help for soloing

[pacou]

hello guys,

I play in a band and we play various musics ( kompa ( = haitian merengue), funk, reggae.....)

my wish is to embellish my play by making soloing but it's very difficult. Are there keys for soloing?

Thanks for your HELP

[JohnnyConga]

Pacou....soloing is something that comes with experience, and study. There is "the theory" of soloing and then the practical applications. The "role" of the conga/percussionist is to "add" to the rhythm section, not "take away". Timing is the MOST important thing you should concentrate on. My first bandleader told me, when I was just 16 that "I'll tell you when it's time to solo, until that time, you PLAY time!"....and when it was time to solo, I wasn' t even ready, but I thought I was, and I gave it my best shot, while my knees were shaking like a leaf....I can only tell you that without a "mentor" to guide you is to train your ears and your memory to "steal/cop" Mongo solos, to start. Why? Because you can hear what he does on all his recordings. Emulation is part of the learning experience. So try and "copy" his solos, by ear. If you can "speak" drum, you can do that. I hope this helps you in some way....."JC" Johnny Conga...... :;):

[pacou]

hello JC
your advices are very precious.
Now, I'll try to follow them.

See you

:;):

[ABAKUA]

Wise words there JC, in addition to JC's comments, Poncho Sanchez has made many recordings with conga solos.
When I first began studying congas many years ago, I stole/copied many a chop from Mr Sanchez. Daniel Ponce is another, Cubanismo recordings also, plenty of solos there, Ray Barretto, Ralph Irizarry y su Timbalaye, Eddie Montalvo, Tata Guines, and tonnes more. Nice clear and sabroso solos.

Apart from listening/copying what you hear on recordings, it is vital that you have a mentor to help you develop your skill level. Practise, and lots of it, if you have the opportunity to get together with another percussionist or 2, you can practise a simple tumbao riff for example, and have trade off solos, perhaps 8 bars each, while the others hold the groove, one solos, and keep it up. You will find with practise, dicipline and time, your solos will improve.
Remember to stay calm, breath and have a clear head as you solo, and always listen to what is happening underneath your solo.
Also, if you get the chance, participating in rumba will help you immensly.

There are many DVD's, Video's and recordings that tackle the solo topic.
Eg. ANGA's video, GIOVANNI HIDALGO vids like Masters Meet Again 1 and 2, FROM AFRO CUBAN TO ROCK with Karl Perazzo and Raul Rekow by LP, DRUM SOLOS REVISITED as hosted by Ralph Irizarry - also by LP.

There are many many many more, I would suggest absorbing as much as you can, from there, you develop your own feel and licks. Listen, feel, immitate and create, with time you will be soloing with ease.
Good luck, and keep it up.



Edited By ABAKUA on 1113355683

[pacou]

thank you very much for all these advices.
not easy to apply them but I'll try :p

[franc]

pacou,
my two cents in this issue. what i do is , i use my pulse with my foot to do a solo. if you know how to read music is easy to perform a solo. you divide and subdivide music notations. you have to be like a clock with the pulse to keep time of the music you are playing. you can count the bars you are soloing , for intance i count 1 and ,2 and,2 and 2 and,3 and 2 and, 4 and 2 and, and so on... until i finished my solo. the down beat is 1,2, 2,2, 3,2, 4,2, 5,2 ,6,2, 7,2, 8,2. this a eight bar count. which is in cut time or 2/2 time signature. one bar takes two half notes. when using your foot in your solo you can hit in the down beat which is the half note as well as the up beat, which is the ''and'' of the pulse. also can play in between the down beat and the up beat, which is the ''and'' of the pulse. also you can syncope beats in the bar. since i know the value of the notes i can subdivide the two half notes in the bar. of course you must know how to distribute your slaps, open tones, bass, touch, ghost notes etc, etc, to do a great solo. this is the theory and there is the practical way like johnny said in his post. i hope you have understand my explanation on this issue. if i miss somethings, please let me know. like all of you i'm also in this beautiful journey in learning rumba drumming!!! my best to you and áche to all my friends in this great forum!!! your friend, franc

[yoni]

All this is great advice for soloing. If I could add something, it's only to try to make solos clear and confident. Soloing is just like telling a little story, you can use letters, words, sentences, paragraphs... and dynamics, changes in sounds and so on.

