Playing with Drummers - What should they play?

[CongaTick]

Quinto,

Wow, thanks for that youtube. What an incredibly tight group and absolute arrangement perfection!! Never heard of them, but I'll be all over them now. Tightly charted big band. I would love referral to an improv situation with a smaller group where drummer/conguero dynamics are balanced to fit.

[Diceman]

Who done truncated my thread??????

[Diceman]

Whoops.
Begging you pardon, please rewind.
Suave

[OLSONGO]

I have to look into my music archives, but if I am not mistaken the original song is played by Irakere.

Paz Olsongo

[dannydrumperc]

I remembered about this thread last weekend and spent some time searching my drum books. Diceman, if you have a trusty drummer who doesn’t has his Latin stuff together, tell him to buy these:

1) Afro-Cuban Rhythms for Drumset by Frank Malabé (Drummer’s Collective); Warner Brothers Publications. It explain both (percussion and drum set) traditional parts.
2) Afro-Cuban Coordination for Drumset: The Essential Method and Workbook by Maria Martínez (PIT); Musicians Institute Press. Use it to practice the concepts explained on Malabé’s book.
3) The Essence of Brazilian Percussion & Drum Set by Ed Uribe; Warner Brothers Publications. Use as a method – just like Malabé’s book.
4) Brazilian Coordination for Drumset: The Essential Method and Workbook by Maria Martínez (PIT); Musicians Institute Press. Same as with Martínez’ book,

I have the first 2 books listed and have viewed the other 2 and all are excellent resources.



Edited By dannydrumperc on 1200582379

[Diceman]

Nice one Danny,

much appreciated, I'll look them up.

suave

[dannydrumperc]

Also, Chuck Silverman's Practical Applications video is very helpful.

[dannydrumperc]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but now I'm the one in the same token - only from the other side: drumset (se viró la tortilla...)

Got a call this week to do this gig were the repertoire is mainly "salsa gorda", but the bandleader wants a conga/accessories & drumset/accessories percussion section. My experience playing with other guys in the percussion section (school band) had always involved a lot of players - maracas, bongos, congas, timbales, clave, guiro, etc...

My question is: when you play with a drummer, which are your expectations from him/her? Please focus on the DOs and not the DON'Ts.

Thanks!



Edited By dannydrumperc on 1200582577

[ozrivera]

Saludo Hermanos
Another good DVD and book for the trap set is.
conversations in clave by Horacio "el negro" hernandez
in this book Horacio breaks down afro-cuban style drumming for the trap set. including playing in clave.
also Traveling through time with Gio and Horacio. this is an excellent demonstration of how the trap set and the conga can complement each other with out getting in the way of each other. Horacio does a great job of explaning some of the do's and dont's.

suave

OZ

[dannydrumperc]

Saludo Hermanos
Another good DVD and book for the trap set is.
conversations in clave by Horacio "el negro" hernandez
in this book Horacio breaks down afro-cuban style drumming for the trap set. including playing in clave.
also Traveling through time with Gio and Horacio. this is an excellent demonstration of how the trap set and the conga can complement each other with out getting in the way of each other. Horacio does a great job of explaning some of the do's and dont's.

suave

OZ

Negro's material is excellent, but too much into the jazzier side. I think the Chuck Silverman's video is better for the dance band drummer.

[CongaTick]

Grab a cup of coffee/tea, sit back, and listen to El Negro and crew tear it up. A beautiful thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stm6V-LWzjg

[Diceman]

Great Vid, thanks for the heads up CT.
Inspiring to see the late Great Michael Brecker RIP.
Pity you couldnt hear the Conguero so well because El Negro was tearing it up most of the time.

Suave

[onile]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but now I'm the one in the same token - only from the other side: drumset (se viró la tortilla...)

Got a call this week to do this gig were the repertoire is mainly "salsa gorda", but the bandleader wants a conga/accessories & drumset/accessories percussion section. My experience playing with other guys in the percussion section (school band) had always involved a lot of players - maracas, bongos, congas, timbales, clave, guiro, etc...

My question is: when you play with a drummer, which are your expectations from him/her? Please focus on the DOs and not the DON'Ts.

Thanks!

Alafia Papa!
I hope that you are well!

Abure dannydrumperc,
If you are asking what are the expectations from a conguero's standpoint, I'd say it would be having the drummer keep it simple. The drummer should listen to you as well as the other musicians and adjust his technique accordingly (dynamics, phrasing, fills, accents). I work with various drummers out here in several different genres of music, but when it's a "Latin Band" (I say this to differentiate between a "Salsa Band", which would have a timbalero instead supposedly) things would be a bit different.

I currently do a Latin Jazz gig in which the drummer is a relatively young cat (27 or 29 yrs. old), college educated in music, and initially stated that he wanted to learn how to play latin music. Me being a conguero, the first thing I wanted to hear from him was dynamics and quarter notes on the bell, so I shared this with him. This was approximately a year and a half ago, he's only now starting to do it.

Some drummers inherently feel that they have to constantly respond to the dynamics and techniques of the players in the group. If you as a conguero are executing a roll, and in your mind you are taking it longer than two, or four bars, the drummer gives you a splash in two bars. This is where he is accustomed to hearing the break in the role possibly.

My recommendation when playing with drummers is to "talk" with them. Explain what you will be adding to the group in terms of technique, as well as what you would like him/her to play when you are doing a solo, or at a section in the music.

The alternative is however, that "you" become more sensitive to the groups dynamics and lay out more with an agressive drummer. This way you don't kill yourself during the gig.

On the other hand, if it isn't a "Latin/Salsa" band but rather a dance band, again consider the previously mentioned concerns, however you would be more "color" than "constant". You would be expected to highlight the accents of certain parts in the music, supporting some of the stuff the drummer does, so in this case you should be very attentive. Most drummers, as congueros do, have a certain 'style' and will repeat a particular technique throughout their repetoire of playing.

Espero que no te he confundido Papa!

Suave!

Onile!

[Rudy]

Great Vid, thanks for the heads up CT.
Inspiring to see the late Great Michael Brecker RIP.
Pity you couldnt hear the Conguero so well because El Negro was tearing it up most of the time.

Suave

Horacio doesn't need a conguero - he's a one-man percussion section.

[onile]

Alafia Abure Rudy!
I hope that you are well and abundantly blessed!

It was a pleasure to meet you at "Bobby C's" on Wednesday, hope that you enjoyed the show.

I believe that you mentioned that you are a drummer if memory serves correct, can you add something to this thread from your perspective?

Many blessings!

Onile!