Pete Cater's guide to Big Band Drumming. Part 4: drum solo ideas

In a new series for Rhythm Magazine, UK Big Band drummer Pete Cater presents everything you need to know to become an authentic Big Band drummer.
Pete covers everything from the history of the genre and key players like Buddy Rich, 'Papa' Jo Jones and Gene Krupa, to the quintessential Big Band drum sound and key techniques every drummer should know.
In part 4, Pete talks through more essential techniques required to play with a Big Band, looking specifically at drum solo ideas.
For the full feature you can pick up the new issue from bit.ly/rhythmlatestissue or take advantage of our print, digital and print/digital bundle subscription offers at bit.ly/rhythmsubscription
Videos shot at Bell Studios: www.bellstudios.co.uk/

[@RobBeatdownBrown]

Fantastic lesson, sir. Very smooth and fluid playing as well. :)

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Rob Brown Thanks Rob, very pleased you enjoyed it.

[@kennetheveritt7450]

As said before its that smoothness you put into the drums.

[@gustyrios3190]

Peter you are Great!!! wonderful you are the best.....a hug from Argentina!!!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Thank you very much! Maybe one day I'll come down there and play some shows.

[@gustyrios3190]

@@PeteCaterdrums Im Hope you Pete!!! Thanks!!!

[@patpeterson5094]

I'm just about 70 years so I've been around a long time. Never have I seen such a well done presentation of the facts as you have demonstrated in your videos. Your the very best teacher I've seen, bar none. Wish you would produce more. I could certainly learn more from you. Actually, I demand it! My best wishes in every thing you do. This is my wife's computer so I hope I don't get in trouble using it. Thanks again! AL

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Pat Peterson Hey thanks Al. I've been playing in big bands a long time. I learned by listening and watching the masters and I've tried to encapsulate a little of that inspiration in my teaching methods. I very much appreciate your comments and I hope to have opportunity to do more educational work as time goes on. I do hope you don't get in trouble with your wife, and after all there are far worse things she could catch you looking at online! Best wishes, Pete.

[@Drumsgoon]

Great lesson, should have looked it up before trying to play with a big band. :P Quite different from rock/funk/fusion band style.

[@randyabbaticola6794]

Great drummer, great teacher.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

randy Abbaticola Thanks Randy, good to hear from you.

[@rollkamal318]

thank you sir....it was changed my playing since a month ago

[@Nobody6879]

Wow Pete, you've got some seriously great ideas and concepts. I'd love to get a lesson with you sometime :)

[@PeteCaterdrums]

+Nico Ariza Any time Nico!

[@markweymouth3243]

I don't know if it's the room, but that snare sounds INCREDIBLE!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Bit of both I think.

[@lanehogger1532]

Very music kit and playing 👍🏼

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Thanks!

[@0bbb13]

i'm so glad to watch your video sir. i'm from indonesia. and thanks for your lesson sir..

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Novian Cliff My pleasure.

[@sappermade6012]

EXCELLENT

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Thanks!

[@MrAlexxxDee]

That is SO useful. Thanks a lot!)

[@PeteCaterdrums]

+Alexxx Dee Excellent. Pleased you found it beneficial.

[@elyashley794]

Mr. Cater thanks!!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Mr Ashley, you're welcome!

[@rhythmsaint73]

just superb!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Aaron kennedy Thank you Aaron.

[@IAFdHEAD]

great lesson!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

+IAFdHEAD Drum HEAD Thanks very much! Glad you liked it.

[@matthewlugo6713]

I often find myself wanting to skip right to the end video and watching the best part and becoming discouraged because of the, "oh wow, that was really well done", so when I came across your 4 part series I made it a point to watch them all the way through and am glad I did. This will definitely be a series I recommend, if not force, my drummer to sit and watch, since it had so many of the elements I try to explain to him. Since I am merely a "Bassist who wanted to play drums but ended up playing the guitar", I find it hard to get out the ideas and concepts you so clearly explained. Thank you for the great videos! 9:04 - While watching the cymbal work, the question I had, after seeing your expression was: when practising or giving lessons like this, do you have any other instrumental ideas in your head that you're "listening" to or is it focusing on how the drums play off of each other to make its own tune? 9:14 - The contrast of the stop/start silence to a such a graceful flourish, was right on, wow, that was really well done.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

+Matthew Lugo Thank you for your positive comments and excellent questions. I always try to use melodic fragments, entire melodies and song forms as a creative springboard in my playing, primarily but not exclusively for solos/fills. There are a number of reasons for this; Firstly, facility for its own sake doesn't have a strong musical connection, and I believe that to be true of all instruments, not just drums. If you are playing off a structure rather than merely chopping you stand a far better chance of communicating with your audience, especially those who are not drummers. Secondly, I recommend all my students have a strong knowledge of standards and form. If you're called upon to take a 32 bar solo you are far better off thinking of a chorus of 'Lady Be Good' (or whatever) than counting bars and beats. Thinking of melodies brings you closer to music, counting bars and beats takes you further away.

