big with drums
and percussion now.
“We also had a ‘Challenge Crissy’ where any
student from today or the past could have a go – and
they had to put money in the pot for charity. It
was quite hard, I was really going at it!”
MARCH 2014 | 71
The interview
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Can you recall your first professional
engagement?
“When I was 15-and-a-half I joined Lena Kidd’s band
and I had to get a licence from Bow Street to take me
out of the country. I loved the band and learned
a lot but I wasn’t terribly happy. We were working
for the GIs [American forces in Europe after the
war] for about 18 months. One older girl had to
chaperone me – awful for her because she wanted
to go out and have fun with the GIs. They had bases
in Germany, France and Holland. I was an immature
Salvation Army girl and didn’t understand life really,
I didn’t drink or smoke, didn’t do anything that we
musicians do.
“But the GIs were rather gorgeous in those days.
“We did Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid [in
1965]. My stomach was full of butterfies. We
few with The Beatles in their private jet”
They were so clean, showering all the time. And
showering us with presents as well! With their ruddy
great cars they had shipped over to Europe, I
suppose the girls [would think about] what you could
have in America, a wonderful life. Although for half
of them it turned out to be a shack in the GI’s
parents’ back yard!”
But musically you were on your way.
“I was called on by [women’s band leader] Ivy
Benson, who was well known then. I was flung in at
the deep end with a 26-piece orchestra so I had to
Crissy: “You have to give it a bit
of welly, kick arse with a big
band, and I loved it”
72 | MARCH 2014
really get on with it. Ivy said you will never be a big
band drummer and if anyone says that to me it is a
red rag and I will do it. That is my determination and
I have had that ever since.
“Ivy was good with the reading, but with a big
band a lot of it is recognition, when it’s going
along like the clappers. The lead trumpet player,
Robey Buckley, had worked with some big names
and she called brass rehearsals and said I want
you to be there. She was better for me than Ivy.
You have to give it a bit of welly, kick arse with a
big band and I loved it. We did a lot of TV in Europe
alongside Bert Kaempfert and Ray Conniff and his
orchestra. And we did the David Frost Show, around
1963 when I was about 21. The week we did it his
subject was abortion – good timing for the Ivy
Benson band!”
About then rock was getting massive. Were
you into that?
“With Ivy we had had great big band arrangements,
but now she was getting these pop arrangements
and I thought if that’s the way it’s going I would
rather leave and form a rock band.”
That was the Beat-Chics in 1963?
“Yes, there were five of us, with a saxophone
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CRISSY ON PRACTISING
Q “Just make sure you do! If you can’t play at home use a
practice pad. Practise the rudiments, timing and accuracy.
Do everything soft, medium and loud, not just LOUD!”
player, Moira Page, who was Jimmy Page’s cousin.
Michael Black [top lyricist Don Black’s brother]
signed us up and this Cuban guy came in one day
and said he wanted a band for Spain for six
months. He only had two weeks booked but he
was such a hustler he filled up the whole six
months. One day he said, ‘You are supporting
The Beatles!’ What?!
“We did Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid [July
1965], playing the bull rings because there were no
venues big enough for them. My stomach was full
of butterflies. We flew with them in their private
jet. We went down well because we were already
big out there, so it was fantastic. Even when we
were flying John [Lennon] had his guitar and he
and Paul were coming up with stuff. Most young
girls at that time fancied Paul, but when I chatted
to John I found him very interesting. There’s a
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Crissy with Ronnie Verrell
and Jack Parnell on the Jack
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Parnell Show around 1976
picture of me looking up at George, looking so young
and innocent, stars in my eyes.”
After the Beat-Chics you went back with Ivy?
“Moira Page got pregnant and the management said
we can’t have a pregnant lady on stage. We came
back to the UK.”
Those were still prejudiced times for women
musicians?
“Well, Ivy never wanted us girls to play [real] jazz,
and it got so the girls weren’t caring any more. The
piano player left and Ivy went on this Vox Continental
organ that sounded dreadful. It was almost
half-hearted, so I left. I got a call from [dance band
leader] Mike Holly. He said come along and play
with the band and I thought, ‘This is more like it.’
He said to the lads in the band, I have got Crissy
coming and three of them said, ‘What, a woman?’
He said, ‘Yeah, but trust me, I know her.’ And they
said, ‘We don’t want to stay if it’s a woman.’ Anyway,
I did my hour and then we went over to the pub and
they came up to Mike and said, ‘Sorry, can we stay?’
And he said, ‘No, f**k off!’ So, I was with them for a
while, played with some great musicians and that
taught me a lot again. I always wanted to stretch
myself. I still do.”
At some stage you decided to go it alone?
“I wanted my own band so I went to Mecca
International [in 1974] and they said we will sign
you up on condition you don’t get married. I took
the band into the Portsmouth Locarno and really
built that up. Anita West, the mother of [Strictly
Come Dancing star vocalist today) Lance Ellington,
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was a friend and she asked could I give Lance a
chance, playing trombone. So I did, I had known
Lance since he was four. We had a singer in the
band, Bet Hannah, and Lance asked if he could
sing as well. They got together and that was it,
they were brilliant.”
They became hit duo Koffee’n’Kreme?
“Yes. Meanwhile I was doing a rehearsal band so I
wrote to New Faces [1970s equivalent of The X
Factor] and I asked the guys in the rehearsal band,
‘If I get a coach and put crates of beer on board will
you come along to the Palladium and do an audition
backing Koffee’n’Kreme?’ When we got there I said to
the producer that in order to see what they are like
“Ivy [Benson, band leader] said you will never
be a big band drummer, and if anyone says
that to me it is a red rag and I will do it”
live they need the big backing. It was a bit cheeky of
me but they loved it and of course they went on to
win [in 1977]. I managed them for as long as I could,
running my own band as well. It got to a point where
I had to hand them on.”
And you kept your own band going?
“Once they left I got two other singers and my band
was invited to the Bristol Locarno which wasn’t doing
well, so we went there for 18 months. Then we took
over from Ken Mackintosh at the Hammersmith
Palais. We also did The Lyceum in the Strand and the
Tottenham Mayfair. When we first went to the
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Mayfair, Stevie Wonder was there! He was the guest,
singing ‘Finger Tips Part One And Part Two’.”
You did TV and sessions at this time also?
“I joined up with Johnny Hawkins and we did the pilot
show for the first ever Terry Wogan Show for ATV.
Freddy Cole [Nat King’s brother], Sandie Shaw,
Frankie Vaughan and Diana Dors. I did lots of
sessions for ATV Music with Johnny Hawkins – The
Ladybirds, Prisoner Cell Block H. On [1980s] synth
drums as well, so double pay.”
Tell us about your all-girl orchestra.
“That came about out of a TV documentary about
Ivy Benson called Lady Be Good in about 1983. At
the launch everybody was saying Crissy, someone
should keep this band going. I looked after Ivy,
took her for interviews and she did a swansong for
the GIs, who all came back, now in their sixties and
seventies, at the Chelmsford V Festival. She asked
me to put the band together and she said to the
BBC in one interview, if anyone can do this it’s
gonna be Crissy. And so I did. But it’s hard work
with women. I don’t mind you quoting that. That
is why I went for a mixed band in the end. But it
was all girls for a long time and when they play well,
my god they play well, there are some brilliant
girls out there.”
MARCH 2014 | 73
The interview
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Crissy and her 17-piece

all-female jazz orchestra
(plane courtesy of Pink
Floyd’s Dave Gilmour)

How did you get on with your male role
models, Ronnie Verrell and Kenny Clare?
“I knew Ronnie since about 1974 when I did the Jack
Parnell Show. I had been on New Faces – I was
dragged into it because of Koffee’n’Kreme. I played
out front of the Johnny Patrick Orchestra for my
four-minute solo slot. Jack Parnell and [producer]
Mickie Most were on the judging panel. Jack invited
me onto his TV series at Elstree and his idea was for
three drum kits – me, him and Ronnie. We did this
drum feature and at the beginning Jack said to
Ronnie, ‘We have a young lady that is gonna play
drums with us on the show, we had better discuss
favourite was [actress] Brenda Blethyn, she came on
twice. The first time, we were in the green room, all
at the bar getting drunk and she was such a laugh.
She said, ‘Crissy, get tap dancing and singing,’ and
she played the spoons. A treat to spend time with, a
very clever lady. Dolly Parton came in, walked
straight past the set and over to the band – and
bearing in mind we’d had a lot of youngsters who’ve
been in the business five minutes – but she was, ‘Hi
guys, I’m Dolly, I’m really pleased to meet you, I am
so looking forward to the show.’ She was adorable. It
was the big names that have been there a long time
[who were the most polite]. Sometimes they’d sing
something and we would back them. Tom Jones was
on with Jools Holland and we got to play with them.”
Finally, Crissy, after all these years and
experiences, do you have a proudest moment?
“Well I am still living on that beautiful day [Crissy’s
70th birthday], with all those young people at Felsted
School. With all the struggles you have in this
business, that proved it has all been worthwhile.”

