Josh Freese, "Since 1972"

So, Josh Freese. Awesome drummer! Josh is a mighty studio drummer who has worked with so many huge names in music that I'm not about to attempt to list them all, but to name just a few... Sting, Devo, Avril Lavigne, Nine Inch Nails, 3 Doors Down, A Perfect Circle, the Offspring, Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, RATM), the Vandals, Slash, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Rob Zombie, Miley Cyrus, Weezer, Guns & Roses, and the list goes on. Josh has also put out two of his own albums: "Notorious One Man Orgy" and his new one, "Since 1972". Josh has come up with some original marketing for "Since 1972". If you decide to buy "Since 1972", you'll be presented with eleven different packages, priced from $7 to $75,000. For $50 you'll get a personal "thank you" phone call from Josh, which gives you the opportunity to ask Josh whatever you want to know. For $5,000 Josh will give you a private tour of Disneyland where he used to gig. For $75,000 you get a choice of a) any one of Josh's drum kits, you pick b) Josh as a member of your band for a month c) a ride in Danny Carey's Lamborghini or d) a flying trapeze lesson with Josh and Robin Finck (NIN) which includes dinner made by Finck's wife. Crazy! As a kid Josh practiced what he calls "the most basic rudiments": double stroke rolls, fives and sevens, paradiddles, flam taps and flamadiddles. He recommends recording yourself playing along to drum machines and pre-recorded music, and then listening back. Also he highly recommends playing with other musicians, "you have to play with people".

Roland V-drum Benefits and New Kits

The electronic drum market is growing, mostly due to two big reasons: technological advancements and a new generation of drummers that are more open to playing electronic drums. There's an analogy between electronic drums and digital pianos, back in the '80s everyone thought they sounded bad, and fake, but today they are more accepted and they sound great.

Some of the reasons that electronics are winning over drummers in a big way are that electronics fill a lot of needs that acoustics can't satisfy. With electronic drums, drummers can play at any time. By putting on headphones, they can hear amazing drum sounds without disturbing family members, or if they live in apartments, without disturbing other tenants. Churches love electronic drums because of the great sounds and the volume control aspect. Also, show drummers appreciate the variety of sounds available in a small and simple to use unit, and of course, the volume control. Even, recording studios realize the advantages of the electronic drums. For them, there's a huge savings in time and expense to get a great drum sound. Then there are other musicians, like guitarist, that are getting more and more interested in electronic drums. Not the entire drum kits necessarily, but the drum brains and modules which have features they can use for sequencing, or simply finding a groove to jam along to.

Roland has recently introduced two new V-drum kits. The TD-20SX is the grand-daddy of the V-drum line. The TD-20's brain has 920 drum instrument sounds, 100 drum kits, new sound layering and enhanced editing features, new compression algorithms, and new ambience choices for a wide variety of live environments. The TD-20SX is for the professional who really needs the ultimate in the industry, or for the hobbyist who has a lot of money :-) The TD-20SX list price is $6,999.

The other addition to the V-drum line is the TD-4SX, this kit has all mesh heads. The Roland mesh heads have the nicest feel and response of all of the electronics on the market. The list price for the TD-4SX is $1,599, but The Drummer's Den will get you the best price possible. In fact, the dealer cost on the TD-4SX was just reduced and I'm passing the savings on to the customer. Come to The Drummer's Den to get the TD-4SX at a big discount.

Come to The Drummer's Den and save $$$! I might be located in Scottsdale, but I don't charge "Scottsdale prices"!

Cymbal Brand Loyalty and Sabian

If you're like me you'd have to agree, a drummer can never have too many cymbals. Some drummers are brand loyal. I don't know why exactly, but my guess is that most drummers see the pros only playing one brand of cymbal and they figure, well... that's how it's done.

The thing is, the touring pros only play one brand because they get paid to play only one brand, and on top of that, they get their cymbals for free. The rest of us don't need to play one certain brand, we need to play the cymbals that have the sounds that are right for the music that we're playing, and the cymbals that have the sounds that we want to hear when we're playing them.

Just because I personally own and play cymbals from five different cymbals manufacturers, that doesn't mean I think that I'm somehow superior to drummers that only play one brand. I'm just saying that I don't subscribe to the "one brand only" philosophy, and I don't think anyone else needs to feel locked into brand loyalty, unless they happen to have a contract with that maker. I suggest you buy your cymbals based on the sound you get out of them, not the name that's stamped on them.

