Using the Drumkit as a Melodic Instrument

Master drummer Alvin Atkinson shows you how to approach playing the drums with melodic concepts, and demonstrates how to play melodies on the kit.
Learn more at the Jazz Academy: academy.jazz.org
Alvin Atkinson - Drums
Eric Wheeler - Bass
Eric Suquet - Director
Bill Thomas - Director of Photography
Jessica Paz - Sound Engineer
Richard Emery - Production Assistant
Seton Hawkins - Producer
Recorded May 24, 2013

[@DailyDrumLesson]

this is so much harder than it looks.. very cool!

[@adityakuttus]

That cymbal choke after humming caravan lol

[@exstock]

I'm NOT a drummer--I just love music. I sought this out because I kept hearing melodies behind some great drumming, and wanted to find out more about that aspect of it. I really enjoyed this--glad to see I wasn't imagining it! 🥰

[@russell2890]

never thought of the drum as a melodic instrument before. this is eye opening

[@bushmanwest5109]

My guy just played happy birthday on the drums ... can’t wait to have a fat argument with someone about whether or not that’s possible and then show them this

[@airnsmke]

An example of why Jazz is the best music for drummers

[@bombercountyblues]

Or why the best rock drummers come from jaz,,,,,ginger baker , mitch mitchell

[@zeketarasenko2851]

Jon Trownson John Densmore

[@gavinreid8351]

Jon Trownson Charlie Watts

[@byDISMAL]

Jon Trownson jimmy chamberlain

[@NateCConcerts]

His singing is so oddly relaxing, didn't know this was an asmr video

[@Iaogetsowned]

tbh I clicked on the video without reading the title, because I thought he was Hannibal Burres

[@alexander-germain]

Iaogetsowned whack

[@josea2123]

same dude! lol

[@RazHafeez]

Sames haha

[@chrisangelis9038]

It's like the snare is drunk

[@pedrof1239]

lmao

[@lellod825]

Booty doodie doodie doodaaaaah

[@pegleg00]

Sounds great! It would help to see what he is doing on the drum head (i.e. an overhead camera angle).

[@clearestapricotpencil4125]

He’s just putting his elbow on the head and pressing down. You can even see when he’s pressing or releasing from the front.

[@pegleg00]

Mashing in the middle, on the side... while hitting near the middle, near the side? It would help to see. But I guess you just have to experiment.

[@k.p.bolden7329]

Such an amazing Drummer...

[@nevbot0110]

i’m not a drum player, but i do play some jazz, this was great

[@axelgray260]

so how do u do it

[@FreddyHernandezbass]

Excellent! Yeah Man......Frank Butler was the first melodic cat I heard. Your a great teacher. Thanks

[@johnabernethy9524]

Dude I just came across a set of his cymbals and picked up one of his rides

[@samuelmarconett1979]

This guy is incredible

[@westfordjoshua]

This is mystical ! Cool tips

[@anthonyc1515]

But does it Djent? wait wrong channel

[@RedRare]

Mr.Storm but does it djazz??

[@anthonyc1515]

0_0

[@RedRare]

?

[@tachankarostovchanka6440]

But does it swing?

[@ECWmanrules2528]

ill give you that one lol

[@dejuanmills77]

He has the Jazz Sauce

[@prod.sardoniiq6942]

1:09 drummer habit

[@SamdGG]

You look like you're in double speed. Impressive

[@Daddytang67]

amazing player.

[@SZebS]

Dude i don't play drums or jazz, why am i here?

[@joshstarkey8883]

Same here

[@DrumLaw]

I thought about it the past when i noticed that the different tom-toms had a "up and down" effect. The smaller ones had higher pitched note, the bigger ones jad lower pitched notes. I think this works, but only in a limited amount of ocasions. When you are groovin the time to adjust such movements is narrow at best. It's more like an experiment.

[@kseniafedosova9169]

I guess it is quite late for an answer, but if you are still interested, smaller drums made of the the same material will have higher pitch, because their base vibrating frequency will be bigger. If you want to learn more about the math, you should google wave equations in the membranes. The rule of the thumb is that "the bigger the area is, the lower the pitch is" (well, this is not holding true all the time, but this is 100% true for the round membranes made out of the same material). Interestingly enough, the second frequency will not be a multiple of the first frequency, like in violins, flutes and non-percussion instruments! This makes the sound "not so clean", but, at least from my perspective, more interesting.

