Drum Beat Project
Beat 225 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.18.23, 2 beats & notations. More archival vids of me getting sounds for the @taylorswift TTPD/ The Anthology & Ed Sheeran @teddyphotos Autumn Variations sessions w/the wonderful @AaronDessner at the house that drumming hero @brian.deck built @narwhalchicago -1st video I’m in my my wheelhouse. I’ve posted similar ones, of this ilk, but hopefully not this exact one! It’s me channeling the great Tony Allen through sticking combinations that were ingrained when I arranged and learned @stevereich legendary Clapping Music but for RH & LH duet. That’s still my go to warmup and those patterns have found their way into so much of my playing as exhibited here. When the BD dbls the RH in places, it creates a cool Swiss triplet between SD & BD too. 2nd vid is slower. 3rd vid is a tom-centric, upbeat BD one that I almost didn’t include due to the unforgivable tasty face going on… oh well… When I play beats like that I always think of @chamberdrums & @themattcameron since I’ve heard them both do beats kinda like that & their influence on me is unquestionable. They do it w/out the grimace though… Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @straightxnarrow @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 224 of my #DrumBeatProject 5.17.23, 2 beats & notations. Since @taylorswift released the 2bl The Tortured Poets Department/The Anthology yesterday, I decided to pull one from the archives, specifically one that I grabbed while getting sounds for those sessions at the beautiful @narwhalchicago with my friend, producer extraordinaire @AaronDessner -This was one of the kits that I brought (w/the help of @ashwin_deepankar ) & is comprised of my vintage blue North Drums, rototoms &/my vintage calf-head Slingerland BD and vintage A @zildjiancompany HiHats. That BD is on a whole bunch of records & actually was the spark that started my decades-long duo w/ @daringraymusic #On Fillmore. Using @promarksticks steel pan mallets to play this spin on a Mozambique sticking (bell pattern on toms) but with HH playing quarters and BD marking the phrase. I did use this kit for some overdubs on TTPD/The Anthology - & Cousin from @wilco too btw. The 2nd vid is the same beat, diff. orchestration. I’m dampening the head w/my LH to change the SD tone when the BD plays & using @creative_percussion BD beater & shaker mallet on @xpercussionofficial click. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! And check out those records too. @straightxnarrow @clark.hubbard #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 223 of my #DrumBeatProject 3.25.24 w/alt tempos & notations. The melody for this one came independently & then I matched it w/the beat - I guess I was in 5/8 mode that weekend...This is an ostinato-free beat: all limbs are playing parts that interlock and work together, but nothing is on auto-pilot. The HH is always w/a LH but not every LH. The BD plays w/the LH and then opposite it. The RH is independent from the LH except on ct. 5 - so this is one to just start slowly with and break down by limb combinations until it all becomes internalized. I wish I had more time to make a more dynamic vid but had a busy week. The star of the show here is the @gmdcymbals Accent cymbal - such a cool sound that reminds me of a mix of Korean gwangari, @keplingerdrums cymbal and an @zildjiancompany frying pan - I don’t have anything else like it. That sound works nicely w/the @meinlpercussion Tar - used here as a FT. Lots of HH bling to bring that voice out and @promarksticks glock mallet and @dragonfly_percussion felt mallet on the drums. I’d love to see some other interpretations of this one…Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 222 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.6.24 w/notations. Another quick improv beat from Italy about a month ago during rehearsals w/ @ate9_dance A bit of a question/answer like last week but reversing the order w/SD answering the BD. Nice double stop on ct. 2 w/buzz on SD and little Swiss triplet figure between SD & HH on ct. 3 of each mea. too. The focal points are the HH openings on each ct. 4 that gives the beat a cadence: long in 1st mea. and short in the 2nd w/an audible HH close thanks to the @creative_percussion can shaker. This one’s fun to play & not super challenging so try it out! Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 221 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.2.24 w/faster vid & notations. Just a quick improv beat. 2 similar mea. w/the defining difference being the HH openning in mea. 1 vs.the SD accent on “e” of ct. 3 in mea. 2. Sort of a question/answer form that trades the action from the SD(LH) to the BD(RF) and w/a nice bouncy “ride” pattern on HH(RH) above it all. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 220 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.21.24 w/notations. This is a beat I used in Japan a few weeks back as a jumping off point for an improvised segment in “Calling Glenn” w/ @ate9_dance - it came out of working on independence, but instead of rhythmic independence among the limbs - dynamic independence. Where beat #219 focussed on only the RH shifting tempo, here only the LH plays crescendos and decrescendos while the other 3 limbs remain unchanged. Like last week, it’s trickier than it looks! Sometimes the LH wants to hit some of the accents in unison w/the RH. As drummers, we’re accustomed to everything (all limbs) playing at the same dynamic to create a uniform groove. When you take one limb out of that equation to do something contrary - it can be very disorienting! So be patient and listen to what you’re playing. Remember that the feet are the anchor and RH accent pattern & movement will become second nature & ingrained through repetition. