Give Ska Drummers Some Love

This week I am prepping to audition for a local band called Teflon Don. This will be a new musical experience for me because it is in a completely opposite musical direction than I am used to.  The group is a Ska band, more particularly a Third Wave Ska band.

Now, I am very meticulous when I approach a new project. I download the music and listen to it constantly. I practice nothing, but that genre while I prepare, and I do research into the style I am playing. In that research I usually seek out the best drummers of the genre and YouTube their videos and pick apart their recordings to see what makes them the leaders of their style of music.

When I was told Teflon Don was a Ska band I immediately thought of traditional Ska music, but this is far from the case in Third Wave Ska. Traditional Ska is played much slower with more "lift" in between hits. To see what I mean watch the current master Gil Sharone  in the video below.

Third Wave Ska is completely different. First, it is faster, much, much faster. In fact, in my opinion I see Third Wave Ska closer to traditional punk rock than its original Reggae roots. The traditional lift between hits is removed to facilitate the brisker tempos and with that any type of swung eighths are converted to straight eights.  Get that right hand ready for a workout on the hi-hat!

As I dove deeper into the genre I was disappointed to find that the drumming community doesn't give the masters of this style more props. When you break apart what is required of them it is down right amazing. First, the speed required would challenge any drummer out there. Next, their fills must be just as fast and just as tight thus requiring a superior level of technique.  From a musical standpoint these bands tend to "move around" in a song changing speeds, styles, and sometimes time signatures on the drop of a dime. This can be a huge challenge to any drummer who is used to just laying in the pocket even in a basic 120 bpm tune, never mind trying it at Third Wave Ska speed . And finally these drummers are playing with larger bands that include horn sections. That means they must be prepared to set-up and then match the brass hits at those blazing speeds.

Watch this video of Streetlight Manifesto's Chris Thatcher and you will see what I mean.

I will leave you with this video from Third Wave Ska's poster boys Reel Big Fish. This live cut of their hit mainstream tune "Sell Out" helps demonstrate the speed, tight hits, and changing tempos and styles the drummer must hit while performing in this genre.

So I encourage you to give these Third Wave Ska drummers some love, and if you need a good workout on the kit. Throw on some Streetlight Manifesto, Mad Caddies, or Reel Big Fish and be prepared to sweat!

Want An (In-Depth) Understanding of Reggae Drumming?

A few years ago I had the opportunity to sit down with an exceptional Reggae drummer who was working on a cruise ship with me. He was the real deal. Born and raised in Jamaica and drumming for most of his life he could do things on the kit that made simple white guys like me very jealous.

During our quasi lesson he informed me that Reggae is something that is in your blood, just like Americans tend to be better when it comes to playing Swing music (his words not mine). He showed me a number of tips and tricks to get my island drumming more authentic, but I will admit Reggae has always eluded me.

Then two weeks ago I got an email from Hudson music telling me I could download Gil Sharone's Wicked Beats instructional DVD for only $15. I had to take the offer.

For you drummers who don't know who Gil Sharone is. Right after high school he became the drummer for the group Fishbone which opened a number of doors for the young musician. He has played with Blink 182, Dillinger Escape Plan, and his own group Stolen Babies. He is an active clinician and was even voted Modern Drummers #2 Most Up-And Coming Drummer in 2008. If you want to read his full bio visit Drummerworld here.

So enough about Gil and let's talk about Wicked Beats.

This is a great instructional DVD because it leads you through the development of Jamaican drumming. Gil walks you from the beginnings of the movement with the Nyabingi and Burru. This lesson is filmed with some of Reggae drumming greats whom explain the importance of Rastafarianism on the drumming style and how the sounds mimic that of nature. This really helped me to understand the underlying core concepts of the Reggae style of drumming.


From there Gil walks you through Ska and Rocksteady and how the beats change ever so slightly for each. Then he moves on to Reggae, Dancehall, 2 Tone Ska, and 3rd Wave Ska before ending with Dub. 


I was really impressed at how good of a teacher Gil Sharone is. He really helps the viewer understand where the important parts of the various Reggae style beats fall and how to make each one authentic. And he does it so simply that you catch on quite quickly.  Sometimes the best teachers are the ones very few know about.

Wicked Beats is a true "in-depth" DVD. Not only does Gil show you how to properly lay down various authentic sounding Reggae beats, but he also includes commentary from noted Reggae historian Roger Steffans who's history lesson helps the drummer understanding how the music has developed and evolved.

What I dig the most about Sharone's DVD is the fact that he brings in special guest such as  Lloyd Knibb of The Skatalites who offer insight into Reggae technique. These "true" Reggae greats offer amazing concepts that can give your drumming that real island flavor.

I will leave you with the trailer for Wicked Beats and encourage you to either buy the DVD or download it directly through Hudson Music on Demand.