Donald Tardy from Obituary interviewed by Australia's The Racket

Drummer Donald Tardy of Florida death metallers OBITUARY was recently interviewed by Andrew Haug of Triple J's "The Racket" (based in Australia). Listen to the chat in streaming audio at the Triple J web site: Windows Media, Real Media (NOTE: The Donald Tardy interview begins around the one-hour, five-minute mark). Check out the program's entire playlist at this location.

"Darkest Day", the new album from OBITUARY, sold around 1,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 32 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Darkest Day" was released on June 30 via Candlelight Records.

Check out the album artwork below. The band once again worked with artist Andreas Marschall, who created the art for "The End Complete", "Frozen in Time", and the group's last record, "Xecutioner's Return".

An e-card for "Darkest Day" is available at this location. It features audio clips of three songs from the CD —"List of Dead", "Blood to Give" and "Payback".

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Middle Eastern, Pre Western Music And Contemporary Arabic Music by Eric Starr

The music of the Middle East and the Arabic nations dates back thousands of years, and has influenced countless other musical traditions. Contemporary Middle Eastern music combines the traits of traditional Eastern folk music with popular music of the Western hemisphere, including elements of classical music. Ghazal, Qawali, Maghrebi, Kahleeji and Arabic Pop are just a few of the numerous styles of music emanating from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf in the musics early modern forms, Middle Eastern composers integrated their folk styles with Western influenced orchestras, though currently the trend has turned back toward smaller ensembles. Pre Western Middle Eastern music utilized smaller ensembles.

Traditional Middle Eastern rhythms covered a wide array of odd time signatures. However, as a result of Western musics influence, a large portion of contemporary Middle Eastern music is composed in duple or other meters containing even numbers. Thus, the first two following drum set patterns are written in 4/4. Their overall sound and rhythm serve as accurate examples of traditional Middle Eastern music adapted for the drum set. Like the 5/4 time signature, 7/4 meter is relatively easy to count. It's normal to count a song in 7/4 in one of three ways: 1) count all seven beats per measure; 2) count a measure of 4/4 followed by a measure of 3/4; 3) count a measure of 3/4 followed by a measure of 4/4.

The Arabic nations music along with Middle East music dates back thousands of years, and has influenced countless other musical styles during its evolution. Instruments such as the Oud - a pear shaped stringed instrument, Persian Tars - a plucked and strummed instrument, similar to an Oud, with a sound board of stretched skin rather than wood, Neys - wind instrument, Qanouns - horizontal instrument with many strings, resembling a dulcimer and Kamenches and Rebabas - both fiddle like, bowed instruments, still characterize this musical genre. Notable Arabic musicians include Kazem el Saher, Nawal el Zoughbi, Najwa Karam, Assi el Hillani, George Wassouf, and Amro Diab. Middle Eastern rhythms were originally devised in antiquity on frame drums, the Arabic tabla, the dumbek, the darabuka, finger cymbals, and other traditional percussion instruments. Though an authentic Middle Edstern ensemble still contains such instruments, the drum set is often used in modern day Middle Eastern ensembles.

Probably the most famous rock song written in 7/4 is Pink Floyd's "Money". As with other styles, there are countless variations and embellished drum grooves to play in 7/4. The tempo range is similar to that of 5/4, with quarter note equal from one hundred to one hundred and thirty two beats per minute. The 5/8 meter is often more difficult to feel than 5/4 or 7/4 because its normally played at a faster tempo. One practical way of counting this meter is to sound out all five eighth notes per measure. However, due to its faster tempo, it may be more practical to break down the meter into two separate groupings, either a 3 plus 2 grouping or a 2 plus 3 grouping. The pulse of 5/8 meter is often brisk, with eighth note equal from one hundred and ninety two to three hundred and twenty beats per minute.

By Eric Starg. Like many Jazz drummers Eric is using Tama Drums, Meinl cymbals and a few African Drums in his setup. Eric is an member of Drum Solo Artist where he is answering drum related questions, and helping drummers with tips and advices.

Small Band Jazz - History And Development Drummers Guide Part 2

Though Avante Garde utilizes the ideas of the previous two styles, it requires more technically advanced drumming, because the time pattern is usually less apparent, and is sometimes deliberately obscured or even omitted entirely (as with much of the music of Cecil Taylor). As well, tempos may exceed even those of Be Bop; Avante Garde drummers often use polyrhythmic figures; and the form of a song is sometimes abandoned entirely-if there was a form to begin with (that is, if the playing isn't based on pure improvisation). Finally, with the popularity of FunkandFusion, jazz came to include straight as well as swung feels (e.g., Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage").