Practice and confidence are key. When solos come out with the same fluid ease as speaking, and with perfect timing and clarity, it will be fun for you and others to hear.
all the best,
Yoni

[pacou]

OK guys,

thanks one more time for your help

Now, I have to practice

[Diceman]

If I can add my pennyworth without sounding too buddist, silence is also a great tone, they even have signs for it in written music. It is sometimes what you dont play and the silences you leave between sounds which makes a great solo.
Sabor
Diceman

[captainquinto]

I was at a friends house one night and he had in a live Dave Matthews Band DVD. I heard this drum solo that got my attention - difficult timings with neat syncopation. I glanced over to watch and saw the drummer using ghost notes on his legs. Tapping out his 16th notes silently and strategically landing riffs on offbeats. I tried it myself later that night and found it most useful. Instead of on my legs, though, I played the 16th's (or triplets or 8th notes, etc.) on the side of the rim.

Cheers!

[JohnnyConga]

Ya know I have never been one to approach playing as an "intellectual"(book learned and stuff). My school was "practical application" with "theory" and learning the hard way, just gigging. If your counting through your solo, you "take away" from actually being "free" to express yourself. I have never ever counted bars through a solo, though I know what 8 16 24 36 bars "feel" like, which comes from many years of playing and studying...so when I solo Im not counting bars, I'm thinking/feeling my way through a solo. I find in my teachings that guys who have learned/studied perc in school, have no idea what it is to "express" themselves on the drum, that they can't perform without paper in front of them, and the "paper/chart" unless in a recording situation, becomes a "crutch". Do u think Ray Barretto or Mongo or Patato or Tata Guines are counting bars during a solo, #### NO!.....they knew how long the solo section was/is and worked through it, which comes from rehearsal or or just knowing the arrangment.....Now I'm not saying that counting is wrong, by all means u should know how to count out bars and learn to "feel" them go by....for me it's about becoming "FREE" on your drum and until you have learned everything there is to know about the drum and how to play it, Freedom is just a concept.....but I have been FREE for many years and teach my approach to my "grasshoppers".... ....try it you'll like it !....."JC" Johnny Conga....check out Percussion News at PearlDrums.com

[Mr. NoChops]

Ya know I have never been one to approach playing as an "intellectual"(book learned and stuff). My school was "practical application" with "theory" and learning the hard way, just gigging. If your counting through your solo, you "take away" from actually being "free" to express yourself. I have never ever counted bars through a solo, though I know what 8 16 24 36 bars "feel" like, which comes from many years of playing and studying...so when I solo Im not counting bars, I'm thinking/feeling my way through a solo. I find in my teachings that guys who have learned/studied perc in school, have no idea what it is to "express" themselves on the drum, that they can't perform without paper in front of them, and the "paper/chart" unless in a recording situation, becomes a "crutch". Do u think Ray Barretto or Mongo or Patato or Tata Guines are counting bars during a solo, #### NO!.....they knew how long the solo section was/is and worked through it, which comes from rehearsal or or just knowing the arrangment.....Now I'm not saying that counting is wrong, by all means u should know how to count out bars and learn to "feel" them go by....for me it's about becoming "FREE" on your drum and until you have learned everything there is to know about the drum and how to play it, Freedom is just a concept.....but I have been FREE for many years and teach my approach to my "grasshoppers".... ....try it you'll like it !....."JC" Johnny Conga....check out Percussion News at PearlDrums.com

I have studied djembe for 5 years with a Senegalese instructor. It’s funny how they never, ever count their music. They simply feel it, and they simply know when changes, parts, fills variations etc. take place. West-African polyrhythmic music (like Mbalax or Malinke) is pretty tough stuff on its own. Then to musically solo on top of that is quite a challenge. Yet, my teacher does it with ease. It’s all about going with the flow. First you gotta practice to make the fundamental flow. Once all the basics are flowing, it’s time to step into the stream and just go with it. That’s when solo’s come into play.