Issue #13___\__\__\__\__\__________/__/__/__/__/ January 1998 THE TEMPO DISPATCH FREE Newsletter For Drummers and Drumming Enthusiasts Copyright Bill Powelson 1997 all rights reserved. ___/__/__/__/__/__________\__\__\__\__\___ 'IT'S ALL ABOUT DRUMS' Tips * Tricks * Hints * Ads * Freebies * Lessons * Gigs? NOW 1,200+ SUBSCRIBERS!!! ___________________________________________________ "THE TEMPO DISPATCH" is a FREE publication *** Originating From *** BILL POWELSON'S SCHOOL OF DRUMS on the web Where the Drum Lessons are FREE! http://www.catalog.com/drummers/bphome01 E-MAIL: powelson@america.com ___________________________________________________ The focus and intent of this publication is to unite, enlighten, instruct and entertain all the percussion enthusiasts of the Internet. If you wish to receive NO further issues, simply reply to the address at the top of this message and type "REMOVE" on the subject line or body of the message. Your address will be removed immediately. ___________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS What is in this issue? Contents: 1. Feature Article: NEW YEARS RESOLUTION! Learning to Write & Read drum notation. 2. Humorous Story of the Month 3. Land of Lost URLS 4. Musicians Wanted (Free service) 5. Advertisements ________________________________________________________ FEATURE ARTICLE (A New Years Resolution) Mastering the Art of Writing & Reading Drum Notation A brand new year! Let's make a resolution to push ahead into the unknown . . . This month I want to show you still another career possibility behind the drumset. TEACHING! It all begins the day you learn to communicate rhythms in black and white. Today is that day! LEARN TO COMMUNICATE, THEN TEACH! Yes, YOU can teach! Even if your only student is the cynic who scoffs at you in the mirror every day! Dump your negative attitudes in the trash, follow along for a few minutes and by the time you finish this article, you'll be overwhelmed. It is soooo much easier than you think! Get into the habit of writing rhthms daily, even if you aren't writing them exactly by the book! The minor imperfections will dissapear in no time! Find a friend who has an interest in drums and begin teaching them for the sheer fun of it! Extrodinary things happen as you begin to explain what you know to someone else . . . sometimes you will learn more than your student! QUESTION: WHY LEARN TO READ & WRITE DRUM NOTATION? I know this sounds like a dumb question to many of you. None-the-less, it is amazing how many professionals drop the ball and run for cover when the subject of writing and reading comes up. Most of us are seat-of-the-pants jammers! I am one of those myself! I beleive jamming is the key to everything . . . BUT, it is also VERY important to acknowledge the fact that our ability to accellerate the learning process will depend on those black and white communicating skills. If you can write and read a little, a whole new world will open up. For one thing, you will gain the ability to steal and retain licks from all the competiton. Sometimes, stealing is the best way to learn. Likewise, everything you steal can be converted into a lesson that might help someone else. These are some pretty good reasons for learning to write and read! Notation is a learning tool! Nothing more and nothing less! Without the ability to write & read, your learning curve will be immeasureably stunted. So stop groaning and let's get started! STEP I: Thow out all the books! We are going to try a whole new concept! The idea here is to make a boring subject fun and easy . . . You may have noticed that I keep putting the word 'write' before the word 'read'. That is because I have made a few discoveries that will help many of you (jammers) forget all your writing/reading phobias. In this way, I hope to lead you into an entirely new world that will fire your imagintion with literally millions of new rhythmic ideas. These new ideas will hopefully find their way into your jamms and you will gain in three ways . . . 1. First, you will learn to write . . . which will help you to visualize rhythms previously unknown. 2. Writing will automatically and effortlessly teach you to read . . . 