CRISSY LEE’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

this.’ So they huddled and Ronnie says jokingly, ‘In
my opinion women should be in the kitchen.’ So at
the end when I’ve done my bit Ronnie comes on with
a washing-up mop and Jack has a tea towel and they
said, ‘Come on mate, let’s go and do the washing up!’
It was an absolute honour to be with those guys.”
All those years later you followed Ronnie in
the Skinnerettes, the ‘mature’ band resident
on Frank Skinner’s TV chat show.
“Ronnie and I kept meeting on gigs and one day he
said I have this great gig, it’s a doddle – they pick me
up, carry my drums, we sit around all day, get paid
well. I actually heard he was a naughty boy, he had a
bottle of scotch down by the kit. I think Frank liked
that, he likes a character. Then I heard Ronnie was
unwell, he went into hospital and passed away. Then
someone said why don’t we have two ladies in the
band now that Ronnie has gone. And I had so many
fixers phoning me, all trying to get the money!”
Who were your favourite guests?
“So many. I did 2001 to 2005, five series. I loved
Pamela Anderson, she was a good sport. And John
Bon Jovi was coming on… I’ve always adored him. My
EARLY YEARS
1940S THROUGH 1960S
Crissy started drumming aged four
when her father brought home a
pair of sticks. She was soon
parading with the Salvation Army
and playing in local youth
orchestras. After appearing on TV
in the Carroll Levis Discoveries
talent show Crissy played USA
forces bases in Europe with the
Lena Kidd Seven. This led to the
famous Ivy Benson Band at 17,
travelling the world and appearing
on bills with superstars including
Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones.
With the 1960s rock revolution
Crissy tasted rock stardom in the
Beat-Chics (1963-1967) who
supported The Beatles at the
height of Beatlemania on their
1965 Spanish tour dates. The
Beat-Chics records did well in
the Latin charts.
MIDDLE YEARS
1970S THROUGH 1990S
Now a mature drummer, Crissy
pursued her love of jazz and big band
drumming while keeping up on
progress in rock, funk and fusion.
Crissy led various small and large
bands and was the first female leader
to be signed by Mecca International.
The successful pop act Koffee’n’Kreme
emerged from her resident Mecca
band. Crissy also continued to travel,
performing in South Africa, Egypt and
Australia. Later, she led the Crissy Lee
all-female big band, taking over where
Ivy Benson left. She performed at jazz
festivals and made numerous TV
appearances, including New Faces and
the Jack Parnell, Terry Wogan and
Michael Barrymore shows. Crissy
MD’ed for Roy Castle and backed the
Supremes on tours. In 1999 she
produced a CD, With Body And Soul, by
the Crissy Lee Jazz Orchestra.
RECENT
2000 TO PRESENT
Crissy took over from old mate
Ronnie Verrell as resident drummer
in the Skinnerrettes, house band on
the Frank Skinner TV show, from
2001 to 2005. On her 70th birthday
in 2013 she was honoured at Felsted
School where she has long taught
drums. You sense she has never lost
the wonder that her four-year-old
self had for the drums. In her youth
she was helped by Kenny Clare and
Joe Morello, who suggested she
come to New York to study with him
for a year. More recently, through
her friendship with Paul Francis at
Colchester’s Orchard Studios, she
has spent time with Dave Weckl and
Thomas Lang. She is busy as ever,
passing on her knowledge to
students at Felsted and to private
students at her Fiddlesticks Studio.
Check out www.crissylee.co.uk.

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EXCLUSIVE VIDEO & AUDIO DRUM LESSONS

WELCOME…
Using your hats for more than just time
CONTENTS
‘I’M BROKEN’
PANTERA P80
This month’s Rhythm Lessons is heavily hi-hat focussed, GET TO GRIPS WITH…
as three of our tutors have chosen to look at more
creative ways to use your hats. First up, Adam Bushell
HAT CHOP P83
shows you how by ‘chopping up’ traditional hi-hat lines you can put more SESSION TOOLS
musical expression into your grooves. Then, in Session Tools, Jason Bowld HAT STEPPERS P85
looks at creating dynamic hi-hat textures within your grooves, while for
near-beginners Colin Woolway explains offbeat stepped hi-hat patterns. RHYTHM CONCEPTS
Elsewhere Erik Stams continues to look at double-stroke applications while DOUBLE STROKES PART 3 P86
I explore some more snare solo ideas. Our fully notated track this month
comes courtesy of metal groove machine Vinnie Paul – his extreme metal THE NEXT STEP
grooves and shifting time signatures make Pantera’s ‘I’m Broken’ great OFFBEAT STEPPED HI-HAT P88
fun to play. Enjoy!
21ST CENTURY RUDIMENT
LEARN HOW
TO PLAY BETTER AT PARADIDDLE-DIDDLE COMBO P89
News d Reviews d Tuition IMPROVE YOUR PLAYING WITH
Samples d Forums
Community SNARE DRUM SOLOS P90
PETE RILEY Rhythm CD Editor

YOUR TUTORS
PETE MIKE COLIN
RILEY STURGIS WOOLWAY
Rhythm’s CD Mike is a A professional
editor also has long-time drummer for
a number of instructional Rhythm contributor and has 30 years, long-standing
books and a DVD entitled worked with numerous Rhythm contributor Colin is
Technical Difficulties under artists including A-ha, Asia, originator of the Drumsense
his tutorial belt. and Bob James. teaching system.

JASON ERIK ADAM

BOWLD
Rock School
contributor Jason
is drummer for metal
supergroup Axewound. He
also recently did sessions
for Killing Joke and PWEI.
STAMS
Erik built up
an impressive
résumé studying and
recording in NYC. He is
now Head of Drums at
Tech Music School.
BUSHELL
Adam is a tutor
at the Brighton
Institute Of Modern Music,
and has toured with hit
artists including Sheryl
Crow and Faithless.

STANDARDISED DRUMSET NOTATION KEY

All our Drum Lessons contributors are using what is increasingly being regarded as the standardised system of drum kit notation, as outlined by Norman Weinberg in his
Guide To Standardised Drumset Notation. This book is published by the Percussive Arts Society, and is available from www.pas.org. To gain a full understanding of all
aspects of the system, we recommend you check out this book.

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 DRUM LESSONS
WorldMags.net

Bone crunching grooves

and time signature
changes courtesy of
Pantera’s Vinnie Paul

TRACK INFO
FULL TRACK

‘I’M BROKEN’ PANTERA

Extreme metal grooves across changing time signatures!

O
From the album:
Far Beyond Driven riginally a glam metal band, Pantera
(1994) eventually took their music in a far
150bpm
heavier direction and influenced a
generation with their unique brand of
groove metal. ‘I’m Broken’ is a single from
their 1994 Far Beyond Driven album, and
features the bone-crunching grooves of
Vinnie Paul. Replete with more TIME
SIGNATURE changes than Jamie Oliver has
made hot dinners, this track will require you
YOUR TUTOR
MIKE STURGIS
to count relentlessly and play ferociously.
Before attempting the track, take a look
mike@mikesturgis.co.uk at the chart to get a sense of how often the
time signature changes. While this may look
daunting, the various time signatures make
sense in relation to the rest of the ensemble
and therefore feel more natural to play than
the chart might indicate. Taking the time to
learn the patterns for each section will make
it easier to connect all of them together.
When approaching odd meters, it may be
helpful to mentally break up the measures
into groups of twos or threes rather than
counting the full number of beats in the bar.
There are no dynamics to be concerned
with, and the track demands that you play
with real power and conviction. However,
timing and execution are still crucial, and
must not be sacrificed purely for the sake of
hitting hard. Apart from brief moments in
the verses, the hats should always be played
very loosely while the ride should have a big,
splashy sound that takes up plenty of space
in the track. Finally, there are some very
quick double pedal flurries found in each
chorus groove, so take the time to work
these out slowly to ensure their placement
and accuracy. This is a very challenging track
that will force you to think mathematically
and play with real intensity. While the
changes in time signature are numerous,
there is a logic to them that makes this track
still groove and be very satisfying to play.
HEADS UP!
TIME SIGNATURE
These are represented by two numbers
like a mathematical fraction, with the
numerator defining the number of beats
in a bar and the denominator indicating
the value of one beat in the bar.

01 Keep the hi-hats loose in the intro – notice the crashes mixed in.

INTRO Loose hats

;»¡
º

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
÷ 44 œ œ œ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œ œ œ œ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œ œ œ
1
‰. J Œ Œ ‰. J  Œ

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ j
÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ  œ œ œ
œ œ œ Œ
3
‰. J Œ Œ ‰. J
3

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80 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 FULL TRACK ‘I’M BROKEN’ PANTERA
WorldMags.net
CHORUS 1
%
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
÷ œ œ œ œ
œ  œ œ  œ œ œ œ ‰.
œ
œ ‰.
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ  œ œ œ ‰
5, 23
‰. J J
3 3

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 78
÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ
7, 25
‰  J   ‰. J ‰ . J ‰ J

02 The hi-hats switch from loose to tight continually in the verses – the fills in the 4/4 measures are in unison with the ensemble.

VERSES 1- 2
oj oj + o o + 1 oo+ 2 oo+
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿ œ¿¿ 4 ¿ ¿ œ . ¿  ¿ œj œ ‰ œj œ œ .. 4 ¿ ¿ œ . ¿  ¿ œ œ œ œ œ œ
j
÷ 78 .. œ œ œ œœ ‰ ‘ ‘ 4 œ œ ‰. œ  œ. œ œ ‰ 4 œ œ ‰. œ  œ. Œ
9, 13,
27, 31
J J ‰. J J 12,
30
J J J J 16,
34

03 Note the rapid changes in time signatures in the bridge.

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿j 
BRIDGES 1- 2

¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
÷ œ œ œ 38 œ œ œ œ œ 34 4
Œ œ Œ œ ‰ ‰
Play 2 more
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ 4
17,
35
D.S. al Coda

04 And the time signature changes keep coming – stay on your toes!


CHORUS 2

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
41
‰ . J   ‰ . J ‰ .  ‰
3 3

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 58
÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ
43
‰  J   ‰ . J ‰ . J ‰ J
Loose hats


÷ 58 œœ œ . œœ œœ œ . œœ œœ œ œœ œœ 44 ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‘
 J ‰ œ Œ œ Œ
45

j j j j j j Play
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 3X
24 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ 38 ..
÷ ‘ ‘ œ. œ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ‰ œ œ œ œ‰ ..
48 51, 53,
55
J
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 DRUM LESSONS
WorldMags.net
05
2
A new kit pattern is used in the guitar solo; however, it returns to one of the previous grooves in 3/8.

GUITAR
T SOLO
j j j Loose hats

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ j ¿.
÷ œ œ œ œ œ 34 œ œ œ œ 44 ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ œ ¿ œ
‰ œ œ œ œ œ  œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ 
Play 4 more
57

j j j j j j 3
j Play j j j
¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œ œ ‰ 3 œj œj œ ¿ ¿ . ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ 3X ¿ ¿ ¿ 3
œ .. œ œ œ œ œ 4
÷ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ 8 .œ œ œ œ
64   ‰ œ œ‰ ‰ œJ œ œ 66, ‰ ‰
68,
70

06 The first four bars of these last two choruses are identical, but they end differently – keep counting!

CHORUS 3

3 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ j ¿. 4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿
÷ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ  œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ‰ . œ ‰ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ‰ œ
73
  ‰. J J
3 3

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
÷ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ 38
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰. œ
76
‰  J   J ‰ . J ‰ J
j j j j j j Play j j j .
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 3X ¿ ¿ ¿ 34 ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿œ œj œ ¿
÷ 38 .. œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
œ œ ‰
.. œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ  œ œ  œ œ 4
4
78, 80,
‰ J ‰
82

CHORUS 4

4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
÷ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
86
‰ . J   ‰ . J ‰ .  ‰
3 3

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 58
÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ
88
‰  J   ‰ . J ‰ . J ‰ J

L
Loose hats

¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ U¿
÷ 58 œœ œ .œœ œœ œ . œœ œœ œ œœ œœ 44 œ œ œ œ ‘ ‘ ‘ w
90
J ‰ Œ Œ Fine

Music & Lyrics by Vincent Abbott, Darrell Abbott, Rex Brown and Philip Anselmo.© 1994. Power Metal Music, Power Metal Music Inc, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Co. Warner/Chappell North America Limited, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Co, VDPR Music.
UK/EU reproduced by kind permission of Faber Music Ltd. US/CAN reproduced by kind permission of Hal Leonard Corporation. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.

