Bill Bruford - Drum Improvisation on "Bridge of Inhibition"

[abinadvd]

Big drummers try to play like so.. He just play..

Sure many professional drummers ask themselves ... How can he be so easy ?

[MrJesseG123]

@MalstrumX I think that with Yes Bill was still growing as a drummer. It was still basically at the start of his carreer. He had lots of cool and awesome ideas, but they were just beginning to flourish. His drums and cymbals might've also just been crappy. Still love everything Bill did with Yes and later on he went far beyond that era in his playing.

[maxcohen13]

Ha! Simmons SDX drums...a classic fail in music tech history.

[MashMashMusic]

@maxcohen13:

The SDX was a fantastic piece of hardware. Of course far too expensive, especially the kit Bruford is playing, but nevertheless really awesome.

[maxcohen13]

@MashMashMusic

A cheap piezo switch covered with plastic is NOT a "fantastic piece of hardware."

Probably one of the many headaches that lead to his current retirement!

[MashMashMusic]

@maxcohen13:

The SDX doesn't use piezos. It uses foils instead, which tell the drum brain exactly where the stick hits the surface, known as "zone intelligence". If you don't believe me, look up simmonsmuseum.

And of course it's a fantastic piece of hardware. Look what Bill does with the stuff during the "Yes"-era. Haven't seen things like this nowadays. And: nobody urged Bill to be a Simmons-User for nearly a decade.

[maxcohen13]

@MashMashMusic

Foils are nothing more than a giant piezo switch.

And, if they're "so fantastic," why is it the only place you can see the SDX now is in a museum?

[MashMashMusic]

@maxcohen13:

It's simply not a piezo switch - a switch knows only "on" and "off".

Why was the SDX never a commercial success? Several reasons:

- The complete kit was about $10,000

- It needed much work from the owner becauise of the limited sound database, so you had to go and sample your own stuff (like Bruford shows here)

- At the End of the 80ies, more and more people turned against electronic music in general (see the success of grunge music)

[MashMashMusic]

@maxcohen13:

Still, the SDX can do things you simply don't have in modern E-Drums, so I repeat: a fantastic machine. Virtually unlimited. Listen to what Bruford does with them during the "Yes"-Tour. If most drummers weren't so ignorant about electronics ...

Before I forget: my "cheap piezo switch"-Simmons-Mark III-Drumpads work like day one despite being over 30 years old.

[2112LSG]

does he play butt end?

[transamws62000ramon]

fantastic



[mexicotaco0913]

@MALSTRUMX you should listen to some of the King Crimson stuff, Bill's drumming with his time at King Crimson is amazing. I recommend you the song Indiscipline and Frame by Frame to check out his drumming.

[Yesshows01]

@mexicotaco0913 Or three of a perfect pair, or any of his works on Yes.

[Apolyion]

By far one of the most gifted technical drummers of all time.

[MALSTRUMX]

awesome drum sound.. amazing playing.. why did he not bust out with this shit on any yes album.. i love yes, but i feel the drums on their songs always sound like shit.. im a drummer, and i really dont like the drum sound on any yes songs, though the songs themselves are good

[newfuckingwave]

@MALSTRUMX bruford has never been the "bust out" type. he follows the other musicians quite closely. his playing with yes never stood out at me until recently, when i realized just how tight his playing is. it's also deceptively complicated

[MALSTRUMX]

@newfuckingwave maybe. im more of a pianist.. like i said the actual sound on albums like close to the edge and the yes album, i did not dig so much.. maybe someone who knows more about drums would disagree. I have an album he did with some jazz pianist Michael something.. amazing drumming

[catawboy]

@MALSTRUMX Borstlap, and I have to agree with you

[discoverytime1]

Is that just one guy? :)

[asno517]

@discoverytime1 ONE GUY WITH 4 ARMS AND 4 LEGS..

[BaggerTheVance]

a master at work - all the good drummers lay at his feet!

[drewper73]

I love when Bruford does those groups of fives between his ride, kick drum, and snare drum. I think he also does it between his floor tom, snare drum, and kick drum.

[zappfripp87]

I dont know nothing about technic`s drum or even i dont play drums, but I LOVE to see and hear so much virtousity, talent and musicality from this master. He´s clearly one of the best drummers alive and one of my favorites as well as Weckl, Chambers, Colaiuta, S Smith, Bozzio, Minemann, R Morgenstein etc...

