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It’s tough to find a word for what I’d call an “end of song cadenza”. It’s one of those things every drummer knows, but nobody’s developed a good word for.
“Garbage can endings”. “Big rock endings.” Neither really captures the vibe.
But think Buddy Rich Big Band, at the end of an big song.
Or Alex Van Halen. Or Bonzo. Or Dennis Chambers. Or Neil Peart.
The band is holding a big note, and it’s up to the drummer to…
To what, exactly?
Well, that’s the subject of today’s video. Drum cadenzas are kind of a blank spot on drum youtube. Beyond a few basics. So I decided to make a video.
Basically, I played a couple of my own garbage can endings, observed what my body was doing, then worked backward to systemize it for you good people. ;) And with a strong disclaimer that the “fancy” version is not necessary for practically ANY gig, it’s nonetheless fun to dive into hip licks on occasion.
So that’s what we’ll do this week. I’ll give you the basic, “this-is-all-you’ll-ever-need” stuff, then I’ll give you some more creative approaches, with that gigantic caveat that you do NOT need these, and should not judge your drumming harshly if you don’t do them.
Know you’ll enjoy this one!