Murph Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I'm torn. Coming off of decades of playing Classic Rock/Blues/Country ect. in clubs I find myself working on an acoustic project. When I listen to The Punch Brothers I don't miss the drums. At all. Dierks Bentley's Blugrass project (Up On The Ridge) has many different forms of percussion, including drums. Gillian Welch tends to go both ways. It seems I'm sub-consciosly giving MORE respect to acoustic works WITHOUT actual drums. What are your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Excellent post For inspiration try listening to the 'Sun' recordings of Elvis with Bass/Rhythm/Lead guitar V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 +1 on sun sessions. Like some of the (relatively) young buck string bands: Old Crow, Chatham Country. Not to say there's anything wrong with the skins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Im a big fan of the tambourine, i think for an acoustic act this is all the percussion that is really needed ... plus maybe that egg shaker thingie ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I'm torn. Coming off of decades of playing Classic Rock/Blues/Country ect. in clubs I find myself working on an acoustic project. When I listen to The Punch Brothers I don't miss the drums. At all. Dierks Bentley's Blugrass project (Up On The Ridge) has many different forms of percussion, including drums. Gillian Welch tends to go both ways. It seems I'm sub-consciosly giving MORE respect to acoustic works WITHOUT actual drums. What are your thoughts? I'm with ya, Murph. "Been there and done it" with the bands. That's why I'm all acoustic now. I guess that's why I love the bluegrass band so much. Good jammin' and it's all acoustic. Pure music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StijnV Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I'm with ya, Murph. "Been there and done it" with the bands. That's why I'm all acoustic now. I guess that's why I love the bluegrass band so much. Good jammin' and it's all acoustic. Pure music! "Been there and done it". I'm interested to hear more about it why ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Me thinks you guys are just avoiding dealing with those whack happy drummers. B) Straight - you don't need a drummer on everything, but there are some pieces that work much better with some kind of percussion. A good rhythm guitar player is sometimes all you need. Top bopping can sometimes do the trick. And like EuroAussie suggests - a tambourine can work well. Great topic Murph - a +1 for you. As we've had the King mentioned - how about some Gibbies, an old guitar case and some sticks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLs7oJDnMHM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverok Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Acoustic music is great, but nothing beats a great drummer, and no instrument is funner to play well than the drums, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Me thinks you guys are just avoiding dealing with those whack happy drummers. Exactly. Drums and percussion are fine but drummers themselves are well, drummers. You never know what they'll do or when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 When my blues band started to do our acoustic show some 20 years ago, I was worried that we couldn't do it without the drummer. First I put him on brushes, then I put him on hand drums and other purcussion devices, then I just started giving him the night off. A rhythm guitar, and especially the bass, can be played as percussive as is needed for a lot of acoustic music. And an added bonus, one less person to deal with (especially a drummer), AND one less hand in the till. On some of our showcase concerts I will "build" the band over the first few songs. Start out with two acoustic guitars for a number, then add the harp player for the next song, then the acoustic bass, and finally the drums with brushes. After that is electric guitars and balls to the wall. But it makes a nice openning to the show, and gives us an opprtunity to do old traditonal blues songs that just wouldn't sound "right" with a full electric band. I think you'll find playing acoustic music without a drummer to be refreshing, and challenging. And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, don't use a drum machine, the most annoying electronic gizmo ever invented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-1854Me Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I like 'tasteful drumming' in a more acoustic-oriented set, wherein the drums consist, let's say, of a snare and hi-hat played with brushes, and maybe a ride symbol. It adds a nice but light percussive accenting that the guitar/bass can only emulate, and when executed well, just adds a lot to the mix sound. Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 "Been there and done it". I'm interested to hear more about it why ! Not that I didn't love playin' the music, mostly the lifestyle was killin' me! Just imagine: decent looking kid about 23-27 years old playing lead guitar (Gibson Black Beauty) in a rock band in the late '70's to the mid '80's. Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll was the motto. Anything goes! And I was real good at it! All the great music from the '60's and '70's just made being a guitar player in a band on top of the world! After those wild years of playin' rock, country, and all types of music mostly under the influence of something I found that my true love of music was actually when I was with my closest musician friends back at home. Just us and our acoustic guitars without the loud amplification, drugs, alcohol, and all the things that take away from the music. Now that I'm older and a little wiser, I can do some solo gigs occasionally and play with the bluegrass band regularly without getting stupid again! I still love to listen to all the music from back then, but when it comes to playin', just gimme my ol' SJ and a mic! I look back on those years and smile. I treasure the times that I had and wouldn't change anything. But I feel the music I play now has more "meat" to it. It's just more "real" to me now. Just simple, pure music. Does that make any sense? It's hard to really put it in words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StijnV Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Thanks for the reply Larryp58 ! It sounds like you're are still going strong old rocker !