In a bit of sad news to come back to after the holiday break, Munetaka Higuchi, drummer for famous Japanese metal band, Loudness, lost a battle to cancer on November 30th.
Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Loudness, it’s always sad when a fellow player dies, especially to such a heartbreaking disease. My heart goes out to the family.
After reporting on this earlier, it seems that MORE anthrax-related drum scares are happening. Seriously people, since when do West African drums become such a threat to national security?
After playing drums for awhile, it’s easy to forget the basic preliminary steps to a successful practice session. I was looking around and found this article, which breaks it down pretty nice.
Regarding drum grips: When I first started teaching, I told kids that they should use whatever feels most comfortable, but I now know there is a little technique that you have to force upon them. Learning to hold drum sticks incorrectly will definitely affect their playing for years to come. Plus, it will make you look bad as a teacher!
That said, I think that traditional grip is a little silly. When you see rock drummers using it, it looks a little pretentious because it serves no practical purpose (unless of course, you are in a marching band, playing your side drum).
When you’re backing a musician who’s become a legend in their own time, it’s hard to get very much recognition, but Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitchell was did a fine job of holding his own. I can’t even imagine that a song like “Fire” would even have the bite without Mitchell’s frantic beating. He is the last surviving member of the Experience.
When I was in 7th grade, there was nothing you could do to keep me away from Primus; the band was loud, different (than all the Korn my friends were listening to), and best of all, my mom hated it.
It was during this time in my life that I really started to pay attention to drummers in the music that I listened to. When you start to learn songs by the artists you like, you realize that many of them are using the same beat – which is a little dismaying.
But Tim Alexander never used the same beat. He was much different than all the others.
Primus relied on three players who worked masterfully and independently from each other, but the sound remained cohesive. You can’t imagine my joy when I heard the first drum sounds of “My Name Is Mud” off the Pork Soda album; I hadn’t heard anything that strong. Ever.
Later, when the band replaced Alexander with similarly-talented Brain (his moniker), I couldn’t help but miss the subtleties of Alexander’s playing. For one thing, Brain didn’t use a double-bass drum pedal. I’m not THAT big of a double-bass fan, but it seemed right at home in Primus’ chunky style of music.
Primus seems to always be on hiatus, Alexander will remain the drummer who taught that you don’t have to be sloppy/loud to be in loud bands.
I recently came upon this little game at the Ben and Jerry’s site. I know it’s pretty simple, but it’s kind of fun to watch that skeleton (Boogie Bones?) go crazy on the set. Anyone else notice how weak sounding the ride cymbal is?
Looks like the Australian military is getting some heat for axing their pipe/drum sections. It sounds as if the decision was very grueling for the general in charge. And who can blame him: military drums are steeped in tradition and keep the morale high in a regiment…
…well they did 100 years ago.
Seriously, I didn’t even know there was still music in the military. The whole debate actually strikes me as a little absurd and as outdated as the traditional grip.
Yeah, I know kids are amazing and all, but a group of tykes singing Journey is everything my nightmares are made of:
Stories of perseverence are almost as important to rock and roll music as the music. Musicians who have lived through the worst but still find ways to rock out are our sentimental bread and butter (Daniel Johnston, Brian Wilson, and the drummer from Def Leppard all come to mind).
John Patty, a Peorian-based drummer, was electrocuted by 35,000 volts while doing maintenance work by an electrical substation. The near-fatal accident traveled down his body, leaving his lower-legs useless. When he woke up from the medically-induced coma, his legs were gone.
Through an inspiring journey, Patty has learned to play a full kit again (given some modifications). While most of us would be content to hit a hand drum or provide auxiliary percussion, this guy went above and beyond to keep the spirit of rock alive.
Hats off you you sir!
