< PreviousModern Drummer June 2022 78 In part one of Double Bass Drumming patterns similar to those above are used in playing BEATS . In Part 2 the single stroke sys- tem is applied to both hands and feet in playing FILLS . In part three of the book various hand patterns are played in SOLOING OVER THE DOUBLE BASS ROLL. In upcoming months we will include sections from all three parts of the book. All three parts deal with the 16th note feel (the A sections) and the eighth note triplet feel (the B sections.) The introduction pages to each section will illustrate how this system is applied to that section. Parts one, two, and three should be studied simultaneously. There are instances when it is common to play BD2 (the bass drum on the high hat side) on the downbeat of one. A drummer who is used to playing eighth notes (on one & two & three & four &) with the hi hat foot can move the eighth notes over to bass drum 2. By then playing the main bass drum (BD1) between the 8th notes (on E’s and A’s) the following sixteenth note roll is formed: When playing the continuous sixteenth note roll, it will sound the same regardless of which foot is used to lead. However when playing non continuous or broken rhythmic patterns, or when coming out of fills that combine hands and feet, it is desirable to play the main bass drum on the downbeat of one. Another example of when it is common to play BD2 on the downbeat of one is the eighth note triplet shuffle: A drummer who was used to playing quarter notes (on 1, 2, 3, 4) with the hi hat foot can play the shuffle as: This method of playing the shuffle is especially effective at fast tempos. Alternate ways of playing the shuffle and the other two note triplet patterns are discussed later. Next month we will start to explore Double Bass Beats, and different Sixteenth Note Patterns for the bass drums. Check out Joe’s Modern Drummer profile page and get your copy of Double Bass Drumming at moderndrummer.com Steve PaceDIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE Buy from your favorite retailer check out more at moderndrummer.com The Carmine Appice Library Collection Presents: DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE Everything you ever wanted to know about Hi Hat Rhythms. Infinate patterns to play all styles of music. DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE Celebrating The 50th Anniversary Of Ultimate Realistic RockModern Drummer June 2022 80 Wiktoria Bialic: Taking Over the Scene from Every Angle By Raghav Mehrotra W iktoria Bialic fell in love with music at a young age - the key word being music! She played violin until she discovered her connection to rhythm, after which she gravitated towards percussion. After 12 years of education in classical percussion such as timpani, snare drum, and mallet percussion, Wiktoria moved her curiosity towards drum set, with which she has recorded for GRAMMY award-winning musicians such as Ondre J. Pivec, Polish pop superstar Ralph Kaminski, award-winning producer Kartik Shah, and other popular artists across genres and continents. In this interview, we explore how Wiktoria strives to find a unique voice on the drums - especially when recording in the studio. MD : How did you fall in love with music and drumming? WB: My story with music is kind of unusual; it’s not like the stories you hear about drummers who started playing when they were five or six. When I was around six or seven years old, I chose to play the violin! I envisioned the violin as this beautiful and majestic instrument, and, well, I hadn’t really been exposed to anything else. However, I would come back home from music school, practice violin for maybe 10 minutes or so, and just start listening to music that had strong rhythms. After a few years of education in violin, and a few terrible experiences while practicing and performing, I realized my love for the drums - It was a stark contrast from anything I had felt musically and emotionally before. MD: Are your parents or anyone in your family musicians? WB : Not professionally. However, my mother sings very well and plays the accordion. It’s sometimes fun to imagine if she was a musician! I’m really the first one in my whole family to pick up music seriously like this. MD : When you were younger, what kinds of records did you listen to that spoke to you? WB : Well, everything, I guess. I was connected to rhythm, and wherever there was strong rhythm, that’s where I gravitated. One day it was Bob Marley, another day it was John Mayer, another day The Verbs, or some classic rock the next day. MD : Where did you go after you realized drums were your musical calling? WB: I actually wasn’t allowed to play drum set for quite a while! I was trained in classical percussion - from snare drum to timpani to marimba and vibraphone - so there was a big emphasis on technique. I spent 12 years learning all of that, so the lenses that I viewed classical percussion through translate to my current work on drums. MD: What are those lenses? WB : Right now, I’m focusing a lot on dynamics on the drums. I feel that, as both a performer and session musician, dynamics is one of the most important tools you can use to convey the emotion behind the music. Also, types of grips have been a huge thing for me. On timpani, I used French grip, but on snare drum I could switch to German grip. MD : And how has been that transition from classical technique to “drum set” technique? WB : You know, interpretation is the key. As opposed to classical music, you’re more “relaxed” when you play