Tony said "Okay ... here's a good one. I was asked by a journalist, "Mr. Williams, you have played with three iconic musicians of our time — MIles Davis, John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix — what quality do they have in common? And I answered, "They were not afraid to fail."
Read morePeter Erskine Gladstone/Lang Snare
To say I am beyond thrilled to be the new caretaker of this incredible piece of snare drum history from one of the greatest drummers of all time, my friend, the incomparable Peter Erskine, is an understatement.
This is what Peter calls “…my legacy snare drum…” and I am fully aware that this is/was one of his most prized and personal snares of all time, and I am so grateful that he has entrusted me to watch over it.
Remo + Peter Erskine Felt Tone Heads
Peter Erskine on why he uses the Powerstroke 3 Felt Tone Drumhead The Powerstroke® P3 Felt Tone™ Bass Drumheads incorporate the traditional style of dampening a bass drum with a strip of felt into an easy to install all inclusive Drumhead.
Peter Erskine on why he uses the Powerstroke 3 Felt Tone Drumhead The Powerstroke® P3 Felt Tone™ Bass Drumheads incorporate the traditional style of dampening a bass drum with a strip of felt into an easy to install all inclusive Drumhead.
Read morePASIC 2016 Wrap Up
Wes Little in clinic at PASIC 2016 w bassist Brian Allen
Nov. 9-12, 2016, Indianapolis Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN. PASIC is the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. If you haven’t been to PASIC, then you should make time to go! It’s a day totally devoted to drums, percussion, the education of percussive arts, and just about anything that can be translated to rhythm. Just imagine – a convention center filled only with drummers! There were many concurrent sessions (making it impossible to see everything) so I elected to attend the drum set clinics primarily, and peruse the exhibitor booths in between. Unfortunately, that meant I missed out on many percussion ensembles, marching exhibitions, electronics, etc… Please check out the 60 pics on the NSMD Facebook site.
Read moreRecollections: Buddy Rich, chapter one
Not So Modern Drummer celebrates the legendary Buddy Rich on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Providing personal commentary on Buddy are Mike Clark, Peter Erskine, and Gregg Potter
Read moreThe Inner Inner Line
"Musical intensity will come from being able to play subdivisions with great specificity and control" - Peter Erskine.
Here's an interesting application. We think of funk as being very 8th note or 16th note oriented, but a lot of funk actually gets its groove from relaxing the 'inner inner line'. You may think you hear 16th notes on the snare leading into the down beats, but if you listen carefully you’ll notice that those aren’t 16th notes at all, but are based on a 16th-note triplet shuffle played within the 8th note structure of the rhythm. That’s why those beats are so relaxed and funky -- and a challenge to play properly.
From country to Led Zeppelin to funk, it’s all in the inner line … and the line within the inner line.