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freak show Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I don't think an acoustic act needs a drummer, but I once saw a show with a guitar player/singer and a guy playing percussion on a miked pizza box. I found that to be perfect for acoustic music, because it was less overpowering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodehopper Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 --What did the drummer get on his IQ test? Drool. --Why do bands have bass players? To translate for the drummer. --Did you hear about the bass player who locked his keys in the car? He had to break a window to get the drummer out! -- What's the difference between a drummer and a large pizza? A large pizza can feed a family of four. --A guy wanted to play bass in a band. The band told him, "Okay, but you will have to have 1/3 of your brain removed." So the guy went into surgery. When he woke up, the doctor said, "I'm terribly sorry, but we made a mistake and accidentally removed 3/4's of your brain!" The guy said, "Uh, that's okay. Got some sticks?" --Why are orchestra intermissions limited to 20 minutes? So they don't have to retrain the drummers. --I asked my drummer to spell "Mississippi"... He said, "the river or the state?" --What do you call a dozen drummers at the bottom of the sea? A good start!! --Did you hear about the drummer who got into college? No. Neither did I. --How do you know there's a drummer at the door? Because he doesn't know when to enter. --What is the difference between a drummer and a drum machine? A drum machine can keep a steady beat and won't steal your girlfriend! --How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb? Only one; he holds it and the world revolves around him. --What do you call a drummer who's lost his girlfriend? Homeless. --What do you call a bunch of kids with drums? Jerry's Kids. --How do you call a drummer? You can't. They don't pay their phone bill. --What would you call the smartest drummer in the world? Mildly retarded. --What do you call 10 drummers sitting in a circle? A dope ring. --Why do drummers have lots of kids? They're terrible at the rhythm method. --What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians? A drummer. --What is the difference between a drummer and a savings bond? One will mature and make money. --How do you know when a drummers outside your door? The knock gets faster. --What do you call a drummer with half a brain? Gifted. --"Hey buddy, how late does the band play?" "Oh, about a half beat behind the drummer." --If a dollar bill was laying in the center of a room, and the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, a drummer with good time, and a drummer with bad time were standing in the corners, who would get the money? The drummer with bad time since the other three don't exist. --What do you call a drummer with more than one brain cell? Pregnant. These were copied off - http://www.justinguitar.com/en/MI-001-MusicianJokes.php you can go there for more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tartanbeastie Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Of course you all know the difference between a drummer and a drum machine? You only have to punch information into a drum machine once!!! I have to say that i dont like the sound of tamborines, i find them harsh on the ears. In all seriousness drums can be great but not always required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 In 1969 John Mayall 's album "The Turning Point" explored rock with out drums.... no shortage of percussive elements especially the cut "Room to move" that will get you move'n... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 A real newspaper headline in the Netherlands. "There was a robbery at a musical instrument store - four musicians and a drummer were apprehended " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamgreg Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 As a Singer, Songwriter & Producer I like when a song can stand on its own without drums. This is my song "plenty of..."; just vocals, guitar (Gibson J-100 Xtra) and a mandolin (1970 Gibson F-12). I grew up on Rock & Roll but have come to appreciate making a song stand on just 3 chords and the truth. Enjoy!!! http://www.iamgreg.net/iamgreg/Media/plenty%20of...mp3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryl M Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I guess it really is personal preference. I played for many years and I think bluegrass gets away without a drum because the upright bass has a percussiveness to it, and the mandolin is chopping the off beat. I just cut a bluegrass/country album with no mandolin and used a really good drummer playing just brushes on a snare. It was the best and easiest recording I've ever done. Listening to it back, it doesn't stand out any more than a mandolin chop would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Why not take a round without common drums. Think percussion instead and experiment your way into the lighter world of rattling and shaking. Ad some bassy exotic hand-drums plus other rhythm-toys if needed and place things gracefully in the mixes. Sounds to me as if you have gone a bit deaf on the standard kit and who can blame you after many years of 2 - 4 snare. Put the barrels aside a while, you might feel like an off cage cougar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwillplay Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I just wrapped up recording on my new cd. I had some of the same thoughts. I did not use mandolin, but the chop is definately a good snare drum. I decided to use drums on about half of the tracks. Mostly brushes and kick but a couple full up. I think it really depends on the song and your sound. Acoustic can mean so many different things. Listen to James Taylor's greatest hits and most people will say that is "acoustic Music". I agree, but the drums are hot as hell...very present and large in the mix..but strange enough, most people don't even recall that. I play with an acoustic duo or solo so I wanted to stay away from them unless the song really demanded them or they would add a bunch to the listening pleasure. I think when people hear my project they will consider it very acoustic (there is not an electric guitar on the record) but there are drums there. Using mandolin and fiddle can take you to a different place and I chose to use only acoustic guitar, upright bass, and usually on key instrument (accordian, organ or piano). If I played it live, I could easiely represent it well without a drum kit on any of the songs with three people. For me personally, I like drums enough that I miss them a little over the time of an entire project. the right drummer can make all the difference as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 New Hampshire's answer to your query: The Crunchy Western Boys (no affiliation, but the bass player is a good'un). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVjlR2npkOI web page. http://www.crunchywesternboys.com/ Get the CD http://www.crunchywesternboys.com/discography.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Down with a Bodhran? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-2N3S3lMc0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I played acoustic trad jazz for a while in the 90s, both with and without a drummer. When there was no drummer, I had to be rhythm central and it was harder work. Keeping time is one thing, but doing it on an unplugged acoustic when everybody else is loud (clarinet, violin, trumpet, piano, banjo, even the double bass for some reason) is tough, especially at the sort of speeds that trad requires. Lots of arm ache and broken strings. At least when the drummer was there, there was no chance of being heard, so nobody noticed if I took a rest or broke a string. Plus the drummer was funny, and once played an extended solo on an (initially) full beer bottle while I was changing a string. Frankly though, the Quintette du Hot Club de France sounded better when they had three guitars and no drummer, n'est-ce pas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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