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Does bigger drums means a better drummer?

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Is the old saying more is better always correct or what about less is more? Sometimes it is and sometimes …

I ran into this situation a couple of minutes ago. I was watching a neat little video from a drummer name Gavin Harrison. It was a video from a concert that he performed titled Sound of Muzak, in which he and his huge drum kit are the only things on the stage. I must admit that I have never seen a video like this, so I had to watch it in it’s entirety.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzFfNk4xGTE&feature=related

The video is not about a drummer performing inhuman drum solo over and over again, in what seems like eternity!

It shows us a guy who has perfect command of his drumming technique. Gavin’s style shows us that every one of his movements (rolls) are extremely fluid, flowing seamlessly from one drum to another. His drum kit in huge and the sound is just amazing! Now here is where I run into that old saying!

A old buddy of mine, Domenic, has shown us time and time again that he too exhibits these same musical skills as Gavin, but Domenic does so on a much smaller drum kit. He makes his modest gear sound like he is playing on a much larger one. Not that I’m bashing Gavin Harrison, not at all! It’s just that I think, most non musicians out there believe that you must have a lot of drums to produce a sound big. Now listen to by buddy to see what I am getting at.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgXnYew2YRE

So my question to you is does a bigger drum kit mean that you are a better drummer?

Keep on Jammin’




So Get the Funk Out

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Get the Funk Out from Extreme is a wonderful piece of guitar work by Nuno Bettencourt (Canadian Guitarist). I’ve loved listening to this song from the first time I heard it and have enjoyed experiencing it many times after that at volume 11 on my stereo at home or in the car!

I re-discovered this beauty while researching some other ways in which to play one of their other songs, Hole Hearted.

Nuno Bettencourt, instructs the viewer perfectly on how to play this one the way he does in the video I’ve included below. I’ve tried his method and it works great until he starts doing all those crazy pull offs and tap on’s that most guitarist use. Honestly, I was never really drawn to this form of playing.

Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean that I don’t love hearing this type of playing! It truly gets my blood boiling in a fantastic and enthusiastic way. I kinda wish that I tried it when I was younger but …

So if you’re one of those who are of this guitar ilk, then you’ll flip over this one! Enjoy.

Keep on Jammin’

Cindy Blackman a modern women drummer

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Cindy Blackman is truly a modern day women drummer who should be admired for the many styles she plays.

Best known as the drummer for arena rocker Lenny Kravitz for 11 years, she seems to float effortlessly from one genre to another. Don’t let this fact make you think that he stifled her creative side for all those years!

She is originally from Ohio and possesses some rock solid jazz chops! Her imaginative drumming technique’s and writing ability are the reason why her album Music for the New Millennium is so well received by many lovers of music.

cindyblackman1.jpg While playing with some of the best in R & R (Mick Jagger, James Brown, Iggy Pop and Prince just to name a few) she sure seems to love it! I know would, wouldn’t you? Being a women and excelling very nicely on an instrument that traditionally is reserved for men, she holds her own!

Cindy Blackman has quite a few heavy hitters that she uses for guidance. Art Blakey (nice chops on that guy), Elvin Jones and everyone’s favorite John Bonham! with inspiration from these guys, it’s no wonder she solo’s like no other women we know.

She’s a lover of horns and singers. Her love of Charlie “Bird” Parker and Miles Davis is apparent on her new album. She has a liking for Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane (man that guy had a God given talent) and Wayne Shorter.

cindyblackman2.jpgThe singers she likes is Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald with a sprinkling of Johnny Hartman for good measure. The best in delivery is Billie holiday hands down! I couldn’t agree with her any more. Billie holiday was big part of her musical education and mine too!

As you know I’m a huge lover of John Mayer on guitar, but Billie Holiday is the women who just can’t be beat for emotion. Her phrasing is just like getting hit by a bus, and you wanna know what, I honestly got hit by one as a kid and boy can that change your outlook on life a bit. I picked up a cheap Billie Holiday CD somewhere and it all started to snowball from there. Besides, if I had 2 acts to see live (that I never got the chance to) Max Webster is 1st and she is 2nd!

So if you are in your favorite record store go and treat yourself to her new album! Heaven knows, I just might be onto something here folks!

Keep on Jammin’

Guitar World has a fantastic selection of guitar tabs

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In all honesty, good readership, when I first started to pick up my axe again after a huge break, I didn’t even think about using the internet to look up how to play tunes. Yes, what a rookie move. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until I started searching online that I began to use tabs at all!

I used to read music all the time no matter which instrument I was playing. So over the years I eventually drifted away from this method of playing and used my memory for most tunes. After a while there were far too many little parts that I had forgotten and it made me quit disappointed in my playing ability! Nowadays, I don’t know what I’d do without guitar tabs. They certainly make it easier to learn a new song!

Although I’ve only used a couple of sites in the past, this site, Guitar World, really stands out to me. Browsing through the site I soon realized that if I was either a beginner, or advanced player of most common instruments, this would be a website to seriously bookmark.

This is a fabulous site to use if you’re looking for some great tunes to add to your repertoire no matter what instrument you play!

I’m a huge Beatles nut from way back in the day so I decided to see what they had. I actually found some refreshing new ways to approach some old standbys that made a lot of sense in my mind. The Guitar World’s Beatles guitar tabs section is very impressive to say the least! The videos in this section were nice, and simple to understand, just the way I like them!

They had so many unique interpretations of how to play certain tunes that I just had to stop and think about where in the song could I squeeze them in. Besides, there is nothing better than having the ability to change up and improve songs when you’re playing live. Always remember that when playing live in front of other musicians, they will take apart everything you do on or off stage. If you add different approaches to a song, you make it that much more appealing to those in the know and they WILL be impressed!

Their nirvana guitar tabs category is a must check out area as well! The tabs here have that subtle differences that you’re looking for in order to keep the crowd attentive and wanting to hear more from ya.

This is a must site to see, I’ll guarantee you!

Keep on Jammin’

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