Any jazz drummers in the house?
Discussion
How are the drums played on this track? Perfect rhythm (and fast) for ten minutes.
Charlie Parker: Sweet Georgia Brown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXTGCTr69jQ
Might be one for Get Carter.
Simes205 said:
Practice and stamina.
It’s a fairly fast tempo!
He’s beating the crotchets on the ride and not as far as I can hear playing quavers, hence able to play at that speed.
It is fast and as far as I can tell perfect. I was almost wondering whether it was some sort of mechanical drum machine.It’s a fairly fast tempo!
He’s beating the crotchets on the ride and not as far as I can hear playing quavers, hence able to play at that speed.
Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 27th September 21:30
Louis Balfour said:
Simes205 said:
Practice and stamina.
It’s a fairly fast tempo!
He’s beating the crotchets on the ride and not as far as I can hear playing quavers, hence able to play at that speed.
It is fast and as far as I can tell perfect. I was almost wondering whether it was some sort of mechanical drum machine.It’s a fairly fast tempo!
He’s beating the crotchets on the ride and not as far as I can hear playing quavers, hence able to play at that speed.
Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 27th September 21:30

I've worked with many of the best jazz drummers in the UK and the one thing they all have in common is that they look (and are) mega relaxed. This is why thy can play 4 hour sets at Ronnies!
Check out Neal >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y9JHUyap5g
(Also note, he's reading, and doesn't know the piece, and is being recorded, etc etc).
ETA This may be an even better example... check out how little energy he uses (5/4 groove... reading again - just a live GoPro mic in the booth to record)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAlteDokLj8
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 30th September 19:03
GetCarter said:
Louis Balfour said:
Simes205 said:
Practice and stamina.
It’s a fairly fast tempo!
He’s beating the crotchets on the ride and not as far as I can hear playing quavers, hence able to play at that speed.
It is fast and as far as I can tell perfect. I was almost wondering whether it was some sort of mechanical drum machine.It’s a fairly fast tempo!
He’s beating the crotchets on the ride and not as far as I can hear playing quavers, hence able to play at that speed.
Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 27th September 21:30

I've worked with many of the best jazz drummers in the UK and the one thing they all have in common is that they look (and are) mega relaxed. This is why thy can play 4 hour sets at Ronnies!
Check out Neal >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y9JHUyap5g
(Also note, he's reading, and doesn't know the piece, and is being recorded, etc etc).
ETA This may be an even better example... check out how little energy he uses (5/4 groove... reading again - just a live GoPro mic in the booth to record)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAlteDokLj8
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 30th September 19:03
You've posted clips of your drummers before and they are very impressive. What impresses me about the drummer on the Bird clip I posted is the perfect bass drumming for 10 minutes.
He was called Lee Young according do a little bit of digging, brother of saxophonist Lester Young. 2 years prior to this he had played at the same venue with guitarist Les Paul….. who you might have heard of.
Edited by thebraketester on Tuesday 4th October 20:01
Edited by thebraketester on Tuesday 4th October 20:02
thebraketester said:
He was called Lee Young according do a little bit of digging, brother of saxophonist Lester Young. 2 years prior to this he had played at the same venue with guitarist Les Paul….. who you might have heard of.
Well dug!Edited by thebraketester on Tuesday 4th October 20:01
Edited by thebraketester on Tuesday 4th October 20:02
I've not yet found a video of him drumming, though.
Definitely not a drum machine…!!
Just a good drummer, years and years of practice and experience, with good technique and stamina.
As has been already pointed out, good drummers are relaxed at speed. Playing at a tempo like that isn’t necessarily exhausting. They play with the bounce of the stick on the cymbal using a loser grip and controlling the stick with the fourth and fifth fingers - to simplify, say for your typical “ting tin-ta ting” swing rhythm, rather than using the whole arm/hand for each cymbal strike, the first (on the beat) strike will be a down strike with the hand and then the intermediate “tin-ta” will be a controlled bounce on the cymbal.
There’s a great shot 33-35 seconds into this video of the drummer’s ride cymbal - insane tempo (approaching 280-300bpm I reckon at first guess) and just the most relaxed looking technique you ever did see…:
https://youtu.be/63FqlA3LE9I
(Edit: another nice shot at 2:42 a little later in the video, shows the technique of bouncing the stick off the 4th/5th fingers, albeit from a distance).
Just a good drummer, years and years of practice and experience, with good technique and stamina.
As has been already pointed out, good drummers are relaxed at speed. Playing at a tempo like that isn’t necessarily exhausting. They play with the bounce of the stick on the cymbal using a loser grip and controlling the stick with the fourth and fifth fingers - to simplify, say for your typical “ting tin-ta ting” swing rhythm, rather than using the whole arm/hand for each cymbal strike, the first (on the beat) strike will be a down strike with the hand and then the intermediate “tin-ta” will be a controlled bounce on the cymbal.
There’s a great shot 33-35 seconds into this video of the drummer’s ride cymbal - insane tempo (approaching 280-300bpm I reckon at first guess) and just the most relaxed looking technique you ever did see…:
https://youtu.be/63FqlA3LE9I
(Edit: another nice shot at 2:42 a little later in the video, shows the technique of bouncing the stick off the 4th/5th fingers, albeit from a distance).
Edited by timbob on Thursday 6th October 09:08
Louis Balfour said:
I am sure you’re right. However it is the bass that impresses me. Or is there a technique that does not require a pedal press per beat?
A light touch, good technique, good internal metronome and years and years of practice. There’ll be just the toe or ball of the foot on the bass drum pedal, heel will be in the air. The motion of the legs will be simply part of the drummer’s whole body relaxed groove as they play. Some jazz drummers I play with play in their socks. There’s no “heel on the floor, tightness in the shin” syndrome that plagues amateur drummers after ten seconds of repetitive bass drum strikes…!Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff