Pete Cater's guide to Big Band Drumming. Part 3: timekeeping, fills and solos

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 3, Pete talks through more essential techniques required to play with a Big Band, looking specifically at timekeeping, fills and solos.
For the full feature you can pick up the new issue from bit.ly/rhythmla... or take advantage of our print, digital and print/digital bundle subscription offers at bit.ly/rhythmsu...
Videos shot at Bell Studios: www.bellstudios...

[@allardbuising32]

One of the greatest tips I ever got as a drummer from a conducter was that a single hit on a snare before an accent in the blowersection is also a build up. Especially in fast charts one might tend to play the same fill as one would in a medium tempo tune. The effect you might get is, that the tune will slow down because the amount of notes being played by the drummer will push forward the designated accent. As said by you, you are in a large ensemble and not on your own.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Allard Buising Agreed

[@Blastfence1]

Excellent!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Thanks!

[@drumcentral]

Excellent series Pete Cater. Very useful indeed.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Drum Central Thanks very much.

[@kennetheveritt7450]

Hi, Pete myself revisited this again, love big band,its finding the timing to get the hits. Great work of explaining the technique.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Thanks Ken. Hope you are well.

[@drummad7268]

All four parts to this insightful instruction lesson would make a great DVD. Where's DCI when you need them? Absolutely brilliant Pete. Bravo.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Drummad72 I've got years and years of methods and concepts, probably enough to fill 50 DVDs. Thanks for your positive comments.

[@DanLoFat]

The sick part is, even when you overplayed the fills, I could still feel the time and come in confident!

[@franquitonavarro901]

Your videos are a great introduction to big band drumming for me, thank you!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Franco Navarro Thanks Franco. Glad you like the stuff.

[@graduator14]

Love big band! So glad you're doing this!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

graduator14 So do I and I'm glad too!

[@SP35640SNAKE]

Extremely helpful to someone new to big band jazz drumming. My band director laughed at me when I just played what was written on the chart lol

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Sean P yeah, knowing how to interpret what's on the chart is a big part of the deal. Listen to the legendary masters, imitate and then innovate.

[@richppreston]

Really enjoyed this series, thank you!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Richard Preston Pleasure. Glad to hear it.

[@jimbarcelona1078]

Thanks so much Pete this is exactly what I was looking for ,most excellent!

[@jimbarcelona1078]

Checked out entire 1 thru 4, thanks so much again!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

You're welcome, thank you too.

[@robertstrobel7237]

Yes.

[@georgewillo4230]

NICE ONE PETE, BRILLIANT MATE.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

George Willo Hey George, thanks man!

[@Neverokful]

Great playing and advice and I did rather like your busier fills to be honest haha. They sounded great!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Neverokful Haha, thanks. I liked them too, and I did strive to make them accurate.

[@GregLikesJelly]

Big Swing Face? I recognize that beat

[@PeteCaterdrums]

GregLikesJelly Haha! Well spotted!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

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

[@heloworld1000]

awsome

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Thank you.

[@j.acedrums]

Thanks for everything you teach in these videos, I've progressed greatly as a percussionist thanks to you. I've been looking into upgrading my cymbals (I've got a set of Zildjian ZBT) And while most jazz drummers settle on the darkest cymbals they can find, you mainly play Zildjian A's, and they fit quite nicely. Could I know what model those are?

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Thank you very much for your comments, sincerely appreciated and I'm delighted you have benefited from the content. I chop and change my cymbals frequently according to the demands of the music. For mainstream big band playing I'm still using this exact same set of cymbals. As a rule I go for K rides and A crashes. I prefer brighter hi hats though will occasionally use a pair of 15" Keropes. My favourite hi hats in a small band setting are an old pair of 13" A Custom Mastersound believe it or not. These days mu go to ride in smaller groups is a 22" Kerope with a chain. It weighs about 2250 gms and is just the greatest.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

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

[@billvinett341]

Love these, Pete. Thanks so much. I've had a very hard time locating back issues for these four (March, April, May and June 2015?) Can you suggest where to look? Or might there be PDFs I can purchase? I'd love to have the sheet music that you describe. Thanks.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Bill Vinett I'm unsure if back issues are available. Send me a private message Bill and I might be able to fix something up.

[@jimryan1735]

Excellent video, Pete. Do you tune your drums starting with the BD? Then use intervals for the toms? (3rds, 5ths etc?)

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Jim Ryan yes I do, always listening for good relative pitch across the drums. I often tune the toms higher for small group stuff but bass drum is always way down.

[@brianbrooks6349]

Hi Pete just retired a few months ago getting back at the drums love big band the most start to practice reading charts again with a teacher question do you use your bass drum on all 4 beats i do find it easier to count that way when you play are you counting in your head if so how are you doing it? Example 1234 /2234/3234/4234 ect or count in triplets

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Hi Brian, thanks for the question. I do tend to 'feather' the bass drum 4 in a bar, unless it's a particularly contemporary type of chart when that doesn't feel like the right thing to do. I don't consciously count at all except for when a piece of music has especially unusual structure, such as phrase lengths with atypical numbers of bars.

[@brianbrooks6349]

@@PeteCaterdrums Thank you Pete i do find once i have the chart memorized i can do it by feel and also my relaced

[@brianbrooks6349]

Relaxed

[@Lightseeber]

What’s the snare head used in this video? It’s awesome!

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Remo Renaissance Ambassador.

[@tykeller5946]

3:37

[@Jimmythedrumteacher]

Brill.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

Jimmythedrumteacher Thanks!

[@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

[@jimryan1735]

Also, I like the fact that you don't use felts on top of your ride, crashes and splash.

[@bluesky6449]

What an angry/serious face for such a well known drummer. Try smiling when on film :) Clapping and sticks hitting is way too loud for the video in such an open resonant room as well.

[@PeteCaterdrums]

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