It is not that it is dampened in most of the recordings, it is simply the nature of the mics used to record. Sometimes they will start talking after a performance and you can hear the drums bleed through, from that you can hear that they aren't dampened. I learned recently that to get a fuller sound out of a drum kit, in a master, they will compress the track and this will increase the sustain. I could also be totally wrong, this is just my assumptions
Hunter Craig you’re definitely right about the compression! Lots of people do it. But you can also literally see in a lot of their videos how much moon gel they put on and I’ve even seen them playing bass drums that haven’t even been tensioned properly 🤦♂️. I’m not a big fan of compression either but I’m sure that’s a big part of why I usually hate their drum sound.
Dave is one of those rare drummers who can articulate clearly how they think about what they play. There are plenty of very fine educators who can teach you how to play, but far fewer who let you in on their own thinking. Nice work putting this out there, Drumeo. And Dave. Obviously.
Auxiliary Band One day they definitely should get Chris Dave. He is the most revolutionary drummer now on the plannet. Having him for a lesson would be a historical event in drumming.
This man is my hero..... He is who I want to be when I grow up! Not only do I love his playing but also his sense of humor. Living in Minnesota he is an artist I will alway go and see no matter who he is playing with. Having seen The Bad Plus, Happy Apple and Halloween-Alaska, he is a sensitive beast on the kit And delivers this awkward tension fueled stand up routine, it's just amazing! I also love his jazz show (Kings Speech) the banter between Joe Johnson and himself is just as entertaining as the music they present. Thank you drumeo for bringing in my favorite drummer. Great lesson with a great human being.
Dave was a massive influence on me growing up. I first saw him in ~ 98 with Love-Cars opening up for Death Cab for Cutie at a hole in the wall coffee shop. Got to meet and talk with him a couple times and he's just a really nice dude. I wasn't a jazz drummer but his creative approach to the alt-rock/indie group was mind blowing. It's been great to see him getting more recognition over the last decade.
Dimitri Fantini - he is a very fine musical educator. Go watch "Rational Funk" - his series of instructional videos. I am sure this will be valuable for you to improve your technique.
Two things of note: 1) My Bass playing friends dig his video explaining how to maintain a close relationship with the bassist. 2) Am loving my Dave King Signature Drum Stool. Dave, man of great wisdom!
What a fascinating and insightful lesson. It’s midnight here in the UK and I have been transfixed by this guy. As someone who has just taken up the drums again after a 24 year hiatus, and who only has practice pads currently, I was beginning to think a mesh head electronic kit would serve me best since it would allow for near-silent playing and give me hundreds of sounds to experiment with. Now, have seen this, I have been reminded of the enjoyment I got from the wider field of percussion and the joy in simply trying to make different sounds. All those subtle nuances of timbre and volume would be impossible to explore on anything other than an acoustic kit and, since I want to make sounds and not just a beat, an actual drum provides ample materials and surfaces for the player to experiment with. I am so glad I watched this! Thanks drumeo for making this available to non-subscribers 😀
I interviewed Dave for Dutch drummagazine Slagwerkkrant when they played in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. Very nice and funny authentic & creative artist . I saw 4 the Bad Plus shows and they were very very good every damn time. Very high level and very entertainning at the same time . Reid Anderson’s ballads move me to tears and Dave’s humor makes me burst out in laughter. Love m!
I saw Dave King at a clinic at the Ellis Drum Shop in St. Paul, MN years ago and didn't quite understand what he was doing back then. But it made an impression on me and now that I see this lesson, I "get" what he's going for because I try to do some of that in my own drumming. Antonio Sanchez also takes this approach to improvising as well when he gets really abstract. Would love to see him on explaining how he approaches the drums. Good stuff!
DAVE! I just met him a couple of days ago when the Bad Plus came through. Great show! Love the new 4 piece The Bad Plus. His technique is so goofy but it works for him and he sounds great doing it.
Great guy… interesting drummer… kind of structured free form jazz … I grew up in NYC playing and listening and seeing Tony Williams.. Paul Motion… Billy Higgins…I like more conservative playing… in contemporary music Lenny White .. Vinnie Colaiuta… But I kinda get it… he’s original.!! That’s for sure… and Like his explanation of the tempo’s… and placement… He states his connect with Ed Blackwell.. I hear and see it…!
Saw him 3 days ago at Tivoli in Utrecht, NL with the Bad Plus. Spoke to him and made a little video about rational funk #thatshowyougetthegig. Love this guy man, funny as ever but when playing music, creating, dead serious. - Tim
You guys should have George Daniel from the 1975 play on drumeo! He really is great at incorporating electronics and production aspects into his drumming.
Start slow, use easier rhythmic parameters. For example, he talks about playing only eighth notes while playing in 7. Like anything, move from easier to more difficult, whatever that means to you. In 4, you can probably keep count while playing whole notes.
It wasn't until I got near to the end of this video that I realised... He talks a free stream of flowing, loosely connected, experimental, unusual ideas, some of which are pretty off the map. I mean, he plays the same as he talks! What I take from this, is that he plays the way he does because of the way his brain is wired up. Not sure I could learn this. (Maybe drugs might help?)
I missed that Dave came to drumeo somehow, but he is just what drumeo needs. Seeing the commenters who missed the point confirms that. Also met Dave when I worked at the vanguard (7-8 yrs ago) and TBP came through. I think I made some corny reference to rational funk, he was super gracious, quick witted dude. Had a bit of that midwestern humility though 😅(jk)
Might be a layman's observation, yet I hope I won't get anyone's attention to it like, forever... but still... notice how his left foot and left hand are almost doing identical things?.. I mean, the left heel. He does whatever music requires with the left toes but the left heel repeats whatever the left hand is doing at the moment, especially on the snare drum...
Dave King is fucking prolific! He always has something interesting to say that can help any musician. That and he makes pretty music. Thanks for having him Drumeo! :)
Dave and Stanton have 100% sold me on those Kerope hi-hats. Now, who at Drumeo wants to give me a set or give me the $550 to buy them? *Looks at Jared*
I just watched Dave for the first time in Rational Funk the day I'm writing this after randomly finding a video of the show in a search, and I thought he was a bit strange from the one episode I watched yet pretty funny. But after watching his Drumeo appearance, being the second time I've seen him, I think he's one of the coolest drummers, artists, and people. I especially agree with and relate to what he's saying regarding exploring, developing, and contributing your own personal artistic expression. I've thought that for a long time.
For those of you who miss Rational Funk look up the radio show that he does with Joe, King's Speech. It's basically the same vibe as RF but they listen to killer records. It's all archived!
