FIRST EDITION
10
ques tions
for drummer
Chris  Grainger
02 • December 2011
December 2011 • 03
02
Poster: Aaran and Milo
06
04
Best Drum the Buy 05
Different Sticks 06
Chris Grainger interview 08
Poster: Chad Smith
05
09
Editors’ Page 10
Practice Pieces 11
Mr Smith Interview 12
Competition and Quiz 13
Military Drum Page
13
04 • December 2011
Components that you will find in the Tama Imperialstar: • 18” by 22” Bass Drum x1 • • 8” by 10” Tom Tom x1 • • 9” by 12” Tom • Tom x1 • • 12” by 14” Floor • Tom x1 • 14” by 16” Floor Tom x1 • 5.5” by 14” Snare Drum x1 • Double Tom Holder x1 • Straight Cymbal
Stand x1 Boom Cymbal Stand x1 Snare Stand x1 Hi-‐Hat Stand x1 Drum Pedal x1 Drum Throne x1
The Tama ImperialStar
“If you start playing the I m p e r i a l s t a r n o w a s a beginner, you’ll s5ll be enjoying them when you’ve achieved pro status.”
Check them out at h'p://www.tamadrum.co.jp/world/ distributors/frame_uk.html
WHICH KIT TO BUY The Drummer recommends some drum kits worthy of admira5on
Components that you will find with the Yamaha Rock Front Heads for Bass Drum emphasized with a Tour as quoted by Yamaha themselves: • prominently posi5oned Yamaha logo The embossed Yamaha logo design on the V-‐shaped Rock Tour series badges • 100% re-‐forested environmentally controlled material (Big Leaf Mahogany) • R-‐Version Bass Drum without tom mounts to This is the perfect Kit for maximize the rock drummers. It is highly shell's tone recommended by The poten5al. Drummer and Yamaha. If • Pinstripe Heads for you are looking for a solid, massive punishment and powerful sound then this durability. is the kit for all you budding rockers out there! • Hardware and toms offer quality inherited from Yamaha's high end drum kits, and the kits provide excellent durability and great cost performance. Rock Tour drums are available in three all-‐new finishes •
Yamaha Rock Tour
Check them out at h'p://uk.yamaha.com/
December 2011 • 05
multi-rods The multi-rod is a mixture between the traditional drum stick and a brush stick. The multi-rod consists of several small, thin sticks that are bound together to form one. The multirod allows the drummer to play at full volume and full strength but still not overplay the band. The size of the stick varies. The amount of sticks can vary from 7 to 19 and the diameter of the sticks can change also. The most popular brand of multi-rod is the HotRod from Promark. Promark sticks can range in price with the cheapest going from £10.
brush sticks
stagg maple multi rods
Brush sticks are used by drummers when they are playing soft pieces like ballads, jazz or any songs with a soft drum part. The weight and balance of a brush stick is very different to a traditional drum stick. Many drummers play brush sticks using traditional grip in one hand and straight grip in the other. Brush stick music is written differently to traditional drum music.
ahead wire brushes
traditional drum sticks Drum sticks are traditionally made of wood: usually hickory, oak or maple. They can also be made of other materials such as carbon fibre or nylon but this is less common. Some drum sticks have a nylon tip on them to prevent the tip wearing down or even breaking. The sticks vary in size and most drummers are very precise on what drum sticks they use. The size can alter the sound, weight and overall feel of the stick. Traditional sticks for marching bands and drum corps are always thick and weighty. Stick size is notated by letter from 5A to 2B.
vic firth 5A sticks
06 • December 2011
T
alking to The Drummer this week is Chris Grainger. Chris is currently drumming for the band ‘From the Jam’ as well as the original Rod Stewart band ‘Apart from Rod’. Chris talks to us just before leaving for a tour around the U.K, Europe and Australia.
1.
At what age did you start playing the drums?
I got my first drum kit when I was four. I was told that I had been drumming before I was four; I had been hitting pots and pans so they decided to get me a kit. My dad sent my mum out to get a ‘small drum kit’ as in a drum kit for kids but instead she got me a full sized kit just with fewer parts. I think I was about ten or eleven when I realised what is was to play along to albums and it was then that I started to really feel it. I started to enjoy it and the communication with the drums was there, it was kind of around that age when I would listen to bands and need to understand what the drummer was doing. It was exciting to listen to something and learn it and that is when I really started to play the drums. There was more music to be watched when I was a kid so I would be going around to about 4 or 5 gigs a month which really got me into the whole drumming scene.
