Berklee Chops

Are you all familiar with this?




Sounds a lot like the Gospel chops-thing.

This may be moot, but it seems that if you took drummers from the 60s, 70s and put them in a room, say Max, Buddy, Elvin, or Moon, Baker, Bonham, etc. or Billy, Lenny, Narada, etc you would hear clear differences. With this new stuff everybody sounds the same. The recording seems poor, as well, in some frequencies.

In essence I see (and hear) what you mean.

I have to admit that I like what I'm hearing though. What makes is fly for me is that the music bed is up-beat, allowing more opportunity to see these young guys go to syncopated heaven.

Yeah, they certainly perform some crazy stuff. The kid with the Mohawk hair cut does some great things, and the guy in the blue shirt blazes away. The kid with the cartoon T-shirt. They all do cool things. The girl seems a mite out of the league, though. Perhaps she felt a bit intimidated. Who wouldn't?

This vid got me thinking about things likely obvious to myself alone when reading it, but I really DIG what these young folks are doing with their music! I posted the following on FB regarding human communications more than just music. Hopefully, my analogy makes sense.

Plug this stuff into a Great sound system... or at least put in some good head phones to hear all the frequencies. They are there, and it's worth another view and listen...

My Premise: "There's a difference between "fluency" and "fluidity."

I'm considering that if you can't hear "it," then how can you expect to perform "it." These guys are subdividing a beat like a sushi chef slices fish. But that's not all... they are literally PULLING all the sounds you hear OUT of their drums. Normally someone watching a drummer thinks that all we do is HIT the thang and Abra Kadabarra (sp?)... LIGHTS, SOUND, CAMERA, ACTION!!!

I respectfully beg to differ (and bear with me here, since I'm aware I'm speaking to DRUMMERS - again, these are my thoughts posted to Facebook).

See all of those sound surfaces around drum kit(s)? Each one sounds differently, and must be treated differently. So with dynamics (volume), hitting a cymbal should complement what else is going on around the kit - in order to make MUSIC, imo{/i]IC.



Hitting a cymbal with the same force as, say a tom tom, doesn't always bring about what [i]complements each in a musical FLOW.

Therein is the art and subtlety behind ANYTHING WE do, not just drumming, in my opinion.



Each of us are different, and should be treated differently. Don't you remember your Momma telling you that they threw the mold out when They created you? She might have been angry at the time and wanting to throw you through a window, but didn't! So Thank God... and we are correct to expect to be treated with dignity.

These guys demonstrate this, and anyone who endeavors to become skilled at what they do, must dedicate him or herself to basics. We can only advance by building upon sure steps. If we get bored with the Process, then do something else and stop bringing a bad name to Real Drummers! [or substitute the variable "People" in this equation, and I think some will get my point. ]

So we finally we come to the difference betwen "fluency" and "fluidity" FROM ANY perspective. These guys are SUSHI CHEFS of Percusssion! While they slice and dice ONE BEAT into its component parts, they don't ever drop any of those 32nd note slivers. They are syncopated Silly with their energy and musicality. AND THERE WERE NO EGOES either. Hmmm... that should say something ...

Remember when I suggested that if you can't hear it, you can't play it?


The same with our speech and communication. If we don't listen to each other before speaking ourselves, then our mouths are just open faucets spilling all kind of "fluid" everywhere. Don't call the plumber... just turn off the faucet and LISTEN! Then, like these guys behind their kits, We'l be BETTER Players in ANY society and culture, ANYWHERE!

Time to get back to basics and communicate more efficiently - just like these guys do in their craft.

My kudos to you Folks!

OH GUESS WHAT!??? Everyone say hello to Amber Baker you see here and hear! S

See my point please...

She just doesn't kick "too," SHE KICKS PERIOD!

So let's get rid of the mess and complement each other in ways far better than what's going on now around the world. And, in the Process, let's make our own music better regardless of its style.

In essence I see (and hear) what you mean.

I have to admit that I like what I'm hearing though. What makes is fly for me is that the music bed is up-beat, allowing more opportunity to see these young guys go to syncopated heaven.

