Drum Shuffle - Rotten Kid - Buddy Rich Big Band

Website: http://www.derekmunson.com | Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/drumology2001

I won't attempt to blow smoke here - I am NO Buddy Rich. Buddy was "one of a kind," the likes of which we may never see again in our lifetimes. His music, and the music that his band made famous along with him, continue to live on long after his passing. This chart, "Rotten Kid", is one of the BRBB's more high energy shuffle tunes, and we were lucky enough to get a copy of a transcription of the chart done by a man who is, shall we say, "in the know" when it comes to this stuff. ;)

Before you decide to post a comment and trash the drumming or the horns or the sound quality, etc, know that I am my own worst critic, and I don't need your help. (Haha!) I am VERY aware of all of the faults in this clip, from the lack of authentic Buddy feel (again, he's "one of a kind") to the tempo speeding up gradually throughout the piece. :D

With all it's faults, I still hope you enjoy it to some degree. Thanks for the continued support and uplifting commentary from all those who are regular subscribers to my channel - you guys are the best, and you keep me going! Please rate and let me know if you liked this. More stuff available at my website, www.derekmunson.com!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• shuffle
• drum shuffle
• swing shuffle
• Derek Munson
• CBC
• big band jazz
• Buddy Rich
• Rotten Kid
• The New One

[NerfLad]

What are you talking about? You sound great! Did you rivet that wuhan? I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I really like it.

[drumology2001]

@NerfLad Thanks for the compliment! I did rivet the Wuhan china here, yes. It was a cheapy (as Wuhans often are) so I had no reservations about drilling it, lol.

I just added 4 equidistant rivets around the perimeter to give it the sizzle. I didn't much care for that cymbal before the rivets; with the rivets added, it sounded about 10x better! :D

[NerfLad]

@drumology2001 They really did bring it to life! I'm gonna do one now! What size drill bit did you use (and are they hardware store rivets)?

[drumology2001]

@NerfLad HeckifIknow! I can't remember - maybe 1/8" or 3/16" drill bit? And the rivets on it were just like brads (for holding paper together, with the foldy wings on them) that I got from a buddy who had a whole bag of them from Bosphorus and threw me a couple.

[kapdrums]

sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!(AND funky!);)

[drumology2001]

No problem! I'm always available and willing to help! :D

[LegsM]

Thanks so much for the ideas! I'll be putting them to use on an upcoming tour, so I appreciate your response so quickly. Cheers! :)

[drumology2001]

Thanks for the com(pli)ment! That "light and easy" feel came from lots of trial-and-error. Here's the advice I can give you:

1) Focus on the 2 and 4 of the beat with your hands, but be thinking "1 and 3" to keep time moving forward.

2) Simplify the shuffle. You'll notice that I take the 1 and 3 downbeats out of the typical shuffle beat on the snare, and often play quarter notes on the ride. Reducing the number of beats while maintaining the feel is the name of the game! Hope that helps! :D

[LegsM]

Ultra-sweet playing. So unassuming! You made the shuffle feel light and easy. If you could give one piece of advice to a fellow drummer who always has trouble keeping the up-tempo shuffle rhythm moving without getting tense, what would you say?

[drumology2001]

For me, the crash/ride goes on the left side, and the main ride is on the right. But the main could also be considered a "crash/ride", since I lay into it pretty good sometimes, too. Like you said, there's no rules: whatever fits your sound and fits your style, more power to you I say! :D