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 WorldMags.net
GET TO GRIPS WITH…

HAT CHOP
Chopping up conventional hi-hat lines
to create fresh new grooves

T
he hi-hat is arguably the most
expressive and important voice on the
drum kit. Its primary responsibility is to
dictate the FLOW OF TIME and lock
down the groove, but it can also be
YOUR TUTOR employed in a myriad of ways to enhance
musical expression. Convention states that
ADAM BUSHELL
adambushell@bimm.co.uk the hats will generally carry the flow of time
by playing common subdivisions of the
quarter note, usually eighth or 16th notes
or combinations thereof in most cases. Aside from locking
However, in order to reach the next stage of down the groove, the
hi-hat can also enhance
groove development, investigating different musical expression
ways in which the flow of time can be
conveyed is very important. This month we
will investigate some alternative groove
ideas, by taking a look at how the hats can
eighths or 16ths on the hats is often the
most musically apposite approach. But
HEADS UP!
be used in a less conventional way. But by investigating some of the alternatives FLOW OF TIME
Creating an even flow of time is the
before we continue on with the examples, a at your disposal, your musical vocabulary foundation of any great groove, and the
word of warning: the importance of using and your creativity behind the drums hi-hat (or ride cymbal) is the most
the hats in a way that best suits the music will be developed, thus creating more important instrument in the creation
cannot be overstated; playing straight musical possibilities. of that time flow.

01 A basic groove, with a dotted eighth hi-hat feel. This creates a four-against-three polyrhythm.

o
¿. ¿. œ ¿. ¿.
÷ 64 .. œ œ œ¿ . ¿.
œ
¿. œ ¿. ..

02 A groove using the polyrhythmic hi-hat approach from Example 1.

> > > > >

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ .
÷ 44 .. œ (œ) (œ) œ œ (œ) (œ) œ (œ) œ œ (œ) (œ) œ (œ) (œ) œ œ (œ) (œ) œ (œ) (œ) œ œ .

03 This groove demonstrates a four-against-three shuffle feel on the hats.

o
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿
÷ 64 .. œ œ œ œ ..

04 A groove using the approach from Example 3. Notice how the backbeat shifts in the second bar to emphasise the shuffle.

> > > > >

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ œ œ¿ ¿ œ ¿ œ¿ œ œ¿ ¿ œ ¿ œ¿ œ œ¿ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ œ .
÷ 44 .. œ (œ) (œœ) œ (œ) œ œ ()() œ () œ ()() œ () œ ()() œ () œ œ .
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 e at e s t
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 WorldMags.net
GET CREATIVE WITH

HAT STEPPERS
Create dynamic hi-hat textures
in your grooves

W
ith the hi-hat we have so many
dynamics at our disposal, one of
which is using the subtle ‘chick’
sound, stepped with our left foot.
This month’s examples all feature regular,
YOUR TUTOR half-time grooves but with added stepped
hi-hat embellishments. A familiar phrase/
JASON BOWLD
jase@jasonbowld.com feel will gradually come to light when playing
the grooves in the examples: the stepped
hi-hat will always precede a played hi-hat
with the right hand. Ex. 1 has two bars of
groove played first that are then embellished
with an offbeat quad phrase – R-L with the
feet (kick/hat), then R-L with the hands (hat/
snare). Providing your dynamics are correct
(ie: keeping the snare ghosted) you’ll create
a nice rolling, flutter sound. This continues
in Ex. 2 but with a DOTTED EIGHTH-NOTE
FEEL, so the repeated ‘flutter’ is ‘stepped
hat, hat, ghost’. A bit of independence is
required here as the kick drum occasionally HEADS UP!
joins the stepped hat and the ‘&’ of beat 1 is DOTTED FEEL
accented on the snare to give the groove When a note has a dot next to it, add half
of its value for the new length, eg:
more depth. Ex. 3 is a pot pourri of different dotted eighth note is equivalent to three
stickings and phrases from the previous Stepped hi-hat
16ths. This is the length of Ex.2’s phrase ‘chicks’ can add
examples to give a more complex sound. All which is why it has a dotted feel! texture to your grooves
examples sound great at 140bpm-plus.

01 To get used to the feel and sound of the quad phrase, try practising it in isolation with nice, clean hi-hats. It’s also crucial to keep the snare
ghosted to avoid a clumsy sound.

¡¢º bpm+
o
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿
÷ 44 .. Half Time Groove for two bars œ œ œ ¿ ( ) œ ¿ ( ) œ ¿ ( ) œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ..
œ

02 A dotted feel here with the phrase and again, practise it in isolation focusing on dynamics. You can experiment with this by occasionally playing
a unison kick/hat step or replacing the ghost notes with accents.

¡¢º bpm+
> o > >o
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿œ ¿ œ@ .
÷ 44 .. Half Time Groove for two bars œ œ > œ¿ ( ) ¿ ( ) ¿ > ¿ ( ) œ œ >o o ( ) .

03 Quite a tricky embellishment. The two phrases are now mixed with snare/hat doubles but the backbeat remains intact. After the repeat, bypass
the ‘first ending’ and play the second ending for variation.

o > 1 2
L R R . .
>
R L R R . . R L L

¿ >œ ¿ ¿ . ¿ œ œ ¿ ¿
R L L R R . . R L R L
¡¢º bpm+ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿œœ
÷ 44 .. œ œ ¿ ( )( ) . ( )( ) œ ¿ ( )( )
¿ œ œ¿ œ¿
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 DRUM LESSONS
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RHYTHM CONCEPTS notes, bass drum accents, cymbal crashes… Examples 3-7 illustrate how to create

FILLING THE GAPS

By literally doubling up the un-accented
notes (at twice the rate) we can embellish
our rhythmic phrases with double-stroke
rolls. When executed well this technique
creates very fluid and exciting fills.
Applying double-strokes to the kit The key to making this concept work is to
two and four-beat fills on the kit in context
with a straight-eighth groove. Remember to
keep the underlying 16th-note subdivision
running in your mind at all times. Try to
count either the pulse or all of the 16th notes
out loud while you play to help develop your

D
ouble strokes are produced by playing
two strokes with each hand (R-R-L-L).
This month we’ll take a look at a
time-honoured approach to
embellishing accent patterns – filling the
YOUR TUTOR gaps between accents with double strokes.
One of the most effective and musical
ERIK STAMS
www.erikstams.co.uk ways for drummers to develop fills, phrases
and vocabulary is by orchestrating accents
around the drum kit using rim-shots, tom
be aware of the underlying rhythmic
subdivision and the pulse at all times. When
doubled, eighth notes become 16th notes
and 16th notes become 32nd notes. Ex. 1
illustrates how to apply double strokes to all
four of the possible accent PLACEMENTS
within a 16th-note subdivision. This
effectively creates a seven-stroke roll. Ex. 2
illustrates how to apply this concept to
phrases with two accents in the same way,
creating five-stroke rolls in the process.
internal clock. Work on developing dynamic
control by playing all of the double strokes at
the same volume. Explore other accent
patterns as well.
HEADS UP!
PLACEMENT
In rhythmic terms, the act of putting a
musical note or accent in a particular
place within a bar of music.

01 Individually replace each unaccented 16th note with double strokes at twice the rate.

> > > >

÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R L L R R L L R R L R R L L R R L L R L L R R L L R R L

02 Individually replace pairs of unaccented 16th notes with double strokes at twice the rate.

> > > > > > > >

÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R L R R L L R R L R L L R R L L R L R L L R R L

03 The right hand plays the accents around the kit while all of the unaccented notes are ‘doubled’ on the snare.

GROOVE (3X)
> > > >
¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
÷ 44 œ œ
R L L R R L L R L L R R L L R L L R R L L R L L R R L L

04 This one is two beats long. 05 Another two-beat phrase with added syncopation.

GROOVE (3X)
>> >>
2 beat fill

GROOVE (3X)
>> >>
÷ 44 ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R L R R L L R L R R L L R R L L R L R R L R L L

06 Play this one-bar phrase in context with a groove. 07 Again, play this one-bar phrase in context with a groove.
>>>> >>>> >> >> > > >> >>
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R R L L R L R L R R L L R R L L R R L L R L R L R R L L R L L R R L L R L L R L R R L R L L

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EXPERT VIDEO
TUTORIALS

LEARN DRUM MAINTENANCE

FROM THE PROS
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 DRUM LESSONS
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THE NEXT STEP

OFFBEAT
STEPPED HI-HAT
Add colour and rhythm to a groove

T
he hi-hat is, I feel, often neglected as an
instrument in its own right. Not only for
time keeping, as in ‘2 & 4’ in jazz, we
can add colour and rhythm to any
groove by applying a little application with
YOUR TUTOR our hi-hat foot. I remember, a long time ago,
being mystified by Steve Gadd’s ‘50 Ways To
COLIN WOOLWAY Using X-Hats or remote
colin@drumsense.com Leave Your Lover’ groove, until video footage
hats can give your
revealed that one of the key notes was a grooves a bit of a lift
stepped hi-hat note. And, of course, as more
and more drummers are using X HATS AND
REMOTE HATS (primarily to assist twin
pedal playing) the traditional set of hi-hats is
between ride cymbal and stepped hi-hat, by
showing quarter notes on the ride cymbal,
HEADS UP!
open to being played with the foot while the with the left foot ‘stepping’ the offbeat X HATS AND REMOTE HATS
X Hats are a closed set of hi-hats, with
second set of hats is struck with a stick, eighth notes on the hi-hats. Ex 3 and the no pedal, while Remote Hats have a
which is great for giving your grooves a bit of Practice Challenge should supply some pedal attached to the cymbals with a
a lift. So, for example, this month’s lesson interesting co-ordination practice, as well as flexible cable, usually placed on the
demonstrates ‘sharing out’ eighth notes sounding very cool! opposite side of the kit to the hi-hats.