a drum set and your moves, your postures, are more “flowy.” MD : What music were you listening to that inspired you to switch over to drum set? WB : One of my big dreams has been to be a session drummer. I tried to listen to all different genres whether it was Bob Marley, or some rock or funk, and I did not really want to limit myself. MD: It is clear from your Instagram as well that you are performing in every type of genre and doing it with a bunch of different setups. What drummers have inspired you to play such a wide range of music? WB : It’s pretty obvious from my Instagram that I’m heavily influenced by Ash Soan and Aaron Sterling. And it’s the complete truth - they really are my favorite drummers. I really admire their playing with great groove, feel, and creative sounds, so what Ash and Aaron are and have been doing really interests me. Also, Nate Smith’s command of groove and rhythm is amazing; how he can have fun manipulating the beat and also keep the audience engaged is spectacular. When I was younger, it was similar; I admired Bernard Purdie, Steve Jordan, and David Garibaldi…just Waclaw PatroJune 2022 Modern Drummer 81 any drummer that had a unique voice and played with interesting sounds. MD : How are you striving to find your unique voice on the drums? WB : It depends on the song that I’m playing. Before recording drum parts, I first try to understand the lyrics of the song (if the song has lyrics). The idea is being able to understand the true intention or message behind the song, and bring more energy and emotion into my playing. My standard question when somebody sends me a song to play drums on; is to send me the lyrics because I really want to read them and decide on the kind of sounds that I want from my drums. MD : Tell me more about that process of analyzing lyrics and the levels that you will go to change your sound depending upon your interpretation of the song? WB: I read the lyrics to see what kind of song it is. For example, if it is a terrible love story I know that the final chorus is the most important part of the song. There will be a final message of the song, and I try to add more energy or more emotion to that message. This gets back to using dynamics. For example, playing softer in verse number one when the piano playing is soft and build it as the song progresses - I find it very boring when a song is played at the same dynamic level throughout. Sometimes I might use more percussion. It is a very iterative process of searching. When I was younger, I would really approach my drum playing as a drummer. Right now, I’m trying to think more like a producer. What kind of sounds will be the best for the song and not what is best for me as a drummer. How can I support the vocalist? What kind of instruments are hearing? Those questions determine what kind of snare or cymbals I should use. MD : How was the experience recording the single “Dark Days” with Ash Soan? WB : It was like a dream come true, to be honest. When I finished music school, I really wanted to record some drum videos for social media. But I didn’t want to focus on the typical drum covers. My goal was to find some backing tracks and play drums on them. I remember finding Ash Soan on Instagram with information that Waclaw PatroModern Drummer June 2022 82 he added backing tracks to a song on his website. I bought a copy, and that was the first song that I recorded in a studio. Within 15 minutes of posting it on social media, Ash gave it a thumbs up and commented that I sounded really great. He appreciated the passion with which I played the drums and smiled through the video. It just so happened that a few days later I saw a poster advertising a drum festival in Poland in which Ash Soan was playing. It was like a miracle! I bought a ticket, and it was the first drum festival I saw in Poland. I met Ash in-person, and even though I was really shy at the time, he was really nice. He showed my video to all the drummers at the festival and really gave me a lot of support. A few months later I visited Ash’s Windmill Studio when I was visiting London with my brother. He was so gracious spending the day with us in his studio. He had added my video to his instagram which then ultimately led us to record the song together. So this one video that I did for social media led to so many different things. I seriously recommend to anyone to put your videos on social media, you never know where it can take you. MD : How important is smiling and joy and showmanship in music to you? WB : I think it’s significant to display your passion, play with a sense of joy, and smile because it is infectious and it provides great energy to others playing with you. Sometimes people are too focused on the technique and how they are playing and forget that they are supporting the band. If somebody wants to focus on drums and not smile, it is totally okay, but I prefer to see somebody that is passionate and smiling while they are playing. MD: Tell me about your work with artists like Ondre J. Pavic and Kartik Shah. WB : Like I said, it has always been one of my biggest dreams to be a session drummer. Not just because drums are something that I connect with, but I also want to represent female drummers and my country. In Poland there are not many session drummers (especially women) and breaking that barrier and inspiring others is significant for me. I know that I still have to learn alot but I have been lucky to record with some big artists like Ondre. He is a Grammy winning musician who has played with Gregory