[WickedKnightAlbel]

Wow... jazz drummers are amazing...

[YTdiscusser]

i just want to find an improvisation with more patterns + rythem instead of just speed rage!!! buahaha is that so hard to ask for >:[

[spercoco]

As soon as he goes to the electronic drums it sounds like donkey crap. Bruford never should have kept playing those awful sounding electronic drums. He gets less creative when he uses them too.

[JustinMatthewHoopes]

@spercoco Nice opinion. Do you think it applies perfectly over all other opinions of this drummer?

[spercoco]

@JustinMatthewHoopes Not sure what your question is. Thanks for saying it was a nice opinion but are you being serious or sarcastic? So "applies perfectly over all other opinions" doesn't make sense. All I can say is listen carefully and form your own opinion. Then I will ask you if that applies perfectly over all other opinions of this drummer and you can be just as confused about the question as I am of yours.

[JustinMatthewHoopes]

@spercoco You stated, "He gets less creative when uses them." Can you tell me what specifically about his technique when he switches to electronic drums gets "less creative?" I can buy into your opinion of the electronic drums sounding "awful," as you put it, but I don't quite understand how you are gauging "creativity." Do you have a specific set of variables that make your idea of creativity more supported?

[spercoco]

@JustinMatthewHoopes Why do you need me to to tell you? What do you honestly think? I've been playing professionally for 35 years and I've been teaching for the past 20 but this doesn't necessarily make my opinion any better. To me it's more than obvious where Bruford is just playing mediocre compared to when he is playing with a unique individual and thoughtfull style that took years to aquire. Specifically it happens around 204 to 217 (when he starts using all his electronics. See my next...

[spercoco]

@JustinMatthewHoopes continuing my answer to your question: can you here the rhythms he's playing when he uses the electronic pads? can you also here the balance between one drum and the next? I'll quote Aln Dawson who was one of my drum teachers for many years because he said it the best (see July 1977 issue of Modern Drummer): "The more drums you have, the less rhythmic variety you tend to have. There's a logical tendency to sacrifice pitch for rhythmic variety-everybody on every inst. does."

[MashMashMusic]

@spercoco:

It's only one thing: quite a few drummers despise electronic drums, for whatever reason. They have this and that drawback, on the other hand so many possibilities - I absolutely prefer them. Using a real hi-hat though.

And that is the reason why some people say they sound like crap or limit your creativity (while the opposite is true) or what else. You would be surprised on how many records you're listening to E-Drums rather than acoustic ones.

[spercoco]

@MashMashMusic I have seven accoustic sets and prior to that I had six accoustic sets and one electronic set which I wanted to sell. The last thing I needed was another accoustic set but a person offered to trade their Gretch Reknown Maples for the electronic kit and I gladly did so which is why I now have 7 accoustic sets. Nuff said.

[MashMashMusic]

@spercoco:

Oh, that's nice, so you have seven drum kits, brillant, pal. I've learned on an acoustic set and am now playing E-Drums, which I always prefer in a live environment. why? Because they're flexible. And because you don't need a million microphones for a proper pick-up. As I said, they have drawbacks, but the advantages are far too good.

[spercoco]

@MashMashMusic So the reason you are being sarcastic? Because someone disagrees with you? Just means your an asshole. I don't give a shit what you use live. Anytime you go to see a preofessional band they are playing real drums so you are basicaly letting me know that you're a novice. Guess what?; I already knew that from your first e-mail. Ever see jazz drummers using anything but accoustic kits? You're limited to pop music because you suck. Have fun sucking on your electronic crap set.

[MashMashMusic]

@spercoco: Sarcastic? Just because you're a show-off who needs to point out he has seven drum kits? Not me. Look at every professional drummer playing live. If the audience is more than 200 people, chances are like that the drummer at least plays an octapad. More likely a hybrid drum set. That you don't know that is another sign you're a show-off..

But it's OK, just go along and insult everybody not of your opinion. I have arguments, you have offenses. See who's the asshole here.

[spercoco]

@MashMashMusic Every time you respond and make a comment you sound more and more like an idiot: "Look at every professional drummer playing live. If the audience is more than 200 people, chances are like that the drummer at least plays an octapad. More likely a hybrid drum set." Really??? Maybe back in the 80's when electronic sounding kits were popular in top-40 music but that fad came and went. I suppose you where a mellet when you play too (ha, ha).

