Tips for Practicing and Performing The All American Drummer by Charles Wilcoxon
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- I have received lots of questions since I started posting these a few weeks ago. This should help answer a few
In this video I talk about how I arrive at my tempos when playing the solos as well as roll interpretation, drags, flams and stickings. I use solos 147 and 148 for demonstration material.
This well known book was published in 1945 and it has been standard study material for serious percussionists since that time. Many of you have asked me how this book compares to the Modern Rudimental Swing Solos Book which I have already recorded here on RUclips (look for the playlist). The short answer is that some of these are easier and shorter (the first 50 or so) and they were written to teach fundamental rudimental drumming while the Swing Solos book was Wilcoxon's statement on modern (at the time) snare drum solo composition. There are many similarities between the two books in the application of the rudiments, rhythms and stickings, especially in the later solos.
This book is written in the rudimental style so all rolls, flam, and drags should be played open. The stickings should be closely adhered to since they are a big part of the sound of each solo. There are no tempos indicated but generally the solos in 2/4 and 3/4 should be played anywhere from quarter note =90 to 126.
The 6/8 solos have a wider tempo margin and they can be anywhere from dotted quarter = 70 to 144. I notate the tempo of each solo before you hear it.
You can play some of these with a slight swing feel but I will be performing most of them with a straight pulse.
I will be recording all of these 150 solos over the next few months usually posting 4 at a time as I am doing here. Eventually we will get to the one-pagers starting with solo 121 and I will post those one at a time.
I am using a 5.5”x 14” Pearl Philharmonic Special Edition 20-ply snare drum with a Remo hazy diplomat head. The sticks are 70 gram leopard wood which I make myself. If you are interested in getting a pair of these contact me at rickdior@gmail.com
Hi Rick, thanks so much for your efforts to share all this.
The explanation of flams, along with everything else is exceptional.
I am playing snare drum in a marching band as an adult, returning to drums after not playing for many years. I have this book and chipping away at solo’s 1-6 at the moment.
best wishes from Australia
Rick I'm aware of how much effort these videos are to make, they're fantastic, and I wanted you to know your work is extremely appreciated.
Thanks Vince
Rick, you somewhat remind me of Vinnie, in the sense that you don't just dabble in types of drumming outside of the drum kit. You seem to take mallet percussion, rudimental percussion, sight-reading, composition, stylistic versatility, etc, very seriously. You're obviously a true professional.
Much respect.
This is grad-school work, and compared to this music my hands are still in kindergarten! I've got to say I never bought the Wilcoxon book, because I figured it was above my pay-grade (I've got more than enough material I haven't mastered in other books) ; thanks to you I finally understand what's going on in these solos, which is the first step in someday climbing up to this level. Your generosity in posting all these solos is above the call of duty. Muchas Gracias, Rick!
What an awesome video. Leaving Stone aside the most productive thing I ever did to improve my playing was to work this book daily for a couple of years. When I started I was very left-handed and had a weak right hand. At first I tried to reverse the stickings but that got really confusing, so I learned the whole book with the exact stickings written. My hands evened out dramatically. Today I will find myself in the orchestra playing right hand lead just because it feels natural (maybe not on Shostakovitch). Great work Rick!
Hi Rick, I'm from Germany. I do this Wilcoxon Etude's a lot in 1980 thru 1984 during my studies at Music Academy in Graz. I think you are the guy with the best drum channel on youtube. Many thanks and best wishes from Germany.
I got All American Drummer a month ago as a Christmas present, there's enough ideas in it to keep practicing for a lifetime. I use them first as a reading exercise, then to practice rudiments and finally as a piece of music. Then I watch your video and see how badly I got it wrong. This video is especially helpful, thank you.
Rick, I so much appreciate what you're doing. I've had these books for years and could not go through them because of my reading ability... or non ability. Now I can follow the written page with the video and freeze frame on any technical issue.
That's great, glad the videos are helping you
Outstanding explanations, demonstrations, and "heads up" info - thank you Rick!
