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Thread: The Art of Brushes!

  1. #1

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    Default The Art of Brushes!

    As much as I like to play drums with regular sticks, I just get so enjoyment out of playing with my brushes, even when only playing on the snare drum. They just have such a relaxed, calming sound, and you can be very creative with them. IMO, it seems like you can get a lot more sounds out of one pair of brushes than with one pair of regular sticks. And if you learn the different techniques and different strokes, they can be versatile. Although I'm by no means an expert, they seem very fun to solo with. A few months ago I got the Sound of Brushes book by Ed Thigpen and its helped me a lot and really opened up a different world of drumming to me. This thread is devoted to the art of brushes, so tell what you think of them, post videos, post what brushes you have, etc.

    I currently have Regal Tip Ed Thigpen model brushes and they're great! Here's some videos also:

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-0Ve059ThI"]YouTube- Brush Duet Salt & Peanuts[/ame]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QitQc6DuaKY&feature=related"]YouTube- Stefano Bagnoli Brushes Solo[/ame]
    ~Pearl, Zildjian, Hammerax, Remo, Vic Firth, LP, Pulse~

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  2. #2

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    Here is the master of brushes.... Clayton Cameron!

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUJv_C_wiv0"]YouTube- Clayton Cameron Brushwork #1 NAMM 2009[/ame]

  3. #3

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    yes, he is indeed very amazing! I love the way he is so entertaining even with just one snare drum. Beautiful snare drum by the way.
    ~Pearl, Zildjian, Hammerax, Remo, Vic Firth, LP, Pulse~

    Zildjian League

  4. #4

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    Wow...I wish I was just half as good as these guys.... Amazing !

  5. #5

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    That is awsome video's. I used brushes at Church this past sunday on a song for the first time. The set was a roland td-6 and it sounded pretty good.

  6. #6

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    im just starting to pick up brushes. thanks for the videos!

    clayton cameron= wow
    BREAK THE RECORD!

    "Only the mediocre are always at their best"

    "All im going to do is go on and do what i feel"-Jimi Hendrix

  7. #7

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    I have brushes and I just can't get into them probably cause they are not loud enough for me. I did watch the video above but I also noticed that right brush is out more than the other. I will try it that way and see how that works. He must play alot with the brushes cause you don't get that good overnight.
    Last edited by Pearl MCX Man; 08-24-2010 at 08:53 AM.

  8. #8

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    I have a set of brushes. I am thinking that some lessons may be what I need. I did enjoy the videos and it helps me become motivated.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by drummerboy60 View Post
    That is awsome video's. I used brushes at Church this past sunday on a song for the first time. The set was a roland td-6 and it sounded pretty good.
    What purpose would brushes serve on an electronic kit? There is no point! I'm amazed if they even triggered the switches.

  10. #10

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    In 1995 at da pasic in phx az,clayton cameron gave me a pair of his brushes;
    in 2003 i "won" free tickets to see tony bennett(with clayton on drums ) in concert at da celbrity theatre here in phx...i got to go backstage & "hang out"& thank him...i was on cloud nine as i drove my van home parked in my front yard,took 2 steps towards my house and baaaaaam!

    I stepped into a pothole in my front yard,only to find i had snapped my left leg in 2 places & tore da acl!!!!!!!!
    I spent 4 months in a steel brace up to my waist & on crutches...
    Thank god i had da brushes to concentrate with...and it took my
    drumming to another level....

    Thxs clayton,
    you can teach an old phrogge new tricks!!!!! (ouch!!!)
    "FEEL DA GROOVE & PLAY IT FORWARD..."

    "BEAUTY IS IN THE EARS OF THE BEHOLDER ,
    ENJOY IT ALL,,, MY BROTHERS & SISTERS"

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    "PHX AZ LEGEND OF DA ZYDECO GROOVE VEST"
    (AND OTHER TOYZ) INCLUDING PIZZABOX SNARE DRUM

    IT'S ALL ABOUT DA SHOW !!!!!

  11. #11

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    i dont like the sound of brushes, but they are great for rudiments.
    Sonor - Pearl - Tama - Mapex - Paiste - Sabian - Roc N Soc - Pro Mark - Gibralter - Evans - Dixon - Mapex

  12. #12
    ThePloughman Guest

    Default Re: The Art of Brushes!

    The Vince Guraldi Trio. One album in particular, probably everyone of you has heard it at least once.

