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Thread: Frank Beard

  1. #1

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    Frank Beard



    Drummer: Frank Lee Beard
    Style: Hard Rock, Blues-Rock, Blues
    Main Band: ZZ Top
    Brief Summary: Born in Frankston Texas, Beard met guitarist Bill Gibbons in 1969 in a band called “The Moving Sidewalks” and later introduced bassist Dusty Hill who was in three bands with Beard, American Blues, The Warlocks and the Cellar Dwellers.

    The three later formed ZZ Top and released their first album "ZZ Top's First Album" on London Records in January, 1971. ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. They are one of the few major label recording groups to have consisted of the same lineup for more than forty years.

    As a group, ZZ Top possesses 11 gold records and 7 platinum (13 multi-platinum) records; their 1983 album, Eliminator, remains the group's most commercially successful record, selling over 10 million units. ZZ Top also ranks 80th in U.S. album sales, with 25 million units. ZZ Top has sold over 50 million albums worldwide.

    Other Facts: Despite his name, Beard is the only member of ZZ Top who does not wear a beard. He wears only a mustache, although he did go through a phase in the 1990s where he wore a tidy beard.

  2. #2

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    One of my all time faves. A Master of groove!

    all the best...

  3. #3

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    Cool set. Looks like he's using ddrum triggers.
    Signature here

  4. #4

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    Ahh...that little ol' band from Texas.
    Love these guys!
    "it is what it is"

    "Dont rent anything you cant afford to burn in the backyard while drunk." - ThePloughman

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  6. #6

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  7. #7

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    Excellent drummer who never gets ahead of himself. Even songs as easy sounding as Tush are actually pretty tricky to play correctly. I have yet to see a cover band drummer do it correctly.

    In the video that Olimpass posted what kind of cymbal nuts does he have on his crashes? They look like tennis balls.
    Ludwig Classic Maple 22x16,10x8,12x9,16x16
    7" Moon Gel Practice Pad
    Sabian HHX Legacy

    Decide whether this is love for the craft or simply an ego thing

    http://www.redskymary.com/ NOT MY BAND, JUST A GREAT LOCAL BAND WHO SHOULD BE SOOO MUCH BIGGER IMO

  8. #8

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    A few of Frank's kits over the years:







    Last edited by late8; 06-10-2014 at 10:15 AM.

  9. #9

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    Last edited by late8; 06-10-2014 at 10:27 AM.

  10. #10

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  11. #11

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  12. #12

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    Surprised he wasn't mentioned earlier. Very under appreciated.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by inthpktplayer View Post
    Very under appreciated.
    I agree. Here's some folks who showed Frank some love:


  14. #14

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    By far now that I've really looked them over, he's got one heck of a cool setup. All of them, even.
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  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bish View Post
    By far now that I've really looked them over, he's got one heck of a cool setup. All of them, even.
    Uh Oh...does Bish feel a little GAS attack coming on?
    "it is what it is"

    "Dont rent anything you cant afford to burn in the backyard while drunk." - ThePloughman

  16. #16

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    To hear ZZ Top play you would think Frank was a four piece kinda drummer. (So sparse and super solid). I suppose the outrageous set-ups lend to the show and theatrics that makes them famous.

    all the best...

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by kay-gee View Post
    To hear ZZ Top play you would think Frank was a four piece kinda drummer. (So sparse and super solid). I suppose the outrageous set-ups lend to the show and theatrics that makes them famous.

    all the best...
    My thoughts, too. More so than some dumb old thing called GAS.
    Last edited by Bish; 06-12-2014 at 12:03 PM.
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  18. #18

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    One of my favorite bands and drummers. Frank is the king of solid straight beats and shuffles. I'm not a huge fan of most of their stuff after Eliminator, but their first several albumswere killer. Back when they wore cowboy hats had more of a Blues vibe. I just feel that they ventured into more of a commercialized Rock as they progressed. If you listen to alot of older Blues recordings from the '40s, '50's & '60s, you'll recognize the sound. Many of the guitar riffs and even vocal styles they use were borrowed from the Blues sound of that era.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    One of my favorite bands and drummers. Frank is the king of solid straight beats and shuffles. I'm not a huge fan of most of their stuff after Eliminator, but their first several albumswere killer. Back when they wore cowboy hats had more of a Blues vibe. I just feel that they ventured into more of a commercialized Rock as they progressed. If you listen to alot of older Blues recordings from the '40s, '50's & '60s, you'll recognize the sound. Many of the guitar riffs and even vocal styles they use were borrowed from the Blues sound of that era.
    I feel the same way as you do about how ZZ Top went commercial N2Bluz. In my opinion, as I looked back at what happened in the '80s with the start of MTV, a fledgling cable network, who literally changed the dynamic of how bands and artist delivered their music overnight, forced them to jump on the money train. I had all but forgotten about them. I thought these guys were all washed up after Fandango but the MTV videos kept them alive. The official "Legs" video has almost 4 million views....go figure. As my memory serves me right, I thought the videos were senseless but they propelled the band back into the spotlight year after year.


  20. #20

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    Absolutely. I may not be as fond of the later stuff ZZ did, but I give them a ton of credit for adapting to the times and culture and staying alive (actually prospering). They weren't afraid to change their style, yet still remained unique. They were a viable and successful alternative to the Big Hair bands....and they're still going strong. Excellent musicians, showmen AND businessmen.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  21. #21

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    It's interesting to watch local cover band drummers trying to hit the signature lick of the first song(1:46 is the first). Most either totally muff it or do their own fill cuz they can't get it right. Beard is very straight forward, but, also has skills.

    Last edited by inthpktplayer; 06-14-2014 at 06:44 AM.

  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by inthpktplayer View Post
    It's interesting to watch local cover band drummers trying to hit the signature lick of the first song(1:46 is the first). Most either totally muff it or do their own fill cuz they can't get it right. Beard is very straight forward, but, also has skills.
    You are so right. I've been playing that song since it first came out. Fun to play.
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  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by inthpktplayer View Post
    It's interesting to watch local cover band drummers trying to hit the signature lick of the first song(1:46 is the first). Most either totally muff it or do their own fill cuz they can't get it right. Beard is very straight forward, but, also has skills.
    lol!! La Grange is on the set list for the new cover band I'm playing and yeah, the triplet fill at 1:46 is one that I had to try to nail. I finally watched a few live ZZ Top videos to catch Frank at it and it looks like triplets on the double bass right?

  24. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by late8 View Post
    lol!! La Grange is on the set list for the new cover band I'm playing and yeah, the triplet fill at 1:46 is one that I had to try to nail. I finally watched a few live ZZ Top videos to catch Frank at it and it looks like triplets on the double bass right?
    I believe he's just flamming on the snare then hits the bass inbetween flams on the toms hits also creating triplets. So snare flam, bass, toms flam, bass, toms flam, bass, snare flam, bass, toms flam, bass, toms flam, bass....correct? I don't have double bass. Basically a flam tap with the bass drum being the tap.
    I think the left hand shuffle work he's doing is more killer than the fill!
    Last edited by Olimpass; 06-15-2014 at 10:29 PM.

  25. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by late8 View Post
    lol!! La Grange is on the set list for the new cover band I'm playing and yeah, the triplet fill at 1:46 is one that I had to try to nail. I finally watched a few live ZZ Top videos to catch Frank at it and it looks like triplets on the double bass right?
    I've never used double bass to execute this fill. It's just triplets alternating the hands and foot working it around from snare, ride tom then floor tom. Throw in an alternate hand flam and bingo.....there it is.

    This guy explains it pretty well. Check out the end of the vid.


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