01 Play quarter notes on the ride, offbeat eighths with hi-hat foot.

÷ 44 œ¿ ¿œ ¿
œ
¿œ
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿

02 Adding a bass drum on the ‘&’ of ‘3’ to coincide with the third hi-hat note…

¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿œ
÷ 44 œ œ œ¿
¿ ¿ ¿

03 Moving one bass note backward, so now two bass and hat notes coincide…

÷ 44 ¿œ¿ ¿œ
œ¿
¿
œ¿
¿œ
¿ ‰ ¿

04 A nice funky beat – you might want to try it with just the ride playing quarter notes before you try adding the left foot hi-hat. Notice how the
second hi-hat note slots in between the bass notes… check the video footage to see how it works!

÷ 44 ¿œ ¿œ ¿
œ ¿ œ œ
¿œ
¿ ¿ ¿

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88 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net
21ST CENTURY RUDIMENTS

PARADIDDLE-
DIDDLE COMBO
Linking the three Ôdiddle-diddleÕ
hybrid rudimentsÉ

T
his is a neat combination of the paradiddle-
diddle and its two ‘hybrid’ relations, the double
and triple paradiddle-diddle. Don’t forget to stop

DRUMMING ESSENTIALS
and lead with the left hand!

01 Triple paradiddle diddle.

> > > >
÷ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ What you need to know before you start
R L R R L L R L R R L L R L R L MATCHED GRIP 16TH NOTES
> > > > 01 Both hands hold the sticks in the same
manner: thumbs on the side of the
07 AKA ‘semi-quavers’. If a standard bar of
music is regarded as a ‘whole’, then 16
÷ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ sticks; forefinger opposite the thumb; middle, ring
and little fingers curled under the sticks; palms
evenly spaced notes within that bar are regarded
as ‘16ths’, hence ‘16th note’.
R R L L R L R L R L R R L L R L held down, facing the floor.
CROSS-STICK
02 Same as Example 1 with accents on toms. TRADITIONAL GRIP 08 Played on the snare by holding the stick
02 The right hand is as matched grip, but
the left-hand stick is held differently (vice
at the tip end, laying it across the drum
and striking the rim with the ‘butt’ end, keeping
versa for left-handed players). The stick is lodged the tip in contact with the head.
03 Same as Ex. 2 with accents on cymbals.
in the fleshy bit between the thumb and forefinger
and the fore and middle fingers curl over the stick, RIM SHOT
while the ring and little fingers curl under to
support the stick.
09 Played by striking the head and the rim
of the drum at the same time. It makes a
loud, sonorous sound, good for accents in a snare
QUARTER NOTES pattern or heavy rock backbeat.
03 Also known as ‘crotchets’. If a standard
bar of music is regarded as a ‘whole’, HEAD TYPES
then four evenly-spaced notes within that bar are
regarded as ‘quarters’, hence the term ‘quarter
10 The ‘batter’ head is the drum head you
strike and the ‘resonant’ head is the
note’ (in other words, four beats in a standard bar). head on the underside of the drum that gives it a
full and resonating sound.
EIGHTH NOTES
04 Classically referred to as ‘quavers’. If a
standard bar of music is regarded as a GETTING STARTED

‘whole’ and four evenly-spaced notes within that
bar are regarded as ‘quarters’, then eight
evenly-spaced notes within that bar are regarded
as ‘eighths’, hence the term ‘eighth note’ (ie: eight
beats in a standard bar).
EIGHTH-NOTE TRIPLETS
05 The musical definition of a triplet is
‘three evenly spaced notes occupying
S
itting behind a drum kit for the first time can
be a daunting thing. However, once you get
to grips with the basics you’ll be playing in
no time. And if you’ve never picked up the
sticks before we can help you. Head to the links
below, and you’ll find the following content just
for beginners.

GET THE FULL INTERACTIVE the same space as two evenly spaced notes’. In the
case of eighth notes, two would be replaced by
Take your first steps into reading music with our
guide to drum notation – http://bit.ly/147icLI

RHYTHM EXPERIENCE three eighth-note triplets.

Did you know that you can get full audio and video
of these fantastic Rhythm lessons on the CD
covermounted with the print edition, or with the
fully enhanced digital edition available for iPad,
iPhone and iPod Touch? Follow this link to find out
where to get hold of Rhythm with video and audio
content – http://bit.ly/ZKxmRe
OSTINATO
06 An ostinato is a repeated pattern,
usually not very long, often three or four
notes played over and over again. The most
famous drum ostinato is the snare drum pattern in
Ravel’s ‘Bolero’, but contemporary drummers
often refer to ‘bass and hi-hat’ ostinatos.
Find your way around the kit with our anatomy of
a drum kit guide – http://bit.ly/WGLM7R
Five video drum lessons covering basic rock, funk
jazz and the shuffle – http://bit.ly/15pOGx9
Video guides to accompany the drumming
essentials above – http://bit.ly/ZJHOZU

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 DRUM LESSONS
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IMPROVE YOUR PLAYING WITH…

SNARE DRUM
SOLOS PART 4
A seven-stroke roll tour de force

T
his issue’s snare solo focuses on the
seven-stroke roll and the different ways
it can be both played and notated. The
first half of the piece moves between its
32nd-note and triplet 32nd-note rates which
YOUR TUTOR can be seen in bars 1 and 2 respectively.
PETE RILEY
p.riley@mac.com
Notice how the key ways of differentiating
between them is the somewhat quirky use of
a drag in bar 1 to indicate beginning the roll
on what would be the second 16th-note as
opposed to beginning the roll on the second
eighth-note for its triplet counterpart in bar
two. With a bar of PARATRIPLETS we move
into the second half where things become a
little more demanding as the triplet rolls
begin to both switch hands and also start at
different points in the bar. The key here is to
follow the stickings marked carefully but also
to play along with the video (print and iPad
editions) to ensure the phrasing is correct.
With a little practice this piece should
develop a rapid improvement in your
double strokes as a result of mastering the
different subdivisions, along with the need
to squeeze groups of doubles into what at
first may appear to be impossibly small
and awkward spaces.
Finally for the sake of clarity and ease of
reading we’ve decided to omit the indication
of where the seven-stroke rolls are played as
pretty much every figure is based on them.
HEADS UP!
PARATRIPLETS
Paratriplets is a name often used to
describe when single paradiddles are
played through a triplet rate. If played
through eighth-note triplets this would
take two bars to resolve.

01 Line 1 moves the seven-stroke rolls through the two different subdivisions, with the paradiddle at the end reversing the process for line 2.

.
02 Line 3 looks at starting the roll with the same hand moving up to a rather rapid 64th-note triplet subdivision.

03 The piece ends by reversing the rolls and placing the accent at the end and finishes with more 64th-note triplets.

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 100 GREATEST
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DRUM BEATS & HOW TO PLAY THEM

PLUS
LEARN TO PLAY
DRUMS TODAY!
Includes beginners
guide to get you up
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 WorldMags.net
Welcome!
A new kit in Mapex’s arsenal
W
ith 2014 now in full swing
(and the gigantic NAMM
show a distant memory) you
can expect to see a steady
flow of incredible new gear from the biggest
names in the drum world throughout these
pages in the year ahead.
To kick off we have a brand new line from
Mapex. After the runaway success of the
company’s Black Panther range and the
continued popularity of the Saturn series,
we were pretty excited to see what the
Armory kits would bring. Geoff Nicholls
has all the answers on page 94.
It’s been a busy old month for Geoff, who
Contents
REVIEW MAPEX ARMORY DRUM KIT
REVIEW UFIP CLASS AND BRILLIANT CYMBALS
REVIEW SHAW RIM WRAPS
REVIEW ACS PRO-17 CUSTOM EAR PLUGS
REVIEW SAKAE SNARE DRUMS
REVIEW ECHO CUSTOM DRUMS BRASS DRUM KIT
VINTAGE GEAR LUDWIG VISTALITE DRUM KIT
ASK GEOFF YOUR GEAR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
During the review process
we investigate three key
areas in detail
Build quality Is it consistent? Are
components up to the task? Are shells
round? And so on.
Playability Does the product
convincingly do the job it was
designed for?
Value for money Does the price reflect
the product fairly, and how does it
compare with competitors?
Each area receives a star rating out of
five. These ratings are then collated to
arrive at an overall Rhythm Rating.
POOR: SUB-STANDARD PRODUCT
AVERAGE: ACCEPTABLE BUT UNINSPIRING
GOOD: ABOVE AVERAGE
EXCELLENT: SUPERIOR PRODUCT
OUTSTANDING: IMPOSSIBLE TO FAULT
WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
NEW
GEAR LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR REVIEW? CHECK OUT OUR
also took delivery of a batch of cymbals from
Italian artisans UFiP and a pair of snares
HUGE ARCHIVE OF REVIEWS, ROUND-UPS AND BUYING
from the flourishing Sakae company. GUIDES AT WWW.MUSICRADAR.COM
It’s important to protect your kit and your
102
hearing, and we have products that do both
in this month’s issue. Shaw’s Rim Wraps
safeguard your drum’s hoops, while the
Pro-17s from ACS are custom-moulded ear SAKAE
plugs that will protect your hearing as you SNARE DRUMS
bash away at the tubs.
Last, but not least, this month we
check out a monstrous brass kit from
Brit drum builders Echo Custom Drums.
As always, enjoy and we will see you
next month.
94
98
UFIP
98 CLASS AND
BRILLIANT CYMBALS
100
101
102
104
106
108
94
MAPEX
ARMORY DRUM KIT
Look out
for these
The Rhythm Recommends
award is given to those
products that score four out
of five. These are products
that, although not scoring
top marks, are strong
products in their field. The
Rhythm Star Buy is awarded
to those products that score
five out of five for design,
construction, function
and value.
WorldMags.net
MARCH 2014 | 93
GEAR REVIEW
WorldMags.net

MAPEX ARMORY
SERIES KIT
£849 Brand new mid-range series from the ever inventive,
forward looking Mapex, the Armory will surely prove a big hit
WORDS: GEOFF NICHOLLS

W
e are making strides in
developing our drums and
the technology and craft
used to produce them. We
don’t want to be caught resting.”
So says Korg/Mapex’s Pete Havard, and
there is no danger of that with this wholly
new series which makes strong claims on
the vibrant semi-pro gigging market.
Mapex’s Tornado, Voyager and Horizon
starter series are all good value with decent
specs, while the Meridian Birch/Maple
bridged the gap with the professional Saturn
IV and Black Panther Collection. “In as much
as the Meridians will no longer exist, the
Armory and Mars series will take over,” says
Pete. But, he confides, “I don’t like to say
they’re replacements as they don’t share any
previous elements.”

