Groove 63 Fast (Tight Funk) - Tom Geisler -Fran Merante Student - Tommy Igoe GE 2.0

Here Tom tackles 63 Fast from Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials 2.0 package.

Tom has spent a great part of his drumming life honing his technical skills and speed. In light of this, Tom has AMAZING hands and his independence skills are top notch. Realizing that these skills mean nothing without sensitivity toward the music, he now ALWAYS makes it a priority to put the music he is supporting first, and leaves the blazing chops on the shelf until needed.

This tune is another FANTASTIC example of this approach. Tom and I went back and forth on this tune for a bit with what we thought would be appropriate for this tune. The intro leaves a lot of space for the tune to be set up. It is basically a small drum solo as the intro for this tune. Setting up a tune with a drum solo is NOT an easy thing to do. Usually, when we solo, it is in the middle or toward the end of a tune. This means the tune is already established and we know exactly where we are coming from and have the music that has occurred before our solo to inspire our solo. When you play a solo as an intro, you have to be completely aware of the fact that it is TOTALLY on your shoulders to send the tune off in the right direction. There is nothing before you to "springboard" off of. You have to completely focus on where you need to be when the music enters and solo accordingly. Tom does an EXCELLENT job of that here. Nice TASTY solo, that in my opinion, completely sets up the tune and sends it off in the right direction.

Lets talk about the fill now at 1:04 and the section that it leads into. This is a perfect example of musical awareness. Tom could have played a crazy fill here. What kept him from doing it?? His awareness of where the tune was going! He knew the dynamic of the next section was much more subtle and that his playing would need to follow. Notice how he ends the fill lightly on the toms, completely setting up his cross stick groove, all being inspired by the music. Tom puts himself completely at the mercy of the music and allows the music to dictate what he will play. NOW, how about 1:24 ?!! THIS is what being a musician is ALL ABOUT!! The dude expands upon his cross stick groove and introduces subtle snare drum here!! WHY??? BECAUSE HE IS AWARE!!! He is aware of the next section that is approaching and he knows he is going back to the snare. So rather than hit the listener over the head with back beat out of the blue, he brings it back in gradually! JUST AMAZING!! Do you understand now what I am talking about when I say "MUSICAL AWARENESS"?? I know Tom does!! He completely gets it!!!

Ok, 1:55. Tom here feels the need to solo here on the cymbals. HMMM....I wonder why?? Again, if you listen to the music, you will understand why! You have that upper register piano riff giving off this suspended vibe. Rather than fight the vibe with the lower tone of toms or kick, Tom follows the lead of the music and adds to the suspension by using cymbal swells! AGAIN, allowing the music to go where it wants to go as opposed to getting in its way!

The breaks in the section that begins at 2:04 are just so cool to me! Tom could have played a fill around the kit for each of the breaks but chose not to. The first break he JUST LEAVES SPACE!!! Imagine that??? A drummer....this day and age......leaving space!!! What is the world coming too??!! What a GREAT effect T!!! Kudos to you my friend!! On the following breaks he plays lightly on the cymbals, NEVER disturbing the flow of the groove.

2:20 is a great example of musicality. The music inspired Tom to the point where he heard this melodic, displaced groove which in my opinion is so musical and effective, that now when I listen to the tune without the drums, I just expect to hear it. It has become PART of the tune.

2:51. Solo. Tom just stays with the same motif as he did in the intro. It really wouldn't make sense to do anything else. AGAIN....completely musical. NEVER approaching his playing from the stand point of showing everyone his max abilities.

3:16 puts the icing on the cake for me! The over the bar line figure simply works PERFECTLY with what is going on musically. Gives the section this tumbling feeling that works flawlessly with the floating synth line present throughout this section but at the same time maintains a groove and pocket. BEAUTIFUL PLAYING T!!

TOM GEISLER - MUSICALITY AND MUSICAL AWARENESS APPEARING REGULARLY!!!!!!

AWESOME AWESOME JOB T!!

- Fran Merante

Category:

Music

Tags:

• geisler
• merante
• igoe
• groove
• essentials
• funk
• polyrhythm
• drums
• dw
• playalong
• guitar
• music

[familyguycrazy101]

That sounds brilliant. I was going to ask, Im looking to mic up my kit within the month.. What mic's are you using, what was crash is that in the centre of your kit - looks like 14" or so :) Would really appreciate a reply, thanks, Tom

[ttomsdw]

@familyguycrazy101

Thanks T! Really appreciate it. The crash is a 14K Custom Fast Crash. The mic's are just some Audix fusion series on the 8,10,12, & 14 and the D series on my 16 and 2 kicks. The overheads are Audio Technica AT2020's. Oh yeah - the snare is a Shure SM57. Presonus Firestudio audio interfaces.

-TG

[c0d3x001]

@c0d3x001 ohh btw... the drumming here is incredible too... i subbed

[c0d3x001]

ohh yeah imma go tune my snare now... that's the sound i want

[LukeSnyderMusic]

This is killer Tom! Man, you've inspired me to pull Groove Essentials 2.0 out again, I seriously haven't spent enough time with it.

[ttomsdw]

@samanoskee

Glad you like it!

-TG

[ttomsdw]

@samanoskee

Thank you!

-TG

[ttomsdw]

@Alan2496

Thanks Alan!

-TG

[Alan2496]

That kit sounds fantastic, Beautiful control, very nice!

[samanoskee]

and you are a verrrrrrryyyyyyyy good drumer aswell !!