Well, enough about that... now for a few interesting tid bits about the cymbal maker, Sabian. You might not know this, but Sabian was established by Robert Zildjian. Yes, a member of the Zildjian family actually established Sabian, the cymbal company that is Zildjian's biggest competitor. Robert split from the Zildjian company in 1980 and started the Sabian cymbal company in Canada. The name Sabian is actually a combination of the names of Robert's children: SAlly, BIlly, and ANdy. Sabian's website is one of the three most visited sites for drums in the world, check'em out at www.sabian.com.

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"It Might Get Loud" for Drummers

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So... unfortunately for me, I missed "It Might Get Loud" when it was playing at The Camelview Theater. Guess I'll have to wait for the DVD release. If you haven't heard, "It Might Get Loud" is a documentary that explores the history of the electric guitar by focusing on Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Jack White (White Stripes and Raconteurs) and The Edge (U2). From what I hear, the highlight of the film is "the Summit", when these three giants in the world of guitar, come together to talk about their influences and techniques, play each other's songs, and then jam on a rock classic from The Band, "The Weight".

It got me to thinking, what would the drum version of this documentary be like? You'd need a modern, innovative, cutting edge drummer, maybe Travis Barker? Danny Carey? to fill Jack White's role. And then a pop rock drummer from the 80s, 90s, and 2Ks... I suppose Larry Mullen Jr. from U2 would be an obvious choice. And to round it out, you'd need a drum god best known for their work in the 60s and 70s... unfortunately there's no way to get John Bonham or Mitch Mitchell. Neil Peart doesn't quite fit the bill, although that would be cool. Billy Ward - Black Sabbath? Charlie Watts - Rolling Stones? Ringo - Beatles?

Personally, I'd like to see a meeting of Stewart Copeland - Police, Dave Grohl - Nirvana and Chad Smith - Red Hot Chili Peppers (and maybe an Alex Van Halen or a Tommy Lee thrown in for good measure.) Or how about Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl and Vinnie Colaiuta... wonder what that would be like...

Paul Shaffer's New Book and What it Takes to be a Great Drummer

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Paul Shaffer, the band leader for the Late Show with David Letterman, has a new book out: "We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Showbiz Saga". Paul began his musical journey at a very young age playing bongos at family "beatnik" parties. Paul moved on to the drumset, and is now a master of the Hammond B-3 organ. In a recent interview, Paul talked about what it takes to fill the drum throne on the Letterman show. He said, "you have to know a bunch of songs in every style - jazz, blues, R&B, rock..." and the drummer has to have "the kind of time where (the rest of the band) always knows where it's going to be. You don't want a guy who comes out of a fill and you're not sure where the downbeat is. You'd be surprised how many professional drummers are like that." Paul went on to say that great drummers make you want to dance, "...rock and roll is all about making people dance. So that's the function of the drummer right there. And the way to do that is to play something that feels good - and the way to make it feel good is basically to play it in time." Great points Paul! Do you want to make your drumming feel good? Want to make people dance? Want to develop your time and come out of fills on the downbeat? Come to The Drummer's Den for drum lessons, I can help you get there!

Cruise ship drumming

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There are four typical types of drumming jobs on cruise ships: show band, dance band, jazz trio and calypso band. For the most part, a show band is the only band onboard that didn't get booked as a unit. Most dance bands have two to five members and have already been playing together on land. Dance bands, to be successful, need to be able fill the requests of the dancers. Most calypso bands come from the Caribbean islands as a pre-formed group that plays poolside. The jazz trio is less widespread, as not all ships include a jazz trio. So, unless you live in the Caribbean or you get very lucky with your jazz trio, your best bet is to either be in a very good dance band, or to apply for a seat in the show band. Show band drummers need sight-reading skills and the ability to play many different styles of music like, Latin, pop, classical, funk, country, etc.

Most cruise contracts are for four to six months. Pay for a show band drummer can range from $1890 to $2800 per month, depending on the cruise line and your experience. Dance band drummer, $1500 to $4000. Jazz, $2000 to $2700. Also, consider that you won't have any grocery, housing, utility or transportation expenses while onboard. The cruise line will even pay for you to get to ship, and back home after your contract ends.

Using a booking agent, although the agent gets 10-20% of your income, is highly recommended. It's very likely that you'll make more with the agent, than without, enough to cover the agent's fee. Many lines will only hire through an agent. Your agent will manage travel docs, negotiate pay raises, contract length, and ship assignments. For info on contacting an agent go to www.careerdrummer.com. Many drum seats become available at the end of August, early December and early summer.

