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DTU Groove Theory – “50 Ways”

May 30, 2011 in DTU, Groove Theory by Drummer Talk

Today we cover one of the pillars of drum grooves, and one of my personal favorites – “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” from Paul Simon’s album, Still Crazy After All These Years.  You can’t throw a rock into a room full of drummers and not hit one who has not at least heard of this groove.   Not only is the “50 Ways” groove smooth, and laid back, but it’s deceptively simple.  Mr. Gadd makes it looks so easy, and while it’s not the most challenging groove, mechanically, the challenge is all in making it sound great.

Note: the backing track used in this video was used for educational purposes only.

We’ve provided the transcription of the groove as well as a practice track to play along with.  Note that the practice track isn’t exactly the music from the Paul Simon original (we don’t have the coin to distribute that!), but it’s certainly close enough to groove along to!

Downloads

“50 Ways” Groove Transcription

Practice Track

iTunes | Amazon MP3

The Breakdown


The first thing you’ll notice is that this is an open-handed, linear groove.  You certainly don’t HAVE to play it open-handed, but if you want to embrace your inner Gadd, then open-haned it is!  Plus, it just makes getting to the floor tom much, much easier.

Remember to keep the HH very light.  It’s almost inaudible!  Resist the urge to lay into the hat with the shoulder of the stick, especially wit it being played in your left hand.  Instead, allow the HH stick to simply bounce on the tip.

In terms of the snare, keep in mind that Gadd is a rudimental-turned-funk drummer.  He’s got all the knowledge and chops of a DCI champ, with the heart and feel of a jazz man.  As such, you’ll need to be mindful of sticking and accents, but loosen up the snare drum diddles – almost give them a New Orleans crush.

Given this groove’s linearity (is that even a word?), the kick should feel like a continuous, flowing part of the groove.  That is, until it’s the final landing point as it is on beat 3.  When you land on beat 3, give the kick a nice, solid punch and treat that note like the second note of a samba kick pattern.  You want that sound to it.

This floor tom part is one of Gadd’s signature sounds as he frequently throws toms into his grooves.  Keep it punchy, and make sure it sounds like a stopping point!


Here’s a video of Steve Gadd playing “50 Ways” with Paul Simon from 2000.  Note how Gadd adds the floor tom with the kick hits.

 

 

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DTU Groove Theory – The Songo

May 16, 2011 in DTU, Groove Theory by Drummer Talk

Hello and welcome to DTU’s Groove Theory.  Today, we’re breaking down the songo!  What makes the songo so interesting is while most Latin grooves are drumset interpretations of multiple percussion parts, the songo is a Latin groove written FOR the drumset (originated by the Cuban band, Los Van Van in the late 60′s and early 70′s).  That means it’s a lot of fun to play, but extremely challenging!

Downloads

Songo Notation

Backing Tracks

The Breakdown


The most important aspect of the songo is to treat the pattern as a linear, interdependent polyrhythm.  Unlike other Latin grooves where you try to separate and isolate each independent pattern, with the songo you want to try to all the parts interlocking together.  Feel all four limbs working together as one larger rhythmic unit and not simply planes of different patterns.  It’s not hands and feet, it’s all four – together.

Building the Groove
Start out with quarters on the bell of the ride.  Take it nice and easy, and let the tempo set in.  Now, lock in that HH foot and just play that for a bit.  Trust, me – this kind of practice pays off!  Your next step is working on the kick pattern.  and getting a feel for that Baio kick.  There’s no downbeat, which can feel odd at first, but remember – in the long run you’re not thinking of the groove that way.

Once you feel good with the ride, hat (foot), and kick, remove the kick pattern and just get a feel for the “melody” pattern.  Practice it locked in with the ride hand and with the hat.  Once you’re feeling good with that, try to get a feel for how the kick drum part fits in snuggly in-between the melody part.  Let the kick drum notes become part of that melody!  That’s the secret to linear playing!


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