Funny - I remember doing almost this exact exercise my freshman year with "Au Privave" in our Jazz Performance Techniques class. Our instructor was also the drum instructor and he would bring elements of that class into our lessons. That was many years ago and looking back on it, I wish I had been more humble and willing to take those lessons more to heart. Now I'm much older and very grateful to have these lessons from you!
Hey Quincy, 🫵🏻 you smacked this lesson out of the park. My own issue has been practicing endless syncopation page 33-38 singing short and longs along with jazz ride pattern with feet, multiple ways with hands and feet. But they are just independence exercises and really doesn’t relate to any music. So now what ?? You open the skies up for me with this lesson. Now i understand the of the Real book for drummers 👏👏🙏
Great lesson! I'd love to hear more about how you approach less beboppy material. I feel like a lot of the rhythms and phrasings of bebop tunes lend themselves very well to the drums, but sometimes I'm at a loss playing less rhythmic melodies. Just for example, I can think of fun ways to play the melody of Think of One all day, but honestly not sure how to make Autumn Leaves sound interesting on the drums.
This will take me a hundred and seventy years to get together. But you know what? I got the time! Love you Quincy. Please tell us more about posture and precision, accuracy, happy feet, breathing, control.....pocket... if you catch my drift.
Love this, so practical in having all situations at the ready when on a gig. Might be a good to try this on tunes less obvious as well, like when the pianist gives you the nod on a bossa and you gotta come up with a solo.😉
Great lesson! Joe Farnsworth has some video lessons playing bebop heads on the snare while comping! It's just great! Btw thanks for the code! I'll be grabbing that 32mesures bass play along!!! Have a nice week!
Oh yes! Farns has some great videos of him playing melodies on the snare. One of them is with the great Kenny Washington. I’m sure you’ve seen that one. Enjoy the discount Joel!
I was playing with some musicians today, but couldn't do any fills at all, the more I thought about it the worse I got, wish I'd seen this yesterday Quincy😅
I know exactly what you're saying, been there myself. The one thing that came as an epiphany to me was something Vinnie Colaiuta said: "Thinking is the Enemy of Flow". When I play with the flow of the music, and not thinking about my next riff, the ideas come easier.
I was actually doing some of this in yesterday’s practice…..but not near the level you do it. The soloing part is still tricky. Another fantastic lesson!
Fabulous lesson sir! This is just what I need to check myself on right now in my endeavor to truly learn tunes. Some of the tunes I'm working on right now are Bolivia, Mosaic, Stablemates, Big Foot, Evidence... I will apply this to them :)
Thank you for this new and fantastic contribution. It is always a joy to have a video from you full of good advice. Congratulations for what you bring in positivity to start practicing with that style that is so yours... (Old school). My best wishes always and a very cordial greeting with thanks, Mr. Davis.
I have a video on tuning actually. But the most important thing is to tune the drums to your liking but also to a tone that the drums are "happy". Well built drums with good quality wood are the easiest to do this with.
I’m sure you are concentrating very much while you’re playing but you make it sound so effortless. I’ve been wondering if you have done a video on set up? Things as far as angles of cymbals and drums, seat height, maybe pedal tension, and the reasons why. Thanks FP
I’m definitely concentrating but I’m also trying to make sure I enjoy what I’m playing. Otherwise it’s just not fun to play even if it sounds decent. That’s a great lesson idea Frankie. I might try to do one in the next couple weeks.
I’m just wondering if you ever watch the “Ask Jeff Willams” Gold Mining channel; I ask because he also does the exact same “Let’s Goooo!!!!” Schtick on the front of many of his videos and as I am a jazz drummer who happens to find gold panning vids entertaining, I can’t help but compare you two guys doing the schtick the way I’d compare Kenny and Philly playing Oleo :-) What a meaningless comment, sorry about that Mr. Davis!!! I totally dug the lesson and I always “try” (operative word) to play the tune within my solos. And if I wasn’t already subbed, I’d do it right now! Cheers from Tokyo!
I agree Will!! I’m working on finding a good teacher to help me get those darn singles together. In the meantime, bear with me for a little while longer my man :-)
Btw, on the topic of humility, I was lucky enough to meet Dennis Chambers for the first time as a grown man two weeks ago in Philly at the Ardmore theater. He was with my favorite drummer of my generation, Adam Deitch, and I just wanna mention for everybody reading this that both of these world-class drummers were beyond humble and amazing human beings. For those of the younger kids reading this that aren’t aware that Dennis Chambers is technically and rhythmically one of the greatest drummers of all time now you know. I met him at the modern Drummer festival when I was about 14 in the early 90s but it’s different as a grown man and really talking face-to-face and I could not have been more impressed with how amazingly kind, cool, and relaxed Dennis was. Adam was just the same! And Adam is one of the baddest cats on planet earth! With that said, there are professional players out there that are total idiots and lack any type of humility. It says a lot to be around the greatest players in the world and to be treated so well, and that’s what music is about!
Still drinking green tea. Actually to be truthful, I moved to slightly more potent sister, matcha! I’m ashamed of my addiction, that’s why you haven’t seen me indulge in it on camera for a while. 🤣🤣🤣
Any tips for playing with the melody in your head, while being interactive with the other musicians on stage? It’s hard to listen to the melody in my head and the soloists at the same time.
The better you know the melody the harder it is for you not to hear it no matter what you’re doing. So even when you’re playing along with soloist and interacting with them that melody that you know so deeply and so well is ever present so I would recommend spending more time with melodies you are learning and I think that will help.
