Best Resources For Brush Playing

Email question...

Do you know of any good brush dvd/books?

YES!!! Clayton Cameron has a FANTASTIC book out on the subject. I love his b/c it goes into the nitty gritty of the brushstrokes, he has some rudiments for the brushes that he's created to help with the sweeping motions...it's called "Brushworks: The New Language For Playing Brushes"...it's a more modern approach...He also has a dvd called "Brushworks" that is a great view.

For a more "traditional" approach where you'll be learning the strokes of past jazz greats, check out these books...

"Mastering the Art of Brushes" (Not 100% on who the author is on that one)...cd and book together...shows alot of the jazz greats brushstrokes (Philly Jo Jones, Elvin Jones, Buddy Rich)

"The Sound of Brushes" by Ed Thigpen...cd, illustrated diagrams, and book examples.

Here's a free downloadable pdf of several brush patterns... www.prologixpercussion.com/JDW_February_2008.pdf...and check out Miles Davis' album "Kind of Blue"... absolutely classic brush playing on that one!

I hope that helps man!

-S

DRUM LESSON "How To Play The Soca"

I LOVE playing the Soca...so I thought I'd do a short lesson on a brief history and then the "how to" of the soca. If you want to skip the historical dissertation and get right to the nitty gritty, go to 3:05 in the video.

As a disclaimer...I'm a frickin' idiot...while filming this I didn't realize I was calling it everything but a soca...I called it a samba...I called it a songo...and I called it a soca...I went back to remedial drummer school and wrote on the blackboard 300 times "I will NEVER insult the soca again"...and then I had a cup of pudding...because I like pudding...

So pardon the edits, and anywhere I screwed up I tried to put a bubble in and correct it for ya.