Drum Solos, Featuring The Styles of Warren Daly and Jimmy Cobb Plus 3 Studies For Percussion Ensemble.
In the last Lesson, we study drum solos, (which can be used as examination pieces) and also 3 solos for percussion ensemble.
Soloing has always been an important aspect of drumming, which can require a considerable amount of knowledge, skill and technique. Unlike most soloists, a drummer plays the solo completely alone. No one is keeping time, or playing chords for the drummer. A drummer must keep the time in his head, or feel the time with the body, play a solo, and try to make it sound interesting.
Ususlly, all this is done within a set number of bars; e.g: 4, 8, 12, 16, 32, 64 bar lengths, unless the solo is free form. This is because songs are written over a set number of bars, and a soloist improvises over the same amount of bars. If a drummer were to play a chorus in the tune "Summertime", for example, the drum solo would be 16 bars in length, because the song "summertime", is 16 bars in length. So its a good idea to learn as many songs as possible. This gives you the ability to sing the song in your head as you solo around the drums, making it easier to keep to the set number of bars in the solo.
In a "Free Form" solo, there is no set number of bars, and your’e "Free" to play anything at any length. This takes away the burden of having to keep to a set number of bars, clearing your mind to create other colors and patterns around the drums, which you otherwise would not be able to do, particularly if you are changing the time constantly throughout the solo.
Lastly, remember that a solo is improvisation, it is musical self-expression, personal, in dividual, and fulfilling. Listen to others, experiment, and enjoy.
8 Bar Drum Solo
Medium - Fast Swing
A Jazz Drum Solo
In the Style of Jimmy Cobb
Fast Swing (12 Bar Blues)
* Played with Right Hand across Stick of Left, as a Rim Shot.
16 Bar Jazz Drum Solo
In the Style of Warren Daly
Very Fast
A Funky Drum Solo
3 = 90
Solos for Percussion Ensemble
The first is a 16 bar solo entitled "Fanfare" in March tempo, and is written for 2 Snare Drums, Bass Drum, and Tom Tom + Cymbals. (4 players)
Ensemble playing is great for ear training, and time feel, because you must listen to each other as well as yourself in order for the rhythms to "lock in". The second and third solos are African rhythms for 5 players - Bass Drum, Bongo Drums, Congas, Shaker / Cowbell, and Cabasa. (including voodoo) to help put people in a hypnotic trance. To achieve this, thei rhythms would be played for 20 minutes or more, with each player varying his or her part very slightly. It is a particularly good exercise in concentration. Of course, you may substitute Tamborine for Cbasa, etc. - if these instruments are not available.
Fanfare
(March Tempo)
The ensemble must play these African rhythms for at least 10 minutes without stopping, to help the feel "lock in". When this is accomplished, try for 15 - 20 minutes and you may experience a "hypnotic" type feeling, or trance - as the repetitiveness of the rhythms tends to make you hear rhythms within rhythms.
At this point, a solo drummer is designated, and the soloist improvises around the rhythms already being played. Another drummer may take a turn at soloing - and so on.
For Conga and Bongo Drums, the top note written is for the high pirched drum and the bottom note is for the low pitched drum. African Rhythm 3 1 is played as a fast "2 beat feel" in Cut Common (W) or $.
African Rhythm # 2 is played as a medium 4. It can sound very effective having each player come in one at a time, especially in a concert situation.
African Rhythm # 1
African Rhythm # 2
* Note: Shaker Has Been Replaced By Cowbell (Medium *)
