Article: How To Play Like Stewart Copeland In 10 Easy Steps

[DirtyMartini]

(It's actually called "10 Ways To Sound Like Stewart Copeland," but I like my title better.)

http://www.drummagazine.com/lessons/pos ... -copeland/

The first half is mostly fluffy, but the brains kick in in the second half. I find #9 about the right foot interesting (even if I can't personally verify it).

Though I think a few crucial aspects are missing. For example,

11. Invest in signature article of unusual clothing (headband, gloves, tube socks).

#12?

[Mario]

12. Use of delay, compression, and other effects on stage, guitar player style. As Stewart says,"The only drum sound I care is the one that comes out the P.A.".

[plutonic]

That article is fantastico! Thanks Kel!! Three cheers. I had to tweet that. Love especially this bit:

6. ACQUIRE AN ACCENT
It’s no secret that Copeland has a certain fondness for decorating a groove in all manner of accents. Sometimes they contribute to a very specific pattern, or “part,” as in the case of the chorus groove in “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” where the ride bell provides a paradiddle-inspired hook (Ex. 2a). In many other instances, though, these accents are distributed throughout phrases rather spontaneously, adding to the often impulsive, off-the-cuff feeling that a Copeland performance can create. This tends to have the added effect of blurring the lines between groove and fill. Take a look at the passage that opens “Demolition Man,” where Copeland intersperses tricky hi-hat work with random accents on the bell of a crash (Ex. 2b). Also notice the sheer variety of ideas happening in the span of those four bars; at first glance each measure seems as if it could belong to its own song. When others attempt this type of playing on a pop recording, they run the risk of coming off as too busy, even distracting. In Copeland’s case, though, this type of unrestrained musical expressiveness sounds as natural and honest as a simple backbeat.

And there are musical examples!!!!

Be still my beating heart.

[DirtyMartini]

[quote="plutonic"]Be still my beating heart.[/quote]

Ba-dump-ching.

[plutonic]

In many other instances, though, these accents are distributed throughout phrases rather spontaneously, adding to the often impulsive, off-the-cuff feeling that a Copeland performance can create. This tends to have the added effect of blurring the lines between groove and fill.

Spontaneous!
Off The Cuff!
Impulsive!

I miss Maestro on Tourzilla.
Sigh.

[ltwoman]

Be still my beating heart.

You can say that again!

[DirtyMartini]

(ETA: I meant that earlier rimshot for the "beating"/drum pun. I do hope that came through. Apologies if it didn't. Thank you.)

[dontboxmein]

WHAT A ROCKING ARTICLE I LOVE HOW THEY BREAK THIS DOWN

[smax]

i love number 7:
7. GET OVER ONE
This could be the single most defining element of Copeland’s rhythmic sensibilities: The man never fails to take the listener off guard with his unforgiving treatment of beat 1 of the first measure of any given phrase. While the rest of us, in all likelihood, are choosing to end every phrase with the same tired fill followed by a bass/crash on the first beat of the next, Copeland instead goes right into beat 1 with a tasty hi-hat flourish, or perhaps an accented hi-tom, or perhaps he plays right up to the edge of beat 1 with something more intense, and then leaves us suspended with a big, gaping hole where we would expect that huge downbeat accent we’re so used to hearing. .....

i like that it reminds me of one of the Question&Answer sessions at an ES:TPIO screening, i might have been there or not, to be frank it might not have been from a Q&A at all, these things blur after a while, don't they? might have been a friend of mine down the pub, but for illustrative purposes we'll say it was at a screening, anyway, back to the point..reminds me of when someone pointed out that the reason he doesn't play on beat 1 is 'cos he's just be counting half as quickly as everyone else....

well shared, DM. i Love Lessons about how to play like SC, erm, i get Thrills and Don't Care or Regret that i Look Up and Wield The Spade at the Rain and Darkness which, like Dark Ships, are Lurking Solo like a Baboon Tribe, erm, nadgers. that didn't work, did it?

Who wants to start a thread with the longest cohesive prose including as many names of SC tunes as poss?

[ltwoman]

well shared, DM. i Love Lessons about how to play like SC, erm, i get Thrills and Don't Care or Regret that i Look Up and Wield The Spade at the Rain and Darkness which, like Dark Ships, are Lurking Solo like a Baboon Tribe, erm, nadgers. that didn't work, did it?

Who wants to start a thread with the longest cohesive prose including as many names of SC tunes as poss?

Good try , though, smax!