Porter and WU Tang Clan. It was a pleasure and an honor for me to record drums for him. I also recorded drums for Ralph Kaminsky who is one of the biggest singers in Poland. Recently we won the most significant musical awards in Poland for the album called Kora. It was my first album so it was very special for me. I think I recorded around 30 songs. I also Waclaw PatroJune 2022 Modern Drummer 83 recorded drums for Maati Baani who are a hugely popular band in India, that was a great experience for me. I hope and dream that in the future I get to record for some big name artists like Alicia Keys, etc. But I’m still really excited when I record drums for people that are just passionate about music and might not just the biggest artists in the world. There are not many drummers in Poland who record for artists outside the country, and I am really proud of the fact that I have been able to do so. I am proud to represent my country and show that anything is possible when you put your heart into it. MD : Going forward, what are your musical plans? WB : I hope I can be part of an international band, whether it’s a band from the US or England, I really want to experience that. It is hard to have access to those auditions in Poland, but with social media, anything is possible. To be honest, when I was younger, I planned everything meticulously. I planned what I was practicing, auditions, what times of the day I would record, and even more general life things - and it didn’t really work out for the best. Now I am more open to experimentation and I want to focus on working hard and finding my sound. I am not sure if that works for everybody, but it seems like it’s the better direction for me. MD: I like your openness to new ideas and change. What other interests besides drumming take up your time? WB: I really love nature. I live near the countryside and spend a lot of time outdoors, sometimes making videos. I like learning languages (I am currently learning English,) and travelling - all of which I am able to do while playing music. MD : Tell us about the gear that you are currently using. WB : I’m right now playing Gretsch drums, Vic Firth sticks, Roland electronics, and Remo heads. I also use Beyerdynamic microphones. It is crazy for me to think about that stuff given the list of legendary drummers that represent these companies! I have never been the kind of person who would write to these companies asking for endorsements. So when I got a chance to talk to some of them after I won the Hit Like A Girl Competition in 2021 and after my performance at PASIC, it was a dream come true. It has always been a dream of mine to represent these amazing companies and I am really proud of it because it’s a huge thing in Poland. MD : Your electronic/acoustic setup is interesting! How are you going to incorporate Roland into your setup? WB: On my next project, I will be playing more electronic music and I plan to add electronic drums to my setup. However, I am going to keep the acoustic drums, it just makes everything more human. The SPDX or maybe electronic bass drum come to mind. Those are supplementary. Once again, it’s all about sounds that you can add to specific types music. I am looking to get an 80s vibe with that setup. I just got back from a tour with Ralph Kaminsky, that tour had me playing every night without a metronome and an acoustic setup. The next project is going to be completely different! MD: As a session drummer, are you planning to have your own studio set up? WB : I’m thinking a lot about (maybe) building a recording studio in my room, because the studio that I’m recording in right now, is not mine. I pay for every single session! I really care about the quality of my drum sound and thus I have decided to use a professional studio. It’s not that expensive because I get a small student discount, but I have to clean up after every session because there are other musicians that use it too. I think it would be best to have my own studio where I can leave the microphones on the drums. MD : What advice do you have for people who want to be session drummers specifically, or want to have the diverse experience that you have had? WB : Smiling, enjoying every bit of of playing, and remembering why you chose the instrument. Since I’ve been following those philosophies, I’ve only seen an increase in my progress as a musician, and it’s helped me push myself further into the never- ending pot of gold that is music. Check out Wiktoria’s Modern Drummer profile page at moderndrummer.com Waclaw PatroModern Drummer June 2021 84 I first met Cheap Trick drummer, Bun E. Carlos in the early 1990s. We’ve been buying, selling, and trading each other drums for decades. When he taught a drum clinic at my shop in the late 1990s, he surprised everyone by bringing Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson and guitarist Rick Nielsen along. Together they helped turn the drum clinic into a full-blown rock concert, and one of the highlights of my years running a drum shop. Bun E, Rick, and Tom were a lot of fun together. They’re all true rock and roll historians. If you’re ever playing Rock Trivia, you want the Cheap Trick rhythm section on your team! They’re also all avid collectors and collecting runs deep in each of their DNA. Bun E’s parents were amateur antique dealers, Tom’s mom was a museum curator, and Rick’s family owned a music store. Each of them has assembled world class collections of rare guitars, basses, and drums. After their concert-clinic, the four of us spent a long time digging