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Kick Port International

Been hearing good things about Kick Ports. It's a cone shaped insert that goes into your bass drum head. It was voted Best in Show at the NAMM show, and if it does what it's supposed to do, Kick Port is going to be huge! My buddy Dave swears by them and he's going to bring one by so I can hear what he's talking about.

As always, The Drummer's Den for drum lessons in Scottsdale, AZ 85254

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Keith Carlock and Drum Video DVDs

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Went to see Steely Dan perform at The Dodge Theater last week. It was my first time seeing them and wow! it was great! Keith Carlock was on drums for them. Yesterday I got his new DVD into The Drummer's Den. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet but I'm looking forward to it. That guy's good (obviously). He first came to my attention when I saw him on the Modern Drummer Drumfest 2005 DVD.

I noticed in the December 2009 Modern Drummer that there's an article about drumming videos. As you probably know Steve Gadd's Up Close and In Session videos launched the entire drum instructional video market. The article breaks the videos down into various categories. Turns out I've seen 26 out of the 36 highlighted. I agree with everything the article says about the videos. For those looking for a DVD on hand technique, stick control, I totally recommend Jojo Mayer's Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer. Great production, very informative and entertaining.

Come to The Drummer's Den for great deals on drum DVDs. I can help you find the right DVDs for you or as a gift for your favorite drummer. www.thedrummersden.com

Soultone cymbals, Easton Ahead Workout Drumsticks, Drum DVDs

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A buddy of mine has been telling me good things about Soultone cymbals. He tells me John Moffett (famed drummer for Michael Jackson) , former endorser of Zildjian cymbals, left Zildjian when Soultone offered to produce a signature series of cymbals for him. Well that says something. So, now my friend is going to bring some of the Soultone cymbals to The Drummer's Den so I can check them out. I'll let you guys know how that goes. You might see Soultone coming soon to The Drummer's Den.

Wanted to make sure you guys know about the Easton Ahead Workout Drumsticks. These sticks are the same size as regular Ahead Drumsticks, but they're extra heavy. The idea is that the extra weight will improve the strength of your grip, your wrists and even your arm muscles. I've tried them and I'll tell you, I could feel the difference after only a half hour of using the Workout drumsticks. Not only did I feel like I could play faster with my regular sticks, but I felt like I had more control too.

One last thing: The Drummer's Den has drum DVDs on sale. Heavily discounted! Almost down to dealer cost. Check 'em and get 'em before they sell out! I especially recommend the Modern Drummer Drumfest DVDs.

www.thedrummersden.com

Them Crooked Vultures

I haven't heard any songs yet, but I was psyched to find out that Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) have formed a new supergroup called Them Crooked Vultures. Cool!

My band, HR Violations, will be performing at The Clubhouse in Tempe on November 17th. You can get tickets at The Drummer's Den if you want to go and you want to save a couple of bucks on the price at the door. We have a new bassist and a new guitarist, so it should be an interesting gig. Mary Vendegna is on the bill too. Check it out!

Went to see The Black Crowes at the Arizona State Fair a couple of weeks ago. What a great show! The drummer for the Crowes, Steve Gorman, is in this month's Modern Drummer magazine. I love the Black Crowes, well three of their albums anyway, never got into the other ones. My number one pick is The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, and then Shake Your Money Maker is a "classic", and the Live at the Greek where they played Zeppelin songs with Jimmy Page on lead guitar is awesome! Chris Robinson really nails it on the vocals.

www.thedrummersden.com

Upcoming performances around Scottsdale and The Drummer's Den news

Hey, wanted to let you all know about a couple of shows coming up in November.

First of all Steve Gadd is going to be playing at Voce in Scottsdale on November 17th. What a great venue to see one of the greatest drummers ever.

And secondly, my band HR Violations will be playing at the Clubhouse in Tempe on November 15th. Mary Vendegna is on the bill too. Should be a cool show. We have a new bassist and a new lead guitarist, so that's going to make things interesting :-)

I have some deals going on drums at The Drummer's Den. A Roland TD-9SX marked down below internet prices. Also (2) Pearl Vision kits on sale. Three different finishes, two lacquers and one wrap: a natural blonde, a tobacco fade, and an oyster. Give me a call (480) 367-1261 or come down and check them out.

And one more thing, regarding drum lessons... A special offer for new 1 hour students: mention this blog and you'll get a $20 discount per month.

Click ---> The Drummer's Den website