[@DrumLaw]

@@kseniafedosova9169 cool 👍🤪

[@usernameonutube]

Your Tom’s should be a triad or ascending and descending thirds

[@blackl1steddrums]

Masterful bro!

[@jonnald4927]

I already know this is good.

[@isabellafinegold]

I miss playing with you, bro!!!

[@ProfesserLuigi]

This is pretty fantastic!

[@johndoe2]

Pretty cool!

[@thibodaux3424]

Ah man I was hoping to see him play the bridge

[@El.hombre.contrario]

Fantastic!

[@MuffinFlavoredBanana]

This is awesome

[@gavin2391]

what a cool idea

[@bigbone_99]

this is so insane!

[@coleemmersonhallman5329]

That was barely happy birthday lol. But I admire the ability for sure

[@massimotortella88]

I've been told from one of my teachers a really nice way to "see" a melody, in three parts: tempo, shape and notes... As long as you have 2 of 3 you should be able to recognize a melody, which, if you do some experiment, is kind of true :) .. For instance he's respecting the tempo and the shape (the right "direction" of the melody, in terms of notes going up and down in pitch) but NOT the notes... I guess it's a very particular version!

[@kenhaze5230]

Obviously the pitches aren't there, but your ears (and brain) fill in the details so its recognizable. It's not actually harmonizing with the instruments, but tracking the pitch changes in a very basic sense will still add musical movement in the rhythm.

[@michaelelliott4224]

If only you had some tuning pedals just like the timpani then you wouldn't have to apply pressure on the drum sticks to create the pitches.

[@ap3montes739]

Do you have a video on traditional grip?

[@emilioangelone6919]

People laughing about the cymbal grab: playing kick drum and singing actually is more that enough to make a ride cymbal start vibrating, probably won't get caught in the recording but a fine ear in the room will perceive it and probably find it disturbing. Cymbals actually still vibe after being stopped by hand lol

[@FehuiYT]

That was rad

[@lowfograrefilms1751]

hmmmmm... WOW!!!!

[@gazelle1467]

Hope you didn't get a copyright strike for playing happy birthday.

[@gillflum4257]

Gazelle Samyueru I think the copyright on that song has expired by now

[@gazelle1467]

Gill Flum nope, as far as i know it's under feirce copyright protection for the foreseeable future.

[@ericm8333]

It's been in the public domain for the last 2 years.

[@Drumsgoon]

I try this, the second method that is, the former is funny but not really handy to incorporate

[@muradali8479]

OH SHOOT THAT WAS DOPE!

[@danny-jo1rb]

awesome

[@HollowDesert]

Is he just shoving his elbow into the drum head?.

[@gleblerston37]

Ein Walroß ye

[@iaial0]

Exactly

[@prod.sardoniiq6942]

Yup

[@HighStakesDanny]

Very difficult. This guy would be great on bass.

[@gavinreid8351]

A produce said that he tunes the snare to the 5 th of the key.

[@chromaticswing9199]

What if there's a key change... Oof indeed.

[@amirakhan9731]

dope

[@werewolfman6533]

See this guy is an amazing drummer and too bad he doesn’t get credit

[@markymark9378]

What’s the song he was talking about can someone send me a link ?

[@Szymon1090]

Its Caravan by Duke Ellington kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6KUq2OkhLWGmNU

[@none5020]

kshitij raghuvanshi He was playing the original Caravan, the Whiplash version is different.

[@HollowDesert]

I was the 667th like.

[@bombercountyblues]

Cheers penfold

[@mareux_2228]

Well, the marimba is like a drum

[@erginyilmaztenor]

wow really good

[@andramoie]

Rational Funk brought me here. ;)

[@teenagehaze7174]

It's a cool concept... but I'm not sure about it's gonna work playing with a band

[@MingusDynastyy]

Teenage Haze Depends on the synergy and the drum's role

[@hirokokueh3541]

drums and bass play the main melody, horns play chords

[@jjjtvatbp]

First thing we need to do in order to properly execute this technique is to shave off our hair... eheheh *kidding... nice video... :)

[@AlexDeLarge1]

Ah, Caravan with a drum sola. At last.

[@rkgrant]

Plays his snare like a steel pan

[@pentagrammaton6793]

Drums are not inherently melodic instruments (unless they're capable of being tuned to dominant pitches, like toms). If you want to play an actual melody, then learn a musical instrument.

[@mitchellphillips4467]

the drums are a musical instrument

[@titanhapsa996]

Just watch mike portnoy,,