Drum Solos.

[Nik276]

Hi everyone,
I was reading through some threads and someone said that drum solos are made up of mostly rudiments. I've been watching some drum solos on youtube but I've noticed that drum solos are mostly made up of single stroke rolls, flams, rolls, and rarely other rudiments. I don't really see how you can use other rudiments for drum solos. Can someone tell me what exactly a drum solo is and how they are made?

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Admin Note:
Curious about how to play drum solos and how the pros approach them? Check out our dedicated Drum Solos page over at Drumming.com for tips, insights, and examples from some of the most creative drummers around. If you’re looking for inspiration or ideas for your own solos, it’s all right there.

[fiacovaz]

Rudiments are sticking patterns. RLRR LRLL etc. is called a Single Paradiddle. RLRLRR LRLRLL etc if a Double Paradiddle. Sticking patterns such as these and variations of them are used all the time when playing the drums. Many of the Single Stroke rolls you see are so fast that you'd be surprised how often they are using paradiddle stickings...makes it so much easier. Also, sticking patterns are not limited to sixteenth notes either. You can play Triplets using paradiddle stickings: RLR RLR LLR LRR | L etc.
Sextuple paterns are a favorite for drum solos: RLRLRL RLRLRL or RLRLRR LRLRLL. And don't leave out the Drag rudiments either...those were used extremely well by Buddy Rich.

[begtimm561]

made however you want, its your solo, they have to be differnet somehow!

[Shazane]

Take a rudiment, and instead of playing it in one place move your hands to different drums like:

LRRLRLLR (inverted paradiddle)

T|---o----|
T|-oo-----|
T|----o--o|
S|o----oo-|

That's how you can make a rudiment into a fill.

A solo is often a barrage of fills.

[begtimm561]

alright! you got me... i have no idea(somewhat of an idea) when it comes to "rudiements"

[Destroyer]

A drum solo starts with an idea. Some of my drum solo's are 8 to 17 minutes long. And I've used these to great audience satisfaction.

There is of course the intro, then the body, then the extro. It's all about extremes. Crescendo's in the middle. That strong build up. It's simple really.

The key to unlock the door is practice. No. You don't have to have all 40 drum rudiments. A lot of drum rudiments are for drum liners...marching drums. I started out in Texas as a kid as a field marching drummer for our Snyder Tigers football team. So I know all the rudiments, I can read not only drum sheets, but piano and cello as well.

Do I use even 1/4 of those in my drum solo's? No.

Look. John Bonham never had all that knowledge and check out his drum solo. Mitch Mitchell might have had a few, mostly single/double stroke rolls and triplets. Big whooptidoo on rudiments. His solo's were absolutely awesome spur-of-the-moment. He MADE the songs that Jimi embellished. Mitch is my fav all-time drummer. He was my starting point. Why I started playing traditional grip...and still do. Drum Solo's... it's all in your heart and in your soul. Soul-O's Dig?

Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Chick Webb, all the drummers from A-Z. For me it's about making the music. Being part and parcel of the program. Drum solo's were a very small part of the performance. Almost unheard of nowdays unless it's a drum clinic, but for a drummer? FUN! Do I still do them with my band? Heck yeah! FUN!

Just between you and me mate, when a guitarist breaks a string, your lead vocalist has to go to the rest room, or your bass player's amp goes dead, or a thousand other things that can go wrong live on stage, guess who they all turn to? Us.

"OK people, while the rest of us take a quick break, we're going to let DESTROYER get busy for you!" And Off I'll go into a drum solo until the thing can be sorted out. And a drum solo request from your band leader can come in a heartbeat. Song breaks down? Drum solo. So yeah, you have a very valid question, and you need to be prepared to have your solo worked out.

You COMPOSE a drum solo. Just as Beethoven, or Bach, or Brahms, but you do it based on your own expertise. Just check out Lee Michael's drummer Frosty's impressions. Or Buddy Miles.

