“Cissy Strut”… and Beyond

WORKSHOP Inside “Cissy Strut”… And Beyond

By Todd Bishop

ANTICIPATING THE BROKEN, linear playing of the ’70s and ’80s in an incredibly loose, earthy way, The Meters’ “Cissy Strut,” per- formed by the venerable funk master Zigaboo Modeliste, would make anyone’s short list of history’s funkiest drumming pieces. Galactic drummer Stanton Moore’s new DVD and book, Groove Alchemy, offers a valuable new insight into the “Cissy Strut” groove. With information he gained through interactions with the master himself, Moore reveals the unusual, frequently misinter- preted stickings behind the its deep feel. e following lesson expands on where Moore leaves oﬀ . It is a method for beginning to explore and improvise based on Model- iste’s approach in this song, and using Ted Reed’s deﬁ nitive Pro- gressive Steps To Syncopation book as a rhythm source.

In the original groove, Modeliste plays a lin- Zig strutting his stuﬀ ear pattern largely using “natural” sticking, in which the right hand lands on the eighth- notes (on the downbeat and on the &’s), and the left hand on the following sixteenth- notes (the e’s and ahs). Here’s an example Ex. 1 of this from the A section of “Cissy Strut,” stickings courtesy of Stanton Moore. Ex. 1

Ex. 1 L R R R L L R To begin, let’s do a little warm-up from pages 10–11 of Syncopation, played in cut Ex. 2 L R R R L L R time on the hi-hat. e right hand plays quarter-notes, and the left hand plays Ex. 2 L R R R L L R any written &’s. Here’s an example of Ex. 2 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L using the fi rst four measures of the 20 Bar Ex. 1 Exercise (Reed, p. 11). Ex. 3 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L Ex. 3 en make a basic half-time-feel funk R L LR RR R R RR L R RR L L R R RL L RR L R L R L R R L groove out of this by moving the right hand Ex. 32 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L to the snare drum on beat 3, and adding Ex. 4 the bass drum on beat 1. R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L Ex. 4 Once this feels comfortable, apply the R RL LRR RR RR RR RRLLRR RR LL RR RR RR LL R L RR LL RR LL RR R L same concept to the one-measure synco- Ex. 43 pated patterns (Reed, pp. 30–31, 33–37), then to two- and four-measure excerpts Ex. 5 from the eight long exercises (pp. 38–45), Ex. 5 and fi nally to the complete long exercises. R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L To help illustrate the concepts involved, Ex. 45 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L our fi rst source phrase will be a modifi ed Ex. 6 version of a well-known passage. R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 6 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L

Ex. 56 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L 86 DRUM! November 2010 drummagazine.com Ex. 7 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 7 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L D173_86_88_Workshop_v2.indd 86 9/10/10 11:36:46 AM Ex. 76

R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 7

Ex. 8

Ex. 8 R L L R R R L L R R R R R L L R L R L R L L

Ex. 9 R L L R R R L L R R R R R L L R L R L R L L

Ex. 89 R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 10R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 10 R L L R RR R RL L L LR RL R RR R R L L RRLLRRL LRRL L L L Ex. 109 Ex. 11

Ex. 11 R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 1011R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 12R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R

Ex. 12R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R

Ex. 1112R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R

R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 12

R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 1 Ex. 1 Ex. 1 Ex. 1 Ex. 1 L R R R L L R L R R R L L R Ex. 2 L R R R L L R Ex. 21 L R R R L L R Ex. 2 L R R R L L R Ex. 2 L R R R L L R Ex. 21 Ex. 2 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L R L LR RR R R RR L R RR L L R R RL L RR L R L R L R R L Ex. 3 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L Ex.Ex. 321 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L Ex. 3 R L LR RR R R RR L R RR L L R R RL L RR L R L R L R R L Ex. 3 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L Ex. 32 Ex. 3 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L R RL LRLR RRRRR RR RRLLRR RRR LL LRR RR RRL LL RR L RR LL RR LL RR R L Ex. 4 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L Ex. 432 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L Ex. 4 R RL LRR RR RR RR RRLLRR RR LL RR RR RR LL R L RR LL RR LL RR R L First, play the pattern on the hi-hat with Ex. 4 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L both hands, again using natural sticking: Ex. 43 Ex. 4 The right hand plays on the beat while the R RL LRR RR RR RR RRLLRR RR LL RR RR RR LL R L RR LL RR LL RR R L left plays the &’s. Play the snare drum on Ex. 5 beat 3 with the right hand. If the pattern Ex. 453 Ex. 5 R L R R R R R L R R L R R R L R L R L R L R R L contains a rest or tied note on beat 3, in- Ex. 5 Ex. 5 sert a snare hit as in the second measure Ex. 45 Ex. 5 of the example. R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L RL RR RR RR RR L RR LR L R R RR LL RLL RR LL RR LL RR LR L Ex. 6 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 465 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 6 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 6 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 65 Ex. 6 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Then add the bass drum on beat 1. R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 7 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 756 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 7 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 7 R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 76 When this feels comfortable and you’ve Ex. 7 got it grooving nicely, introduce some R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L basic bass drum variations. Start with the Ex. 76 following patterns, or similar ideas of your R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L choosing. Ex. 7