3. Those discoveries will lead to better recall and more creative jamms! So . . . as you digest this lesson, it is my hope that your creative improvosational (jamming) abilities will also enjoy a breath of new life too! REMEMBER THIS! IF YOU CAN PLAY IT, YOU CAN WRITE IT! IF YOU CAN WRITE IT, YOU WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO READ IT! Profecient writing will lead to profecient reading, almost naturally! GATHER YOUR WRITING MATERIALS: Reach over to the printer stand and steal a clean white sheet of paper from the stack, then scrounge through the desk drawer and find a pen or pencil . . . ANOTHER WAY: Better yet! If you know the 'Control/Tab' trick on your computer, simply open your word processor and use it. Use the Control/Tab trick to switch back and forth between this note and your word processor. Whatever you do . . . get ready to write! WRITING YOUR FIRST BEATS: We are going to start real simple but in only a few minutes you will discover the ability to write 4.3 billion new rock beats. 4.3 billion is a hefty number, that's true. We won't do them all, but you will understand how to write & read any of them in only a few minutes. The first thing we will do is lay out 3 horizontal lines about two inches in length. Like this . . . __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Each end of this little music staff needs a vertical bar to designate that this is one whole measure. It is difficult to draw a vertical bar using the computer so we will live without it for now. Now place 4 evenly spaced Xs on the top line. We are writing the Hi-Hat (or cymbal) line, like this . . . _____X____X____X____X_____ CYMBAL OR HH __________________________ __________________________ There are 256 potential rhythms staring you in the face right this minute, but to keep everything on a practical level, lets' add a snare note to help diminish the numbers while pointing out the most common beat patterns within this framework. It will all explode in a minute, but for now let's place an S (snare) on the center line, below the third X, like this . . . _____X____X____X____X_____ CYMBAL OR HH _______________S__________ SNARE __________________________ BASS ----------------------------------------------------- NOTE: If you know the 'Select', 'Copy' & 'Paste' trick on your computer . . . you can just steal the above pattern from here and put it in your word processor. ----------------------------------------------------- Just for kicks, play what you have written! Pretty lame, I know but get ready to think! We are going to visualize a mountain of stuff, then write and play it too! STEP 1: Experimenting with the Bass Possibilities! Begin to experiment with bass drum possibilities while keeping the snare in its current position . . .under the third cymbal. The bottom line is for the bass drum. You can place a bass note ANYWHERE you wish on the bottom line and it will always produce a functional beat pattern. By functional, I mean that all these permutations (variations) will work well with routine 8th rock jamms or with the everyday rock songs you hear on the radio. EXAMPLES: _____X____X____X____X_____ CYMBAL OR HH _______________S__________ SNARE _____B____B_______________ BASS OR _____X____X____X____X_____ CYMBAL OR HH _______________S__________ SNARE __________B_______________ BASS Can you visualize the others? There are 16 total possibilities! As you try playing these rhythms, be sure to repeat each one several times. WHAT IS A SYNCOPATION? For now, we aren't concerned with syncopations. A syncopation (or sync) occurs when we drop a note (bass or snare) BETWEEN any two cymbal notes. Syncs get complex in a hurry. First, just concentrate on simple variations. In other words, line your bass notes up with a cymbal note . . . ANY CYMBAL NOTE! Write a simple example . . . then play it. Then another and another. You will discover 16 neat rock variations if you play with all the possibilities. Each of these beats are fundamental elements of the rock era. Millions of your favorite songs are using these same beat examples right now! STEP 2: Experiment With the Snare Let's continue on with the next most logical step. Place a bass note below the first cymbal (on the third horizontal line). Now we will leave that bass note in place while experimenting will all the snare possibilities. You need to visualize, write and play each one. There are 16 of these too! Can you visualize, write and play all 16? Send E-mail if you can't figure them out! The same 16 possibilities exist no matter which line we are talking about. EXAMPLE: _____X____X____X____X_____ CYMBAL OR HH _______________S____S_____ SNARE _____B____________________ BASS Use your imagination! Don't give up until you see all 16 variations. STEP 3: 16 Bass variations X 16 Snare variations Now you are ready to play with all 256 possibilities! Pick any of the 16 Snare patterns, one at a time and place them with any of the 16 Bass patterns, one at a time. EXAMPLE: _____X____X____X____X_____ CYMBAL OR HH __________S____S____S_____ SNARE _____B____B_______________ BASS WARNING: You are not a spaz . . . some of these more complex beat patterns are virtually impossible for all us mono-brained humanoids! Few drummers can actually play all the remaining beat patterns. Playing each one isn't the important thing. Visualization is what counts! Try to write and play a large portion of the 256 variation possibilities. Get the picture, then move on. Now for a BIGGER explosion . . . STEP 4: Writing Whole Measure 8th-note 4/4 Patterns So far, we have been examining 8th note 2/4. 