You DON'T have to have a zillion and one rudiments. I can do a drum solo, a really good one with only one with only one stick, with my left hand tied behind my back. Did it for years.

It's not about showmanship either, and it's certainly NOT about pride. It comes natural. It's a smooth flowing.

OK. It takes work, and it takes practice, but I've yet to meet a drummer who didn't love to sit on his kit all day and make it his. Do you see where I'm going?

It's the LOVE of your kit...your drumming...your sessions with your head.

Listen. When I was a kid and only had my pillows and books and tables and floor and whatnot to practice on, my dreams would always swirl, my mind would energize, and next day? More ideas.

It comes slow, so to formulate a great drum solo, it has to come from YOU.

And it WILL come. And you don't need all the rudiments. You have four basics to work with. Bass drum, Snare, Toms, Cymbals.

All the interplay between them is what makes up a unique YOU drum solo.

It's easy. Just relax, take your time, and have FUN!

Lordy, I REALLY have to stress that with my students. Have FUN with your kit.

Have fun, and it will all come to you, and don't rush. Relax, practice and for Heaven's sake...HAVE FUN!

OK?

[Nik276]

A drum solo starts with an idea. Some of my drum solo's are 8 to 17 minutes long. And I've used these to great audience satisfaction.

There is of course the intro, then the body, then the extro. It's all about extremes. Crescendo's in the middle. That strong build up. It's simple really.

The key to unlock the door is practice. No. You don't have to have all 40 drum rudiments. A lot of drum rudiments are for drum liners...marching drums. I started out in Texas as a kid as a field marching drummer for our Snyder Tigers football team. So I know all the rudiments, I can read not only drum sheets, but piano and cello as well.

Do I use even 1/4 of those in my drum solo's? No.

Look. John Bonham never had all that knowledge and check out his drum solo. Mitch Mitchell might have had a few, mostly single/double stroke rolls and triplets. Big whooptidoo on rudiments. His solo's were absolutely awesome spur-of-the-moment. He MADE the songs that Jimi embellished. Mitch is my fav all-time drummer. He was my starting point. Why I started playing traditional grip...and still do. Drum Solo's... it's all in your heart and in your soul. Soul-O's Dig?

Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Chick Webb, all the drummers from A-Z. For me it's about making the music. Being part and parcel of the program. Drum solo's were a very small part of the performance. Almost unheard of nowdays unless it's a drum clinic, but for a drummer? FUN! Do I still do them with my band? Heck yeah! FUN!

Just between you and me mate, when a guitarist breaks a string, your lead vocalist has to go to the rest room, or your bass player's amp goes dead, or a thousand other things that can go wrong live on stage, guess who they all turn to? Us.

"OK people, while the rest of us take a quick break, we're going to let DESTROYER get busy for you!" And Off I'll go into a drum solo until the thing can be sorted out. And a drum solo request from you band leader can come in a heartbeat. Song breaks down? Drum solo. So yeah, you have a very valid question, and you need to be prepared to have your solo worked out.

You COMPOSE a drum solo. Just as Beethoven, or Bach, or Brahms, but you do it based on your own expertise. Just check out Lee Michael's drummer Frosty's impressions. Or Buddy Miles.

You DON'T have to have a zillion and one rudiments. I can do a drum solo, a really good one with only one with only one stick, with my left hand tied behind my back. Did it for years.

It's not about showmanship either, and it's certainly NOT about pride. It comes natural. It's a smooth flowing.

OK. It takes work, and it takes practice, but I've yet to meet a drummer who didn't love to sit on his kit all day and make it his. Do you see where I'm going?

It's the LOVE of your kit...your drumming...your sessions with your head.

Listen. When I was a kid and only had my pillows and books and tables and floor and whatnot to practice on, my dreams would always swirl, my mind would energize, and next day? More ideas.

It comes slow, so to formulate a great drum solo, it has to come from YOU.

