the official blog of the Percussive Arts Society

Ash Soan is a prolific and in-demand studio and touring drummer who has a well-respected presence on social media. I originally came across this performance clip by Ash on his Twitter account in the Autumn of 2019, as I was interested in getting more familiar with his work ahead of his PASIC appearance in November of that year.

This particular track really caught my ear because it seemed to me, stylistically, to be a good example of how to approach the Neo-Soul style of drumming that features what some call a “drunken” or “strung” (straight + swung combined) feel, where the eighth-note subdivision is sometimes neither perfectly straight nor a perfect shuffle rhythm, but rather is more elastic and flexible on the offbeat, “in the cracks,” between straight and swung.

The main reason I think this performance is a good example for getting into that style of playing is that, while there is a slight bit of overlapping straight and swung feel (see bars 4 and 6), the bulk of the solo creates the illusion of that feel by more directly mixing between straight and swung eighth notes, which sets up a strong foundation for being able to then “bend” them stylistically.

In Afro-Cuban rhythmic vocabulary, in particular, you’ll hear the same approach used regularly. To advance towards playing more “in the cracks,” think of how horn players in jazz play legato eighth notes, particularly at faster tempos, that nest between “straight eighth” and “shuffle” subdivisions and take that approach at a slower tempo. 

This is a fun solo to play because the beats are more challenging than they might look to lay in the pocket as you hear Ash play them, and the piece is peppered with a variety of Ash’s interesting, unique fills and phrasing, which combine great feel, taste, and space with more chops than perhaps meets the eye. Take them apart slowly at first and work them up until they feel good!

I worked with Ash directly to update the original video clip to include the notation of the transcription as well so you can see it as you watch and listen, all at once. Thank you, Ash!

A couple of notation notes:

The two-line staff is based on the same as my teachers, Elliot Fine and Marvin Dahlgren, introduced in their book, 4-Way Coordination. It was, at that time. an updated version of the innovative Swiss Basel one-line staff style of snare drum notation, in which the sticking is illustrated with the right-hand above the line and the left-hand below the line. Fine and Dahlgren added a second staff line below the hands for the feet on the drumset, with the right foot (typically playing bass drum) above the bottom line and the left foot (typically playing hi-hat) below it.

The advantage is you can see the stickings, instead of having to write them out, as well as the foot patterns right inside the rhythm.

The Key for the notation is found at the bottom of the transcription. Everything you’ll find there should be pretty standard except for the tom-tom notes, which are labeled 1 and 2. This is done simply to help you know which drum to play, as “1” refers to the rack tom and “2” refers to the floor tom.

Work towards ultimately playing along with the clip to match up with the synth programming and complete the musical application aspect of the experience. You'll come away with some sweet new licks for your own vocabulary as well.

For more Ash Soan, check out the PAS Playlist on Spotify, curated by Drum Set Committee member Christian Dorn: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/01a6Nv9EAAdJs4JRvStshM?si=06920fd2099f4efb

Watch the Video.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKbXHaDUOZw

“Bop Boy” is a 12-bar blues composed by Bob Mintzer. In the video linked above, it is performed by The John Riley Quartet: John Riley (drums), Brad Walker (tenor saxophone), Mike Esneault (piano), and Bill Grimes (bass).

One of the traditions of jazz music is call and response, and one of the ways this is realized in performance is through trading, which is when two or more members of a band solo back and forth. Often, this will be between the melodic instruments and the drummer, but it could be between any instruments. In this performance, the musicians are trading 12 bars at a time, between the sax, drums, and piano. The song has a 12-bar form, so it makes sense why the musicians decide to trade twelves. First, the saxophone player solos for 12 bars, then everyone drops out while the drummer solos. Next, the piano player solos for 12 bars, then the drummer again. This pattern repeats until John Riley cues (with a head nod) that the melody of the song is about to come back.

I transcribed all of John Riley’s solos during this trading section. He uses traditional bop vocabulary, but he also incorporates some modern vocabulary, including groupings of five, seven, etc. On the second excerpt from the transcription, John uses some of this vocabulary, but with traditional vocabulary in between. The traditional vocabulary helps to connect the phrasing in a clear and musical way. Here, John uses groupings of seven between the snare drum and floor tom, and repeats it. He uses this grouping at the beginning of each four-measure phrase, but ends each phrase with more traditional vocabulary. For example, in the second solo passage, note that each stroke that is directly before a “stick on stick” sound is a dead stroke into the snare, so that the stick can easily be hit.

