Issue #9___\__\__\__\__\__________/__/__/__/__/ September 97 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 1,100 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: CUT-TIME 2/4 (POLKA) 2. Bar Jokes of the Month 3. Land of Lost URLS 4. Musicians Wanted (Free service) 5. Advertisements ________________________________________________________ FEATURE ARTICLE September 1997 POLKA BEATS: PART I Before you decide this months lesson topic is boring, WAIT!!! Polka is more important than you think! Much of the 90s alternative and progressive rock styles are based on what has been formerly known as the POLKA beat. This beat is happening right now on a radio dial somewhere near and dear to your heart! I promise! My point? All drummers in every music style will need this beat eventually! POLKA is the old 'street' name for cut-time 2/4. It is also almost identical to what I call Quarter-note 4/4. Quarter-note 4/4 is enjoying a surge in popularity at this particular moment in time. This lesson will help you get a handle on all those very tricky songs that fall into the Cut-Time 2/4 (POLKA) / Quarter-Note 4/4 category. First, we need to understand that all the beats in this lesson are classics and they will countinue to be used long after the POLKA (or alternative) names have faded into oblivion. POLKA was/is a popular dance . . . My dictionary says it this way. POLKA: 1. a lively couple dance of Bohemian origin. 2. a piece of music for such a dance. [ Czech: lit., Polish woman] Hmmmmm! That's interesting! That last part has me scratching my head! The truth is, after you learn to play this beat pattern, the realization will hit you that this beat is all around you. It is the underlying pattern in many of the top 100 songs of the 90s. You need this beat more than it needs you! We will start very simply here but the beats at the bottom of the lesson will tax even the more polished, advanced players. So, in short . . . this lesson contains something for everyone from the most basic beginning students to the monster drummers. Go as far as you can with this material then put the rest on a back burner until such a time that your co-ordination is ready to proceed! --------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: ALL E-MAILERS ARE DIFFERENT! I hate the simple fact that all E-mailers are not equal! It makes the writing of E-mail drum notation very difficult! What I see in my E-mail note may not be the same thing you will see. There is an existing font inconsistancy problem between E-mailers that may eventually bring this little newsletter to its knees. My original plan was to send out a hot lesson every month, containing simple E-mail drum notation that everyone would be able to read and understand. The font inconsistancy problem is raining all over that idea! If your E-mailer tends to re-position the characters, about the only solution is to Select and Copy this article into your word processor. Set your word processors font to Courier New 9 point. --------------------------------------------------------------- NOW, ON WITH THE LESSON: POLKA: PART I (Cut time 2/4) The most basic of polka beats: COUNT: 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 S S S S Snare B B B B Bass --------------------------------------------------- NOTE: E-Mailer Check . . . All Bs in the beat above should be in a vertical line with a 1 in the count. All Ss should be in a vertical line with a 2. If they aren't, you are experiencing the font inconsistancy problem. ------------------------------------------------------ Almost anyone could play the above beat pattern. It is simply, foot-hand-foot-hand played repeatedly at a VERY rapid clip. This beat is geared for the fastest songs you will ever play. If you can't keep up any other way . . . use the above pattern! Otherwise, this one is considered to be pretty lame. We will get back to other (more complex) snare and bass examples later in the lesson but before we do that, I want to show you the easiest and most common 'cheater' forms of the beat. True 'POLKA' beats are most often played without the use of a steady hi-hat. They are usually played with both hands on the snare at a tempo reminiscent of a roll. More on that, later . . . FIRST, WE WILL PLAY POLKAS USING THE HI-HAT! COUNT: 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 X X X X X X X X Closed hi-hat S S S S Snare B B B B Bass We just added the other hand. The Xs (on the hi-hat) will be on the right hand for all right handed players. NOW WE WILL GET A LITTLE TOUGHER: COUNT: 1 2&1 2 1 2&1 2 X X X X X X X X Closed hi-hat SS S SS S Snare B B B B Bass Look closely! Some of those snare notes are between the cymbals. As more of these syncopated notes are added, your speed with the rhythms will decrease proportionally, proving you are humanoid after all! START SLOW AND BUILD SPEED GRADUALLY: (This is pretty hard to play fast) COUNT: 1 2&1 2&1 2&1 2& X X X X X X X X Closed hi-hat SS SS SS SS Snare B B B B Bass Now it is starting to sound more and more like a POLKA. If you are a Country music fan, a few Johnny Cash songs may come to mind. Don't laugh kids, 'Green Day' uses beats like this all the time too. MONSTER DRUMMERS ONLY: (This is very hard to play fast) COUNT: 1&2&1&2&1&2&1&2& X X X X X X X X Closed hi-hat SS SS SS SS Snare BB BB BB BB Bass In the example above, you are actually playing a double stroke roll between the bass and snare against quarter notes on the hi-hat. It isn't easy but it is great practice for all levels. Don't be a wimp! Work on it until you can smoke it at blazing tempos. My maximum tempo with this beat is about 144 BPM according to the BEATBUG. Snare backbeats (only) are measured on the BEATBUG (spam, spam). I think it would be about 288 on an 'old fashioned' metronome. I HATE METRONOMES!!!! Get a BeatBug! POLKA: PART II These are snare & bass only beat patterns. Let's start with the easy one we did earlier. The most basic of polka beats: COUNT: 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 (Bass & Snare only, no hi-hat) S S S S Snare B B B B Bass These next few patterns will be using both hands on the snare so we need to change the code a little: R = Right on snare L= Left on snare TRY THIS: COUNT: 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 L RRL RRL RRL RR Snare B B B B Bass Build speed gradually! THIS IS A CLASSIC FORM OF POLKA: (But it is missing something . . .) COUNT: 1&2&1&2&1&2&1&2& LLRRLLRRLLRRLLRR