But you have to take into consideration that he is a jazz drummer first then a funk drummer. Therefore, he tends to skew towards the jazz tuning. Personal preference lah....
Then to me, such a drummer is more interested in playing for himself, than playing for the music. It's one thing to fuse different elements and concepts together, and quite another to not recognize where it crosses the line, stops serving the music, and sticks out like a sore thumb.
From what I've noticed from most professionals & sessionists who are proficient in multiple genres, Steve Gadd for one, regardless of their roots, they know what's required for that particular genre they're playing, and they bring it to the table. They serve the music, not themselves.
Yeah, Clark probably likes the way it sounds, and probably saw it as a chance to have it his way on his own DVD.
I'm not saying Clark's wrong or made the wrong choice, just making an observation, maybe everyone else besides me digs the tuning, maybe I'll learn to appreciate it in time too.
When all's said, I appreciate innovators like Clark, who aren't afraid to experiment. But that doesn't mean if it doesn't sound right to us, we just say "Oh, he's experimenting." If it sounds bad to me, I'm going to say it and bring it up for discussion. We can all benefit from that.
Questions for all:
- Do you like the tuning in the youtube clips shared above?
- In your opinion, does it suit the style he was playing in those clips?
- If yes, why? If no, why?
Question for ya BebopIggy, would you turn up for a rock gig with your 16" BD, tuned the way it's tuned right now?
Irrelevant to this thread: Is that a converted floor tom or are you playing something like a Sonor Jungle kit? Do share. Love the tone you can get outta a 16" BD.