for treasure in the parts bins in our back room. This led to many memorable adventures with Cheap Trick. The band tours a LOT, so it wasn’t uncommon for them be in my area two or three times a year. We have swapped a lot of gear and stories over the 20 plus years that they have tolerated me hanging around. In August of 2007, Cheap Trick performed The Beatles entire Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album at two sold out performances at the Hollywood Bowl. They did this again in 2009 playing a two-week series of shows in Las Vegas. The shows celebrated the 42nd anniversary of the release of Sgt. Peppers and were filmed for a DVD and CD release. Cheap Trick was the right band to take on the formidable task of recreating the Beatles studio masterpiece in a live performance. The Beatles influence on Cheap Trick runs very deep. I managed to get my hands on several unique items from those Sgt. Peppers shows. People sometimes ask me how I find so many great vintage drums. Here’s a pro tip: If Bun E. Carlos ever asks you to help him clean his barn, just say YES!! Our last barn cleaning expedition produced this month’s featured Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault: Bun E. Carlos’ Cheap Trick-Sgt. Peppers Ludwig Drum Set (and more…) By Donn Bennett Bun E. Carlos’ Ludwig Sgt. Pepper drum set and Rick Nielsen’s striped Sgt. Pepper suit currently on display at West Coast Drum Shop in Bellevue, WAJune 2021 Modern Drummer 85 drum set. The four piece Ludwig Classic Maple set that Bun E. Carlos played on those Sgt. Peppers shows. The set was obviously inspired by Ringo Starr’s Black Oyster Ludwig’s. Bun E’s set was custom finished with a modern black oyster wrap. The sizes and configurations of both drummer’s kits are identical, except that Bun E. chose a 24" bass drum, while Ringo played a 22". Even the special Cheap Trick logo on the bass drum salutes The Beatles original “drop T” logo and font. Bun E. also chose a specially selected set of Armand Zildjian cymbals to replicate the sound of Ringo’s Avedis Zildjian cymbals in the same sizes. The exact specs of the set are as follows: 2007 Ludwig Maple Classic Black Oyster set with 6 ply maple shells, and a matching snare. The drums are a 14x24 bass drum, 16x16 floor tom, 9x13 mounted tom, 5x14 snare drum. The specially selected Armand Zildjian cymbals are 14" hi-hats, 18" medium thin crash and a 20" ride. But as the title of this month’s article implies, there’s much more! A recent late night text marathon with Rick Nielsen produced the red and black striped Carnaby Street inspired suit that he wore for the Sgt. Pepper shows. I also have Rick’s signature checkerboard sneakers and matching checkerboard Hamer guitar. Earlier this year I visited the ultra-secure warehouse that houses Tom Petersson’s collection of Cheap Trick artifacts. There’s a staggering amount of gear in this warehouse. Tom still has almost every piece of stage clothing that he’s ever worn. Behind the long racks of clothes, we even found a wardrobe case full of his satin Sgt. Peppers suits. Tom’s massive collection could have only been assembled by the son of a museum curator. I did manage to bring home several of Tom’s vintage amplifiers including the Vox Super Beatle set that he used on the Sgt. Peppers shows. These musical instruments (and more) were played by one of the greatest rock bands ever (Cheap Trick,) in concerts while they were paying tribute to THE greatest rock band ever (The Beatles.) In these shows Cheap Trick played what is widely considered to be The Beatles greatest work (Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.) Plan on seeing more of this collection in future articles. Cheap Trick at Sgt Pepper Live 2007. From left: Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson, and Bun E. Carlos A display of Cheap Trick gear including Bun E. Carlos’ Dream Police snare, Rick Nielsen’s custom checkerboard Hamer guitar and matching stage worn sneakers. Tom Petersson and 5 decades of his Cheap Trick stage clothes.Modern Drummer June 2022 86 Todd Sucherman’s Pearl Masterworks series Styx touring kit T he kit shown here is a Pearl Masterworks series outfit that Todd Sucherman used with Styx over 10 years of touring. It features a stunning Bubinga wood finish- with bass drum heads to match. The bass drum heads that match the finish on the drums make Todd’s kit look as much like fine furniture as it does a set of drums. The drum hardware is also finished in 24 karat gold. The configuration of the set includes 7x8, 8x8, 8x10, and 8x12 rack toms, 14x14 and 16x16 floor toms; a 14x20 suspended bass drum; and two 18x22 bass drums. The snare drum is a 5x14, 10-ply model. Todd’s pedals, high hat, and cymbal arms are all made by Pearl. The entire kit is mounted using a Pearl drum rack. The cymbals are a selection of Sabians, replicating Todd’s preferred choices of models and sizes. Todd’s kit and many other famous drumkits are featured in the book Crash available at moderndrummer.comBUY FROM YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC RETAILER CHECK OUT MORE AT MODERNDRUMMER.COM Available In Print and Digital Format DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE Presents: 80 pages of extensive and new in-depth interviews Exclusive Erskine Recordings Pictorials of Weather Report, Peter And Friends, The Early Years Peter’s analysis and insights on 40 + pages of drum transcriptions Digital Download Component EXCLUSIVE PHOTO SECTIONS! Legends DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDENext >