A Lesson with Max Roach an EXERCISE for DEVELOPING a TRANSPARENT SOUND by David Stanoch

JAZZ DRUMMER’S WORKSHOP A Lesson With Max Roach AN EXERCISE FOR DEVELOPING A TRANSPARENT SOUND by David Stanoch

hen I was in college, I had without affecting the overall dynamic of with the right hand, then the left hand, the great privilege of study- the others. then the bass drum, and finally the hi- W ing with Max Roach, an hat foot. architect of the bebop style of jazz and THE EXERCISE Practice this exercise with a one of the most innovative and impor- First, establish a vamp, or repeated pat- metronome to help deepen your feel. tant drummers in history. Max stands tern, where you’re playing quarter It’s common to rush the tempo when out as one of the few players who cre- notes with all four limbs, with the right crescendoing and to drag the tempo ated a new drumset vocabulary that is hand on the cymbal, the left hand on when decrescendoing. Working with a still the standard today. the snare, the right foot on the bass click will help you anticipate and over- In our lessons, Max referred to the drum, and the left foot on the hi-hat (or, come these tendencies. Try starting at drumset as the “multiple percussion as Max called it, “the foot cymbal”). around 120 bpm. instrument,” pointing out that the kit is Play the vamp at an overall dynamic Of all the four limbs, the hi-hat foot is a collection of instruments combined to level of mezzo piano (moderately soft). typically the hardest to control. This is produce one collective voice. In what Focus on establishing an equally bal- usually because the space between the was easily one of the single most anced sound among the four tones of hi-hat cymbals is usually only a couple important drum lessons I ever had, Max the drumset. You’ll have to make some of inches. I remember seeing Max, taught me what he called his exercise adjustments to get everything at the Buddy Rich, and Tony Williams play live for developing a “transparent sound.” It same level. Think harmonically. You’re and noticing a large space between teaches you how to control the dynam- playing a four-voice “chord” of indeter- their hi-hat cymbals. When I tried mine ics between your limbs so that you minate pitch. Take the time to find a that way, it felt like my foot was going clearly project a balanced sound balanced sound, and groove on it for a right through the floor when I tried to through the band to the audience. bit. Now focus on how it feels to pro- bring the cymbals together. But you In contemporary backbeat-based duce this balanced sound. This is your might want to experiment with opening music, the bass drum and snare usually starting point, as Max would say. your hi-hats a little more than usual. dominate the balance of the groove, Once you have the vamp evenly bal- Nowadays, I regularly use this exer- and the cymbals provide support to anced, choose one of your four limbs cise as a warm-up, especially if I only weave everything together or to add and execute a four-bar crescendo (get have time to do a soundcheck before a accents for spice and color. In modern louder), from mezzo piano (moderately gig. It always helps me get my mind jazz, the ride cymbal and hi-hat are soft) up to fortissimo (very loud). Then and body “tuned in” in a musical and the priority in the balance of sound, decrescendo (get softer) for four bars, meditative way. If you stick with it, and the drums weave around them until you return to your mezzo piano you’ll find that this process of adjusting dynamically, supporting the rhythm vamp. The most important factor is to your dynamics will become an instinc- with undercurrents of counterpoint maintain the mezzo piano dynamic bal- tive reflex, where you’re constantly (comping), occasional dramatic bursts ance with your other three limbs while refining your balance for different situa- of color (dropping bombs), or a slightly the fourth executes the crescendo and tions. This single lesson really helped heavier backbeat groove. decrescendo. Don’t let your limbs surge me in my pursuit of a more mature To achieve a transparent sound, you up or drop down. With patience and sound, and not a drumming day goes by must learn how to shift the dynamic repetition, you will learn to control the that I don’t say a grateful thank-you to balance between all four limbs, making separation of dynamics in your limbs. I Max Roach for sharing it with me. adjustments to any one or more limbs recommend starting the dynamic shifts

David Stanoch is a faculty member of the McNally Smith College Of Music. For more information, visit rhythmelodic.com.