Drum Set Grooving: Make it Danceable
November 17, 2009 12:38 pm in Drumset by Brian Ferguson
One of the greatest compliments paid to a drummer goes unspoken. DANCERS! That’s right, a dance floor full of people says you are grooving! You are doing your job, keeping it steady with the right feel.
I was reminded of this recently while speaking to the steel guitarist in my band. He mentioned that his friends in the audience loved coming to see our band because they could dance to us. In particular: the shuffle. This was a huge compliment and something that in the past I haven’t paid enough attention to.
Many times as drummers, we are focused on coordination, hand technique and speed rather than making it groove and feel good for our band mates. If we can put the groove and time first, things will fall into place. In fact, you will find more work with this approach. Many of the styles we have to play as drummers revolve around the audience’s desire to dance. R&B, Hip Hop, Funk, Soul, Blues, Jump-Swing….the list goes on and on.
So how do we focus on this groove/dance first approach?
Listening! That’s right, listening. There are two forms for listening that will help us.
- Listening to the other band members on stage, focusing our ears more on what’s going on around us. Making the “big picture” happen. Find the other strong players in the group and focus our ears on them. Maybe the rhythm guitarist is really leading things…focus on his/her groove…jump on his/her train so to speak. Hopefully, all other musicians on stage will follow.
- Listening to the right drummers that preceded us, our recorded history on the instrument. Incredibly important!
So you want to find the right drummers to listen to….in particular the shuffle groove. Check out this video we produced outlining the shuffle feel. Be sure to follow it all the way to the end to get my listening recommendations.
So who is your favorite shuffle drummer? I would love to hear your questions or comments.
Until next time! Groove on people!
Brian
Another thought I had:
I have noticed some of my students getting into the notey stuff, playing way too busy. There are times when busy if fine, but generally the younger players don’t know how to apply lots of notes. They try to play too much when they should just be grooving….making it danceable.
I have found this exercise that helps.
1. I play time and ask the student to clap along. They have no problems clapping along. We groove together!
2. Then I play a whole bunch of notes, fills, metric modulation, over the bar line stuff and ask them to clap along. They can’t do it!
Bingo!!! I explain to them that this is what is happening to their band mates and the audience when they play too many fills and licks with no regard for the song.
I think we all have gone through those busy/notey times in our own playing?
Matt/Scott/John/Jason: thanks for the comments fellas!
You all suggested a great list of listening. Blakey’s Moanin’. Purdie and Porcaro for sure! Modern guys like Carlock. There are so many inspiring grooves out there for us to check out.
This all speaks to Daniel Glass’ post on checking and digging our recorded history….obviously something you all have done well.
In my teaching studio I have tried to find ways to turn my young students on to this great legacy we have. I have found that showing them Gadd or Porcaro right out of box doesnt’ always work. Much less Blakey or Panama Francis. Finding a jumping off place with what the student is in to, and then going “oh yeah, check this out”. An example would be “Holiday” off of Green Day’s American Idiot record or “Play My Music” by the Jonas Brothers. Not my favorite stuff, but nice rock swing/shuffles. The young students latch on to these songs pretty well. They are somewhat simple songs…they get into it big time! Then, it provides me with a jumping off point to our history now that the student is digging it. Finding that common ground has really helped!
I would love to hear your ideas. Are there songs you all have found in your teaching studios that work as a spring board into our history? It doesn’t have to be a shuffle….anything really.
Nice post Brian.
I like all the shufflers that everyone else does, but I have to say Jeff Porcaro really gets me going too.
There is nothing better than seeing a dance floor packed full of people moving to the beat that you (along with your band mates) are creating. It’s a good feeling being the driving force of a sound that unites people and helps them escape their daily existence, if not for a few hours on a Friday night. Steve Perkins said it best, “When I was younger I wanted to be the fastest drummer, now I just want to be the sexiest.” I think his point was that the real reward is in relating to people, not just drummers. Make it danceable and everyone wins.
Nice job, Brian!
You’ve mentioned many of my favorites, but let’s not forget guys like Fred Below or Art Blakey!
In addition, I think it’s important to point out that it’s not only the drummer creating the groove, but the whole BAND! I’ve heard guys like Grady Tate play a “simple” quarter note on the ride while the band is shuffling… MAN, what a groove!
As for playing for the dancers, I like to watch them for cues. Is the tempo/feel of the song a good marriage with their movements? Can I make any adjustments to make them look more comfortable? Look around the room – are people at least tapping their feet?
Make it groove, and you’ll make them move!
Nice article Brian. My favorite shuffle player is Bernard Purdie. Check out this amazing video on the “Purdie Shuffle” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFlrI-sorec&feature=related
I also very much agree with you about the dance component of what we do. Too many drummers try to disguise the beat and play around it rather than make the groove feel good and make people dance. Before the invention of the drum set and during it’s early years, many drummers were also tap dancers. We always have to remember the history of this instrument, it came from Africa where the drums are used in ritualistic and dance ceremonies.
I used to be a straight-a-head jazz drummer until I graduated university and lived in Brazil for 1 year. I was really struggling within myself because I was one of those drummers who always wanted to break up the time and rhythm…and in Brazil that doesn’t fly. I was playing gigs and guys would give me the stink eye on the band stand every time I broke the rhythm. Then, one day on a gig I happened to look up at the audience to see a few hundred people smiling, laughing and dancing to the music I was helping make. At that moment I never wanted to leave the groove ever again. It’s one of the most powerful feelings to be able to look out at an audience who has left their reality and forgotten all their hardships, dancing to your groove.
Thanks for posting and I look forward to reading and dancing more!
Scott Kettner
Of course the classics, Gadd, Keltner, etc. I really love Chris Layton’s feel and I got to see Keith Carlock with Steely Dan last week and he nailed all of those classic grooves like they were his.
Thanks Bill. I don’t know Rick Considine…can you recommend something of his to check out?
Probably my favorite that I failed to mention is George Raines. Amazing!
Dave Dicenso and Rick Considine are a couple of great shufflers. Gadd’s no slouch either of course!
Nice work Brian!