Looks like there hasn't been too much activity here lately so let's get the ball rolling. The subject is drum solos. I would like to ask the professionals how they feel about them in the context of the music. I'll arbitrarily define a solo as being the predominant instrument for more than 4 bars. Do drum solos materially enhance the music or detract? Do you prefer to hear more or less of them? Do you see the drumset as a solo instrument in its own right or is its main function a supporting role?
As background information, I'm a drummer and have been playing for 35 years. I do play all jazz forms as well as other types of music. While I do enjoy a drum solo if it fits the music, e.g., Joe Morello playing "Take Five", more often than not, I think it can be skipped. Your opinion please?

Hey Jeff!
Here's my take on your question.

A drummer needs to be able to switch back & forth between both roles. While I enjoy a chance to let loose and "show off", I respect that there are times where I'm better off to either provide tempo (and keep the tune moving) or provide mood (play on the different points of the beat to create the desired effect or use varying methods & instrumentation for "feel").

It's funny you use Morello's Take 5 for an example. In reading up on Dave Brubeck I found out that the tune started as an exercise for Joe, who was only experimenting with time signatures at the time. When the quartet started playing along with him & even for the first recordings Brubeck couldn't wrap his head around the time signature and thus only played the vamp, never soloing until he was more comfprtable. Ironically, the first copy I bought doesn't have a drum solo in it!

I do feel that in more "active" pieces that if every one else gets featured, why shouldn't the drummer?

Just my $0.02,

Drew

Hey guys,

You may get more input if you post this on an existing drum related thread, instead of starting a new one.

Maybe, but it's still an interesting topic to discuss.

I think drum solos are, or should be, agreed on by the group if it seems called-for, but not really in a way so as to take attention away from the rest of the piece.

Any other opinions?

I hate when I'll be playing with fellow musicians, and they just decide for me - "You're taking a solo"

?

What if I don't have anything to say "soloistically" (to make up a new word) - I was having a blast playing with everyone else - and it doesn't really fit what we were just playing...

Or even worse - you see someone lift up 4 fingers...

NO - I don't want to play fours - this is gonna be lame - why are we ruining everything we've just played by sticking in fours?


Sometimes trading is good - but a lot of the time it's not...

Soloing can be great - others...I'll just play with the rest of you boys.

I like to think compositionally - spontaneously.

If a solo doesn't sound like it'd fit - I don't want to play it. If ME - THE DRUMMER - doesn't want to play one - if I'm not feeling it - I don't want to do it! (And if I'm forced into it- it's gonna sound lame...)

As for solos in themselves - I LOVE them! But the player has to have something to say - which is a problem with a lot of guys - Too many are concerned with: keeping the form (unless it's a "free" drum solo - which has a ton of cliches a lot of the time...) letting everyone know where they are (no one counts during a drum solo!), and what neat new licks they've learned to stick in everywhere! Drum solos can be SO boring - But they can also be great

Thanks for backing me up on that one Elvin.

Tony, Roy, Max (helped the "drum solo" out so much!) Nasheet, etc.

When I solo, if there's time, and a composition - then I try to keep all of that in focus - along with EVERYTHING everyone's played before me in the piece - That should be the inspiration for how you dictate where your solo goes - or if the piece is going to develop into something else - hint at that or whatever - but don't - whatever you do - rely on licks and all that shit - or I'd say drum solos suck.

And a lot of them do...

Friends don't let friends play shit.

Have you guys ever taken a solo on a ballad?

Matt Wilson has a great solo on a ballad on "Going Once Going Twice" - I don't know which song - as it's the lone Matt CD I don't have...But it's a beautiful solo - and when I first heard it I thought "WHOA!"

VERY musical!


I had a tuba player from the classical side of our school come up to me and he asked:

"Why are all drum solos loud?"

I told him that they're not all loud - but that a lot of students feel the need to play loudly when it's their time - Which I said I think is a sign of not much musical maturity...

I mean - sure - some solos I do can be mostly all loud - but if it fits the tune - then whatever....But if you're loud all the time - every solo you play...or if you start off quietly then stay loud once you get there (all the time) - then it might be a sign that you're not comfortable playing quietly...

Sometimes us drummers feel that we have to play as loud and as fast as we can to keep the listener interested...

Which isn't true (or at least - it SHOULDN'T be true! : )



When our Monk combo performed, we did "Misterioso" and I had one chorus before the out-head...

I never got louder than mp - and stayed at pp or even ppp most of the time - and nothing faster than eigth notes (the SLOW eigth notes tempo of the tune)

It was the first solo I'd ever played where I didn't feel - even for a second - the need to display some technique...I think it has to do with conversing with Father Ron! (thanks Ron!) I mean - some solos - I wouldn't go off on something, but I had to keep myself in check - actually thinking "Ok - it doesn't fit - so don't do it" - The thought just never crossed my mind to do anything "fancy"...



Of course - that's not to say that I don't play my fair share of shit solos! : )

Billy Kilson is one sick MF! I got to see him solo last night - and damn! He's a demon behind the kit (a slick demon!) His arms were so fast - it made me realize that there's still PLENTY of room to impove in that area! And with such control! DAMN!

Yeah, I just saw Kilson in KC with Holland's quintet. What killed me about him was the way there were all these complex hits in the tunes and he would play all of this wild acrobatic shit and land right on the hits with Holland. It was different than the usual "every four bar fills" that's for sure. He had me so pumped after the show. I think i drove like 100 mph all the way home to tell everyone about it.