Creativity with Irregular Meters by GEORGE TANTCHEV (PERCUSSIVE NOTES/DECEMBER 2005).
Musicians such as Dave Brubeck, Don Ellis, Frank Zappa, Rush, Bela Fleck, and other have applied irregular meters in their music. In many cases, this provides an opportunity for the drummer to be innovative. A good example is Rush’s song “YYZ” where Neil Peart exhibits creativity in 5/4 meter... more

Asymmetric Grooves for Drumset by GEORGE TANTCHEV (PERCUSSIVE NOTES/AUGUST 2004).
Agood-sounding groove sets up the proper feel for a tune and can make even a familiar melody sound more interesting. Such drumset players as Joe Morello, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Omar Hakim, Dennis Chambers, and many others became legendary for the innovative grooves they created. In today’s multi-cultural world, where the tendency to blend different music styles with ethnic motifs and rhythms is growing, drummers can explore their creative potential by incorporating new elements into their playing. For instance, a different feel can be projected in a 4/4 groove if the eighth notes are grouped as 3+2+3. Such rhythmic articulation exists in Balkan folk music known as Heavy Macedonian Horo. Following are a few applications of the rhythm in several different styles... more

Applying Bulgarian Rhythms to Drumset by GEORGE TANTCHEV (PERCUSSIVE NOTES/DECEMBER 2003).
It was 1958 when a young jazz musician visited a crowded marketplace in Istanbul, Turkey. Fascinated by the sound of street musicians playing a rhythm he had never heard before— 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3—he wrote one of his classic jazz compositions. His name, as you have probably guessed, was Dave Brubeck, and the piece was “Blue Rondo A La Turk". Since then, asymmetric rhythms have become integral for pop, rock, jazz, new age, and other musical styles. Musicians began to blend different genres with ethnic motifs and rhythms. Some of them were also influenced by Eastern European music where asymmetrical rhythms abound. Especially rich in these rhythms is Bulgarian folk music... more