Today, a jazz drummer may utilize any of the styles and ideas of the previously mentioned eras. The role of the drum set player in jazz continues to be to establish the swung or straight feel, with improvisation on the drums complementing the other instruments. The following patterns, featuring time variations and bassand snare drum variations, are only the beginning of countless possibilities for improvisation. To increase your improvisational vocabulary, refer to books such as Modern Reading Text in 414, by Louis Bellson and Gil Breines, Syncopation for the Modern Druinmer, by Ted Reed, and Advanced Techniquesfor the Modern Drummer, by Jim Chapin. The tempo range in Small Band jazz is wider than that in any other jazz genre with quarter note equal 60-304 beats per minute. (The only exception is the jazz Ballad which is played very slowly).

The primary musical characteristic of the jazz Waltz is the 3/4 time signature, though it's almost always played swung. The jazz Waltz is found in both Big Band and small band arrangements with Max Roach's "The Drum Also Waltzes" among the most prominent drum compositions. In addition, any of the improvisational figures found in the preceding section can be applied (suitably modified for 3/4 time, of course) to a Jazz Waltz. As with the previous styles, there are countless variations on both time and improvisational figures. Below are some of the most useful for the jazz Waltz. The large tempo range is quarter note 100-255 bpm.

One of the distinct sounds of jazz drumming is achieved with brushes, which are commonly used in both standard tempo songs and, especially, in ballads. The primary brush technique is to drag ("swirl") the snare hand in a clockwise circular motion on the snare while playing a consistent time pattern with the ride hand on the same surface. This requires proper coordination between the two hands. The snare hand, circling as a hand of a clock, will arrive at ten o'clock on beats 1 and 3, and four o'clock on beats 2 and 4. The time pattern of the ride hand will strike beat 1, the + of beat 2, beat 3 and the + of beat 4 at four o'clock and beats 2 and 4 at ten o'clock, crossing over the circling snare hand. When performing a ballad with brushes, another way to play is the "figure eight" method. Both hands perform a figure eight on the snare drum, swirling and rarely leaving the surface. Generally, the ride hand starts on beat 1 at the upper portion of the drum while the snare hand is placed toward the lower portion on the same beat. The hands move in contrary directions to each other, both in figure eight patterns, and end up on opposite sides of the drum on beats 2 & 4. This enables a drummer to lightly accent all four beats of a measure with both hands simultaneously. (Note that a left-handed drummer would reverse motions for the following patterns). Tempos are slow for jazz ballads with quarter note starting at 50 bpm.

Eric is using Snare Drums manufactured by Gretsch Drums and Slingerland Drums. Eric is a member of Drum Solo Artist where he is answering drum related questions, and helping drummers with tips and advices.
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Are You Sure You Are Practising Drum? - Part 2

Modern medicine now has practitioners who specialize in problems peculiar to musicians of all instruments. They are finding that players of the same instrument experience the same or similar problems. (Two of the problems for drummers are carpal tunnel syndrome and lower back pains.) To alleviate and/or prevent some of these problems experts recommend resting for five minutes each half hour instead of continuous practice. The recommendation is twenty-five minutes - practice, five minutes - rest.

I have made a list of some important points that if adhered to should not only make your practice session more productive but also more enjoyable. (We all enjoy what we're doing much more when we can see advancement and improvement.)

1) Watch Your Hand Position: this is the No. 1 problem I have found with drummers and students - from beginner to advanced. Whichever grip you use, when practicing always be sure your hands are in the correct position. It just doesn't make sense to put time in practicing technique and not have your hand positions correct. These positions are used for a reason and your development will be limited if you do not use them correctly. Once your hand position improves you will find your playing will become much cleaner and faster.

2) Sticking: this is the second biggest problem I've come across in teaching. Keep in mind the phrase "one stick up, one stick down" and practice that way. You will always have a stick in position to make a stroke either from the high ("up") position or from the low ("down") position. With concentration on "sticking" your hand techniques will start to flow much more smoothly.