Build
Armory is completely new then, with new
shells and finishes, bearing edges, lugs and
suspension mounts. Armory goes the
increasingly popular hybrid route with six-ply
7.2mm-thick shells comprising a birch outer
and inner with a maple core. The shells have
angled butt seams and blemish-free
interiors, lightly sealed as per usual. The
bass drum was ¼" out of round, which is
pushing acceptability, even for a budget
drum. The other shells were all within 1/8th",
which is normal at this price point.
Aside from the hybrid lay-up, there’s the
profile of the bearing edge. Whereas this is
commonly a 45° slope-up from the inside
wall to a sharp-ish edge on the outer plies,
the Armory’s SoniClear edge has a 45° slope
up to the maple mid-point, with a rather
bigger round-over to the outer wall.
You’ll have noticed the striking finish, a
rich and glittering Magma Red lacquer
fading from deep red to black. Then there’s
the complementary black hardware. This is
one of six combinations that Korg UK is
promoting. The other five are Transparent
Black with black hardware, Transparent
Walnut with chrome, Mantis Green with
black, Photon Blue with chrome and
Cordovan Red with chrome hardware.
The Magma Red is gloriously rich,
SHELLS
Shells are 6-ply,
7.2mm-thick hybrid
of maple and birch
superbly glassy, and the black hardware is
also impressive. All fittings have a thick,
satin-polished, plastic-like black coating.
Mapex explains this is an electro-plating
process with significantly increased
durability compared with powder coatings. I
can’t vouch for that, but I’ve known powder
coating to chip almost immediately, whereas
this finish certainly looks to be of
exceptional quality. And, moreover, the black
finish extends to the tension bolts, washers
and gaskets, etc, which is often the sort of
detail that others annoyingly
overlook. Although the hardware
and stands are not included in sit comfortably with all six sets. Any inner
this shell pack, it’s worth noting welded join is completely hidden and there
that they too have been redesigned and are are 10 double-ended bridge tube lugs with
available in a choice of chrome, black or swivel inserts and 2.3mm Super Hoops.
chrome and black. Hauling up the 20-strand coiled-steel
What is included in the package though is snare wires via their brass end-plates and
the snare – an impressive 14"x5½" black tape is Mapex’s neat strainer which
steel-shelled brute called Tomahawk. It has operates via a double-hinged pull-away
a mirror black-chrome 1mm shell, with lever. It’s not the smoothest, but is firm and
chrome fittings. The black hardware is not the tension knob is easy enough to operate.
carried through as the Tomahawk needs to The SoniClear Tom Suspension System

WorldMags.net
94 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 WorldMags.net
FINISH Essential spec
Magma Red with black
hardware, one of six finish
combinations available

PRICES
628SF Studioease Shell
Pack in Magma Red with
Black hardware,
including Tomahawk
snare, £849; Tomahawk
snare separately, £239
SHELL MATERIALS
Plywood and steel
PLIES
Bass and toms: 6 ply
7.2mm birch-maple-
birch hybrid; Tomahawk
snare: 1mm polished
steel
BEARING EDGES
SoniClear, rounded over.
Tomahawk snare,
rounded 45°
FINISHES
Magma Red with black
hardware (as pictured),
Transparent Black with
black hardware,
Transparent Walnut
STANDS with chrome, Mantis
Green with black,
Stands are not included Photon Blue with
but are available in chrome and Cordovan
Red with chrome
complementary chrome,
hardware
black or chrome and black
HOOPS
Toms: 1.6mm
triple-flanged; Snare:
2.3mm power hoops
SHELLS
Studioease (short-stack
shells): 22"x18", 10"x7",
12"x8", 14"x12", 16"x14",
14"x5½"; Studioease:
22"x18", 10"x8", 12"x9",
14"x14", 16"x16",
14"x5½"
SUPPLIED HEADS
Remo Chinese made UT
Coated batters and
Clear resonants
LUGS PER DRUM
SHELL PACK Small toms: 12; floor
Review kit is a “shorty”: toms: 16; bass drum: 16;
snare: 10 double-ended
22"x18" bass, 10"x7", 12"x8" bridge lugs
rack toms, 14"x12" and
16"x14" floor toms TOM MOUNTS
SONIClear™ Suspension
System

mounts are taken from the up-market HARDWARE

Saturn IV range. The design involves a THE TOMS FEEL TIDY, WITH THEIR Chrome, black or
chrome and black
three-point mount – the two upper points
bracketing off adjacent lugs, while the lower SHORT SHELLS, WOODY AND CONTACT
arm is not fixed, but freely rubber–buffets
against a small bumper plate on the shell.
PLEASINGLY MATURE WHILE THE Korg (UK) Ltd
01908 857100
The hexagonal ‘L’ arm (which is chrome BASS DRUM IS ALSO A BEAUT info@korg.co.uk
www.mapex.co.uk
not black) clamps to a stand. It’s over-

WorldMags.net
WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2014 | 95
GEAR REVIEW
WorldMags.net
They say…
Pete Havard is Mapex’s Marketing
Coordinator for British distributor
Korg UK
What is different about
Armory?
“The whole kit is a new direction.
We learnt from the successful
development of Saturn IV and
through hands-on experimentation. The hybrid
birch-maple-birch shell embodies all the great
characteristics those materials are known for.
The result is a powerful, punchy tone that
speaks quickly and delivers awesome volume.
We also have a beautiful range of new finishes,
with the hardware colour chosen carefully to
best enhance the overall look of each kit.”
What is exciting about the kit?
“The SoniClear bearing edges. During
development we didn’t have an occasion during
A-B testing when jaws didn’t drop. It improves
tuning ease, widens the pitch possibilities and
improves resonance. When we applied it to the
hybrid shell, it just demanded attention and
had us convinced.
“The Armory also has key features from
Saturn IV – the SoniClear tom suspension
system helps toms resonate freely, the
SoniClear floor tom feet keep the drum
vibrating without losing energy through
to the floor.
“The Tomahawk steel snare is a premium
snare drum developed especially to ensure that
the kit performs way beyond expectations.”
complicated, but no more so than many
others in the modern isolation-obsessed
drum world.
Taking their inspiration too from the
Saturn IV are the new, sharp-edged lugs and
floor tom legs with big sprung isolating
rubber feet.
Hands On
Two Studioease shell-pack configurations
are initially offered on UK release, with
choice of short or long toms. Our kit is the
shorty with 22"x18" bass, punchy 10"x7" and
THE SNARE REALLY CAME ALIVE AT
MID TENSION, A SNAPPY, FOCUSED
BACKBEAT CONTRASTING WITH HIGH
PITCHED RINGING RIM SHOTS
12"x8" mounted toms, 14"x12" and 16"x14"
floor toms and 14"x5½" Tomahawk snare. If
you want a bit more low ‘oomph’ then go for
the full-depth toms: 22"x18", 10"x8", 12"x9",
14"x14", 16"x16" and 14"x5½".
Armory combines the two most
widespread shell materials, birch and maple,
hoping for the best of both – the focusing
wall of inner and outer birch plies, with a
core of brighter, warmer maple. It’s an
attractive mix, but probably of more
significance is the SoniClear bearing edge. In
keeping with a number of recent trends it’s a
96 | MARCH 2014
SNARE
Tomahawk snare has a 1mm
gauge polished black-chrome
shell with chrome fittings and
2.3 mm super hoops
nod in the vintage direction. Most modern
edges (including most of Mapex’s) have a
sharpish outer peak with a minimal
round-over. The SoniClear edge extends that
round-over half way and Mapex makes bold
claims for it.
Bearing edges have long been subject to
heated discussion. There is a continuum
from the pencil sharp 45°/45° centred peak
of, say, Spaun, to the completely rounded,
vintage style of, say, Ludwig’s Club Date or
DW’s Classics. By general consent the former
will give you a pinpoint response with good
sustain (more of the head), the latter a
softer, more woody timbre (more of the
shell). But in its enthusiasm to hype-up its
new edge Mapex claims that more typical,
sharper edges cause the head “to sit high,
resulting in tuning difficulty, poor shell
resonance and lack of tonal clarity”. This is a
bit rich – are all Mapex’s other shells
therefore rubbish? I don’t think so.
The logic of the more rounded edge is
increased head-to-wood contact, garnering
more shell tone. I personally like rounded
edges with the resulting slightly softer,
WorldMags.net
HARDWARE
Fittings have an
electro-plated plastic-like
coating which is more
durable than powder coating
darker, warmer timbre. And that’s how the
toms felt to me. Tidy, with their short shells,
Also try… woody and pleasingly mature. The bass
drum, with both full heads perimeter-
damped, was also a beaut. Having no
intrusive tom mount and only 16 lugs
opens it up to impressive resonance,
resulting in a loud and lively boom.
The Tomahawk snare drum feels
1 weighty, which is good for a snare. It
TAMA SUPERSTAR tuned up easily enough, functioning better
We say: “The Superstar from mid to high batter tensions, less well
sounds superb and is so low, where it was sludgy and brutish with
well finished, and it’s reduced sustain. Steel is such a hard
hard to see just how
Tama can deliver it at
the price it does.”
material it can seem to lack complex
character, leading to a severe tone,
particularly at higher tensions. It really
came alive at mid-tension, after some
sustained playing, opening out with a
snappy, focused backbeat contrasting
with high-pitched ringing rim-shots and
a commanding cross-stick.
2
PEARL VISION VERDICT: Armory presents yet another
VBL significant step in the impressive
onward march of Mapex. With hybrid
We say: “All-maple or
shells, rounded bearing edges and
all-birch shells in a
selection of high-gloss
superb finishes it will surely storm the
Artisan II finishes.” middle market.
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
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UFIP CLASS BRILLIANT

& SUPERNOVA CYMBALS
From £73 Professional quality UFIP B8 Supernova and B20 Class Brilliant
series now fully available in the UK
WORDS: GEOFF NICHOLLS

U
FIP began in the 1930s as a
collective of small companies in Also try…
Tuscany, Italy. The UK company
Cymbalise was launched in
September 2013 specifically to ensure that
UFIP cymbals are readily available in the UK.
Today we have two series, the B20 Class
Brilliants and B8 Supernovas.

