Scarlet Begonias - PLEASE HELP!

[NikoSeven]

Fairly newbie drummer mostly blues but got my first real $ gig and the band wants to play Scarlet Begonias by Grateful Dead.
Wow! That Mickey Hart is one busy drummer!
Any ideas/riffs/rudiments to help me 'fake' my way through that puppy?
Thanks!

[rickthedrummer]

Niko, I have no idea how long you have been playing, but it's possible that, like a lot of musicians, you got in over your head.

[N2Bluz]

Don’t worry about all the fancy fills. Just keep it simple and concentrate on the groove. It has a touch of a reggae feel to it, so just keep a strong back beat on the snare and throw in some ghost notes. You can play 1/8, 1/16 or even a mix it up on the hats.
Concentrate on getting the feel and don’t worry about the fancy stuff. If the feel is there, it will work.

[DrumWhipper]

I would stay in the pocket as much as possible, while using my right hand to accent on the hats, ride, and crash cymbals. There are some fills that are "fast", just make those your own. I would probably accent a few fills with rolls on the rack toms.

[NikoSeven]

Thank you for the advice. ��

[NikoSeven]

Thank you for the help and encouragement������

[NikoSeven]

Well you're probably right but i gotta try!

[N2Bluz]

Honestly, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. There’s a lot going on in the studio version, but here’s a tamer live version;


Just keep the tempo and that steady back beat going on the snare. Let the rest of the band (guitars, bass, etc.) play on the off-beat and accents. That’s their job. If you get caught up in what they’re playing, it can be easy to get off. The only thing you need to do is keep that snare beat going steady and consistent...that’s their reference when they’re doing the “hambone” (dancing around and accenting on the off-beats).

If you’re comfortable throwing in some fills, that’s fine. If not, that’s fine too. The song is all about syncopation and feel. The reason they like the song is probably because it’s fun for them to jam around on...so just lay down that steady core and let them do their thing! You’ll do just fine.

[NikoSeven]

Thank you!!!