Elements in Time, Groovy

Danny Raymond

Medium to Medium-Advanced Snare Solo Compilation

Instrumentation: Snare Drum

The GROOVY edition of Danny Raymond's Elements in Time series is all about exposing snare drummers to different grooves. From South America to New Orleans, there's a little something for everyone here!

This piece ships as a printed, professionally bound folio with a full-color cover.

Cambio de Paso (2:40 - Medium) Loosely translated as a "change of pace," Cambio de Paso is a perfect introduction to many of the ways a snare drum can be used to create Latin-flavored rhythms and textures. Performed in entirety with the snare strainer in the "off" position, the drum plays the dual role of both conga and timbale while rim clicks and muted strokes take the form of cascara and mambo patterns. In addition to being fun to play and very accessible, the piece offers some challenges in the way of fast isngles, syncopated flam passages, and a solid command over dynamic expression.

 Mammoth (2:25 - Medium) Mammoth requires two snare drums—one with with the snares "off" and tuned low, and the other with the snares "on" and tuned normally. The interplay between the two drums creates a mesmerizing tribal-esque sound that continues from start to finish with very little pause. One of the challenges of this piece is the relative lack of rests. Constantly moving from drum to drum, the player must continually navigate 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 time signatures. Creative stickings and cross-overs make for challenging "traffic patterns" that will help train any student not used to moving his or her hands around. The tempo is moderate, so the occasional double-stroke rolls, flam-drags, and inverted flam-taps won't pose an insurmountable challenge.

What’s My Line? (2:10 - Med-Advanced) In What's My Line?, Raymond get his crawfish broil on with a nifty solo based around New Orleans second line drumming concepts. The performer will be called upon to play with a slight swing of the 16th notes while strolling through syncopated accent patterns (with and without flams), creatively placed rim clicks, and jazz ride-based right hand patterns. This solo makes for a great way to apply jazz stylings to standard rudiments; just be careful not to eat too much jambalaya first!

Full Sail (2:30 - Med-Advanced) "Jazz isn't dead; it just smells funny." Frank Zappa said that, and we're doing our part to keep it alive a while longer. Full Sail is all about the swing…and the brushes! In a time when many younger players aren't learning to play with brushes, Danny's fast-paced brush solo is good medicine indeed. This piece is just challenging enough (due to tempo) to test even experienced players on how well they can manipulate the brushes to produce the right sounds.