R L L R R R R R L L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 7

Ex. 8 Then combine bass drum patterns to Ex. 8 make two-measure phrases. Here is Ex. 8 this concept applied to one- and two- Ex. 8 Ex. 8 measure hand parts. R L L R R R L L R R R R R L L R L R L R L L R L L R R R L L R R R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 9 R L L R R R L L R R R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 98 R L L R R R L L R R R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 9 R L L R R R L L R R R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 9 R L L R R R L L R R R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 98 Since you’ll often play these grooves in 4/4, Ex. 9 R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L be aware of how the rhythms will convert R L L R RR R RL L L LR RL R RR R R L L RRLLRRL LRRL L L L R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L into eighth- and sixteenth-notes. Ex. 10R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 1089 R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 10R L L R RR R RL L L LR RL R RR R R L L RRLLRRL LRRL L L L Ex. 10R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L Ex. 109 Ex. 10 R L L R RR R RL L L LR RL R RR R R L L RRLLRRL LRRL L L L Ex. 11 Next, we’ll develop the linear style used Ex. 10119 Ex. 11R L L R R R L L R L R R R L L R L R L R L L in the original groove, using this passage Ex. 11 Ex. 11 from Syncopation. Ex. 1011 Ex. 11R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R LL LLRR R LR RL RL RR L L R LRR LRR LL LL RR L R L RR LLR L Ex. 12R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 101211R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 12R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 12R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Play the hand part on the hi-hat as before, Ex. 1211 with a snare drum hit on 3. Add the bass Ex. 12R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R drum to any gaps to make a continuous R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R eighth-note rhythm. Ex. 12 Ex. 11R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 12

R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R

Add to that a bass drum hit on beat 1 of Ex. 12R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R every other measure ...

R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R

drummagazine.com November 2010 DRUM! 87

D173_86_88_Workshop_v2.indd 87 9/10/10 11:36:47 AM WORKSHOP

Ex. 13 ... then on every measure

Ex. 13 It should be noted that in this method, Ex. 13 Ex. 13R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R the bass drum is inferred from the hi-hat Ex. 13 part. In actual playing it will often be the Ex. 14 other way around, with the hi-hat ﬁ lling in R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R around a bass drum pattern predetermined Ex.14aR L L R R L R R R L Ex.14bL R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 14R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R to ﬁ t the song. You can practice this by Ex. 14 Ex. 14 L R R L L R L L R R L converting familiar grooves to this style Ex. 14 Ex. 15 (14a) ... becomes (14b). L R R L L R L L R R L L R R L L R L L R R L Ex. 15 L R R L L R L L R R L Ex. 15 L R R L L R L L R R L Here are some options for displacement of Ex. 15 the backbeat when there is a rest or tied note on beat 3. Experiment with these as you work through the exercises.

Ex. 16

You can also experiment with catching Ex. 16 snare hits with the left hand. On “Cissy Ex. 16 Ex. 16R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Strut,” these notes are generally not Ex. 16 ghosted. Play them nearly as strong as Ex. 17 R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R the backbeat. R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 17 Ex. 17R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Finally, you can make a ﬁ ll at the end of a Ex. 17 phrase by moving the hands to the snare or toms, as in measures two and four. Ex. 18 R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Ex. 18 Ex. 18R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R From here you can start improvising by Ex. 18 combining the previous concepts and adding accents, hi-hat splashes, drags, and R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R other embellishments. R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R R L L R R L R R R L L R L R L R L L R L R L R Inside Edition Learn more about your favorite drummers than you ever thought possible. DC DVDs feature intimate interviews, insights and behind-the-scenes footage that will educate and inspire you. For free previews and a complete list of DC’s world class DVDs go to www.drumchannel.com.

DC DVD Ads (DRUM) 7.2010.indd 2 8/31/10 10:47:42 AM D173_86_88_Workshop_v2.indd 88 9/10/10 11:36:51 AM