Build 1
UFIP’s Class series has long been its pro PAISTE 2002
all-round cymbals, available in High, Medium SERIES
and Low pitches/weights. The Class Brilliants We say: “There’s not one
are lighter-weight cymbals which undergo cymbal among this lot
that doesn’t impress.”
an extra high temperature buffing and
polishing. This adds tension while partially
smoothing down the lathed grooves,
resulting in a molten gold look. Class
Brilliants are made via UFIP’s unique
Roto-casting process which uses centrifugal
force (rotation at 1,000 rpm) to spin out
impurities. The result is a super-pure B20 2
alloy which, claims UFIP, increases durability. MEINL BYZANCE
The Supernovas are unusual for UFIP,
(BRILLIANT)
being made in the so-called sheet B8 bronze
European style. They are about 25 percent
SERIES
We say: “…combining
cheaper than the Class Brilliants so are not the best of Turkish
budget cymbals but more akin to, say, craftsmanship and
Paiste’s professional B8 2002s. They benefit German efficiency.”
from an “innovative hand hammering
procedure using fast rotation”. They also
have a super-smooth hand-buffed finish.

Hands On
The Supernovas have a fresh, contemporary
sound, but are fairly lightweight which adds
welcome depth. The 22" ride has an
excellently precise if slightly thin stick-tip
response over the main body which has a
low pitch with no great variation over the
large surface. There’s a hint of electro-
metallic twang, somewhat like an amplifier
hum, but otherwise there are few overtones.
Not a particularly complex ride, but the
overall vibe is harmonious allowing it to
shine in multiple settings.
The 10" splash has a thinnish high-pitched
‘tiss’, while the 14" hats are not tissy enough.
The closed stick sound is soft and
underpowered. Part-open it’s much louder CLASS BRILLIANT
and fuller and being medium light the tone UFIP’s Rotocasting process
remains quite dark. results in a super-pure B20
The 17" and 19" crashes fall clearly into alloy that ‘increases durability’

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the Supernova character of fast, neat, benefitted from the series’ warm, soft, dark sharp. The 17" worked best for me, with the Essential spec
electro, with a steady, fairly brief decay, aspect, making it agreeably less harsh than crystalline tone associated with UFIP –
again lacking power and complexity many other chinas. smooth yet not one-dimensional. With the
compared with the very best cymbals. They Cymbalise says the extra high 16" and 18" I got more of the shrill attacking
are sensitive enough to crash easily with the temperature buffing of the Class Brilliants component which then gives way to a
stick tip though, which shows their quality. imparts a brighter, quicker sound than the duskier, warmer spread. All three have an
The 18" crash felt slightly different with a few standard Class equivalent. I certainly found even tail-off and decent sustain.
stray overtones on decay, making it less that. I was slightly taken aback when I The 10" splash benefits from the PRICES
clean but more complex. Lastly the 18" china gigged with a set and found they were brilliance helping it speak more distinctly. Class Brilliant:
exceptionally penetrating and rather toppy. As a quality cymbal the tone is sweet, but 10" splash, £117;
Starting with the 21" ride, it had a there’s that biting edge again which makes 13" hi-hats, £299;
16" crash, £199;
commanding breadth but also a shrillness this an excellent splash. The edgy quality is 17" crash, £230; 18"
which was awkward on more subtle tunes. also a feature of the 13" hats. With two holes crash, £245; 18" china,
Though for more aggressive rock or even in the bottom cymbal aiding air escape the £279; 21" ride, £289
metal, this could prove a real advantage. ‘chip’ sound is crisp and taut, while the Supernova:
10" splash, £73; 14"
The same applies with the three closed stick sound is louder and more
hi-hats, £244; 17" crash,
crashes, more complex than the precise than with the Supernovas. £171; 18" crash, £180;
Supernovas, but still urgent and The 18" china has a hard dinging ride 19" crash, £190;
sound and more obviously trashy tone when 18" china, £210;
22" ride, £235
you strike the edge. It is more loud
and vivid than dark and CAST OR PRESSED
mysterious, a cymbal you Class Brilliants:
need to be careful Rotocast;
Supernovas: pressed
with or it will
dominate. ALLOY USED
Class Brilliants: B20
bronze;
Supernovas: B8 bronze
FINISH
Supernovas and Class
Brilliants: brilliant finish,
hand polished
HAND OR
MACHINE
HAMMERED
Supernovas: innovative
hand-hammering
procedure using
fast rotation;
Class Brilliants:
completely handmade,
cross hammered
COUNTRY OF
MANUFACTURE
Italy
DIAMETERS
AVAILABLE
10" to 22"
MODELS
AVAILABLE
Hi-hats, rides, splashes,
crashes and chinas
SUITABLE FOR
SUPERNOVA VERDICT: The complex Class Brilliants
Class Brilliants: pop,
rock, fusion, funk, jazz,
Cymbals are made using an are slightly more shrill than expected, Latin;
‘innovative hand hammering which may be a plus for many. The Supernovas: pop,
Supernovas are fast, clean and hip-hop, drum’n’bass,
procedure using fast rotation’
contemporary, a smart new departure funk and other urban
genres
for UFIP. Both series have a bright,
modern vibe. Where the Supernovas CONTACT
are one dimensional, lacking slightly in Cymbalise
tone and penetration, the Class
THERE’S A HINT OF ELECTR0- brilliants are more complex but still
shrill and bright.
0118 958 9835
www.cymbalise.co.uk

METALLIC TWANG, SOMEWHAT BUILD QUALITY

info@cymbalise.co.uk

LIKE AN AMPLIFIER HUM, BUT THE PLAYABILITY

OVERALL VIBE IS HARMONIOUS VALUE FOR MONEY
RATING

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SHAW RIM WRAP
From £7.28 Protect your tubs from the dreaded rim rash
WORDS: RICH CHAMBERLAIN
T
here are few phrases which
strike genuine fear in the hearts
of drummers. ‘Copy this Neil
Peart solo,’ perhaps. ‘You’re
tech-ing for Ginger Baker,’ almost definitely.
But there’s just two little words that can stop
any sticksman worth their salt at 50 paces –
‘rim rash’.
Walk into any rehearsal studio and you
will more likely than not find this dreaded
drumming occurrence in spades. Caused
when tom hoops rub against a bass drum,
it can make your kit look pretty darn horrid
in a heartbeat. Shaw has produced the Rim
Wrap in an effort to curtail this problem
(and one or two others) for good.
Build
Available in sizes from 8" right up to 18", the
Rim Wraps are, in a nutshell, circular pieces
of black rubber. Let’s not beat around the
bush, the Rim Wrap is not the most exciting
product to look at that will ever feature on
100 | MARCH 2014
RIM WRAP
Rubber wraps fit
drum rims from
8" to 18"
these pages. No, unsurprisingly they look misplaced shots hitting the rim of our drums.
pretty uninspiring, but we must remember However, the real test comes when we
Essential spec
these are functional and potential kit savers, leave the wraps in place for a week-long
so how do they perform in the field? stint on kits taking frightening amounts
of punishment from a revolving cast of
Hands on tub-smashing metal merchants. On our
On putting the Rim Wraps through their return we see some pleasantly surprising
paces we decided to put them into the home results. The kit remains in good nick, the
PRICE
of rim rash – our local rehearsal studio. wraps are still in place and the rehearsal
8", £7.28; 10", £8.02; 12",
Installing the wraps onto our kit was a little room’s bass drum has not a mark on it. Now, £8.85; 13", £9.30; 14",
fiddly at first, but by the time we’d got to our if someone could just invent something that £9.58, 15", £10.04, 16",
floor tom (we’re installing wraps on a 10", stopped guitarists jumping on the kit the £10.52; 18", £11.26
12", 14", 16" kit) we were more than second we leave the room we’d be in MATERIAL
comfortable with the knack of putting rehearsal studio heaven. Specially-constructed
them into position. rubber
Once in place we give the wraps a VERDICT: Rim Wraps are an effective SIZES AVAILABLE
thorough test and notice that yes, it can’t be practical solution to a frustrating and 8", 10", 12", 13", 14", 15",
denied, they do offer substantial protection age-old problem. 16" and 18"
against toms rubbing against (or even worse
BUILD QUALITY CONTACT
flat-out dropping onto) the bass drum. We
PLAYABILITY info@musicshipping.
also notice that installing the wraps to the
VALUE FOR MONEY co.uk
batter side of our drums safeguards our 01526 827665
RATING
sticks from being chewed to bits by
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ACS PRO-17 CUSTOM Essential spec

EARPLUGS PRICES
From £139 ACS’s PRO range of earplugs brings a new level ACS PRO-17 custom
earplugs: £139
of affordability to custom hearing protection MATERIAL
WORDS: ADAM JONES 40 Shore Medical Grade
Silicon
ATTENUATION
17dB
MOULD TYPE
Ear canal
COLOURS
AVAILABLE
VERSATILITY Clear as standard, with
a choice of 18 different
The moulded ear plugs colours (£10 extra)
can also be converted to MODELS
in-ear monitors AVAILABLE
PRO-10, PRO-15, PRO-17,
PRO-20, PRO-26, PRO-27
OPTIONS
Etching of drummer’s
name/band name etc:
£10
CONTACT
Advanced
MOULDED Communications
Solutions
To form the plugs, your ear 01295 266665
canals are carefully filled with www.acscustom.com/uk
quick-setting silicon

A
CS (Advanced Communications
Systems) was started by
musician and audiologist
Andy Shiach. For over two
decades it has manufactured custom
earplugs and in-ear monitors (both utilise
the same silicon moulding technology).
ACS’s newest PRO range of custom earplugs
is not only cheaper than the previous
generation of custom earplugs, they can
also be converted to in-ear monitors at
any point.
Build
To order custom earplugs an accurate
measurement of your ear canals needs
to be taken; this is done by carefully filling
them with quick-setting silicon. Though
based in Banbury, ACS has a network of
specialists across the country who can do
this locally. The process – which is an
unusual but not uncomfortable sensation –
takes a little over 10 minutes. ACS keeps
your details on file so if earplugs are
damaged or lost, replacements can be
made without having to start again from
scratch. Like every other part of your body,
your ear canals are affected by the passing
of time and so ACS recommends updating
your measurements every four years.
Hands On
PRO earplugs are supplied with a choice of
attenuating (volume-reducing) filters. I opt
for 17dB filters, though as the filters are
interchangeable it is possible to own one
pair of earplugs with multiple filters. The
finished plugs are a comfortably snug fit
and, being transparent, are also discreet.
ACS claims that the PRO-17 plug has the
most accurate response of any hearing
protector in the world as it attenuates evenly
across all frequencies. In plain English this
means you should hear a full spectrum of
sound, only 17dB quieter. I find very little in
ACS’s description to argue with, as my plugs
manage to turn the volume down without
affecting the quality of sound. So, the hiss
and wash of my cymbals is still present, my
snare sounds crisp as ever and there is
nothing woolly about my bass drum; it’s just
quieter. Turning my attention to the rest of
the band it’s evident that all aspects of each
individual’s sound are present and correct,
again reduced to a less painful level.
VERDICT: The case for wearing
earplugs is as clear-cut as that of
strapping in when driving. PRO-17
earplugs offer excellent protection
without compromising sound quality;
they could be the wisest investment
you make in your playing.
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
RATING

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SAKAE SNARE DRUMS

From £525 Two hand-made snares in attractive beech wood from
the recently launched and rebranded Japanese company
WORDS: GEOFF NICHOLLS

S
akae is the exciting new name on
the drum scene, the Japanese
company which has actually made
drums since 1925 and exclusively
built Yamaha’s high-end drums from 1967 up
until last year. We reviewed the new Sakae
Trilogy kit in our January issue (224) and
now it’s the turn of these snare drums.