And it WILL come. And you don't need all the rudiments. You have four basics to work with. Bass drum, Snare, Toms, Cymbals.

All the interplay between them is what makes up a unique YOU drum solo.

It's easy. Just relax, take your time, and have FUN!

Lordy, I REALLY have to stress that with my students. Have FUN with your kit.

Have fun, and it will all come to you, and don't rush. Relax, practice and for Heaven's sake...HAVE FUN!

OK?

Wow, that was beautiful . Are extended solos planned out or is it just all improvisation/making it up as you go along? I have been playing the drums for about 4 months now and I started taking my first lesson a month ago but I quit because he was teaching me on an E-kit, and he wasn't a very good teacher. I'm still looking for a good teacher. I wish you were my teacher, but you live in Oregon .

[DWdrumr]

I personally think a drum solo is whatever you want to play, there is nothing said that you have to play rudiments, although it is very cool and helps you get around the kit a little better, but I think the best drum solo is strictly from the heart and spontaneous, whatever comes out is original and creative, that's a solo.

[ratmycue]

Drum solo's mean different things to different players, I personally do not like to take an extended solo very often, I much prefer to express my drum voice as a response to a melodic line or a dynamic phrase within a piece of music, say a 4 bar phrasing for example. I have seen too many extended drum solo's that are pretty much non dynamic flashy simple triplets around the kit....YAWN.

[Destroyer]

Wow, that was beautiful . Are extended solos planned out or is it just all improvisation/making it up as you go along? I have been playing the drums for about 4 months now and I started taking my first lesson a month ago but I quit because he was teaching me on an E-kit, and he wasn't a very good teacher. I'm still looking for a good teacher. I wish you were my teacher, but you live in Oregon .

Good question. I think it's spontaneous. rarely are my solo's 'planned'. It just comes as I feel it. And crowd response comes into play. No matter how loud your drums are in your headset, the applause spears through. You feel it, It's a real rush. And it spurs you to new heights.

No. Every solo I do is different. It just flows. Think of 'LUKE, use the Force'

Really that's what it is. It's almost like the fluidity of a song long lost. It's ethereal, yet it's still tangible...touchable. And you want to capture it, make it yours. Deeply felt, and it comes from the inner stirrings of your drum expertise...no matter what the level of your experience.

You don't have to be a great drummer to achieve greatness. Look at Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones. Not a great technical drummer, but he achieved greatness. And you listen to him and it's like..."OK....that WAS cool!"

And Ringo Starr. I was into Mitch Mitchell, John Bonham, Clive Bunker, Michael Shrieve, Ginger Baker, Ansley Dunbar, Denny Carmassi, Terry John Bozzio, Bobby Caldwell, Woody Woodmansey, Billy Cobbham, but later I realized....Ringo....with or without Paul's or John's help, was awesome!

Just be yourself mate. Play your drums. Have fun. Bottom line.

[drummer]

A great drum solo isn’t random fireworks, it’s like architecture in motion. I see some of these drummers blazing but it's like machine-gun fire. It makes my ears bleed, lol. Solos should be about tension and release, phrasing, and the balance between space and density (in a matter of speaking). You’re shaping energy, not just hitting things. The best solos in my opinion have contour... an intro that draws people in, building to keep them guessing or waiting for more. But dynamics are everything. If it’s all loud, it’s basically just flat. Let the quiet notes make the explosions count. Think like your composing, not just blowing chops.

The groove has to stay alive underneath it all, even when you’re free-forming. This is something I didn't understand when I was younger. I would get lost in the chops but it wasn't grooving! And by all means, weave in those licks but only if they serve the story. Listen to how Elvin Jones or Gadd use motifs. Small ideas that evolve and come back around. That’s what gives a solo substance. Don’t chase speed, chase phrasing if you can. Play from your ears, not your ego, (super important!!) and make every stroke mean something. When you reach that point where the drums feel like an extension of your voice, that’s when the solo starts to breathe.