I've watched several of your solo uploads from this book. It's a fantastic resource you've given to us all. I've been working through Camp Duty Update and been on a bit of a tanget with Wilcoxon. Getting my students into a few of the starter études.
Great tips, great knowledge of the idiom, great playing, great attitude, no BS. Thanks, Rick.
Be interested to hear your thoughts on Camp Duty Update as I think the 19th century American drumming was probably very different to how the drum corps play now. Love all those stretched rolls where the only important thing is to fit the roll and taps in musically. 👍🏼❤️
Hi Jim
You can see the original 3 camps here with the melody ruclips.net/video/5FX1jfvctcA/видео.html
I also have a three camps playlist where I perform my book Lets go Camping. This includes the original as well as many variations.
Thanks
@@rickdior thanks for the links. I'll check out the tunes. 👍🏼
@@rickdior I should also add, for clarity, Camp Duty Update is a book and audio of new and reimagined traditional pieces, not just the Three Camps. :)
Sir, your playing is stellar! Incredibly clean rolls. Thank you for these videos. 👍👍
Exquisite technique!!
Thank you Sebastian
Your videos motivate me to keep drumming, thank you for posting them.
Best way I have spent a Friday night in years! Glad I found your stuff on RUclips! I hope Walker is doing well for you!
Wow! Thank you for all of your work, skill, and generosity in making this available to us. What an amazing resource!
Thanks for these videos Rick!
Would love to hear you play the train by Dante Agostini!
Great video man!
Whats always puzzles me about wilcoxon is the way he uses the beams that indicate which value the note is.
In my understanding its:
One beam = 8th notes, 2 beams 16th notes, 3 beams = 32nd notes and so forth.
Not for him it seems.
For example the solo you were talking about with the open 13 stroke roll (147). You said thats basically one bar of 16ths notes which makes sense. So that would be 12 notes plus the one of the next bar making it a 13 stroke roll. BUT he notated the beginning of the roll with THREE beams NOT two which makes absolutely no sense to me. Because one dotted half note is three quarter notes is 6 8th notes and 12 16th note what is right. But then again it has THREE beams or flags which actually are 32nd notes which would be 24 notes per bar? I find that extremely confusing. So basically every solo I look at it takes me 10mins just to figure out how many notes to play ;D
Any thoughts or tips on that?
Hi. I am buying a Charley Wilcoxon book & wondered which one might be best to start with, I do like Philly Jo. Thank you :)
❤
Hi Rick, these are a great help, thank you for your generous contributions Just a question regarding the seven stroke roll stickings... solo2 has the sticking as I have been working on - finishing on the opposite hand that started, but then in solo 3 it has the starting and finishing hand as the same. Is this because of the drag in Solo 3?
Hi Mark
A seven stroke roll will always begin or end on the opposite hand . The drags in solo 3 are actually part of the roll. They begin on the "e" or 16th note pulse. In this case the roll begins on the drag and one 16th earlier than the 8th note 7's which are faster in tempo than the rolls with the drags. If you watch my Wilcoxon tips video this will be clearer. You can find that here ruclips.net/video/gtHNqAbs67Q/видео.html
@@rickdior Thank you immensely Rick for your reply :) it has cleared that query up and thank you again for all your amazing tutorials. They are certainly a valuable resource for myself and I'm sure many others.
My pleasure Mark
My attempt to perform this solo :)
I'm interested if there are transcriptions of these solos for drum set?
Hi Rick,nice playing. I’ve been using Wilcoxen’s books for the last 25 years in my teaching also.
I wanted to put some William Schinstine solos on RUclips. Do you know the copyright laws. Can I show the whole solo or only a few bars while playing?
Hi
You cannot display any portion of a published solo without permission from the publisher. That is a violation of copyright laws.
@@rickdior thanks for replying. I thought so. I’ve contacted Southern Music.
Many thanks.
What kind of snare drum do you play?
Read the video description.
You will find it there.
Creepy eyes …
Those are my new x-ray glasses