Great Drum Grooves 17 - Vinnie Colaiuta with Sting in "Seven Days"

Here's a real toe-tapper. (Nope! It's more of that "where'd the downbeat go?" odd-time stuff...) This song showcases Vinnie Colaiuta doing what he perhaps does best: playing in an odd time, and making it sound natural and easy. Does it sound natural and easy for me? Heck no! But this song, like my Elvin 3/4, simply *must* be included in my all-time favorite grooves list, even if out of my comfort zone. This groove is *that famous / revered / feared / etc....

What I play here is a kind of synthesis of the album version of the song, and what I've heard Vinnie do live or in clinic. The album version is a little more sparse. For example, that second bass drum note (on the and of "2") is not even present on the track; the BD's played only on "1."

Vinnie also sometimes varies what he does with the hi-hat, depending on the section of the song, mood, whim, his boredom level, whatever.... So, you might hear him accent every 2nd HH quarter note, or open the hats every 2nd quarter note, or open them every 4th quarter note, or some combination of accents / opening.

And by the way, I mean quarter note in the sense that I have it transcribed at the end of the video, equating to the *fast* 5 count, so that the bass drum is on 1 and cross-stick is on 4 in every measure. Sure, say the song is in 5/8 if you want, and I've heard both sides of the so-called debate, but... just as with "Saint Augustine In Hell", in 7, whether you think of it all as over 4, or over 8, has no practical *playing* consequence. It only affects ink inventories, because that denominator is really just telling the world how you'd prefer to *write* the music. But either way, whether there's an 8 or a 4 on the transcription, when playing the song you're going to be feeling and counting in the "fast five", guaranteed.

Anyway, yeah... tough drum part! I had a lot of difficulty recording this, because Vinnie's quirky, frenetic and aggressive style are not natural for me, at all. Also, I wanted to get several song section types into a pretty short clip, which was hard. (Meaning, good luck trying to equate this "sampler" with any portion of the recorded song.) In the end, I had to compromise and show one variation of the verse groove (usually, one he plays just before the bridge) as an "alternative." But Vinnie does any and all of it. Almost whatever you can imagine. Do a youtube search for "Sting Seven Days Letterman", and you'll see. Whoa! What planet is he from again?

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[ricardoieci]

What snare is that, sounds great.

[scottp118]

@ricardoieci, thanks. In this video, I was using a Pearl Brass Sensitone snare. ($100, used! Great drum.) In most of my other videos I'm using the Dennis Chambers signature snare.

[felipeviegas]

A Dennis Chambers Snare on the floor.. on the floor?!?! Why?!?!?!?!?!

[scottp118]

@felipeviegas, haha! I do see your point.

Trust me though, the Chambers snare is my main drum, and is in most of my videos. I've just been throwing lots of lesser-used gear onto the kit lately. And that's a "safe" section of floor, really... I swear!

[Clintuplet]

Nice job Scott! Your performance reminded me of a clinic Vinnie did on this tune and a few others, over at the House of Drumming.com. It's under Media > scroll down to Vinnie clinic 2 talking.

If you don't mind my asking, what is your cymbal setup?

[scottp118]

@Clintuplet, thanks again! Guess I should list the cymbals on my channel.

Here, hi-hats are old Zildjian 13" K/Z's. (For the 1 Plant vid, a K Custom Dark Bottom is on top.) But the hats in most of my vids are Paiste 14" Giant Beats. (Love 'em!)

Ride: 20" K Custom Dark, Istanbul 21" Agop, or Bosphorous 20" Masters.

Otherwise, L-to-R: Sabian 16" HHX Studio (or AAX Dark) Crash, two 8" Zildjian splashes (A Custom, A), 17" Sabian HHX XTreme under the ride, then 17" Paiste Signature Fast Crash.

[woderr]

Nice job man!

[biggdaps]

That's just awesome man. ... . ... . ... . ... .

[Stucop1709]

monday i could wait till tuesday, if i made up my mind wednesday would be fine thursdays on my mind friday give me time saturday awaits, sundadyd be too late, GREAT GROOVE :)