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Old 05-26-2010, 08:08 AM
wy yung wy yung is offline
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,029

Motivic drumset soloing.
Author. Terry O'Mahoney.

Recently I have begun using this book in order to teach students how to build creative solos based on ideas such as phrases played and built upon, call and response, logical construction etc etc. The above book has been useful in helping my endeavors.

The book is not for the basic beginner. I'd recommend at least a full 2 years of instruction or more before presenting it to the new drumset student. Intermediate drummers will benefit from this book having developed a degree of technical ability but unsure how to put it to use in solo form. More advanced working drummers may also find this text useful.

Although O'Mahoney plays the ideas on the CD in a jazz context, this should not limit the text to this or any one style. For example, rock drummers can use this text without any problem.

I highly recommend this book.

Possibly the easiest way for me to describe the contents is simply to list the contents chapter by chapter.

Chapter 1. Motivic development concepts.
1. Rhythmic motives.
2. Repetition.
3. Sequence.
4. Fragmentation.
5. Extension.
6. Augmentation.
7. Diminution.
8. Retrogade.
9. Inversion.
10. Embellishment.
11. Simplification.
12. Rhythmic displacement.
13. Summary.

Chapter 2. Musical concepts.
1. Orchestrate the melody.
2. Through-Composed solos vs. Motivic development.
3. Filler material.
4. Rolls.
5. Special effects.
6. Soloing over ostinato patterns.
7. Call and response.
8. Quoting.
9. Musical landmarks.
10. Odd groupings.
11. Polyrhythms.
12. Double time feel.
13. Varying rhythmic density.
14. Soloing in odd time signatures, (3/4, 5/4, 7/4)
15. Pick ups.
16. Ending solos.
17. Soloing over long musical forms.
18. Maintaining place in a song form.
19. Time solos vs. Outright solos.

Chapter 3. Additional concepts.
1. Abstract concepts/ideas.
2. Analyzing solos.
3. Sample drum solos.

Discography of motivic solos.
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