I had an interesting conversation with an excellent bass player the other day. He brought up the subject of playing the bass drum on all four beats.
It was interesting to hear a bass player's perspective on this. The Idea of feathering the bass drum in Jazz has been argued about for quite a while.
My first lesson with Mel Lewis triggered the remark that "you don't know shit about the bass drum" and he went on to tell me that drummers need to have a bottom. My own feelings are still mixed. I feather the bass drum with a big band and I'll do it with a small group only if the music requires it.
My particular problem with feathering is that it can bog the groove down if you're not careful and it can limit your response to the music. Feathering requires a lot of control because the bass drum pulse has to be felt rather than heard. it's the kind of control that can only be practiced on the bandstand where you can hear if you're stepping on the bass player's toes.
The Be-bop revolution changed the drummer's role dramatically. In the swing era the bass drum was the focal point in time keeping. In Be-Bop it was the ride cymbal and drummers went from just supporting the music to an equal interactive member.
Using the bass drum for accents opens up the bottom and frees the bass player to play more expressively. Feathering, when done properly, reinforces the bass line and balances the highs coming from the ride cymbal. Feathering the bass drum should be based on the situation you're in and the musicians you are working with. I'd like to hear what you think.
It was interesting to hear a bass player's perspective on this. The Idea of feathering the bass drum in Jazz has been argued about for quite a while.
My first lesson with Mel Lewis triggered the remark that "you don't know shit about the bass drum" and he went on to tell me that drummers need to have a bottom. My own feelings are still mixed. I feather the bass drum with a big band and I'll do it with a small group only if the music requires it.
My particular problem with feathering is that it can bog the groove down if you're not careful and it can limit your response to the music. Feathering requires a lot of control because the bass drum pulse has to be felt rather than heard. it's the kind of control that can only be practiced on the bandstand where you can hear if you're stepping on the bass player's toes.
The Be-bop revolution changed the drummer's role dramatically. In the swing era the bass drum was the focal point in time keeping. In Be-Bop it was the ride cymbal and drummers went from just supporting the music to an equal interactive member.
Using the bass drum for accents opens up the bottom and frees the bass player to play more expressively. Feathering, when done properly, reinforces the bass line and balances the highs coming from the ride cymbal. Feathering the bass drum should be based on the situation you're in and the musicians you are working with. I'd like to hear what you think.
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