Nathaniel Townsley - You'll Regret Eventually..

[jesperz]

Nathaniel Townsley, one of my top influence drummer in my list.

Here is a video of him in Modern Drummer Fest 2003, playing something that will pwned you.

Check out his dynamics, feel, touch and time...

If you don't watch this, you'll regret...

If you watch this, you'll regret too, thinking how to actually top this guy.

Here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m55vToHFPd4

Nat's solo and grooves

Enjoy

 

[Bor]

8O Goodness this guy really grooves... And his singles, blazing fast man...

Great technique, groove and feel. I especially like the way in which starts off his solo so subtly and then builds it up before coming in with the funky groove. Good stuff!

Anyone has insight / comments on this guy's playing, and any tips to share on how to eventually attain the kind of technical expertise required to play this stuff?

 

[plainsman]

heh niceee... i wasn't really thinking of pwnz or how to top this guy, i am just sitting back with some coffee and enjoying this dude :lol:

i see and hear traces of gadd, cobham and jimbo... feel that he holds the groove foremost (hence the solid timekeeping instead of going for hang time liberally)

my take on him is just good fundamentals, really.

- focusing on accents and ghost notes (make the loud really loud, and the soft really soft)
- getting a good full stroke, firm but not stiff grip
- take your time, and get a good groove going
- focus on the value of each note


any other takers?

cheers!!!

 

[marcdadrummer]

alfe.. yo bro.. i don't quite understand this term.."hang time"

pls shed some light on it.. hehe..

thanks

abdul.

 

[reuben]

alot of drummers use hang time... like a pause in between each part of their playing...


ei alfe... correct me if i am wrong arh..

 

[marcdadrummer]

better yet show me during the meet up lah

 

[mel80]

Gorden Campbell used quite a bit of hang time at the Drum Fest. He'd have long pauses in between a song and then come back into the song. Requires very precise timing.

I think of it like Air Jordan. Leap into the air, hang in midair, quietness then BAM! Slam dunk! :lol:

 

[reuben]

the song tony royster did at ranking had hang time too...

 

[rengaw]

woah, amazing video. From what i know about hang time, when put in songs, it gives an explosive feel doesn't it? A number of songs have that. Hope we're talking about the same thing. haha

 

[reuben]

you toking bout songs like sad but true right?

 

[plainsman]

yes, basically it is a pause.

i often use hang time as an informal term to describe pauses in between playing (yes i am a basketball fan)

i do not know how the others did it, so.. going by observation and personal experience this is how i see it.

singers, horn players find space to breathe in between phrases. although we're timekeepers, even drummers have to breathe when they play.

putting some room in between your playing, especially during solos gives the audience (and you) a chance to catch their breath and allows you to separate meaningful phrases and organise your musical ideas.


for gorden campbell, his pauses sound incredible because he is so accurate and locked into his groove, when he stops (hangs) and comes back in, wow.

cheers!

 

[marcdadrummer]

oh now i get it lah...

like playing football also.. when u kick, the ball hangs in the air for a bit.. than less than a second later, u hear the commentators shouting:

"TOP CORNERRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! CRIKEY MATE THATS A BEAUTIFUL GOAL!!!"

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

Wow.wwww nice drumming...this guy is WICKED....DDDDDDDDDD Man. Is this Funk or Fusion .... I love it.

thanks for sharing.

PS: Hey Mel Bro (if you're here later)...I think ALvin is training us to play like that lah hor - must ask him to watch this one ...Kekekekekeke :lol:

 

[mel80]

RD, I think must go stay in some cave for 25 years to train drums first. Then can reach that level ah hahahaa!

 

[blurred]

yah man this guy is gd, such a nice drum set as well.

jesperz- have u transcribed his playing yet? wanna play like him thts wat u need to do. transcribe it then slowly learn how to play it. listen to it and play with it once u get up to speed. then u'll understand were he's coming from. its hard but if u dun do it u'll never really know why he's doing wat he's doing.
from wat i can hear he's seems to be playing a hook which he pops in every now and then.

 

[gambatak]

whats a hook?

 

[xenOgenesis]

isn't what this hang time you ppl call...

called delay? O.O

 

[sugarFREEd]

Amazing! He's soo feelin' the tune wit the many many 'breath-taking' grooves haha like the ending, so abrupt =D
Thanks for the link~