2.
Which Drummers have inspired you most?
The drummer that I would most like to play like or aspire to be like would be Jimmy Copley. Everything about what he does I find fantastic but in terms of the best living drummer of the time I would have to say Vinnie Colaiuta. From about the age of 13 I have been listening and watching him. His skill almost scares me it’s so amazing. . There is an album that he plays on called Joes Garage by Franc Zapper and there are
tracks on the album that show how remarkable he was. In terms of the guy who has everything a drummer needs it would be him. It’s kind of a hard one for me to answer as I appreciate all drumming. For example Buddy Rich, I don’t think there will ever be a better drummer than Buddy. There are things he did that people still don’t understand. One big influence was Terry Bozzio.
3.
Did you have a favourite band when growing up?
The band that has influenced me the most would be Franc Zapper. I first heard it when I was about 12 and couldn’t even understand it. It was so complex but I knew that when I could understand it would help me greatly.
4.
What drum kit are you using at the moment?
For the last 18 years I have been using tama drums. I am a big fan of Japanese drums and particularly like the tama brand. When I was growing up all of my favourite drummers used tama and I have stuck with it. That may or may not stay the same but I really love the sound of the drums. With cymbals I use Ziljan, for the reason that my favourite drummers used them and I love the sound. Each cymbal is unique which can be a good thing and a bad thing but you tend to find your own sound. But if I had to be honest I could play on any drum kit and still sound like ‘me’. I didn’t have many lessons as a kid but was lucky enough to be in touch with a drummer called Thomas Lang who taught me a lot in terms of professionalism in my playing. I collect drums and probably have 40 or 50 cymbals and 20 snare drums but in my opinion you can buy as much gear you like but really you need to find your own sound. That just comes from practice and time.
December 2011 • 07
5.
How often do you practice?
When I was a teenager I would probably practice on an average day for about 2 hours on the drum and two hours on the practice pad. I really tried to play as much as I could. When I got into my early 20’s I would do about 6 hours a day. It would almost be like a job. I would get up, play, and have lunch and then play. But that didn’t last long, with gigs, travel, work and all the other day to day things my practice times have decreased. But what I learnt do and I would urge young drummers to do this is that I would practice more than one thing at a time. So whilst doing rudiments I would practice my footwork. That way I would be working on stamina and co-ordination whilst learning something at the same time.
6. What bands are you playing for at the moment?
The main bands I am playing with at the moment are ‘From the Jam’ which will have festivals throughout the summer, gigs around England and possibly gigs in Europe and Australia. I also have gigs coming up with the ‘Original Rod Stewart group’ called ‘Apart from Rod. I also have other things lined up with small bands.
7. As a drummer what is the best way to join new bands?
I would say that all of the best opportunities that I have had found out about me after I had built a reputation. That comes from gigs that haven’t been glamorous or recordings that did not go anywhere in which I would still give it my all. People would see that and ask me to join their bands. For me it has been loving to play the drums and being a perfectionist and because of that people have asked to use me. It’s harder than ever to break into things nowadays as a drummer and the music business is shrinking. It’s a tough business and it takes a long time to build up a reputation but you need to persevere and something will happen.
8. What advice would you give to new drummers?
Find someone who can help you buy a good second hand kit because it will last longer than a cheap new kit. Read a lot of drum magazines, it helps you learn so much more about playing and also about the business. Try to watch drummers play live, see what they do and begin by playing along to albums you enjoy.
9. What are the things that you which you knew when you were younger in terms of playing drums?
I wish that I knew that anything was possible to play as long as you start at a really slow speed and gradually build up the speed until you get it. Also I wish somebody had told me to concentrate as much as possible that my hands and feet hit at the same time. It makes drums sound so much better when the hands and feet are in unison and makes the whole piece crisper.