Build
The two snares are essentially the same
instrument with different finishes. They both
have eight-ply beech shells, but one is in
black-to-blue sparkling acrylic lacquered
gloss (one of 27 eye-catching finishes), while
the other has an extra veneer of silky oak.
The black-blue is 8-ply and 6.4mm thick,
while the silky oak is 9-ply and 6.6mm thick.
Unlike the Trilogy kit, which has vintage
3-ply shells with reinforcing rings, these
snares have familiar Sakae-Yamaha style
shells with angled butt seams and no
reinforcing rings.
The bearing edges are 45° leading up to a
fairly sharp point and they are precisely cut.
The insides are gorgeous pale reddish
brown, horizontally laid and prettily-
patterned beech wood, with no glitches Also try…
anywhere. They are lightly sealed with a tiny
bit of nap left and are accurately round. An
inner hand-signed and dated paper slip
states, ‘Sakae, Beech Shell, Since 1925,
Hand Made in Japan’.
Both drums came with 2.3mm triple-
flanged steel hoops with the top flange
turned out in the normal manner. Sakae calls
1
these hoops Righty Halo, but you can also PREMIER ONE
have similar hoops with the top flange SERIES SNARE
turned inwards (vintage Slingerland fashion), DRUMS
called Mighty Halo. There are 20 small lugs We say: “The One
planted on the thinnest of black nylon snares encompass a
virtually unlimited
gaskets, joined by thick, waisted bridge rods. range of exotic woods.”
Which just leaves the strainer. Now a
snare drum is not the most complex of THROW-OFF
devices. It is not exactly a BMW car. There is Sakae’s ultra-smooth SHELLS
just one mechanical gadget, which involves throw-off is one of the Snares have familiar Sakae-
two operations: the strainer for engaging the best around Yamaha shells with angled butt
snares, and the tension knob to alter their seams and no reinforcing rings
tension. After 100 years of evolution it
amazes me how often this throw-off/strainer 2
is a dud. Well Sakae have got it almost right. JALAPENO BEECH IS A GREAT WOOD FOR
The throw-off bit is fabulously smooth. But CLASSIC/ELITE DRUMS, UNDERUSED I RECKON, AS
it’s slightly let down by an all-too-common We say: “Available with
small knurled tension knob which is fiddlier
to turn than it should be.
eight in-house, solid
brass lugs, in depths ATTRACTIVE AND WITH AS MUCH
How Sakae has made the lever so smooth
from 4" to 8" and a
choice of oil, wax or CHARACTER AS BIRCH OR MAPLE
becomes evident when you examine the lacquer finishes.”

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mechanism. The contoured lever is hinged the underlying tone was still good. So the gradually tuned them closer towards each Essential spec
onto a cam action which throws the lever first thing was to loosen the bottom heads other the overall tone remained fat for 5½"
out from the centre in a wide arc. Inside the and snares, allowing the drums to breath, shells. Beech is a great wood for drums,
strainer plate there is a greased plastic block opening up the already promising timbre. underused I reckon, as attractive and with as
which travels up and down, easing the lever From here I started with one batter tuned much character as birch or maple. If pushed
motion. When the block reaches the top the extra low and the other extra high, ie: at the I’d say that beech was slightly softer/warmer
lever still has to be pushed further on its extremes. They both held their tuning well than either of the more common woods.
cam, in an effortlessly smooth locking snap. and didn’t feel uncomfortable, a positive PRICES
Believe me, it’s a smoothy. attribute for any drum. What you get is Beech Black’n’Blue,
VERDICT: Beautifully hand-made
consistent all-round-the-edge clarity 14"x5½", £525;
snares in surprisingly under-used
Hands On courtesy of the accurately cut bearing edges, beech wood. Shell construction not as
Silky Oak/Beech
Natural, 14"x5½", £550
Since the only difference between the two and a plump tone courtesy of the succulent radical as the Trilogy series, but
drums is that one has a wood veneer and beech shell. The sound in the centre remains equally well made. Ultra-smooth SHELL MATERIAL
the other a sparkle lacquer, it was fun to snarey always, with no dead spots. The good throw-off is one of the best around. Beech
tune them differently and play them quality snare wires help here. Add to this a CONSTRUCTION
BUILD QUALITY METHOD
side-by-side. They both arrived feeling healthy resonance from the metal hoops
PLAYABILITY
uptight – a Zigaboo sound with both the and the stout-ish 8-ply shell – a piercing ring Straight-sided ply, air
VALUE FOR MONEY seal method
resonant head and snares tight, resulting in which you may need to control, but which
RATING
a harsh crunch. But although slightly choked shows how lively the drums are. As I NUMBER OF
PLIES
Black’n’Blue lacquer:
HOOPS 8-ply, 6.4mm;
Silky Oak veneer: 9-ply,
Snares are fitted with ‘Righty 6.6mm
Halo’ (top flange turned out)
or ‘Mighty Halo’ (top flange BEARING EDGES
45°, slightly rounded
turned in) triple-flanged
over. Excellent finish
steel hoops
FINISHES
Choice of 27, including
Black’n’Blue sparkle
lacquer (as pictured),
plus Silky Oak veneer
(as pictured)
HOOPS
2.3mm triple flanged
steel, Righty Halo (top
flange out) or Mighty
Halo (top flange in)
SHELL
AVAILABILITY
14"x5½" and 14"x6½"
SUPPLIED HEADS
Remo Coated
Ambassador batter and
Clear resonant
LUGS PER DRUM
10 double-ended Union
lugs (UL01C)
SNARE STRAINER
Sakae STR01C/STB01C
SNARE WIRES
20 coiled steel,
SN1420-0636, with
copper endplates.
Tied-on strainer at 45°
(but not the butt)
CONTACT
Soar Valley Music Ltd
0116 230 4926
www.soarvalleymusic.
com
FINISH www.sakaedrums.com

Both snares have eight-ply

beech shells, this one finished
in black-to-blue sparkling
acrylic lacquered gloss

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ECHO CUSTOM
DRUMS BRASS KIT
£2,399 Marmite kit worth its weight in brass
WORDS: RICH CHAMBERLAIN

B
ased up in the north of England,
father and son drum building
dynasty-in-the-making Dave and
David Quinn have brought us
some superb examples of what the UK
custom scene can produce in the last few
years. The company’s Apollo series of kits
and the plethora of snares that we have
seen grace the pages of Rhythm have
demonstrated that when it comes to
creating metal drums, few are more
consistent or prolific than Echo. Today
we have another full kit, an attention-
grabbing four-piece brass set-up.
Build
Let’s cut straight to the chase – the look of
this kit is 100 percent Marmite. You will
either think it is a stunning piece of design
or you’ll see it as downright gawdy. In this
reviewer’s opinion it is a beautiful bit of
work, and something that shows just what
Echo is capable of. There’s certainly a level
of class to the kit’s aesthetic, the 1.2mm
surprisingly diminutive 14"x4" drum with
smart GS007 Trick strainer.
Hands on
With the kit set up we give the bass drum a
hearty thwack and can scarcely believe the
almighty thud that greets us. The 18"x16"
sizing always guaranteed that we’d be able
to get plenty of punch, but this really does
cut through spectacularly. Response is a little
more immediate and carries a touch more
attack than Echo’s aluminum-shelled Apollo
kits, but there’s also plenty of room for
manoeuvre, a quarter turn down and we’re
able to get a fatter tone, but still with ample
amounts of muscle. The rack and floor are
every bit as eloquent and versatile in their
tonal capabilities. Out of the box the 12"
tom has plenty of body to it, packing a gritty,
deep punch with the merest hint of ping,
while the 14" floor is a powerhouse, a real
pocket rocket.
The same can be said for the 14"x4"
snare. But, whereas the kit has punch to

WITH THE KIT SET UP, WE GIVE THE

BASS DRUM A HEARTY THWACK SHELLS
AND CAN SCARCELY BELIEVE THE Kit has 1.2mm
ALMIGHTY THUD THAT GREETS US solid brass shells

solid brass shells put it well into the refined
beauty category and a comfortable
distance away from being tacky (this is
basically a shiny gold drum kit, after all).
The shells have a bright brush finish and
in their final production stage have a clear
lacquer applied.
Once our eyes have adjusted to the
sparkling gold finish, the next thing that we
notice is the incredible weight. Despite only
being an 18"x16" bass drum, this is
comfortably the heaviest kick drum we have
ever encountered. Seriously, if you’re after a
kit that you can quickly and easily lug into
the back of the car for a gig, this is not it.
The toms also carry a sizeable weight to
them – we have a 14"x12" floor tom and
12"x8" rack tom. Sticking to the tech specs,
the bass drum features 10 lugs while the
floor has eight and the rack, six. There is
also a snare drum to go with the set, a
burn, ping is the order of the day here.
Without even the tiniest turn of our drum
key we’re able to get a funky sound from the
snare, a well-placed whack to the centre of
the drum lets out a shatteringly loud pang.
The drum’s tone is quick to diminish, and
may be a little too dead for some. That said,
it’s solid, lovingly crafted and won’t let you
down. But, while it performs admirably, it
would have perhaps been nice to have seen
this kit bundled with a 14"x5" or 5½" snare,
just something that could have given a little
more ‘oomph’ – a sound that would have
been more befitting the rest of the kit. Even
better, place the 14"x4" to the left as a side
snare and stick a 14"x5½" into the set-up
as your main snare.
Coming back to the sheer weight of the
kit, it does make it somewhat impractical.
To protect that monster bass drum you will
need to get yourself a sturdy hard case,
which again adds extra bulk. If you’re looking
for something that can sit in the studio then
this could be a decent choice, but if you want
a gigging kit (and with a set-up that looks as
stunningly distinctive as this it’d be a shame
to hide it away) then this may just be too
arduous to shift from pillar to post. It’s also
not cheap – the four-piece kit comes in at
£2,399.
VERDICT: It’s another sublimely built
kit from the Echo boys, but you’re
paying through the nose for standards
this high.
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
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BRASS Also try… Essential spec
Response is more immediate
than with aluminium shells
but it is nonetheless versatile

PRICE
1 £2,399
ECHO APOLLO II SHELL MATERIAL
We say: “The
partnership of the 1.2mm solid brass
excellent Evans 360 HOOPS
heads and the
aluminium shells seems Triple flange
inseparable – what a SIZES
great- sounding,
18"x16" bass drum,
versatile kit, suitable for
14"x12" floor tom,
almost any genre.”
12"x8" rack tom and
14"x4" snare
HEADS
Bass drum: Evans
EMAD2 two-ply clear
and EQ3 Resonant;
Toms: Evans G2 batter

2 and G1 resonant; Snare:

Evans Power Centre
CHEQUERPLATE Reverse Dot batter and

LED KIT EQ3 resonant.

