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4th Annual Drummer Cafe Community Drum Solo

Started by Bart Elliott, April 07, 2008, 07:32 PM

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Bart Elliott

Well, it's that time again ... and everyone can participate!

Here's what you need to do:

1. Download one of the three MP3 accompaniment tracks (see below) to play to. This is what you'll listen to while playing your solo. Not only does the accompaniment provide a rhythmic-bed for you to play over, but it helps get everyone in the right tempo. The loop is in 4/4 at 85 bpm to the quarter-note. The accompaniment starts with a two-bar count-off (cowbell) followed by 24 measures of Bass groove. You will actually only need to groove/solo for 12 bars; the extra 12 bars is there in case you need more time to find a pocket.


2. Record yourself playing to the Solo Accompaniment track. Not everyone has their own recording studio ... and that's okay! Just do the best you can with what you have. Record only yourself, we don't need to hear the accompaniment track, that will be added in the final mix, in post-production, by myself. Depending on what everyone does, I may add other instruments to fill out the mix.

Feel free to just groove and add a few solo licks here and there if you want; you don't have to solo through the 12 measures. In fact we want more GROOVE this year! Also, don't allow yourself to be pigeonholed by the bass track. You can play straight or swung figures, it WILL work, but it's up to you and what you hear and want to play.

3. Something new this year: Take a photo of you behind your drum or percussion set-up or video tape yourself performing. That's right, this year we are adding video to the mix. This is completely optional on your part, but in order to enter your solo I'll at least need a solo. Video can serve two purposes; the visual and the audio. Many people don't have a means to audio record their solos, but they do have access to a video camera. If you are pleased with the audio that you get from the video camera ... use it! NOTE: I do not want and will not accept separate audio/video files. I don't have time to try and sync everything, so just send a video of you performing OR an audio recording of your solo along with a still photo.

4. Send your recording and photo to solo@drummercafe.com. We want to give everyone plenty of time to make their recording. My goal is to mix the project by the early part of June 2008. When it's time to send in your portion of the solo, I'll want it in a stereo mix, WAV or AIFF format; 44.1 kHz, 16 or 24 bit. Video can be in just about anything; MOV, AVI, WMV, MPG, etc.

MORE INFORMATION

First of all ... this is NOT a contest, it's only an exhibition, so please ... no wagering! Seriously, this is going to be a Community Solo recording for everyone to participate in. You don't have to have professional recording gear, nor do you have to be an incredible soloist. Have fun, experiment and come up with some interesting things to say on your instrument. We want to hear you play, even if you just groove and keep time with the loop track.

I would suggest that each person start by landing right on the downbeat of ONE at the beginning of their groove/solo. What you do after that is up to you! In prior years I've had soloists begin with a cymbal crash on the downbeat of ONE. This allowed me to know where you are starting in the phrase, and will help all of us clearly hear when one drummer stops and another starts. I'll include your username and photo with your solo, so that when people are listening to the final product, we'll know who's playing.

I prefer that you not record the loop to your tracks, just record your drums or percussion. I'd like everyone to groove, solo or a mix of the two for 12 measures. Longer solos will not be used! The loop is long enough so that you'll have some time to get into the groove before you actually play. Please do not go over 12 bars; we want many soloists rather than a few long solos. I reserve the right to cut the solo down if need be. 12 measures at this tempo is close to 30 seconds for each individual.

I will NOT be editing solos. What you send me is what will appear in the final mix of the Community Solo #4. Also, let's not Pro Tool or "fix" the solos to death. Play it the best you can ... and leave it alone. We want to hear you just as you are!

Please post to this thread when you have finished your solo recording.

I'd like everyone to have their solo recorded by May 31, 2008. This gives you over a month, so don't delay in getting this done. Late entries will not be accepted ... so again, don't delay in recording your solo.

Have fun!

P.S. If you are not familiar with our community solo, click  http://www.drummercafe.com/contents/download/CommunitySolo3.swf]HERE  to listen to last years solo!

Anthony Manning-Franklin

:D Awesome accompaniment track Bart! I'm going to feel right at home with this.

