Fran Merante - Groove Essentials 2.0 48 slow - Tommy Igoe

This is groove 48 slow from the Tommy Igoe Groove Essentials 2.0 Play Along. I put a little twist on it though. I decided to use the B section where the bass drops out as a solo section. I did this because on occasion, you are asked to solo over a song form. Most times when we solo in contemporary music, we are either playing by ourselves, or we solo over an ostinato. It is rare that we are asked to solo over a song form in tunes other than jazz tunes. Because of this, I thought it would be a good idea to do that in this tune to get the practice. Since I am soling over the form of the tune, I tried to be more groove oriented with what I chose to play and tried to compliment what was going on musically by using some of the rhythms of the other instruments during the solo. For most of the solo I tried to leave space and weave in and around everyone but then on the way back in to the next section where the bass comes back in, I played something intense to serve two purposes. The first being to climax the solo at its end and the second being to set up the intensity of going to the next section with the bass coming back in with the entire band playing one last time through the form (the head). I also went to the bell of the ride to further intensify the last time through the form.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tommy Igoe
• Fran Merante
• solo
• groove
• drum
• drummer
• drumming
• r&b
• mapex
• zildjian
• funk

[ralphiejunior]

Extremely yummy! I'm so inspired to play now and its 3am in the morning! Which series of the Mapex are you using anyways? I've been playing a DW and it sounds nowhere near your kit. Damn, i feel embarrassed - any advice there big guy? Thanks for the videos - highly motivational stuff!

[funky2714]

Thank you so much kind Sir!!! Your words are inspirational to me. Makes me feel my work is paying off and I am doing something right!! I am using the Mapex M Birch kit. I really can not say enough about these drums. GREATsounding and amazing quality for the money. And they are NOT paying me to say that. I have no endorsements or anything with them so what I am saying is NOT a line of bull. My advice? Find a kit before they are gone. I believe they have been discontinued.

[funky2714]

I must tell you that I have spent endless hours learning how to tune drums. I was even a drum tech for a little bit. Definitely take the time to learn the art of tuning. With a kit as awesome as a DW, the time you spend learning to tune will pay HUGE dividends. In my opinion, DW could very well be the best kit out there.....BUT I also believe they don't have to be as expensive as they are. I have a Mapex m birch and a pro m kit. What I paid for both is about the cost of a DW kick drum.

[ChrisBakerDrummer]

Solid as always. And your kit does sound so amazing. Do you do much EQ/processing on them or is that mostly how they just sound mic'd up?

[funky2714]

Most of the credit here I would have to give Mapex and not my MP&E skills. The drums are just great!! There is really not much done to the drums from a mixing standpoint. Just a little eqing and a touch of reverb with a touch of compression. If I were going to take any credit it would have to be by way of my tuning skills. I have been doing it for quite a while and it is an art form in and of itself. I got pretty good at it with all of the gigging I did live and in the studio.

[dhsc19]

I agree. I think "studio magic" can do wonders, but too many people ignore the fact that the drums by themselves need to sound good straight up. Great job tuning those drums and great playing, too! I've been learning a lot from you and I look forward to your videos and your teaching.

[funky2714]

A wise engineer once told me "you can't polish a turd". The drums have to sound good from the get go in order to get a pretty nice sound. It is possible for a good engineer to get a badly tuned/sounding kit and make it decent but it takes some time, and know how, to make that happen. I have neither of those things!! Apologies for all of the performance vids!! It is all my time allows currently. More instructional vids coming soon. Any suggestions for topic???

[supernickynick]

wow, amazing playing!

[nickeeboy]

Hey cool vid man!

I got the notes and the CD play along tracks but was wondering how it should sound.

I guess I'm playing those ghost notes too hard when I practice.

[MusicianWil]

great playing and your kit sounds so good!!!

[NJCycleDude]

Dude, that was tight and clean. great job. Those drums sound sooo sweet.

How are they tuned; Just past the wrinkles?

[fksarracco]

That guy is a wise engineer

[hrdwrk22]

Man you are grooving!! I'm not sure if you do a lot of teaching but I've learned so much just in watching this one video. And BTW, that kit sounds Fantastic!!! Keep posting!!!