That’s the magic of internet. You’re invited to witness a conversation between two human beings at the top of their Art. And in the same time, you realize that we share the exact same burden, have the same passion for music and for our craft. Thank you, you two Masters, to let this happen.
It's fantastic to see two outstanding educators discussing the fundamentals and rudiments of drumming, such as paradiddles. These conversations are invaluable for both beginners and seasoned drummers looking to refine their technique and understanding.
Great hooks here !(quote Freddie) ''how serious do you wanna be or get with the drums?'', and from there it's that, it's learn, learn, play, play more, listen and work hard, and work even harder ,like Bruce said, if you don't wanna put in the time to break down all the steps from basics to up the ladder it gets you to that question ''where do you wanna take it?''...but going back to all the examples you gave, Buddy, Elvin, Tony , Steve....you can also never forget that these guys were born with a talent an urge and extreme drive and passion for music and probably born at the right time....
Thank you for sharing your conversation , there's so much to say, and sometimes, words can't convey it , or it would be too long to express. You're doing a great job, and found a great way to share some wisdom. Thank you !
Mr. B! Amazing hands, wisdom, curriculum delivery, etc. Wish I was in SoCal so I could get face to face lessons (I'm in NorCal wine country). He's the best!
Vinnie, Great interview with Bruce. I enjoyed the conversation. I’ve recently reconnected with Bruce, who Ive known for many years. I look forward to future episodes. Keep up the good work. - Don Segien
Great interview Vinnie, thank you for having Bruce Becker as a guest! I'm currently studying with Bruce, he's definitely a game changer and master teacher. His teaching concepts highlight the importance of seeing-hearing-feeling your expression of motion and how it relates to making music on the drums. Best :)
Great interview. Bruce is a great teacher. Highly recommended. Would love to talk with you Vinnie sometime. I have an idea about getting more royalties in the hands of musicians.
Vinnie and Bruce thank you for such an enlightening drum talk. You guys are two of the greatest players and your love of your craft shines through in this podcast. 🥁❤️
Greetings from Rio de Janeiro! A great conversation! Bruce, in view of natural principles of interaction and your analogy to the dancer, I'm a tad surprised we didn't tap into the domain of drummers who can sing a melody line across a groove...and not clip that melody. Now that sorts all manner of shit out in a big hurry. A drummer who can sing and play is quite another unit. Levon Helm, Tony Williams, Mel Torme, Carol Carpenter, Sheila E, Airto, to name just a few on point. Thanks Vinnie and Bruce.
I think this podcast is great. Please keep it up 😉. I want to learn as much as I can. And these stories and experiences help a lot understanding drumming as it’s a whole lot more than only sitting and playing behind the kit. The mind should understand and the body should be trained. Together they should lock in unison.
I went with your stick positioning for a while and looked at the Spivek but basically my hands are my hands so I'm following the classic hand layout with my own necessities. I also notice we have to have our own position for the snare for dynamic reasons. I have it at my hip line, my friend (Albie D's son) has it Bruce Becker style, sit high snare low. Nice show the other year with Mr Jeff Beck 💜in Liverpool Mr Coliauta.
Have to admit, the “like a dancer” analogy i did not understand until I worked a lot with dancers in a Musical theater or Varieté shows. It makes perfect sense, but previously, without that experience, no wonder I wondered. No wonder people don’t get it.
Great session… all the terms thrown out there.. and they all were exact spot on.. little idiosyncratic ways to look at what we do.. I’ve gotta give it another listen.. thank you
Gary: ''All that linear stuff is about phrasing . . . '' That's a key concept in my humble view . . . You've got a specific amount of 'time' to 'fill' . . . listening as you're phrasing is crucial. All these rudiment guys : ''Here's an 11 stroke roll . . . a 7, a 5, a 9, etc. But, I wanna hear and FEEL the window I'm filling . . . so, you're not thinking of the number of strokes, NO. You're listening for the window that's opening up, and the preps you're using to get into this window. What kind of speed of a roll, for just one example, do I wanna play an open roll? I've only got so much time to fill this window. And, yeah, practicing those kinds of rolls is FUN, for sure, but, ya don't wanna be sounding like a marching band/drum corpse robot. You're phrasing within the music's context. Also, isn't it invaluable to practice 'free' things for a bunch of minutes in a days routine, to discover 'gestures' that will spark an interest . . . later explore that ''accident'' you found. Long ago, I had the pleasure of studying with Gary . . . for just 9 months - his first teaching gig at Western Illinois in Macomb. He was a young 27 or so, and man, he could open up the mind in various ways. He'd never claim me as a student . . . but, I sure do value this precious time I had with him there. Me and Chuck Smith still talk about those lessons and the four cats who were there teaching; Gary being one of them. My heart still is warm for the dude, and listening to Vinnie and Steve, et al, just makes me smile with happiness. Love you, Vinnie.
I have to admit.. Vinnie's playing is so incredibly good. Such precision, feel and fabulous orchestration. I hope he gets to read this.. this was an instant subscibe .. please tell stories.. ive watched him play so many times that any type of copying his stuff is to much to dream .. but the inspiration.. thank you thank you thank you. And as a shameless plug.. ive got tons of tunes and i could use a drummer.. half kidding.. i look forward to more vids.. thanks again
Vinnie, may I ask you a question? Your comment regarding having a friend that said Tony Williams left hand traditional grip was "Locked and Long". Are you talking about Vito Rezza? - a great drummer from Toronto, Canada. I studied with Vito in the late 90's/early 2000's, and he shared that Tony Williams comment with me as well. Here's a video of you and Vito trading: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hJMH1JQM9Uk.html. Vito would be a great guest on your podcast, he would have a lot of insight on the history of all the drummers that came out of Canada over the past 50 years. Thank you! S.
Hi Vinnie, Thanks for the clarification, much appreciated! I'm really digging your podcast. Just finished checking out the interview with Gary Chaffee, very insightful!! Very Best, S.
Vinnie, I wish you would interview yourself! And if you did, I would love to hear and see all about your hand technique and foot technique. Specifically, what you worked on before you went to Berkeley, why you played match grip mostly when I saw you at the Baked Potato in the early 80s. and how your technique has evolved in the present day. Also, would you ever consider giving a private lesson online or even in person?
The top of the mountain is the most boring part of the climb. Then you study how to get down and find another mountain. And what you learned on the way down the first mountain helps you get off the next one.... (TBC)
Long boring video ,,they never talk about let the music inspire and guide you,,I know find drummers with not a lot of technique that have a lot soul and great feel and groove ,,,swing on everything you play , on all styles of music ,,,,, feel what ever you play that’s what I say
