Multi-tom Sweeps (on the Alpha Kit)

From the woodshed archives: I refer to this particular thing as “sweeps”… which are, in my mind, a drummer’s version of those dense clusters of notes you hear on guitar or saxophone that sound cool when played really fast. To me, they have more of a wall-of-sound “color” kind of vibe, which is nice to have in the toolbox for special solo riff or drum fill occasions. Here’s where it helps to have a shit-load of sound sources! +++++++ This video is featured in my blog, "The Story of Alphabet Drumming™." See all 12 vids, with plenty of pics, notation, and more writing, at the full blog: https://bobbyrock.wordpress.com/2023/... Click here to sign up for my weekly Newsletter: https://www.bobbyrock.com/pages/newsl... +++++++ Here are a few more excerpts from the blog: What if I designated a letter of the alphabet to 26 different drums, and then created a new language of drumming by “dryping” (drumming + typing) words or phrases? Pounding out words and phrases on a giant drum kit that doubles as a sort of percussive "typewriter" might seem a bit unusual. But I absolutely love the concept of what I call "Alphabet Drumming" and continue to find it both exhilarating and challenging to execute. And I also still get a kick out of how seamlessly the written word tends to translate into cool and unique drumming ideas. That said, it was recently pointed out to me that, with the exception of a few Newsletter or social posts, and a few buried mentionings on my blog and website, there is really no easily accessible place of detailed explanation or sampling of the whole "Alphabet Drumming" concept, which I've been kicking around now for well over a decade. So, finally... here's the painstakingly detailed backstory—with plenty of pics and vids—all in one place. +++++++ Beginnings: ...and then, in an epiphanic flash, it hit me: I am a drummer. I am a writer. I have precisely 26 drums and… coincidentally, there are 26 letters in the alphabet. What if assigned a different letter to each one of my drums, then "spelled out" various words or phrases, in rhythm, creating a unique language of patterns that could, quite literally, expand my drumming vocabulary? Whoa. Interesting. But why? Because to construct musical riffs and patterns in accordance with a writing modality would require a radically unconventional approach to drumming. How might this expand my technique, as well as my creative pool of ideas? What might these various words or phrases sound like? And how accomplished would I have to become in these new techniques to fluidly pull this off? +++++++ The Alphabet Kit This beautiful monstrosity has been my primary practice room/solo project drum set for more years now than I can recall. A big chunk of the kit is my original Radial Bridge drum set that Steven Volpp and the Peavey gang built for me back in ’99. Then, once I began to develop the Alphabet Drumming™ concept (as described here), I began to bring in a mish-mash of other drums, and the kit expanded into its present 360-degree design so I can face forward or backward, as it's essentially two giant kits melded together. Because I’m more of an accumulator than a collector, I had amassed a wide variety of drums and cymbals in storage near my practice room. And as my vision for this kit expanded through the years, each new piece was brought in as somewhat of a functional placeholder for what would surely, one day, be some mammoth new custom-built drum kit, sparkly and pristine, with its perfect maple shells and glistening brass and chrome. After all, this was just the 1.0 Frankenstein version of the Alpha Kit, right? But then, somewhere along the way, after countless hours of playing this kit and listening to its glorious tones reverberate around the woodshed, something unexpected happened: the “Frankenstein" nature of the kit became its own unique thing—its own twisted choir of percussion voices—and it simply sounded like no other set of drums I’ve ever heard. In other words, the unorthodox configurations and unconventional drum and cymbal groupings created their own original, collective sound. And I knew that, at least for the foreseeable future, this would be my primary solo kit… just as it is: all 40 drums, 30 cymbals, and 10 foot pedals of it. +++++++ PS. About the Letters and Set-Up: I'm often asked, "Why not just replicate the traditional “QWERTY” computer keyboard with the set-up? We are about out of writing space here, but as explained in detail at the blog, it was both a logistical and conceptual decision. Check it out for more details. +++++++ Thanks for reading and watching. See all 12 vids, with plenty of pics, notation, and more writing, at the full blog: https://bobbyrock.wordpress.com/2023/... Click here to sign up for my weekly Newsletter: https://www.bobbyrock.com/pages/newsl...