    Charlie Browns Christmas Special, 1966. Great brushwork on that. Nothing flashy like Salt Peanuts, but fabulous rhythm patterns.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by oaktree137 View Post
    yes, he is indeed very amazing! I love the way he is so entertaining even with just one snare drum. Beautiful snare drum by the way.
    +1,000,000
    I love the way the snare looks!!!
    And the dynamics he uses makes it seem like he's using an entire set.
    “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.”
    -B.B. King

  14. #14

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    Anyone interested in Brushes should, no, wait, must take a look at

    Philly Joe Jone: Brush Artistry book
    Louie Bellson: contemporary brush technique book

    Then look at Steve Smith - Drumset Technique & History of the US beat DVD
    Clayton Cameron: BrushWorks DVD
    Ed Thigpen: The Essence Of Brushes DVD
    And finally, what I consider a master piece in itself for its line-up of brushes master: The Art of Playing with Brushes DVD/Play Along CD


    Jeff Hamilton should really come out with something Instructional, he's truely one of the finest brushes player.
    CURRENTLY PLAYING:
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    AND I CONFESS I'M A DRUMGEAR-A-HOLIC

  15. #15

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    I love using brushes, there is just so much cool stuff you can do with them. The only thing I don't like is that they always leave black marks on my heads, anyone know what causes that? Is it just my cheap brushes?
    "You have to love music more then food. More than air. More than yourself."-The Wizard (August Rush)

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  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Timactionfigures View Post
    What purpose would brushes serve on an electronic kit? There is no point! I'm amazed if they even triggered the switches.
    I used to trigger brush sounds on my old TD6 with sticks. I could play the entire kit with brushes, just to keep the sound of the rubber pads down in low volume settings. I think you'd be surprised how sensitive the triggers are.

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  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by PHROGGE View Post
    In 1995 at da pasic in phx az,clayton cameron gave me a pair of his brushes;
    in 2003 i "won" free tickets to see tony bennett(with clayton on drums ) in concert at da celbrity theatre here in phx...i got to go backstage & "hang out"& thank him...i was on cloud nine as i drove my van home parked in my front yard,took 2 steps towards my house and baaaaaam!

    I stepped into a pothole in my front yard,only to find i had snapped my left leg in 2 places & tore da acl!!!!!!!!
    I spent 4 months in a steel brace up to my waist & on crutches...
    Thank god i had da brushes to concentrate with...and it took my
    drumming to another level....

    Thxs clayton,
    you can teach an old phrogge new tricks!!!!! (ouch!!!)
    Phrogge - that is terrible... but you made a great thing come of it. Way to stay positive!

    I consider brush skill to be a true hallmark of what separates a great drummer from the masters. Seems like all the masters can work magic on brushes.
    Scott G
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  18. #18

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    Ed Thigpen is a brush master indeed. And his book is very good but unfortunately I have to say not great. Mainly because it focuses on jazz and you kinda need to be into jazz if you want to make sense out of his book - nothing wrong with that I'm just talking about technique. Now Clayton Cameron may not be as legendary jazz musician as Ed Thigpen was, but his book about brush technique is great in my opinion. He found ways to notate brush playing and he forms a basis from which you can "attack" any style of music.
    Philly Joe's book is also very important but even more so his playing.
    I also developed a brush technique that helped me to play many gigs and big concerts with just a snare drum and brushes and it wasn't all just swing and jazz. So I came up with a book (that's not published yet) but you can do only so much with just a book, it's hard to learn music from books. Technique yes, but musicality????
    Check out my technique and tell me if it's a good basis....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lktX...470C4A&index=4

    by the way I'm practicing Clayton's parasliddles and those brush rudiments every day
    ;-)

  19. #19

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    Find Diana Krall's Live in Paris album and have a listen to Devil May Care. Jeff Hamilton puts on a brush clinic in that one song, complete with two separate on-the-fly stick changes.
    Life's too short to play the same solo twice. Improvise!

  20. #20

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    These are the brushes I use, LOVE the feel and fat sound!

    http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/fi...tml?sort=3&o=1
    Tama Swingstar 3 piece 1993 (refinished wine red)
    Ludwig Breakbeats (Azure Sparkle)
    1964 Ludwig Supra
    Old no-name Luan 12x8 tom/snare (refinished wine red)
    Mapex MPX 14"x5.5" snare (refinished in gloss black)
    Pearl Vision 14"x14" ft/snare (refinished wine red)
    Aquarian heads
    14" Sabian HHX Stage Hats
    15" Meinl Extra Dry Thin Hats
    18" Meinl Vintage Trash Crash
    18" Wuhan China
    18" Thin Zildjian Crash
    18" Thin Zildjian Crash with rivets
    19" Meinl Extra Dry Thin Crash
    22" Istanbul Mehmet Legend Dark Ride
    23" Matt Bettis Dry Ride


  21. #21

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    Default Re: The Art of Brushes!

    I use brushes fairly often, not just for drumset but also on things like cajon, mounted riq, frame drum etc. They're a lot more versatile than a lot of people would think. The brushes I use have rubber handles which you can use to get mallet effects on cymbals when you don't have enough time to switch, and the metal piece at the end is good for scrapes and other effects as well.

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