dia metersn o t f o r d r u m m e r s o n l y

bruno meeus

© Copyright 2008 by Digital Music PrintDe Waghemakerestraat 142060 AntwerpenBelgium

inTRODUcTiOn

D ia Meters summarizes a vast range of questions and answers posed during my drum demo and master classes over the last decades. It is by no means an easy task to put so many interesting subjects together in only one form, but in order to grasp the totality of drums it is important to discuss more than one subject

simultaneously. For this reason this book has no specifi c chronological order, leaving you free to start wherever you like. For every creative drummer there’s something to be gleaned, irrespective of preferred music style or level. If regular drumbeats were main roads, Dia Meters can be seen as your own personal navigation system. One that not only illustrates the primary and secondary routes, but also provides you with indepth overview of even the smallest lanes and alleyways , making it easier for you to plan shortcuts. With such a broad insight of the territory at hand, you’ll never feel lost again, this in itself gives you added freedom to improvise. What is however necessary on your part as a budding alchemist, is a reasonable understanding of mathematics and a good sense of rhythm as these are fundamental essentials for the progressive-minded creative musician. An equal balance of these base alloys produces the hottest polyrhythmic eruptions and the most hypnotic grooves.

Whilst some drum books use one system with many exercises, Dia Meters on the other hand off ers many systems using only the most suitable exercises. Th ese systems are tools that enable the player’s fantasy to anchor itself in order to reduce the distance with the wormhole of total rhythmic independence. By practicing these systems hard and long, accompanied by a click-track and time table, over time they will become personal and naturally stylized in your own work. All of the material included in this book has been − and is still continually − explored during live concerts, recording and teaching situations. No, this is not the next beginners book, but a substantive and progressive guide seen by the free spirit of a self-educated person.

Dia Meters reaches out to drummers with an open mind. Th ose striving to attain true balance between both cerebral hemispheres, it guarantees a state of supreme mental assessment. Polyrhythms, dynamics and groove are three key factors ensuring both hemispheres are in a balanced and focused state of equivalence. Share this experience with your band members and your audience to maintain a supreme state of communication. Aft er all, drumming is all about communication. So let Dia Meters be your map to reaching your goal...

Th is book wouldn’t be realized without the valuable dedication and contribution of

sponsors Sabian, Vic Firth, Yamaha, Remo. structural helpers Tania Vens, Wayne Blanchard, Mark Eeft ens, Paul Hose, Philip en Chris Osier, Loverel

Vinton/Gordon, Hugo Pinksterboer, Virgil Donati, Stephaan Mertens, Jean-Philipe Komac, Jan Cuyvers, Bruno Goedhuys.

musicians and studio technicians Hanjo Van Oosterom, Wim Roelants, Tom Lodewijckx, A Horse A Bucket & A Spoon (Wim Tops en Peter Revalk), Koen Heirman.

motivators Mona Meeus, Synthia Van Camp, Dom Famularo, Virgil Donati, John Bonham, Ian Paice, Roger Taylor, Dave Weckl, Vinnie Colaiuta, Ceasar Zuiderwijk, Dennis Chambers, Marco Minneman, Drumbassadors, Slagwerkkrant, Slagwerkwereld, Francky Dedeyne, Dojo Tamashi.

family Meeus/Swings, Vermeulen/Van Camp!

Fast

Gravity PowerQuestion

Silent

Muscle PowerSlow

Answer

Loud

3D I A M E T E R S

DRUM SET

1 2

3

45

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

31 24 56 789

  1.  Left Crash  2.  Splash  3.  Hi-hat (HH)  4.  Crash  5.  Splash  6.  Ride  7.  Aux hat (Auxiliary hat)  8.  Right Crash  9.  China10.  Piccolo Snare drum (SD)11.  Left Bass drum (BD)12.  Wood Block13.  Soprano Snare drum (SD)14.  Tom-tom 115.  Right Bass drum (BD)16.  Cowbell17.  Tom-tom 218.  Floor tom 1 (FT)19.  Floor tom 2 (FT)

Notation and Naming of Drum Set Parts

Cross-stick

Hi-hat open  closed

Hi-hat open  closed with foot

Cymbal choke

Cymbal bell

Cymbal scratching

Dynamic Notation

Alternative Notation

FT

Aux hat

BD

CC  Crash cymbalRC  Ride cymbalHH  Hi-hat

T1  Tom-tom 1T2  Tom-tom 2SD  Snare drum

General Abbreviations

1612 14 17 13 10 18 19 15 11

FT  Floor tomBD  Bass drum

D I A M E T E R S

�

SLOW 7 track 11. DRUM RUDiMEnTS 9

chaRT 19-20

JUnGLE JOhn 21 track 21. JUnGLE JOhn inTRO 232. ThEME 253. TOnY WiLLiaMS POLYRhYThMS 264. JUnGLE JOhn DRUM SOLO 275. SOLO OUTRO a 28

chaRT 31-32

Dia METERS 33 track 31. a PaRT 352. B PaRT 413. Dia METERS cODa 43

chaRT 45-46

BaD LiB 47 track 41. BaSic 19/16 PaTTERn 492. B BEaT 533. D PaRT 534. E PaRT 565. DRUM SOLO 56

