EARLY DRUMMING AND DRUM SET IN THE U.S.

Another huge influence on the formation of drumming in the U.S. were the traditions that came from slaves, such as the work song, that used a system of call and response.  The forerunners of jazz drums in this country were things the slaves used, such as washtubs, and simply drumming on their bodies, using a rhythm called "pattin' juba." The only place slaves were allowed to play this kind of music, outside of residences, was a place in New Orleans called Congo Square.

Congo Sqare is considered the birthplace of jazz.  One reason for this was the mixing of the African-style drumming/music with many other cultural styles, such as Haitian, European, Cuban and American, along with other lesser known cultures.  How interesting is that!  The coming together of so many styles and tastes was so unique, and lead to America's very own art form: jazz.

The shuffle groove, which came out of early blues, is basically the same rhythm as the pattin' juba. Listen to the shuffle rhythm here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shuffle_pattern.ogg
You can hear this shuffle groove in so many blues recordings, both old and new.  The blues was the foundation for jazz, and you will still here the shuffle rhythm used today in blues and jazz.  Here is a more modern example of this shuffle pattern: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DetroitBlues.ogg

I'll explore more of the early history of drumming in the next blog.  Until then, play some music!  And don't forget to visit Earthtone School of Music's website to learn more, and sign up for lessons: earthtonemusic.org

Tim Kurteff-Schatz

THE BEGINNINGS OF JAZZ DRUMMING!

Early American military fife and drum playing also had a huge influence on how the drum set was played.  The traditional grip (pictured below) from snare drum players in the military was carried over to the drum set.  This grip is still used to this day by drummers.  The two main grips used today are traditional grip and matched grip (also pictured below).  Neither one of these has been proven to be superior; the choice to use one or the other is up to the drummer, in terms of what feels the most comfortable.

Traditional Grip

Matched Grip

In addition to the traditional grip that was carried over from the military, many of the rudiments (a group of short patterns using particular sticking) were carried over to the drum set by these early drummers.

One important influence on the formation of the jazz genre is a French dance called the quadrille, which is a classical-style genre, but carried over to jazz.  Slaves in the U.S. learned to play this music for their masters' balls. These slave musicians were also allowed to play music originating from Africa and the Caribbean.  These very different styles started to blend together, and voila, we have the beginnings of jazz.

I will delve deeper into the historical roots of jazz in the next blog.  Until then, play some music, and visit our website! earthtonemusic.org

Tim Kurteff-Schatz

DRUMMING STYLES - A BLEND OF MANY CULTURES

Would you believe that the stylistic roots of drumming go all the way back to the Moorish invasion of Europe, starting in the 8th Century?  When this happened, there was quite a bit of cultural exchange between Spain, France and Africa.

The importance of African music/instrumentation on jazz cannot be understated.  One direct influence from Africa on what is now the drum set is the use of unpitched drums.  A couple of stylistic (when playing) techniques that came from Africa were superimposing one rhythmic structure on top of the other (like 2 against 3 - listen here), and use of repetitive rhythms, such as clave rhythms (listen here). Claves are pictured below.

Playing Claves

A huge stylistic influence that came from Africa and was transferred to drum set playing was improvisation. Since jazz was one of the earliest forms of music played on the drum set, improvisation (one of the biggest components of jazz) played a huge role in how the early drum set was played.

I will explore more early culture surrounding the drum set in my next blog. Until then, play some music, and visit our website! earthtonemusic.org

Tim Kurteff-Schatz