Syncopation For The Modern Drummer Ted Reed

2019

2017

This paper will examine a variety of ways that drum makers approach their craft by comparing the processes of distinct forms of drum construction as well as the philosophies and aspirations of these artists. This dissertation will review the various choices of drum makers by: (1) providing a brief history of the drum set, (2) comparing the processes of manufacturers, both prominent and independent, and (3) narrating a firsthand project of making a drum with an independent drum builder while incorporating a handmade drum into original compositions and recordings. The paper will also explain the creative decisions of drum makers and how they have reflected the needs of artists throughout history. The motivation that underlies the various techniques will be discussed: that all drum builders are driven by a desire to provide instruments that are musical, extraordinary, unique, and, above all, true works of art. Uncommon approaches to making drums will also be presented to illustrate the...

An analytical approach to studio drumming, 2018

How a deeper understanding of grid-related timing, technique and sound, can broaden my drumming choices when playing different styles as a modern studio player? That’s what my research is about: a journey through the process of being and developing as a modern studio drummer. I’ve always been fascinated by the art of being a recording drummer. The lack of information about “​how it’s done​” made me think about researching this aspect of being a drummer. The most influential drive has been the fact that, as studio drummers, there is a level of focus and care regarding each aspect of playing which, in my opinion, is way higher than the one in live situations. By conducting a quasi-experiment on the process of being a studio drummer, throughout the three intervention cycles conducted, I’ve achieved tangible improvements regarding grid-related timing (playing macro-timing and microtiming in relation to the click and its different grids), style knowledge (how to approach a specific style in language, sound and feel) and sounds (by exploring different tunings, dampening, recording and mixing techniques and electronic sounds layering).

The focus of this paper has been to investigate and codify techniques and approaches used within improvised drumming as a way of expanding my own language as an improviser. Through the exploration and development of various new techniques that I immersed myself in, I developed a new way of improvising which added to my already existing method. This was the overarching motivation for undertaking this research. As a drummer specialising in improvised music and jazz, I have a specific interest in the methods of other drummers and the techniques used to create the diverse approaches that characterise contemporary performance practice on the drum-set. This paper documents the research and development of my methodology of experimental drum-set techniques. The performance practice of the techniques through improvised music continues to have a life beyond this research.

2016

Percussion music is both the oldest and most recent of musical genres and exists in diverse forms throughout the world. This Companion explores percussion and rhythm from the perspectives of performers, composers, conductors, instrument builders, scholars, and cognitive scientists. Topics covered include percussion in symphony orchestras from the nineteenth century to today and the development of percussion instruments in chapters on the marimba revolution, the percussion industry, drum machines, and the effect of acoustics. The chapters also investigate drum set playing and the influences of world music on Western percussion, and outline the roles of percussionists as composers, conductors, soloists, chamber musicians, and theatrical performers. Developments in scientific research are explored in chapters on the perception of sound and the evolution of musical rhythm. This book will be a valuable resource for students, percussionists, and all those who want a deeper understanding of percussion music and rhythm. russell hartenberger is Professor at the University of Toronto and has been a member of both Nexus and Steve Reich and Musicians since 1971. With Nexus, he created the sound track for the Academy Award-winning Documentary Feature The Man Who Skied Down Everest. With Steve Reich and Musicians he has recorded for ECM, DGG, and Nonesuch Records and performed on the Grammy Award-winning recording of Music for 18 Musicians. His awards include the Toronto Arts Award, Banff Centre for the Arts National Award, a Juno nomination, and induction into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

The Beat of My Drum: An Autobiography, by Babatunde Olatunji, 2005

"Introduction," The Beat of My Drum: An Autobiography, Babatunde Olatunji, Temple University Press, 2005.

Computer Music Journal, 2013

This article presents a method of adjusting the tempo of a music software sequencer so that it remains synchronized with a drummer's musical pulse. This allows music sequencer technology to be integrated into a band scenario without the compromise of using click tracks or triggering loops with a fixed tempo. Our design implements real-time mechanisms for both underlying tempo and phase adjustment using adaptable parameters that control its behavior. The aim is to create a system that responds to timing variations in the drummer's playing but is also stable during passages of syncopation and fills. We present an evaluation of the system using a stochastic drum machine that incorporates a level of noise in the underlying tempo and phase of the beat. We measure synchronization error between the output of the system and the underlying pulse of the drum machine and contrast this with other real-time beat trackers. The software, B-Keeper, has been released as a Max for Live device...

Directions of New Music

Developments in percussion performance practices, pedagogy, and industry are recognised as some of the major advancements to have taken place in western art music in the last century. Taking the composition dates of landmark percussion ensemble works Ritmicas No. 5 and No. 6 by Amadeo Roldán (1930) and Ionisation by Edgard Varèse (1929-31) as a point of departure, there are now nine decades of creative activity in this field. Although 'the relatively short history of contemporary percussion music has forced percussionists to include research in their daily routines, in order to invent and master new instruments, and to accelerate their technical development' (Huang, 2015), scholarly literature focussed on this creative research have not emerged in parallel. To date, publications focussed on percussion have been largely been confined to journal articles and dissertations. The Cambridge Companion to Percussion is one of a handful of recent book publications including The Percussionist's Art: Same Bed, Different Dreams (Schick 2006) and The Modern Percussion Revolution: Journeys of the Progressive Artist (Lewis & Aguilar 2014) that begin to address a gap in the literature, and is a must-have for academic and personal libraries internationally. Russell Hartenberger, editor and author of two chapters in The Cambridge Companion to Percussion, states that he hopes that this collection of essays is 'representative of the growing significance of percussion in Western music' (p. 3), which this volume achieves. The Cambridge Companion to Percussion offers twenty-one essays that address a variety of percussive concerns, organised into seven chapters titled as follows: Orchestral percussion, The development of percussion instruments, Percussion in performance, Composing music for percussion instruments, Drum sets and drumming, World Percussion, and Percussion and rhythm. Commencing with an essay on historic timpani traditions, the range of topics examined spans centuries of percussion practices, however an emphasis is placed on examining developments in the twentieth century including the roots of electronic percussion, the rise of the marimba in western art music, the impact of percussion instrument design and building on performance, conducting, acoustics and the influence of world music traditions on the contemporary percussionist.