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projectscheck ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 219 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.2.24 w/notations. Deceptively difficult! I realize not everyone has an air raid siren (ty! @jefftweedy )- or SPD - or Reco Electro - but those surfaces/sounds are easily exchanged for sounds on a standard kit. For the siren though, maybe subbing circles w/a brush on the FT will reveal the difficulty inherent in this one. It’s all about the RH accelerando & then ritardando while the rest of the body stays locked in time & playing a consistent pattern. As drummers, we’re accustomed to everything (all limbs) locking in to create the best groove all the while keeping steady time. When you take one limb out of that equation to do something contrary - it can be very disorienting! So be patient w/yourself. The upbeat HH part could be switched to downbeats at first to make it a bit easier too. This is in the same family as #211 & #217 and is the final post in this series with these SPD sounds. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 218 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.2.24 w/notations. Best w/ headphones. This is an extension of last week’s beat - triggering the same sounds from the SPD that I used for the @Ate_9 performances in Tokyo last weekend but a bit less rigid and with more feel. It’s a pattern beat
& mostly linear - sans the upbeat HH’s (another holdover from last week). The funnest part for me is the interplay between SD & BD - maybe the most challenging aspect as well. The buzz and swells give mea. 1 a nice shape, w/the stacks and FT in mea. 2 providing an answer to those as well as nice resolution to the whole phrase. It’s in the lineage w/ #211 & #217 with maybe one more pre-recorded beat in that family coming if I’m unable to get some alone kit time in the next week while on tour w/ @Wilco in Japan and Australia. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 217 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.2.24 w/notations. One for headphones. I’m in the middle of shows with @ate9_dance in Tokyo and this beat came from a little exploration after practicing a section that uses this SPD setting & Reco Electro. Messing with LH x-stk upbeats while the RH and feet do the beat from this section of the show. It’s more challenging than it looks, especially when the RH isn’t playing much and providing balance to the LH (1st 2 counts), which is why I decided to post this one - a good exercise for anyone interested. You don’t need the SPD either - those sounds can played on cymbals and toms. This one isn’t flashy, but is useful imo. Btw - this section of the piece comes right after the one featured in Beat 211. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 216 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.1.24 w/xtra hybrid beat vids & notations. The final installment of this idea which is a continuation of the last 2 weeks. This has a different melody on the @Zildjiancompany crotales but same right-side beat (a linear pattern subdivided 3+3+2 & an a-a-a-b form). Combined with the melody from last week, it made for a nice hybrid beat with the first half of last week’s and the second half of this week’s. That’s the 2nd vid, 3rd vid is slower for learning. Again, the crotales can be subbed with anything pitched. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 215 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.1.24 w/alt tempos & notations. A continuation of last week but with the LH adding pitches - still more to explore with this one though. The right side is playing a linear pattern subdivided 3+3+2 & an a-a-a-b form. The LH is doing the same rhythmic line as last week but with an a-b-a-b’ form on the crotales. Any pitched percussion can be subbed though, of course. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 214 of my #DrumBeatProject 2.1.24 w/alt takes, related beat & notations. This one has a nice little groove with lots of looping & orchestration possibilities to explore. The right side is playing a linear pattern subdivided 3+3+2 w/ the LH doing a clave-esque line on top. It’s got an a-a-a-b form. Lots of diff. sounds can be used for the LH part: the 1st vid is on a large Keo Percussion wood block, 2nd is a bit slower & on a stack, 3rd faster w/ @upcycledpercussion rattle and 4th on @zildjiancompany metal castanets. Those last 2 drop a key BD note so notated those as a separate beat. That’s the amazing @percussion.wtf Reco Electro on the SD w/a test tube brush that I’m striking being held on it w/ @drumgees to keep everything in place. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 213 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.22.24 w/alt takes & notations. This is a continuation of last week’s beat in that the RH and feet are playing the same parts, but the LH moved from 2 temple blocks to a crotale chord progression. The feet are playing 3 against 4. Crotales/LH are quarter note triplets alternating in a 6 note low/high pattern for each of the 4 chords of the progression which is from Mvt. 5 of my piece Anomaly. That was originally written for @kronos_quartet and can be heard on my record Adventureland - also subsequently arr. for both solo vibes & marimba duo (all of these scores are available on my website). I’ve been working up the solo vibes version for my upcoming performances w/ @ate9_dance so that was in my head & worked nicely with this beat. Alt takes are different tempos. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 212 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.22.24 w/alt versions & notations. A random idea came and this is one of the variations after I began exploring it. Its got 2 sounds each of wood (temple blocks) drums (SD & FT) & jingles/metal (stack & HH). The feet are plating 3 against 4. Temple blks/LH are quarter note triplets broken up into groups of 2 by pitch. The RH part works w/ the LH in a way that implies a groove in 3 - but it was conceived in 4 and notated in 12/8. Gonna mess with this one a bit more… 2nd vid is LH on a Belizean slit drum. 3rd vid is slower w/a softer LH mallet & stk so the drums speak more. 4th is w/out shaker mallet & faster. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 211 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.17.24 w/notations - best w/headphones! Playing around w/new ideas for my Collaboration with @ate9_dance March 1-3 in Tokyo, utilizing the @percussion.wtf Reco Electro again like last week but scraping it more this time - along with 3 samples being triggered from the SPD. The heaviness of the electronic sounds, BD and FT’s is countered by the upbeat HH and SD sextuplet. The BD goes from supporting those electro sounds to filling in the gaps between the hands. Like last week, this one totally works on a standard acoustic kit - just sub the electronic sounds out. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link for my newest piece, a Max Roach tribute, The Thunder That Smokes, in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwin_deepankar @wilco #ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 210 of my #DrumBeatProject 1.8.24 w/alt take and notations. This one features my maiden voyage w/the incredible @percussion.wtf Reco Electro - I haven’t even dug into the possibilites with this instrument yet, more to come with this one, such amazing lows and resonance! The beat is linear, using @upcycledpercussion & @stack_ring_percussion on the HH for added volume and @creative_percussion & @Davedeming shaker mallet and Zebra Fan respectively on SD since HH & SD are essentially the chatter element in the beat. The Reco Electro high pitch is acting as what the BD would normally play and the deep coil hits are acting as the SD would traditionally play / the backbeats - so highs and lows are reversed. This is super fun to play even w/out the Reco - just sub a ride bell and stack for ex. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel plz subscribe! Link for new piece “The Thunder That Smokes” in bio. Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwindeepankar @ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 209 (Max Roach tribute!) of my #DrumBeatProject 12.26.23 w/notations. The father of solo drumset composition, Max Roach, would have been 100 years old this Wed. 1/10. In homage I created a beat from the first phrase of my new solo work, The Thunder That Smokes, which is inspired by 2 of his works. I use a motif from his somewhat obscure piece in 5/4, JasMe, and bend it into a piece in 3/4 - a nod to his classic The Drum Also Waltzes. I use a lot of his formal structure tendencies in the piece too - which is now available through Ox and Lamb Productions link in bio (and through my website glennkotche.com/scores very soon). There’s also a great video on both sites of Jacob Davidson performing it. The vocal sample is from a radio interview & perfectly summarizes the origins of our incredible instrument. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - plz subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwindeepankar @ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 208 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.24.23 w/variation & related beat vids & notations. A spontaneous beat starting w/a single stroke lick that ends w/a HH foot/hand double leading into a SD bkbt. Or in the alt vid, a FT/SD RH sweep. 2nd vid is the same but snares off, 3rd & 4th vids are the aforementioned variation at reg. & slower tempo. The small, right-side stack features prominently into the whole. Using my #activewave570 sig stx. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - plz subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwindeepankar @ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 207 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.18.23 w/notations & pic. In the holiday spirit here replete w/temple blocks (aka horse hooves), jingle bells & SD rimshot acting as a whip crack - yep, totally inspired by “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson. We would play this piece every year in both middle school band and high school band. I found myself referencing it a few weeks ago during an instrument building workshop @wilco #SkyBlueSky festival when talking about how so many non-traditional sounds & instruments made their way into the percussion section over the past several hundred years. The hooves, horse/jingle bells and slap stick/whip are great ex. of this. It’s actually a winter song about a birthday party - no religious holiday mentions in it, but has become synonymous w/the holidays. Those are my new antique temple blocks and vintage conga in use here w/a vast array of bells on the HH - see the pic - including @upcycledpercussion @creative_percussion @stack_ring_percussion some antique horse bells and some antique Korean horse bells acquired this summer. LH is using a custom @promarksticks drumset mallet & LH has a customized marching tenor mallet that I shortened for kit use. LH & RF have the melody in mea. 1 over RH & LF ostinatos. 2nd mea. is linear/pattern based. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - plz subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwindeepankar @ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor
Beat 206 of my #DrumBeatProject 12.13.23 w/slower take & notations. A compact pattern beat. I assembled some of my instrument acquisitions from this year to let them mingle and see how they sound together (granted this is a small selection) and quickly came up w/this one. For the beat: count 1 sounds inspired by @ManuKatche - not surprising since a lot of his “isms” have been ingrained in me over the years (& I saw the SNL clip of him w/ @itspetergabriel the other day), cts. 2&3 are linear w/the @creative_percussion bells giving the HH more presence. The doubles on the new-to-me hollow stamp @Zildjiancompany A crash/ride & equally new @Meinlpercussion tar, add a nice spark to it all, and that’s a brand new 22” paper thin coupled w/a super old proto-sizzle cym as the caboose. A beyond-vintage pig skin Chinese tom is resting on the rack and a really wonderful reclaimed white oak snare resting on the FT - that’s made by Ian at Erie Drums and Shells -my only oak drum. The snare is a 60’s @Sonordrumco D426 - very cool. Solo pieces are up on my youtube channel, link in bio - plz subscribe! Scores for all solo pieces are on my website. Past beat vids & notations at GlennKotche.com/projects check ’em out! @clark.hubbard @ashwindeepankar @tinyxylophone @ABeatAWeek #DrumBeatTheory #DrumBeatImmersion #loveyourneighbor