DRUMMER CAFE

We've mentioned some of these in the past ... such as phrases used to describe specific drum fills ... but what about other slang? I've been gathering some slang phrases that I've heard around Nashville. Much of it seems to have originated here although I heard a lot of these when doing sessions in Texas. Must be the country session thang!

Here's a recap as well as a few more for you:

Producer to drummer fill descriptions:
Pat Boone
Debbie Boone
Larry Boone
Bucket of Fish
Car Full of Chicks
Packet of Soy
Blackened Fish!

Drum solo: "Car full of chicks, packet of soy, bucket of fish, blackened fish!"

George Lawrence (of George's Drum Shop) tells a funny story about playing at the Grand Ol' Opry years ago. Back when Buddy Harmon was one of the staff drummers (he's a lefty), they used to have a two-sided drumset ... meaning it was set up for left-handed and right-handed players; two Snare drums and two Hi-Hats ... one each, on the right and left side. The joke was that if you didn't pay attention, your "Pat Boone, Debbie Boone" would turn into, "Pat Boone, Debbie Pat!"


Phrases heard in Nashville studios:
Producer to drummer: "I want you to go around on your higher-ups and land on your ironware".
Drummer to producer: "If it gets any slower I'll need an alarm clock not a metronome".
Producer to engineer: "Can you throw the tambourine in the deep end of the pool?"

"Let's put a little stank on the weasel" meaning let's get out there and cut a killer track.

Comment about a double track: "Tighter than two coats of paint!"
Comment about tone: "Darker than the inside of a cow."
A slight increase/decrease in pitch, tempo, reverb, etc., is a "skosh" (skō sh).
Producer to singer: "I think that was a little flarp." (not sure if it was flat or sharp, but it wasn't right)

"Let's put a 'batman' on the end of the song."
"Let's do 4 up and 4 down for the intro."
"For the ending, let's do a 'meat and three'."
"Play it like a Ray Price shuffle."
"Play it half-time like a Waylon thing"
"Turnaround"
"Outro"
"Channel"
"Release"
"Put a diamond on the five, spank the one and give me a meat and three ending."

"We can smell the barn now!" meaning we are almost done or home; last pass of the day.

Gherm is a term used to describe someone who slavishly follows and sucks up to a celebrity. A fan to excessive degree. Usually applied to one who makes people uncomfortable by their adoration. In Nashville this has been expanded to include any person who is overly aggressive in soliciting work from those who appear to be successful in the industry.

Nashville Handshake, in the 80's, meant slipping someone a demo cassette (unsolicited) when you meet them. Now it applies to slipping someone your business card ... again unsolicited.

When you've had enough ... player to producer: "If I pay my own cartage can I go home?"

Not at all!!!
That's why this is so funny/bizarre ... the terms and words definitely have a southern vibe to them. I guess I should have defined and explained each one. 

Don't feel bad. I've lived in Texas my whole life and I have no idea what any of them mean. 

Funny list. I will have to try the "Can you throw the tambourine in the deep end of the pool?" one on my sax player this weekend. That thing drives me CRAZY.

Oh ... here's another music term I forgot to mention.

Producer to drummer: "Slam/shut the door"

This means that the producer wants the drummer to end the tune or cut the band's sustain with a fill. We've all done it. You know, when you do a little fill or roll on the Floor Tom followed by the Kick drum to end the tune.

For me "shut the door" is softer than "slam the door". 

man, I would have a really hard time in nashville. 

thanks for the explanations! I thought 'diamond on the five' referred to a card game. 

Here's one that makes no sense.
A producer I used to work with a lot would often request a 'flying brick'.
It was his way of asking for the big fill towards the end of the song. Actually he always wanted the same fill, 8's on both snare and floor tom, building in volume over a whole bar.

The only other studio comments that always amuse me are the nonsensical ones.
Like being asked to play more quietly, but still 'sound loud'.
Or quite often being told quite sternly how every bar should be structured, down to specific fills, and which cymbal to hit when, then being told I don't sound relaxed.
In a fit of desperation the producer often adds "have fun with it".
Yeah, I would be having "fun with it" if every movement of my body hadn't been pre-scripted by you (a non drummer).
I was once called in by a very famous record producer.
He had a straight 16's drum machine groove on a song.
He'd also found a drum loop he liked that unfortunately had a swung 16's feel.
He played me the song with each groove. It sounded good both ways.
Then he played both grooves together and it was obviously a train wreck.
Then he asked me to do something on the drums to make it all work.
 

What did you end up doing with that? Sounds like a big enough challenge to me.

Wow, thanks Bart! I'm gonna start using some of these!

Another thing that's funny: I play snare on my high school drumline [State Champion Winter Drumline baby!!!] and we sometimes march the show without drums while the front ensemble is playing, and there are those awkward battery only breaks, so we all sing our parts. I think it's funny that even the first time we did this, we all used the same vocalizations.
cack= rimshot
duh= snare
boom= bass
burp= tenors
zzz= buzz

 

My favorite "dig", especially after we've slaughtered a tune is:

"Can I get a little more talent in the monitor?"