Observing the trading in this video, it is obvious that the musicians are listening to each other while trading. They musically answer each other's questions, and sometimes imitate each other. It is also important to use my transcription as a visual guide to what is happening musically. Listen to the music to hear the subtleties and the phrasing that transcription cannot represent.

Michael Mester lives in Philadelphia. He has a bachelor's degree in Commercial Music from Kutztown University and is currently completing his masters in Jazz Studies at Temple University. Michael works as a freelance musician and as a drum teacher. He has studied with John Riley, Ari Hoenig, and Paul Gallello, and is currently studying with Justin Faulkner. Contact Michael at mikeymmester3@gmail.com, or connect through Instagram @mistermikeymester_drums.

The Transcription Page is a destination within the R!S Blog where you can find a frequently updated library of drumset transcriptions — classic and modern, in a variety of musical styles — all available for FREE download! This page has been created as a shared resource for players, students, and teachers of all ages and ability levels.

While the Transcription Page is FREE for all to access, you must be a PAS member to submit a transcription for publication. If interested, please check out the guidelines to follow for consideration: https://percussivearts.tfaforms.net/4728494. We welcome your contribution!

Audio and/or video links of each transcription are included wherever possible, so dig in and enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/track/5KMi1tNQ86upkrH5eTCe7l?si=HdNp2amDS927jdi2jCo8KA

“A-B-A” features three distinct sections, as the title suggests. Each “A” section consists of synth based lo-fi grooves, complete with programmed drums. In these sections, the transcription represents a loose approximation of the drum groove and is intended to help the performer visualize the locations of the notes.

Here are some tips to help you learn the beats presented in the “A” sections. Start by listening to the hi-hat spacing. These eighth notes are not straight, nor are they swung in the traditional sense. The phrasing lies somewhere between these two interpretations. 

Once you have tackled the eighth-note phrasing, turn your attention to the bass drum rhythms. The bass drum notes on count “a” have been pushed towards the following downbeat, such that they almost behave as flams for the notes that follow. I recommend practicing with the recording in one-measure loops. This simplifies the process of learning the individual micro spacings within the drum groove.

Here is another way to represent the “A” section (measures 4–5). This is a more accurate representation of the programmed drums, but is significantly more cumbersome to read in a performance setting.

In this case, the hi-hat is played on the first and fourth quintuplet, which creates the partially swung feel. The last two quintuplets are re-subdivided into three notes, allowing the bass drum to be pushed towards the following downbeat.

The “B” section features a performance by Ross Pederson, and is an excellent example of dense half-time drumming at a fast tempo. Pederson incorporates a combination of single strokes, double strokes, paradiddle inversions, and up-tempo jazz phrases to create a steady stream of intricate phrases. He rearranges a few key stickings throughout the performance, which creates both variety and cohesiveness.

This performance combines both speed and groove. Pederson’s hands are almost always playing sixteenth notes, but the emphasis is on the half-time backbeat. Furthermore, the bass drum part remains relatively simple, emphasizing eighth-note rhythms. The simple bass drum rhythms work in tandem with the consistent backbeat to create an underlying groove that grounds the “B” section, despite the constant whirlwind of notes.

This grounding effect allows these phrases to be repurposed for use in many other musical situations. By combining fast playing with a slow groove, drummers gain the ability to increase musical tension without altering the underlying pulse. A simple half time groove can be embellished to complement a rapid solo or to lead a band towards the climax of a song.

Stephen Bigelow holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance and is the drummer for Acacia Ridge. He stays busy as a freelance performer and studio drummer, and is currently working as a data analyst for Overstock.com while finishing a Master of Science in Business Analytics degree alongside his MBA. Contact Stephen at bigelowdrums@gmail.com or connect with him on Instagram @bigelowdrums.

The Transcription Page is a destination within the R!S Blog where you can find a frequently updated library of drumset transcriptions—classic and modern, in a variety of musical styles — all available for FREE download to anyone interested! Because the PAS staff regularly receives more transcription submissions than could be published in Percussive Notes, this page has been created as a shared resource for players, students, and teachers of all ages and ability levels.

While the Transcription Page is FREE for all to access, you must be a PAS member to submit a transcription for publication. If interested, please check out the guidelines to follow for consideration: https://percussivearts.tfaforms.net/4728494. We welcome your contribution!

Audio and/or video links of each transcription are included wherever possible so dig in and enjoy!