[Olimpass]

A great drum solo isn’t random fireworks, it’s like architecture in motion. I see some of these drummers blazing but it's like machine-gun fire. It makes my ears bleed, lol. Solos should be about tension and release, phrasing, and the balance between space and density (in a matter of speaking). You’re shaping energy, not just hitting things. The best solos in my opinion have contour... an intro that draws people in, building to keep them guessing or waiting for more. But dynamics are everything. If it’s all loud, it’s basically just flat. Let the quiet notes make the explosions count. Think like your composing, not just blowing chops.

The groove has to stay alive underneath it all, even when you’re free-forming. This is something I didn't understand when I was younger. I would get lost in the chops but it wasn't grooving! And by all means, weave in those licks but only if they serve the story. Listen to how Elvin Jones or Gadd use motifs. Small ideas that evolve and come back around. That’s what gives a solo substance. Don’t chase speed, chase phrasing if you can. Play from your ears, not your ego, (super important!!) and make every stroke mean something. When you reach that point where the drums feel like an extension of your voice, that’s when the solo starts to breathe.

This is such a tremendous analogy. Lots of interesting posts in here too. It’s learning to ride the groove with future anticipation. Using a tasteful feeling and executing it with brain to hand coordination. I’m always still learning so much and sometimes it can get intimidating but constant practice makes you more brave and confident to move ahead.

[LIMPy]

A great drum solo isn’t random fireworks, it’s like architecture in motion. I see some of these drummers blazing but it's like machine-gun fire. It makes my ears bleed, lol. Solos should be about tension and release, phrasing, and the balance between space and density (in a matter of speaking). You’re shaping energy, not just hitting things. The best solos in my opinion have contour... an intro that draws people in, building to keep them guessing or waiting for more. But dynamics are everything. If it’s all loud, it’s basically just flat. Let the quiet notes make the explosions count. Think like your composing, not just blowing chops.

The groove has to stay alive underneath it all, even when you’re free-forming. This is something I didn't understand when I was younger. I would get lost in the chops but it wasn't grooving! And by all means, weave in those licks but only if they serve the story. Listen to how Elvin Jones or Gadd use motifs. Small ideas that evolve and come back around. That’s what gives a solo substance. Don’t chase speed, chase phrasing if you can. Play from your ears, not your ego, (super important!!) and make every stroke mean something. When you reach that point where the drums feel like an extension of your voice, that’s when the solo starts to breathe.

Man, I totally get what you’re saying about solos. For me, I’ve never been the type to plan mine out note-for-note. I just kinda go with whatever groove or fill feels right in the moment, ya know? Sometimes I’ll lock into a simple pocket and start messing with accents or ghost notes ‘til it builds up naturally. Other times I’ll just let loose and see where it goes. I know it’s not the “technical” way to do it, but it keeps things fun and real for me. The crowd feels that energy way more than if I tried to sound perfect.

[Olimpass]

Man, I totally get what you’re saying about solos. For me, I’ve never been the type to plan mine out note-for-note. I just kinda go with whatever groove or fill feels right in the moment, ya know? Sometimes I’ll lock into a simple pocket and start messing with accents or ghost notes ‘til it builds up naturally. Other times I’ll just let loose and see where it goes. I know it’s not the “technical” way to do it, but it keeps things fun and real for me. The crowd feels that energy way more than if I tried to sound perfect.

I get this approach also.
I used to have a Marantz three head cassette recorder that was awesome. I would record us practicing the tune for the first time and it would sound fresh and kept simple to ride the groove. Sometimes this can be the best recording of it. Other times we let loose. After listening to the recordings, we can pick out things that we liked about the recordings and use them.

[Olimpass]

Wait, drum solos? Yeah, usually nervously, totally wing those.. lol.

[LIMPy]

haha, winging it is the way 2 go