2/4 is simply a half measure of 4/4. Two bars of 8th 2/4 = one bar of 8th 4/4 . . . Get it? In other words, if you stretch your music staff out a couple more inches and place 8 Xs on the top line, then visualize the variation possibilities, you will arrive at a potential 65,536 individual 8th-note rock beat patterns. 8th note 4/4 is really no harder to write than 8th 2/4. EXAMPLE: (8th note 4/4) ____X____X____X____X____X____X____X____X_____ CYMBAL OR HH _________S____S______________S____S__________ SNARE ____B______________B____B______________B_____ BASS If we double everything again as in two bars of 8th note 4/4 or one bar of 16th 4/4 we will arrive at a total of 4,294,967,296 (or approx. 4.3 billion) individual beats. More on that next month . . . be thinking about it! The only real difference between 2 bars of 8th note 4/4 and one bar of 16th 4/4 is the placement of the (snare) backbeat. BACKBEATS: The backbeats will fall on cymbal numbers 3 & 7 in 8th 4/4. But, when playing or writing 16th 4/4 the backbeats will fall on cymbal notes #5 and # 13. This lends a completely different feel to the rhythmic variables. FOR THE SAKE OF SIMPLICITY, KEEP A SNARE NOTE ON THE BACKBEAT: In the beginning it is probably best to always place a snare on the backbeats. However, some of the most interesting rhythms may often contain a rest on the backbeat. This can be done, if the beat flow doesn't become disrupted. In other words, it is ok to rest on a backbeat but it will confuse the rhythm if you lose track of where the backbeat is supposed to fall. For this reason, we don't want to rest too often on the backbeats. Wait awhile before experimenting with patterns that omit the backbeat. NOTE VALUES, SYMBOLS & TERMINOLOGY: At the moment we are just placing Xs on paper. To become a profecient writer, you will need a working knowledge of note values and corresponding rests, etc. Slowly, you will learn to equate the values of the different types of notes (note values), then ad stems & flags. You will be amazed at how quickly all this will come together if you just continue to doodle with the notation possibilities. NOW, THE NASTY MATH . . . Each line of music on the music staff is supposed to tally with the time signature. It is math and everything must add up. For example, in the case of 8th note 2/4, we see four Xs on the top line. In actuallity these are four 8th notes. Mathmatically, we know that 4/8ths = 2/4. That adds up just fine! But, If we represented three 8ths or five 8ths on that line, things just wouldn't add up to 2/4. We would be in 3/8 or 5/8 time (respectively). Be thinking about that but don't worry if it isn't all that clear yet. If you just continue to write and juggle the notes around on paper, your own natural logic will take over and save the day. Remember also, that each note value has a corresponding rest. Rests allow us to remain silent or skip a note, yet account for the time in such a way that everything will still add up and match the time signature we are in. This stuff is a tad dry but you are going to need it! In a minute I will send you to the NOTE VALUE lesson at the website. This will help prepare you for next months continuation of this lesson on writing notation. Before I send you to that lesson though, let me point out that many people have a difficult time with this area of study. If you are one of those, take heart! Just try to get a general idea of how the different types of notes are used to describe different rhythms within a steady tempo. If you tend to freeze up with all this just keep thinking . . . and DON'T MISS next months continuation of the lesson. It will all come together slowly. Visit (and memorize) all the 'Note Values, Symbols & Rests' at this secret website lesson . . . http://enterprise.america.com/~powelson/notevals.html Get what you can from it! Try to play the various note value examples at the bottom of the lesson. Just kick a STEADY bass pattern and try to play all the various notes on the snare as they appear in the exercise. Notice how they look when written and