2:54 [Editor's Rant] First, can I take a moment to complain about the walk to these drumset clinics. It’s easily an 8 min walk. Surely there’s a faster way to ballroom A. Anyway, on to the clinic.

3:00 it’s a pretty decent crowd. Meinl cymbals guy is introducing Derek Roddy. Giving a bio.

3:02 DR takes the stage and jokes about getting a dose of coffee. He seems like a super pleasant guy. Launches into performance with a track. Pretty dark tune. Lots of blast beats and meter changes. He’s playing a monster 9pc double bass Sonor kit.

3:06 Second tune. This one is more straight ahead metal. Track has some loops that add to the complexity if the percussion. Cool Yes-style 5/4 section then to a crunchy, eroded guitar section. He’s got pretty sick feet.

3:10 Odd meter funk-type thing that’s more DnB than metal. Soloing around the groove. Pretty short piece.

3:11 Another track, Asian flute licks amid the thrash metal guitars. Cool stereo effects. Lots and lots of blast beats. This guys must run a marathon every gig! Half time groove on top with running man 32nds in the feet.

3:16 yet another track. This is a cool groove type scifi sounding tune. Simpler in feel and form and much easier to digest. DR is doing done fool foot ostinato stuff. Another short one.

3:18 And another track. Blast beats galore. This guy is already a sweating heap. It’s easy to see why there are so many skinny metal drummers. Nice 6/8 syncopated section. Is that a swing section at the end?!

3:23 Takes the mic

DR: Who’s heard if blast beats? It’s the new thing in drumming right now. Talks about his book. Blast beats are really just fast polkas. I like to work on simple patterns against the kick-snare pattern.

3:25 Demonstrates how to play against it with non-blasting hands. Blasts with rh and lf and plays paradiddle with lh and rf.

3:28 Q&A

Q: how did you get started?
DR: Blast music wasn’t out when I started. As the music got faster I got faster. I would play along to records of fast music. Speed isn’t as importnt as endurance. The only way to get that is to practice keeping it up 3 mins at a time.

Q: How do you develop double on the kick?
DR: I don’t really work on doubles (as opposed to singles), but I’m not as sharp as I used to be when I was in tour. You can play a bunch of sound but if it’s not clear it will spun like white noise.

Q: How do you add color and variety to blast music?
DR: it’s tough. How much can you make singles groove? (demonstrates playing licks from guitar with open foot and hand. Also plays accents). Allnof these notes are meaningless without feeling-even if it’s fast.

I strive to be a versatile player. I felt like I outgrew the scene because a lot of players are stuck in their one thing.

Q: Tell about your snare sound.
DR: I tune the bottom head loose to give it a crunch.

Q: what about your bd setup?
DR: I have a double pedal and a second bass tuned more open so I have 3 bd sounds.

3:40 Talks about multi pedal setups.

3:43 Plays open solo. Lots of low tom work and crescendos. Goes into odd time groove and solos around it.

3:48 Plays last song. It’s a cute little cartoony song … with blast beats.

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That’s it for this clinic. Man, i need an aspirin.

Stay tuned for more PASIC coverage!