Agreed, uncle... The gospel chops thing can get
boring but I much of what I saw and heard here.

After listening again it sounds so compressed. Perhaps that is the "in" sound today? Definitely not a sound I like. I'm listening with Shure 940 headphones, btw.

In many cases cymbals sound very soft and lifeless, floor toms imbalanced and inaudible, kicks very diminished. Strange this would be at Berklee, where I imagine they must have some serious recording courses. Every kit had a nice snare crack happening. After that it's like mics were just hap hazard or something.

Maybe it's just the aspect of all the mixing that had to be done. For me it takes away from the artistry happening. If any of these players have individual voices by virtue of kit sound it was lost. To me that is as important as playing style and technique.

I dont' quite get why you are calling this "gospel chops " . I see no house of worship involved here, nor music of a gospel nature.

It's called Berklee Chops - I guess this is the drum practice room at Berklee ? Woody would know .

It seems like this would be part of the current crop of better students just trading away ! I thought it was excellent and every one of them is damn good !

It's heartening to see young people with musical chops compared to some of the crap that passes for artists on TV and the radio today. Maybe some of them will actually end up creating some great music down the road.

They should feel fortunate and thankful that they have the opportunity to play in an environment like that and have the TIME to devote to developing their skills. Hopefully, they will be able to make a living doing that.... not so easy.

But I greatly enjoyed it ! Thanks for posting that.

Peace,, TED

You bring up a great point, Ted. So many going to college today and leave without having employment in a chosen field. I wonder how many go to Berklee and are able to have careers in music?

The reason I mentioned gospel chops is because I see and hear some of the same patterns and techniques.

I'll probably be flamed to hell, but I find these performances boring notwithstanding the chops displayed. All the kits (particularly the DW ones) have that "boingy" sound that I personally detest, devoid of personal identity. And the snares all have that "poppy" sound so prevalent today. It just sounds emotionally lacking.

Maybe they are all great ensemble players. But this is tedious

Just for comparison sake, pLee, I'm curious what you consider a good tom sound that an example of might be on youtube or somewhere. I thought most of the toms sounded kind of dense, muted and mushy. But I know that's a popular sound now. But again, the mics didn't seem to help their sounds much.

Asaph wrote:Just for comparison sake, pLee, I'm curious what you consider a good tom sound that an example of might be on youtube or somewhere. I thought most of the toms sounded kind of dense, muted and mushy. But I know that's a popular sound now. But again, the mics didn't seem to help their sounds much.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=becWr0vc6cA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rcL1sDKCak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUUETlgTQ2Q

These are examples of high ensemble emotion/elation which I don't get from the Berklee chopsmeisters notwithstanding their technical finesse.

Someone once said: "It don't mean a thing...". You know the rest.

And I like the sound of the drums.

I just watched the Cream reunion concert, 2005, last week. Baker really has his own style and sound.

Great MO clip.

Black Market is one of my favorite songs of all time.

Here's some real chopsmeisters who swing...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J904xWQnuUw&feature=fvwrel

Another great concert. Have watched that a few times in the past. Tony had a definite sound and voice all his own.

My thing is always about the music as a whole.
So when I hear stuff like this, I try not and read
too much into it... sitting down behind a set of
drums and blowing out monster chops is one
thing. making it all relative with several other
artists of different instruments is something else
entirely.

I can and smile and enjoy this sort of thing at face
value. But it's definitely NOT where the rubber meets
the road.

Incidently, Asaph, Mike callled me yesterday. I wasn't
here but he did leave me a nice message. Thing is, I
don't recall ever giving him my phone #... But I guess
I did.

Mike is tossing around ideas for funding and I believe he's close. I wish he had stuff ready to go because I know, with all the buzz out there, he would not have a difficult time selling his new stock by Christmas.

He'll get there. I speak with him about things. Pete does. Others. He's very good at listening to the ideas and suggestions people have. That's the mark of a fair man, in my book.

Yes, as far as these chopsmeisters my original observation was how it all kind of sounds the same, drums, styles, etc. I just wonder what happened to the days when drummers had things about them which set them apart in ways both visual and audible.