How To Play Like Elvin Jones

[@PaulBanacos]

Really love your KZbin lessons. Really enjoyed seeing Elvin Jones years ago. Never missed him he came to Boston at the Jazz Workshop. One of my best memories is when my brother,Charlie Banacos, got to sit in with him at the Workshop.

[@jazzdrumschool]

Thanks for watching and for sharing your Elvin experience. Such a great man and musician. Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@lagartogrande1908]

My friend. actually Elvins voice was rather soft. He spoke quietly and with deep humility.

[@jazzdrumschool]

Thanks! Maybe I remembered it wrong. I think it was pretty gruff that night but at any rate, yes I could sense the humility and love he had for music and drumming. 🤙

[@pandeiropandeiro]

I got to see him and meet him backstage once after a gig at Jazz Alley, Seattle, in 2000. Such an amazing person, so primal and yet so cultured and intellectual. I asked him who he listens to, thinking wow whoever Elvin likes on the drums, must really be the shit. He responded, smiling, with that gravelly voice, 'Um, well... Bach... Brahms, you know...' I just stood there dumbfounded lol. Love him. Will always be my favorite ever.

[@jazzdrumschool]

Thanks for sharing your awesome Elvin story! A man loved for both his musicianship and spirit. Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@thibodaux3424]

Ah man! Elvin! I must have listened to The Real McCoy a thousand times when I first got into jazz drumming years ago. I didn't do many exercises like this... just listening. It gets in you after a while but it takes time. You gotta get his vibe and feel and his attitude!

[@jazzdrumschool]

Awesome! Thanks for watching and for commenting! I agree, it just seeps down into your bones! Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@larrypanellajazzsaxophone8013]

When I was a student at North Texas - then called NTSU, he came as part of the Jazz Artist Lecture Series. The morning of, I was asked to play with him. I had spent the last couple of years prior working on my sight reading with a method using my left and right feet on beats 1 and 3 so I had the recovery to be back in on the next measure if I missed something. Stopping was not an option with that approach. I had to employ that with Elvin! I was practically marching. It was like being a novice surfer caught out with the biggest wave in history and it was incredible. We played Softly as in a Morning Sunrise and it was exhilarating! We played a few more tunes and he talked. I was so amazed at having lived through the moment playing with him that sadly, I cannot remember what he said. Mostly people were asking about playing with Coltrane as you might expect, and he was not really much of a lecturer. Mostly he played, but what an experience.

[@jazzdrumschool]

Great story and thanks for the sharing! I wish I had the chance to spend that much time with Elvin. His energy and enthusiasm for drumming and music was so infectious. What an incredible opportunity for you. Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@ryancox5097]

Bad-ass Elvin impression! 🔥🔥🔥

[@jazzdrumschool]

Ryan thanks so much! Elvin Jones had that "thing" in his swing. I love it so much and I'll tell you, it really feels great to play. Are you able to Elvin-ize your swing?

[@Mobby74]

Oh, Von, that is it, thanks a lot. An excellent insight to Elvin's drumming. The vibe is certainly there in that sample of yours. I have a few questions. You say it's okay it's start off with the juicy stuff, meaning things like Elvin Jones style and approach. But is there a relationship between more foundational knowledge of jazz drumming, like the accent on 2 and 4, steady ride pattern perfected, without much variations (I love variations, the skipping off-beat notes), feathering the bass drum (did Elvin feather the bass drum? Seemed to me I never saw that). And then the more usual comping (whatever it is). And then when we master the foundations, can we move to more advanced style, like Elvin's? Is it best to have both styles in your pocket and go between then as needed and wanted. I watch a lot of Willie Jones III, an amazing drummer, but he seems to me more like a representative of straight ahead approach to jazz drums. Secondly, the exercise you show us here is what is called a rolling triplet, with the second and third note of the triplet played on the snare drum, and accented last note beats 2 and 4 on both ride and snare? Is my reading correct?

[@jazzdrumschool]

Thanks Mobby for watching and for your questions! I'll do my best to answer them. 1. Definitely get the basics down first. Learning the basics will give you the coordination, timing, feel, dynamic control and other details you need to make an Elvin groove sound good. 2. I'm not sure about Elvin feathering the kick. Anyone else want to jump in here? My thinking is that he probably didn't do that so much. He loosened up Jazz drumming and "broke" rules to play what he heard in his head. 3. Yes, I guess this is a "rolling triplet" thing. Not sure about labels, just like what Elvin played and tried to incorporate it into my playing. What you described is what I wrote out on the free PDF "Elvinize Your Swing": jazzdrumschool.com/drum-sheet-music Hope all that helps. If you're looking to get your basics together, check out my Jazz Drumming Basics Course: jazzdrumschool.com/course/beginner-drumming Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@themole2024]

My man you were jazzing out! Swinging for the fences. Nice lesson, thanks so much.

[@jazzdrumschool]

Fred thanks so much for watching and for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed. Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@pocoli9590]

Elvin's "Avalanche Roll with free-fall acceleration" distorts time and space.

[@jazzdrumschool]

Yes! I love how he would lead us to the edge of the time have us float for a bit and then pull us back to Earth. Truly incredible. Thanks for commenting and for sharing. Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@afonsohenrique206]

great video, what is your drum pedal?

[@jazzdrumschool]

Thanks Henrique for watching and for the comment! I'm using a Yamaha Direct Drive Pedal: amzn.to/3mpqy1K Buying through my affiliate link is a convenient way to get your gear and an easy way to support my KZbin channel. Thank you and keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@manolete998]

🔥🔥🥁🙏

[@jazzdrumschool]

Manolete thanks so much! Keep swinging deep my friend 🤙

[@manolete998]

@@jazzdrumschool I look forward to seeing you in class next week.

[@erlandnatanaelson1929]

I like Elvina playing. Thx!

[@jazzdrumschool]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, Elvin was his own drummer and paved the way for many of us to explore our own sound too. Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@gillesbatteur5921]

Very interesting !!! Thanks Von !!! 😊

[@jazzdrumschool]

Always my pleasure Gilles! Thanks for watching 🤙

[@rkaufman10001]

PLESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jazzdrumschool]

Great! Dance on my friend!

[@kevinturner5857]

Fabulous .. what heads r u usin there fella !? They sound goooooood as does your playin 🙂🙃

[@jazzdrumschool]

Kevin thanks so much for watching and for question and kind words! I'm using Remo Fiberskyn drum heads. They're my first choice. Here's another video about these heads and their use with brushes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGe0kH6QmLaBjaM Keep swinging my friend 🤙

[@kevinturner5857]

@@jazzdrumschool is that diplomats or ambassadors !? They sound wonderful 😍

[@jazzdrumschool]

Sorry Kevin for the late response! I use Ambassadors on my snare, floor tom and bass drum and a diplomat on my rack tom. Hope that helps🤙