NY Frank

I love that track.  That's going to be lots of fun.

Hannah Ford


Todd Norris


Mark Counts

I will try to do it by Video.  Sounds fun!!!!
                       Nutty

NY Frank

I'll be passing on the video.  I don't want to damage your retina.

"...my eyes!..."

donelk


NY Frank

Bart -  you just line up all the clips by ear?  You don't want/need the reference?

Bart Elliott

Quote from: New York Frank on April 09, 2008, 05:07 PM
Bart -  you just line up all the clips by ear?  You don't want/need the reference?

If you start your groove/solo on beat one, then all I have to do is drag the solo to the beat one of the bar on the grid in Pro Tools. I have the reference track. I don't need you to record it again. You just send me your solo and I'll add the reference track later, mixing it where it needs to be.  The track is just for you to play to so that we are all playing to the same thing. There are slight differences when putting to an MP3 as well as playing it back on different players, but for our purposes it's negligible. 



In the words of Kaa the snake, from the Jungle Book ... "Trust in me!"

I've done this before!  8)
   

Anthony Manning-Franklin

It would be very very easy for me to just have one bar of the bass/cowbell track and fade it out on the 4& for you to line it up perfectly, or even just start the mp3 in line with beat 4 (and have it silent).

I'm just a little anxious that if this is about groove, and things are being lined up based on the position of the first beat, that the whole groove could end up being shifted slightly back or forwards.

Bart Elliott

You don't have to start on the first bar.  I've provided you a 24-bar loop to play 12-bars of groove/solo. Start on bar 9 if want, it doesn't matter. The track is just a guide.  The only thing you need to be concerned with is playing 12 measures in time.

Bart Elliott

Quote from: Antman on April 09, 2008, 09:39 PM
It would be very very easy for me to just have one bar of the bass/cowbell track and fade it out on the 4& for you to line it up perfectly, or even just start the mp3 in line with beat 4 (and have it silent).

I'm just a little anxious that if this is about groove, and things are being lined up based on the position of the first beat, that the whole groove could end up being shifted slightly back or forwards.

Again, you really need to trust me on this. This isn't my first pool party, so to speak. I've been recording and engineering for almost two decades ... and we have had people record this way for the past three Drummer Cafe Community Solos.

You adding or keeping part of the track then fading it does me no good because I'm not going to line clicks up. It's your first downbeat that matters. This is why I've had people put a Crash on beat one of their solo. If this was a full-on recording project, sure, but this is just a 12-bar solo/groove. Unless you have a DAW, your player and recorder are not going to have any time clock to keep things accurate. An MP3 isn't perfect either. So adding a click at the top and fading just doesn't matter.

I sometimes have to slide tracks a few milliseconds to compensate for everyone's players. We aren't trying to win a Grammy here; this isn't a contest. Just have fun!

Anthony Manning-Franklin

I do have a DAW but okay fair enough. (This forum needs a big thumbs up emoticon someday  ;D)

David Newman

That bass line melted my face off. Excellent.

I am really looking forward to submitting this year, and I like the accompaniment.

Bart Elliott

Quote from: Antman on April 10, 2008, 09:29 PM
I do have a DAW but okay fair enough. (This forum needs a big thumbs up emoticon someday  ;D)

That's cool.

Well, if you do have a DAW set-up, create a grid, set the tempo to 85 bpm in 4/4 time, drop the accompaniment track in at the zero mark and play away. I'll be able to just drop your performance in with no problems. You can always crop the part that you want, finding the 12 bars you like best and send it to me. You'll be able to tell if everything lines up with the track. If you bounce/render your performance starting at zero, or exactly with the first downbeat of the bar you are starting ... it will be golden.  ;D

diddle

Done !  I emailed my mp3 and jpeg files today.

paul

chefdoug

Haven't been around the Cafe in a while, but nothin' like the ol' community solo to get me back in the mix. I haven't missed one yet and I don't plan to miss this one. File will be coming soon!

Jim R.

All done! The video is being sent through cyberspace.
Can't wait to hear/see the final version.
Thanks for all your work Bart!!

tablaji71