[@sne60]

Hello Peter. Fantastic lesson, could you please write the stickings down. may be a PDF?

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Thank you. The stickings are not really all that important. There are a very limited number of components from which all 'open' (i.e. not flams, drags, or buzzes) stickings are derived. You can contact me through my website petecater.org if you would like to know more.

[@betulaobscura]

Great lessons! Thanks!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

You're welcome.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

You're welcome.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

My two hour DVD is released later this month covering technique, rhythm section duties, brushes, big band playing and improvisation. Details here.... petecater.org/store/

[@carmenip6924]

Cool teacher and I dunno how to cue after the drum solo shd I stop before I cue ?

[@frederic1000001]

Hello Pete and thank you for the four great lessons. May I ask you a question: concerning the inverted paradiddle thing, you have eight strokes in a counting of three, I mean 4 triplets in a bar is 12 strokes. So my question is how not to be lost, do you count? Do you know where you are in terms of beats when you do that?

[@PeteCaterdrums]

frederic1000001 Yes. Absolutely. Start by counting groups of three quarter notes in 4/4 time. This will diminish the 'magnetic pull' of the barline and the downbeat and enhance your feeling for more extended, syncopated rhythms. Then, also in 4/4, work with dotted quarter notes in succession. Firstly start on '1', then start on '1&' and then '2'. The way I'm doing the paradiddle in the video is as one beat of swung eighth notes and two beats of triplets, i.e. 8 notes in total, and it's a three beat phrase of course.

[@frederic1000001]

Pete Cater Thank you Pete.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

frederic1000001 You're welcome.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

My new book, Stickings, Dexterity and Orchestration is exclusively available from www.petecater.org/store

[@PeteCaterdrums]

My two hour DVD is now available covering technique, rhythm section duties, brushes, big band playing and improvisation. Details here.... petecater.org/store/

[@thejellyfish206]

What ride cymbal are you using in the video?

[@PeteCaterdrums]

thejellyfish206 K Constantinople 20 inch medium

[@mojogroove1]

Pete: Seems to me that on the 4 bar fill that if you know the end of the fill is on the 3 beat of the 4th bar and you slide into the next phrase be it groove or continued fill all is well. Right?

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Absolutely. The key in your question is 'if you know'. When your playing exudes confidence the musicians will always put their trust in you.

[@stephanemarturana7772]

Thanks a lot... Need to train everyday until I got it :-) .

[@PeteCaterdrums]

+Stephane Marturana That's the way, works for me.

[@stephanemarturana7772]

+Pete Cater Thank you Pete ! I am looking at this video on slow motion but I become crasy :-) . Is it possible to write the sticks of the begining, which are the same ? I see R-RLLRRLL / R-RLL... then completely lost despite I look at all this video (inverted paraddidle). Sorry I am french speaking and may be not clear to explain my problem, lol. By the way, thanks a lot I saw your videos and level amazing. Best regards, Stephane

[@PeteCaterdrums]

+Stephane Marturana It's all double strokes and paradiddles just played over a mixed swung eighth and triplet rhythm.

[@stephanemarturana7772]

+Pete Cater Many thanks Pete !

[@PeteCaterdrums]

+Stephane Marturana It's going to be covered in detail in a new book I am working on.

[@RichardWelsby]

Anybody have any idea what snare head Pete is using here?

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Richard Welsby it's a Remo Renaissance as I recall. It was a spare head that was lying around and I just tried it for this shoot as I thought it sounded pretty good.

[@RichardWelsby]

Thanks so much for your response Pete! And thanks for your informative video series :)

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Richard Welsby My pleasure. Look out for news of a dvd coming later this year.

[@timchurchill1166]

what size bass drum have you got there pete

[@PeteCaterdrums]

14 x 22

[@BedoyaMJuanP]

What sticks do you use?

[@PeteCaterdrums]

+CHOTI I'm using Vater 5A here.

[@BedoyaMJuanP]

+Pete Cater thanks for your answer

[@PeteCaterdrums]

My crowdfunding campaign to produce a technique and concepts dvd can be found here www.indiegogo.com/projects/pete-cater-drum-instruction-dvd-music-jazz/x/15946557#/backers

[@PeteCaterdrums]

All kinds of exciting live performances coming up. Visit www.petecater.org/events for more information.

[@tmacd777]

great lesson!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Taira Macdonald thank you

[@carmenip6924]

Cool teacher and I dunno how to cue after the drum solo shd I stop before I cue ?

[@PeteCaterdrums]

That will vary entirely on the context of where the drum solo occurs. The clearest thing to do is stop and then play a cue for a previously determined number of bars, almost certain to be 4 or 8. Alternatively you can just count the band in as you conclude your solo, making sure of course that you are playing at the correct tempo for the other musicians to resume playing. You'll need to be really confident about this and keep plenty of eye contact with the band (or leader) so that the count in doesn't come as a total surprise to everybody else. Either way is perfectly fine, neither one has more merit than the other. Stopping and restarting is the safer option though.