[MashMashMusic]

@spercoco: Yes. Really. You don't seem to get around a lot, do you? In the eighties people played full-blown-Simmons Kits. Nowadays they try to hide it more with roland pads or mesh-heads. You're a jazz drummer playing only jazz for more than 200 people? Surprises me. What jazz group would that be? Jazz musicians I know are happy to sell 1000 copies of their records.

And again: you're insulting, I deliver arguments.

[spercoco]

@MashMashMusic BTW I've performed for a lot more than 200 people at most of my shows and never used electronics on live shows. The fact that you think most drummers do that just shows that the music you listen to is sterile. I saw saw Carl Palmer make in 1975 and he was one of the first to use electronic drums if not the first. Then in the 80's drummers got carried away with that shit before going back to accoustic sets. Have fun playing Lady Gaga covers while I burn on some jazz geek.

[MashMashMusic]

@spercoco:

Do what you like. I know quite a few drummers, and it's like this: the more incapable they are, the more arrogant and the more they tell you stuff like you do. A professional needs to make a living. That means you get to drum for different people. And yes, that means that you're drumming for pop artists too. Only arrogance can get you to think that would be simple and easy. BTW I see the same phenomenon with Heavy-Metal-Guitarists, who are unsuccessful.

[MashMashMusic]

@spercoco:

Another intelligent question: who is buying all these fancy 5000-Euro-E-Drum-Kits if no pro uses them? Yet there are quite a few on the market ...

Of course these people don't have seven drum kits like you, so they can't be pros.

[Easleytee]

Listen to Weckl craft and execute a drum solo.

Heads above Bruford.

[checkabreak]

@Easleytee i hate weckl pretty much the only good thing he did was madonas "like a virgen" but you think cause somebody play round notes around the set really fast ... LOL 

[drewper73]

@checkabreak I thought Jonathan Moffet played on "Like A Virgin." Oh well...

[checkabreak]

@drewper73 Hmmm. I am "almost" sure weckl did I now Moffet played the like a virgin live tour, but oh well =)

[drewper73]

@checkabreak I have seen Madonna's name in the list of people he's worked with. If you feel pretty sure about, you're probably right. It's just really hard to imagine Weckl playing the groove on that song. It kinda corrects what everyone says about him having no "soul." Quit confusing us Dave.

[lidesnowi]

@Easleytee Weckl has no soul!

[drewper73]

@Easleytee I don't know about that. I'm a Weckl fan, but he doesn't have enough humanity/soul in his playing. It's gotten better as the years went by, but in my opinion Weckl can't touch Bruford and what's more, Weckl knows it.

[damanwithdaskillz]

here folks, is the most skilled rock drummer to ever live, and luckily for us, he's dabbled in jazz, as we're all currently enjoying :)

[MrJesseG123]

Bill is sweatier and more angry looking than is usual cheerful composure but the solo is still fuckin awesome

[drewper73]

@MrJesseG123 I noticed that too. Usually he's back there grinning without a care in the world, but in this video he's all business.

[Satiaraha]

THE DRUMMER OF THE FUTURE IS RETIRE NOW

[Adamboms]

im surprised he uses pro marks, in my experiences those pieces of crap break after like 3 weeks, of course when your this good im sure the supply is endless

[SimmonsDrums]

Simmons SDX 5000 lbs in year 1987.

[erikishealing]

looks a bit like shwarzanegger hahaha

[Corilo91]

@DongFangSue You are welcome, friend. :)

[Corilo91]

@DongFangSue He's equiped with: Simmons SDX electronic drums, Tama Artstar II Drums, Paiste Signature Cymbals 14" x 6½" Tama wood snare drum (10) Simmons ZI drum pads 22” x 16” bass drum. 12" x 10" Tom Tom 16" x 16" Floor Tom 14" Sound edge Hi-Hat 18" Power China 16" Power Crash 20" Dry heavy ride Gong Drumheads: Evans. Genera 190 snare batter, Genera G1 on Tom tops, Resonants on bottoms, Genera G2 on bass drum and Genera G2 on front Drumsticks: Pro-Mark, SD-1 or SD-9 :)

[drewper73]

@Corilo91 Nice.

[batakofuckingrulez]

CRAZY DRUM SOLO!!!

[billpeart]

i love it!!! always a great pleasure to se Mr Bruford and his band mates in action. thanks for this vid!