LUGS
We say: “A
visually-stunning, 10 (bass drum and
aurally-pleasing kit that snare), 8 (floor tom),
delivers in spades on 6 (rack)
many levels.”
CONTACT
echocustomdrums.com
enquiries@
echocustomdrums.com

LUGS
Bass drum has 10 lugs while
the floor tom has eight and
the rack tom, six

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VINTAGE GEAR

LUDWIG Circa
19 70s
VISTALITE KIT
Q VISTALITE
Though many companies during
the ’70s tried acrylic kits, Ludwig
offered the most diverse options

A second rare Vistalite in a striking dual blue and amber swirl

WORDS: GEOFF NICHOLLS PHOTOS: JAMES CUMPSTY

D
uring the 1970s most drum Pattern D, Three Band Swirl; Pattern E, Two and to my surprise it
companies had a go at Band Swirl and Pattern F, Vertical Bar. sounded full and
producing acrylic (Plexiglas) kits, All these patterns could theoretically be warm, not synthetic
but Ludwig’s Vistalite was way made up in any combination of the available or cold at all.
the most prominent with by far the most colours. And through the second half of the Actually as warm
diverse options. As a result there are still a 1970s Ludwig offered almost its entire as a wood shell kit,
fair few going around and the stunning looks catalogue with a choice of wood or Vistalite really nice with the
continue to attract new fans. Following last shells. The summit of this ambition was the [Ludwig] Silver Dot
month’s Vistalite double set with the rare 1978 Tivoli Vistalite, which had ‘space age’ heads that I got from
Pattern ‘C’ Spiral, here is another exceptional lights embedded between the horizontal our Ludwig dealer here
example from the late 1970s. This time we joins of Pattern A, Three Band Rainbow in Amsterdam. I’m
have the Pattern ‘E’, Two Band Swirl in shells (see Rhythm 130, October 2006). still looking for the
Amber and Blue. Fashions change quickly though and the matching snare drum,
When Ludwig introduced the Vistalite acrylic craze died in the early 1980s. The but in the meantime I
range in late 1972 sets were offered in five second international oil crisis of 1979 have a 14"x6½"-deep
single colours: Blue, Yellow, Amber, Red, (although short-lived) caused the price of metal SupraPhonic to go
Green, plus Clear (transparent), Solid White petroleum-derived products, including with it. It is on display
and Solid Black. But soon realising they were Plexiglas, temporarily to rocket and led to and is really a
onto a winner, Ludwig went all-out to Vistalites being discontinued. conversation piece,
produce some of the most visually stunning This kit belongs to Amsterdam drummer, everybody likes it, so
production sets ever dreamed up. So from teacher and shop owner Winnie Mensink, I’ll stick with it for now. I
the mid-1970s Ludwig’s ‘Stripe Up The Band’ who says, “I have the set on display here at polished some parts of
campaign offered ‘Rainbow’ Vistalites with my Hidehitters shop. I really like the colour the shells with car
multicoloured shells in six patterns, A to F. combination, it’s a sort of yin and yang. Sizes polish to get rid of the
Specifically, these were Pattern A, Three are 24"x14", 13"x9", 14"x10", 18"x16" – the scratches, but it could
(horizontal) Band Rainbow; Pattern B, Five larger sizes were common in the late ’70s. take some more elbow
(horizontal) Band Rainbow; Pattern C, Spiral; “I found it on eBay in the USA. I did play it grease.”

“TO MY SURPRISE IT SOUNDED FULL

AND WARM, NOT SYNTHETIC OR COLD
AT ALL. ACTUALLY AS WARM AS A
WOOD SHELL KIT” OWNER, WINNIE MENSINK

Q HOOPS Q TOM HOLDER Q SPURS

Back bass drum hoop is inlaid with blue glitter while front Ludwig’s famous 781-2 centrally-mounted double tom holder ‘Sure Grip’ curved retracting ¼" square spurs. Ludwig’s then
hoop has gold glitter, reflecting the two-tone shells. which requires a spanner to lock in place. new design was not the most effective, despite its claims.

WorldMags.net
106 | MARCH 2014 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
 CLASSIC KIT
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Need to know

Q PATTERN
Pattern ‘E’, Two Band Swirl in
Amber and Blue, one of numerous
colours and patterns in Ludwig’s
Rainbow Vistalite collection
MATERIAL
Acrylic ‘plastic glass’
(polymethyl
methacrylate) was first
synthesised in 1928.
Plexiglas and Perspex
are trademark names
for brands of acrylic.
COLOURS
Most popular Vistalite
colours were Blue and
Clear, least popular was
Green, the first to be
discontinued in 1978.
RAINBOW
Rainbow Vistalites were
made in six patterns.
Winnie’s kit has Pattern
E, Two Band Swirl
construction shells.

Q SIZES
Kit’s sizes are 24"x14", 13"x9",
14"x10" and 18"x16", the larger
sizes were common in the late ’70s

IN ASSOCIATION WITH…

www.ukdrumfair.com

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WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2014 | 107
GEAR REVIEW
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To clean or not
to clean, that is
the question
RHYTHM
GEAR GURU GEOFF
NICHOLLS BASHES
OUT YOUR KIT
CONUNDRUMS
Hello Geof,
Two friends of mine, both of whom have
been professional drummers for decades,
each clean and polish their cymbals till they
gleam and glow; insisting they look and
sound better. And I think perhaps I agree.
Other drummer friends don’t bother at all,
saying that, in fact, cleaning diminishes the
sound and takes away the properties and
qualities of the cymbals that build over time
and with playing.
Is there any evidence either way? So my
question to you, Geoff, is whether to clean
and polish or not?
Roger Hartley, Cumbria
DO YOU HAVE A KIT QUESTION FOR GEOFF?
Big or small, there isn’t a gear query that Rhythm
expert Geoff Nicholls can’t grapple with.
Email askgeoff@futurenet.com
WorldMags.net
108 | MARCH 2014
Hi Roger,
Aside from sound, there are two other
considerations regarding cleaning a
cymbal: how safe is the cleaning process
and what look do you prefer? Taking the
latter first, music is so much about image,
reflected in your person and as a member
of a particular type of band. Some
acts/bands have an ultra clean stage
presentation, and that stretches to the
musical equipment. Others prefer casual.
OLDER CYMBALS GAIN A PATINA
WHICH GIVES THEM A SLIGHTLY
MELLOWER, SOUGHT-AFTER SOUND
The grungier and funkier the better. For the
latter it’s easy – don’t clean them.
Taking Care
Well, I say don’t clean them. But that’s not
quite right. Whether you like them shiny or
not, you should at least keep them dry.
Damp rehearsal rooms/clubs etc, sweaty
fingers and acidic deposits, are a constant
threat. Fastidious drummers use soft cotton
gloves to pick up cymbals (by their edges),
wipe marks off with a soft dry cloth and keep
them in protective bags. Maybe include silica
gel moisture absorbent. Modern cymbal
bags with woolly linings protect your
cymbals and keep them warm and dry.
Mild Cleaning and Patina
Still, however careful you are, cymbals will
gradually get dirty. They have lathed grooves
in which dirt can lodge and dull the sound a
little. The argument for and against cleaning
therefore actually involves sound.
Top UK drummer Steve White says, “I
don’t worry too much about cleaning
cymbals. I like it when a patina builds up and
actually tones down some of that ‘zing’ that
a brand new cymbal has. It is all subjective,
but if I were to clean any cymbal it would
only ever be with warm water and a little
washing-up liquid anyway, anything else is
too messy or can be abrasive.”
A duller-looking cymbal may actually
sound slightly less toppy. And for many,
looking for the darker mysterious timbre
traditionally associated with very old
Zildjians, this is a plus. Older cymbals gain a
patina which gives them a slightly mellower
sound, sought after by many drummers.
Patina is a vague term covering the visual
effect of a combination of various chemical
compounds on copper and bronze alloys,
including oxides, carbonates, sulphides and
sulphates. It’s why the Statue of Liberty is
green. Unlike rust on iron objects, this milder
tarnish (or verdigris) actually protects the
copper or bronze from further degradation.
It is therefore valued in lots of vintage metal
objects like jewellery, and also old cymbals.
You probably don’t want your cymbals
Statue of Liberty green, though I have seen
cymbals like that. But a bit of surface dulling,
dirt and mild tarnishing does no harm.
Bright Sparks
The fact companies produce brilliant finish
cymbals suggests dazzling platters are
attractive to many drummers. Without going
into the whys and wherefores, polishing a
cymbal to a brilliant finish does not of itself
make it brighter sounding – although
psychologically it seems reasonable to think
that. Regardless, there is a distinction
between mild cleansing and vigorous
polishing. Expensive cymbals are highly
tempered and many have thin protective
coatings. Using any scouring substance can
cause scratches; power-tool polishing with
attendant friction heating can conceivably
affect the temper. So whether you clean is
down to taste – how you clean is a
controversial subject for another column.
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