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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5aFoKYu6vY
A one man drum and bass jam, haha. Difficult to coordinate for sure!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5S-qeSaxAo&feature=related
Another jam session to a loop. Its in 4, but I threw some 6/8 in there as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ1qPxbehRs&feature=related
Some half-time shufflin', I play my own bass track (sloppily, haha)

the music is cool but the camera seemed a bit slow either that or youtube is slow

The 1st video had some parts in there that were cool for a bit, but they were repeated a bit too much and lost their coolness.

The 2nd video started off pretty chaotic.  About 1 min into it, you seemed to find some direction though and it got good.

The 3rd video started off pretty slow and repetitive.  Didn't really get good until 1 min into it.

Overall, I think you (and your guitar friend actually) are both very talented (especially for your ages).  But I think you could both benefit from listening to some jazz improv (not that I really like Jazz improv myself)  I think it would help you both think a bit more outside the box, and increase your creativity.

Agree with Prof on the repetition.  Try to mix it up with more/longer fills.
Also, most of the time bass is played without a pick.

Maybe if you buy about 10x more drums, you could be Dream Theater's temporary drummer until Mike (inevitably) returns. 

Some good stuff though. I really liked the hammer blast beat one.

I like the new ones, especially the orchestral one.

Great job, Luke!  Next time, show your two brothers watching you -- lol.  Who was that one you hit while bothering you?

How is everyone?  Who is the eldest among the three of you again?

Say hi to the family from the Long Island group.

Godbless!

ROY

Hip Hop Drumming - I liked it.  It was good to see how your parts fit into an overall song.  Nothing really jumped out at me specifically from a drums perspective.  On the other hand, I really liked how your personality came out in this one.  Your brother messing with you and your enjoyment of getting him back made the clip become more than simply a random person playing the drums.  And your comments explaining the whole thing were well-written and funny.  This was my favorite one to watch.

Just to give some context as to what really impresses me with drumming:  I am not a drummer really, so something has to be pretty unusual to really grab my attention.  The things that have impressed me most over the years are times when people use unusual things to make percussion sounds.  My favorite drum solo for instance was a Whiteheart concert at Ichthus MANY years ago when the drummer blasts away for a little while playing really fast and then stops, pulls out 2 of those bright orange whiffle-ball bats that kids use, and then uses those as drumsticks and blasts away again in a blur of orange.  It was amazing.  I also really enjoyed a concert with a group of drummers who did all kinds of weirdness.  My favorite was a song of theirs where all 4 of them were sitting at a table playing cards, and they used the stuff they were playing with (the cards, the coke cans, the cups, the poker chips, etc.) to make all the noises, and they put together a song while at the same time looking like they were playing a game.  It was also amazing.

Epic Orchestral Drumming - I suspect this will be the most popular one here on the forum as there seem to be a lot of people who are really into this kind of music.  However, I found that it was hard to really show off you skills in a piece like this.  When the music was loud, it was hard to hear anything you were playing other than the cymbals.  Also, in this style of music one of the guitar parts really acts like a drum, driving the beat.  That also competes with your sound.  On a side note, you have a LOT of different cymbals in your set, but I can't seem to tell much difference between them (except for the highest one).

As far as the orchestral metal piece, I played the drum part specifically for the music, not to show off. To play understatedly and keep it solid is a skill in and of itself, and is something that is absolutely required in the world of studio musicians. I also mixed the drums lower to that same end. The rhythm guitar, bass guitar, and drums all function together as the rhythm section, and I mixed it to where I don't stand out; that was the goal.

While I'm not a musician myself, I completely agree. Unless you're playing a solo in a song, or simply playing by yourself, the objective is to work together, not stand out.

Quote from: LukeSnyder on October 03, 2010, 05:42:36 PM

As far as the orchestral metal piece, I played the drum part specifically for the music, not to show off. To play understatedly and keep it solid is a skill in and of itself, and is something that is absolutely required in the world of studio musicians. I also mixed the drums lower to that same end. The rhythm guitar, bass guitar, and drums all function together as the rhythm section, and I mixed it to where I don't stand out; that was the goal.

While I'm not a musician myself, I completely agree. Unless you're playing a solo in a song, or simply playing by yourself, the objective is to work together, not stand out.

Yes, I think this is an important concept. It has certainly made me more desirable as a drummer to other musicians, and I have seen firsthand the negative effects of a drummer who has an ego and makes his presence well known. Laying down a good groove and staying out of the way will get you the gigs!

Quote from: LukeSnyder on October 03, 2010, 05:42:36 PM

I played the drum part specifically for the music, not to show off..., and I mixed it to where I don't stand out; that was the goal.

That makes sense, and I would say that you achieved your goal.

Quote from: LukeSnyder on October 03, 2010, 05:42:36 PM

I have an extremely eclectic spread of cymbals, everything from an insanely bright little 6" splash to a monstrously dark and complex 22" K custom dry ride, not sure what the deal is.

Firstly, my speakers are terrible.  Secondly, I think this is also probably due to the fact that I am NOT really a drummer.  Someone with a better ear for it could probably tell the difference without any trouble

Ah! If your speakers are putting out poor sound quality, thats where the problem lies! Its a shame, because I have been blessed with a very nice cymbal setup. I have had very good luck getting used cymbals at very good prices. I wish you could hear them in all their glory, haha

Quote from: LukeSnyder on October 04, 2010, 01:55:52 AM

Yes, I think this is an important concept. It has certainly made me more desirable as a drummer to other musicians, and I have seen firsthand the negative effects of a drummer who has an ego and makes his presence well known. Laying down a good groove and staying out of the way will get you the gigs!

This is why so many bands break up.  Too many ego centric people who want the glory.  It's a good reason to stay humble.  It's very difficult to make good music with even a four person band.

Absolutely, I've seen it many times! You also have to be able to take correction and instruction without getting upset, its pretty much mandatory. Otherwise, you had better be the best musician around, or you won't get asked back

And even then you're a prima donna, and will get dumped for the next guy who's even remotely humble.

Exactly! Pretty much the only guy that could get away with something like that is Buddy Rich, supposedly he was horrible to work with! But what a drummer, people put up with it just because of his abilities.