DRUMMER CAFE - Community Forum

Hi all,

In recent weeks I've been really getting into some DnB(due to the Jojo Mayer dvd).

Now I've tried to find some stuff on the net but it's all very vague!

Basically I'm looking for some sheet music or tutorials, anything that can get me playing it really.

Anyone got any suggestions?

There's quite a few tutorials on YouTube.
Mostly for DJ's and programmers.
(Search 'Drum & Bass')

I typed a really, really long entry on this a while back.  d&b is electronic music and jojo's whole thing is (execellently-executed) reverse engineering.  Other names to check are Guy Licata (playing w/ Bill Laswell and the Hercules & Love Affair), as well as KJ Sawka and the Jungle Drummer (peep the DVD London Elektricity:live at the jazz cafe).

If you want to play d&b/jungle that sounds like the real deal and not a drummer trying to sound cool, then learn how to play the amen, funky drummer, funky president, think, and any other breakbeat you come across-- and WELL.  so that the groove and sound are indistinguishable from the recording. 

this is dance music; how the recording affects people is more important than anything else.

also do a bit of research on how d&b is produced, from photek's amazing bits of chopping and slicing breaks in a sampler in the 90s up to pendulum doing it live at coachella 2 weeks ago.  the vibe of d&b is all about layers and layers of sounds-- a break, a sampled kick and snare on top of that break, a 909 kick under that sampled snare, a sloshy hihat panned far left, a sharp ride panned hard right, filtered bongos and other perc, etc.

also, d&b really is 90% about DRUMS and BASS.  listen to some old 70s dub from jamaica and a get a sense of the original drums and bass-style of composition; space is just as effective as notes, density needs a break.  learn how things build and release.

Guy L's book on drumming in d&b and hiphop is forthcoming and going to be a great read.

There have been a couple of threads here in the past about drum and bass and jungle. Do a search and see what you come up with.

I've made lists of Jungle and DnB DJs and producers in those threads. I recommend listening to as much of the back catalogue of Jungle/DnB (I.e. going back to 1992 or so) as possible. Go to the roots.

Check out Tony Verderosa "VFX"  He does the electric thing but also some of the drums and bass thing I believe.  He plays with JoJo in NYC they are friends.  Tony is a better drummer in my opinion.   

Adding to the list of music to listen to and steal ideas from:
Tabla Beat Science  (http://www.amazon.com/Live-San-Francisco-Stern-Grove/dp/B000069B11/ref=pd_bxgy_m_text_b)

They do live Drum and Bass fused with Indian rhythms.