Snare B B B B Bass THIS IS A CLASSIC FORM OF POLKA: (Adding an accent to the back beat) CODE: < = Accent COUNT: 1&2&1&2&1&2&1&2& < < < < LLRRLLRRLLRRLLRR Snare B B B B Bass It helps to hear these beats! Paid students will see this lesson magically appear at the hidden website very soon. It will appear with REAL notation and midi sound files. If the rest of you are wondering what this is O> it is me sticking my tounge out at all the people who are too cheap to pay for the HOMESTUDY COURSE, haha. JUST KIDDING AROUND!!! There are at least three other forms of the final polka beat above. They will also be included with sound files in the (hidden) online HOMESTUDY COURSE version of this lesson. ________________________________________________________ |________________________________________________________| BAR JOKES OF THE MONTH A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Why the long face"? Ba-dap-boom-crash An elephant walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Why the long face"? Ba-dap-boom-crash A hamburger walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Sorry?! We don't serve food here"! Ba-dap-boom-crash A duck walks into a bar and orders a martini. The bartender says, "Will you pay for this now"? The duck says, "Nah, just put it on my bill"! Ba-dap-boom-crash Thanks for all the smiles John! ________________________________________________________ |________________________________________________________| *** MUSICIANS WANTED *** (FREE SERVICE) ********************** If you have knowledge of job openings anywhere in the World, let us know. Job placement announcements will always be free! __________________________________________________________ STEEL & LEAD GUITARIST WANTED: Modern & standard C&W house gig. This is a permanant and secure job with GOOD pay, on the beach in Daytona, Florida. Vocals a definite plus. E-mail: powelson@america.com for details ________________________________________________________ |_________________*** ADVERTISEMENTS ***_________________| 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: ifrwy@mykabot.net, to get details on how to pay instantly, electronically with an E-mail check. CREDIT CARD ACCEPTANCE IS NOW AVAILABLE WORLD WIDE FOR ANY OF THE PRODUCTS THAT FOLLOW: No more hassles with currency exchange. Just drop an E-mail note (powelson@america.com) telling me the item/items you would like to charge to your credit card. I will send instructions. ----------------------------------------------------------- Place your own inexpensive ad in the Tempo Dispatch! Reach a target market of 1,100 avid drumming enthusiasts! (5) 10 word lines/$5.00 (US) per insertion 4th insertion FREE! ___________________________________________________ AD #1: THE INFAMOUS HOMESTUDY PACKAGE !!! $35.00 US CASH, CHECK or M.O Includes *ALL* of the following . . . * THE ENTIRE COURSE IN DRUMSET TECHNIQUES! (Contains 30 interactive lessons with sounds & images). * E-mail Book & Biz-Op: 'Old Drums Into New Money'. You can make money, learn professional BUYING/SELLING tips, tricks, techniques and support the school too! * Receive the package ON DISK, ONLINE and as an E-MAIL ZIP. * Online E-mail support: Answers and help from a pro, just like you might receive from a private tutor. $35.00 US FUNDS WILL BUY IT ALL!!! CREDIT CARD, CHECK, CASH or MONEY ORDER in US FUNDS to: Bill Powelson 107 Douglas Dr. Holly Hill, Fl. 32117 NOTE: Please include your E-mail address. ___________________________________________________ AD #2: ***BEATBUG*** What is a BeatBug? The BeatBug is to drums, what your speedometer is to your automobile! Finally!!!! Visit the following URL then leave a short E-mail note asking about the BEATBUG. The BEATBUG is the miracle gadget of the 90's for all drummers! It is a high tech answer to the age old problems of tempo uncertainty. In this webpage discussion I will show you how to keep ROCK SOLID TEMPO and put an end to the tempo-wars with your band members. . .for good! Http://www.catalog.com/drummers/z.html or E-mail: powelson@america.com ___________________________________________________ AD #3 "OLD DRUMS INTO NEW MONEY" $18.00 (US) E-MAIL BOOK & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY: This new book is a motherload of buying and selling tips! The music dealers hate me for writing this! Turn old drumsets into fast cash and big profits! Discover how to gain a strangle hold and squeeze BIG discounts from your neighborhood music stores. This book contains too many secrets to mention here. Visit this quick-loading page: http://www.catalog.com/drummers/oldrums.html ___________________________________________________ AD #4: *** UNIQUE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY *** The Information Freeway $14.00 (US) $14.00 could put you into a very lucrative internet business! Take it from me, this one works! It is not a MLM! I will provide you with your own information product! You will be in business for yourself almost instantly. Learn how to do it at: http://www.catalog.com/drummers/ifreeway.html ____________________________________________________ |____________________________________________________| THE LAND OF LOST URLS 'Webpages that are buried on the bottom of the search engine dog pile.' _________________________________________________ PERCUSSION WORLD Surf over to "Percussion World" at http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/6826/forum.html Stop in and say hi to Matt Lineberry. This site has it all!!!!! ________________________________________________________ |________________________________________________________| *** ANNOUNCEMENTS *** (FREE SERVICE) This is your platform! If you have a drumming related announcement to make, you can make it here, FREE! Just send an E-mail note to powelson@america.com. No Spams please! Think in terms of public service announcements. Like this . . . ___________________________________________________ ANNOUNCEMENT #1 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 #2 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: ifrwy@mykabot.net, to get details on how to pay instantly, electronically. ____________________________________________________ ANNOUNCEMENT #3 SPECIAL NOTICE!!! Bill Powelson's School of Drums is now accepting CREDIT CARDS. E-mail me for info . . . powelson@america.com ____________________________________________________ END OF TEMPO DISPATCH #9 September, 1997