chaRT 57-59

DERWiSJ DaKOTa 61 track 51. a PaRT 632. B PaRT 653. POLYRhYThM MiX 67

chaRT 73-74

LUXOR 75 track 61. inTRO 772. LUXOR GROOVES 813. DRUM SOLO 81

chaRT 86-88

aFRO SPEEch 89 track 71. ThEME - QUESTiOn PaRT 912. ThEME - anSWER PaRT! 963. RUBaTO SOLO PaRT 96

chaRT 98-99

SPaRTacUS 101 track 81. inTRO 1032. a PaRT 1043. D PaRT 110

chaRT 112-115

Dia METERS

�D I A M E T E R S

D I A M E T E R S

�

sabian showerphoto by esther rymen

SLOW

drumshow in parisphoto by synthia van camp

cd

1. DRUM RUDiMEnTS 9

1.1 SinGLE STROKES 9

1.2 WaRM UP On ThE SnaRE DRUM 9 9

1.3 WaRM UP On ThE DRUM SET 10

1.4 DiFFEREnT GRiPS 101.4.1 OPEn GRiP (MOELLER TEchniQUE) 101.4.2 FREnch GRiP 111.4.3 LOcKED GRiP 11 10

1.5 STRETchinG TiME 121.5.1 TaBLE OF TiME 12 11

1.6 hanDS anD FEET 13 12

1.7 DOUBLE STROKE ROLLS anD PRESS ROLLS 141.7.1 BaSicS anD inVERSiOnS 141.7.2 METRicaL DOUBLE STROKES 141.7.3 FROM DOUBLE STROKES TO PRESS ROLL 15 13

1.8 PaRaDiDDLES USED in SLOW 151.8.1 SinGLE PaRaDiDDLE 15

FiRST anD SEcOnD DEDUcTiOn 151.8.2 PaRaDiDDLE FaMiLY 16

BinaRY aPPLicaTiOnS 16 14TERTiaRY aPPLicaTiOnS 17 15

1.8.3 PaRaDiDDLE DiDDLE 17 161.8.4 RaDiDDLE 18

RaDiDDLE WaRM UP 18

chaRT 19-20

�D I A M E T E R SSLOW

D I A M E T E R S SLOW

8

2002 Club Concert with Mr.G&Blue Power

1994 Sabian promotion shoot

1994 Wizards of Ooze playing at the Carre Club

2005 Backstage drum show Diest John Blackwell (Prince) and Bruno

1997 Wizards foto shoot in the meadows with so many cows...

CD 9

SLOW

S low (Track 1) is a rubato drum piece. Rubato literally means: ‘stolen time’. � ere are no backbeats or clear-cut rhythms, only lively accelerations, delays, crescendos and decrescendos. Drum rudiments and metrical skills become safety nets and are taken into consideration in this

chapter. Slow shows you how to deal with rubato themes on a drum set. � is book does not begin with elementary beats but with elementary needs:

1. DRUM RUDIMENTS

1.1 SINGLE STROKESDrum rudiments are the drummers ‘guitar scales and chords’ and are based on single and double stroke combinations. � e � rst rudiment is the single stroke roll.

Single stroke = one stroke per limb

1.2 WARM UP ON THE SNARE DRUMTo play single strokes accurately and evenly, the arms and hands must receive equal training. In this � rst warm up, both hands play separately.

Tempo = 50-150 bpmSINGLE STROKE WARM UPEXERCISE 1

Practice right hand, then le� hand:

Tempo = 50-150 bpmDEAD FLAM WARM UPEXERCISE 2

Replay using both hands simultaneously: every two hand stroke sounds as a one hand stroke; no � ams!

1. 2.

1. 2.

9 SLOW

1.3 WaRM UP On ThE DRUM SETWhen playing the drum set, ‘snare drum muscles’ will extend to become ‘drum set muscles’. Distance of reach and variances in drum diameters, stick rebound and other factors affecting speed and performance will be overcome this way. The next system shows how to interpret exercise 1 on the drum set.

Tempo = 50-150 bpmsingle hand interpretationEXERciSE 3A helicopter perspective of a basic drum set shows us horizontal, vertical and diagonal coordinates, on which three drum set parts could be played. Exercise 1 is now interpreted for the drum set.

1. 2.

1.4. DiFFEREnT GRiPSVarious stick grips are used when dynamic, technical or emotional differences are required. The Moeller, French and Locked grips used on Dia Meters:

1 MOELLER GRIP GRAVITY POWER/REBOUND

2 FRENCH TIMPANI GRIP FINGER POWER

3 LOCKED GRIP WRIST POWER

1.4.1 OPEn GRiP (MOELLER TEchniQUE)

Moeller Technique = based on gravity power/rebound power

Because it can be used to generate extra strokes with little or no additional effort, the Moeller Technique is very popular. Basically three different movements are enhanced: 1. Accent stroke (A) 2. Rebound stroke (R) 3. ‘Steal’ stroke (S), which is generated by the upward manoeuvre of the wrist, while the downfalling

hand steals an extra stroke.

A=SD

B=T2

C=RC

1. 2. 3.

A=FT

B=T1

C=CC

A=FTB=SDC=HH

A=SD

B=T1

C=CC

6.5.4.

A=T1 B=T2

C=RC

A=FT

B=T2

C=RC

D I A M E T E R S SLOW

10