3) Stick Height: this is different from sticking in that it refers to how high you bring the sticks. Whether you work from a full 90 degree position, a 45 degree angle or anything in between the important point is that both sticks return to the same height. Because most of us are not ambidextrous we have a tendency to favor our strong hand and bring that stick to a higher position than the weak hand. This means one stick is traveling a shorter distance to reach the drum whenever a stroke is made. Think about it. It stands to reason that if one stick is traveling eight inches and the other only five inches, the stick farther away has to move faster to reach the drum in the same time interval as the closer stick. This also means the rebounds will be weaker with the closer stick. Are your Single Stroke and Long Rolls uneven? Stick height is probably at least part of the reason - along with the Hand Position and Sticking. Concentrate on these three common problems and you will see a vast improvemet in your technique.

4) Play Off The Drum: unless they have learned this somewhere along the way, most drummers, especially heavy hitters, play down into the drum instead of off it. When making your stroke think up and bring the stick away from the head immediately after striking it. Some teachers describe this as "drawing' or "pulling" the sound out of the drum. The shorter the time the stick is on the drumhead the more resonant and responsive the drum will be. Thus, a cleaner and fuller tone and increased stick speed.

5) Learn And Practice The Drum Rudiments: even if you only spend a minimal amount of time on them do at least something. If you only study one rudiment a week - just one - you will have learned all 26 in exactly six months. You do not have to be a rudimental champ but the knowledge will be a definite plus - and you'll feel good about your accomplishment besides.

6) Work With A Metronome: use it at different speeds including the slowest ones. It won't make your playing stiff but will improve your time and meter. And, if you ever encounter a click track in the recording studio you will be thankful for any time spent with a metronome.

7) Keep The Practicing Habit: We all know that occasionally time is at a premium and a full practice session is impossible. On those days at least do something - even if it's just a 10 or 20 minute keep-in-shape or warm-up routine.

8) Strive For Perfection: be as perfect as possible when practicing. There is no sense in putting in the time and hard work if you don't go for perfection. Be your own worst and toughest critic and don't sell yourself short.

9) Vary Your Practice Routine: this is especially helpful when practice time is limited. Sometimes it is better to look at your practice sessions on a weekly instead of a daily basis. One day spend the majority of the time on hands, another on independence, another on reading, another on rudiments, etc. and be sure to rest for a few minutes between segments or five minutes per half hour. This will help avoid overuse or strain of your muscles. Be sure and spend some time creating and just playing. Some teachers suggest you do it at the end of your practice session. However, I have found it often works better to do it at the very beginning to get it out of your system. Then you can just focus on what you planned to work on that day.

10) In Regard To Sticks: you should generally use the same size stick to practice with that you play with. But it can be beneficial to spend a few minutes a week with heavier or lighter sticks to give your hand and wrist muscles a change. This can improve strength and reflexes.

11) Study The Traditional Grip: and if you generally play traditional spend some time playing matched. The traditional grip has some definite advantages which include finger dexterity and flexibility of the weak hand. If you generally play matched grip, spend at least some time every day on the traditional grip. The increase in finger dexterity will even help your matched grip playing.

12) Keep Challenging Yourself: never be satisfied. Try to be working on something new at all times - a rudiment, book, rhythm - and once that is accomplished, whether it takes a day, a week or a month, move on to something else new. Strive to constantly improve during each practice session.

These previous tips should be concentrated on only while practicing. Once you are at rehearsals or the gig don't think about them. Concentrate on the music and feeling relaxed and comfortable. If you use these tips diligently every time you practice you will find they will creep into your playing without your realizing it and you will see a vast improvement in your technique and playing in a few short months.

Copyright Mat Marucci

Mat Marucci is an active performer, author, educator, and clinician listed in Who’s Who In America and International Who’s Who In Music. His performing credits include jazz greats Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Eddie Harris, Buddy De Franco, Les McCann, Bobby Shew, Don Menza, Pharaoh Sanders, and John Tchicai, to name just a few. He also has seven critically acclaimed recordings to his credit as a leader and others as a sideman, including those with John Tchicai and Jimmy Smith, with many of them garnering four stars (****) in various trade magazines including Jazz Times, Jazziz, and Down Beat.

Mat is the author of several books on drumming for both Lewis Music and Mel Bay Publications, is an Adjunct Professor for American River College (Sacramento, CA) and an endorser for Mapex drums, Zildjian cymbals, Pro-Mark drumsticks and Remo drumheads. He has written numerous articles on drumming for Modern Drummer magazine, the Percussive Arts Society’s Percussive Notes and Percussion News, Pro-Mark’s Upstrokes, and the online drum Magazine Cyber-Drum [www.cyberdrum.com]. Wave files of Mat’s playing can be heard at: http://www.jazzinspiration.com/artist15.html