10. What is the best thing about being a drummer?
For me the best thing about being a drummer is being able to interact and play with other amazing musicians and getting to have the best seat in the house behind the drum kit being able to watch and be part of great music. It might sound big headed but I have absorbed so much of my influences that I enjoy hearing myself play. All the drummers I love have made me as a drummer so being up on the stage and letting the influences come through me and through my drumming is a truly rewarding experience.
08 • December 2011
December 2011 • 09
My name is Tom Frost and I am the Head Writer for The Drummer. I have been playing the drums since the age of eight. I have always been interested in the Drums, both military and kit. I am currently acending Wellington College and play for the Wellington College Drum Corps. I have played the drums for many bands from Jazz to Rock. I decided to start wri5ng The Drummer as I wanted to create a drumming magazine that was easy to read and suitable for beginners of the same age as me. I didn’t want to create a drumming magazine that was the same as the rest of them but one that was easy for readers from the ages of 8 and upwards. My aim with the magazine was also to not only create a magazine that taught people to drum but one that taught people of the origins of drumming and drumming styles other than Editor in Chief kit. I have been playing military style drums for two years now and wanted to create a magazine that allowed people to explore the styles of drumming I enjoy. I hope you have enjoyed reading The Drummer, and enjoy learning new things from it.
Tom Frost
Hi, I’m Bethan, Crea5ve Director for The Drummer. I am interested in anything crea5ve, be it musical, ar5s5c or literary, so of course I have been delighted to design this magazine. In the 7 years for which I have been drumming, I have had opportuni5es to try out many different genres and percussive instruments (it’s amazing how much more inspired I was to learn scales on the vibraphone than the piano!), and have played for the school Concert Band as well as various bands with friends during school holidays. My hopes for the design of The Drummer were congruent with Tom’s hopes for the content: to keep it simple but communica5ve, and to have fun making it. I achieved most of the effects in the design in Microsog Powerpoint, but had some help from Pixelmator, a photo-‐edi5ng Creative Director app which I ini5ally purchased only because it is significantly cheaper than Photoshop, but which I highly recommend to anyone interested in art or design. I think The Drummer was an excellent idea on Tom’s part – drums are such a vibrant instrument and they can be appreciated from many more perspec5ves than only aurally. Hopefully The Drummer exemplifies that.
Bethan Cotterill
10 • December 2011
PRAC TICE PIE CES.
Beginner Progressive Practice Pieces
BEGINNER PROGRESSIVE PRACTICE PIECE °
Piece 1 Difficulty : 1/10
¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ / 44 œ
Aaran Daniel & Tom Frost
¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ œ œ œ
¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ œ œ
Piece 2 Difficulty : 3/10
4 ¿ ¿ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ / 4œ œ œ œ œ œ
Piece 3 Difficulty : 5/10
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œ œ œ / 4 œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ
Piece 4 Difficulty : 7/10
4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ / 4 œ œœ
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œ œ œ œœ œ
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œœ œ
4 ¿ ¿ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¢ / 4œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Piece 5 Difficulty :9/10
Intermediate Progressive Practice Pieces
INTERMEDIATE PROGRESSIVE PRACTICE PIECE Piece 1 Difficulty : 1/10
Piece 2 Difficulty : 3/10
Piece 3 Difficulty : 5/10
Piece 4 Difficulty : 7/10
by AARAN DANIEL & TOM FROST
Piece 5 Difficulty :10/10
°
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ / 44 œ œ Œ œ œ œ
Aaran Daniel & Tom Frost
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ œŒ œ œ œ
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ 4 ¿ ¿ / 4 œ œœŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœŒ œ œ œ œ
¿ ¿ ¿o ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿o ¿ ¿ œ 4 ¿ ¿ / 4 œ œœŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœŒ œ œ œ œ
¿ ¿ ¿o ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 4 ¿ ¿ / 4 œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ 4 ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¢ / 4œ œ Œ œ
¿ ¿o ¿œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ ¿ œ œ¿
December 2011 • 11
INTERVIEW:
MR. RAY
SMITH DRUM TEACHER AT WELLINGTON COLLEGE
W
you play in shows Doand/or music concerts? Not as much as I used to. I used to play and perform practically every day in shows, for bands and in concerts but I injured my spine in 1997 so I perform only on certain occasions these days. I still perform at the schools I teach in as well. I have done Oliver, Guys and Dolls, We Will Rock You, Billy Elliot and many more.
the drums?
hat made you want to teach the drums?