how the rhythms change as you move from one note value to the next. Don't concern yourself too much with 'Half triplets' or 'Quarter triplets'. They are confusing! You can go a long way without understanding them. The same goes for '16th triplets' and '32nd notes' too. Focus on playing a STEADY stream of bass drum counts while playing WHOLE NOTES thru 16TH NOTES on the snare. If you understand that much, next months lesson will be a sanap! :>) PERMUTATIONS: Well, you didn't know it but I also sneeked another lesson in on you with this lesson. You just took a peek at 'Permutation' theory and I only mentioned the word one time. It was a trick! :>) Grab your dictionary and look up the word 'permutation', just for kicks . . . then try to discern what it means to us drummers. Permutation theory explains virtually every beat that exists within the framework of our current 'Time Signature' system. When you understand permutations completely, it is like a birdseye view of all rhythm. You learn to see the entire forest rather than bouncing off one tree at a time. It is just the sort of thing that can make writing, reading and TEACHING a breeze! The HOMESTUDY COURSE goes into GREAT detail wih all this. Why not odrer now! HINT! HINT! ________________________________________________________ |________________________________________________________| HUMOROUS STORY OF THE MONTH Supposedly a true story... Scene: A court room in Oklahoma where a person is on trial for murder. There is strong evidence indicating guilt; however, there is no corpse. In the defense's closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client is guilty and that it looks like he'll probably be convicted, resorts to a clever trick. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer says as he looks at his watch. "Within 1 minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this court room," he says and he looks toward the courtroom door. The jury, somewhat stunned, all look on eagerly. A minute passes. Nothing happens. Finally the lawyer says: "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation. I, therefore, put it to you that there is reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty." The jury, clearly confused, retires to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returns and a representative pronounces a verdict of guilty. "But how?" inquires the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door." Answers the representative: "Oh, we did look. But your client didn't." ________________________________________________________ |________________________________________________________| *** DRUMMER WANTED *** (FREE SERVICE) ********************** NOTICE: If you have knowledge of job openings anywhere in the World (Male or Female), let us know. Job opening announcements will always be free! ________________________________________________________ |_________________*** ADVERTISEMENTS ***_________________| NEW BIZ-OP: BUY/SELL DRUMS +249,999 OTHER PRODUCTS AT 30% to 50% OFF!!! http://www.catalog.com/drummers/5000.html OR E-Mail: powelson@america.com (mention 5000) NOTICE: ANYONE WHO BUYS INTO THE ABOVE BIZ-OP WILL RECEIVE THE ENTIRE HOMESTUDY COURSE FOR FREE! ___________________________________________________ AD #1: LEARN TO PLAY DRUMS AT HOME !!! $35.00 US CASH, CC, CHECK or M.O Bill Powelson's HOMESTUDY PACKAGE Includes *ALL* of the following . . . * ENTIRE COURSE IN DRUMSET TECHNIQUES! (30 interactive lessons with sounds & images). * E-mail Book & Biz-Op: 'Old Drums Into New Money'. 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Check 'em out at: http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/1179/brad.html ==================================================== Your FREE announcement could be here! ___________________________________________________ ANNOUNCEMENT #2 If you enjoy this little 'e-zine' please show your support by reading the ads and buying the products. The 'Tempo Dispatch' and free drum school will soon die without a few sales. ___________________________________________________ ANNOUNCEMENT #3 SPECIAL NOTICE!!! US residents! Now you can pay by check via E-mail. Any of the drum school products or services will be on their way to you in minutes! Send an E-mail enquiry to: powelson@america.com, to get details on how to pay instantly, electronically. ___________________________________________________ TO PURCHASE ANY OF THE DRUM SCHOOL PRODUCTS WITH MASTER CARD OR VISA NOW, GO TO . . . https://www.realtimecommerce.com/powelson/ ___________________________________________________ END OF TEMPO DISPATCH #13 January, 1998