I started playing the drums at the age of 11 and instantly knew that it was for me.
I have a great desire to pass on to other people the great enjoyment and fulfilment that I have had in my playing career.
W
hat is the W best thing about
hich percussionists inspired you most?
teaching?
I think that when I was a child my inspirations were Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson. I saw them both in performance before I was 13 and was amazed by what they did. The way they made their way around the kit was sensational and I wanted to be able to do what they could do.
o you have any playing habits that D were passed on to you from your teacher?
Yes, I was taught to listen to what is going on around me in a band or a group and to respect other musicians and their ideas and inspiration. I think every drummer picks up habits and every drummer creates their own that they then pass on to other people.
long have you H ow been teaching for?
I have been teaching the drums for about 30 years now.
C
an you tell how much potential a drummer has after one lesson?
Normally I can tell ager 15 minutes but I must say have been wrong on many occasions.
t what age did A you start playing
What is the best
Seeing someone go from where they were to where they are and knowing that you can help them go to where they want to be. I also enjoy being able to pass on things that I have learnt in my career to my students in order to make them better players.
thing about being a drummer?
ow often did H you practice as a
It's cool and you meet great people...all drummers are nice people! I enjoy playing with other great musicians to create memorable music. I have always loved the drums and I have always loved music, so to do it professionally really is a childhood dream come true.
As a beginner I would practice approximately an hour a day but as a teenager and then as a young adult at least 3 hours a day of real workout drumming sessions.
child?
12 • December 2011
for inal drummer g ri o e th s a w Who
Led Zeppelin?
tarr A. Ringo S art B. Neil Pe onham C. John B
!
A. 6 B. 4 C. 3
The Leader of a Drum Corps is called a
Identify the brand logo:
A. Drum Leader? B. Drum Major? C. Drum Captain?
A. Zillian B. Ahead C. Stagg Name the brand: Vic ____?
A. Firth B. Birth C. Smith
December 2011 • 13
MILITARY DRUMMING Whether it is a slow drumming tune at a remembrance service or a full speed marching tune at an annual parade, military drumming always gets an audience going. Military Drumming was widely used before the introduction of motorised vehicles. It would be used as a way of raising troop morale, keeping a steady marching pace and intimidating the enemy. However nowadays military drumming is used to entertain crowds of thousands.
Corps of Drums
A form of military drumming, the corps of drums, was first established in European armies in the 16th Century. A corps of Drums is led by the Drum Major and usually contains three drum types. These are: The Snare Drum, The Tenor and The Bass drum.
The Drum Major The Drum Major is the leader of the Corps of Drums and is usually positioned at the front of the band. The drum major provides commands to the rest of the Corps like what to play, how fast to play and where to march. The commands can be communicated using voice, hand gestures, whistles or a baton. The Drum Major was first used in the British Army Corps of Drums in 1650 to install discipline into the ranks of the Band.
The Side Drum (Snare Drum) The side drum is form of snare drum. It is the main instrument in the Corps and is usually found at the front of pack. The snare is played with wooden sticks with either wood or nylon tips. In military history the side drum could be used to wake up troops, inform them of meal times and even to tell them when to go to bed. The heads of the snare drums were originally of calf skin but are now made of plastic.
The Tenor Drum The Tenor drum is a cylindrical drum that is lower pitched than a snare and higher pitched than a bass drum. It is of similar size to the snare drum but unlike the snare is played with soft mallets. The tenor can be used to keep time or to accent the snare drum part. The tenor can also be used to entertain the crowds. Commonly the sticks of the tenor are tied the drummers index finger and spun around in order to add to the excitement of the occasion.
The Bass Drum The Marching Bass Drum is used in most if not all Corps of drums. Its role as the bands time keeper is essential. It also provides the band with a deeper sound, larger impact and a different melody. The bass drum, unlike the other drums in the Corps, is mounted sideways which means that it has a different playing technique to tenor and snare drums. The bass drum is played using soft mallet sticks.
the Wellington College Drum Corps performing for Speech Day 2011