Snare drum solo.

Friday afternoon, due to the proximity of the weekend, is prone to make yourself relax... That´s exactly what I did yesterday, so I recorded a little caprice for snare drum.

Some of you already know that I´m messing around a lot with the snare drum, investigating, trying and discovering "new" things about the instrument and its technique. Everything that improves my control and technique, even with no obvious musical application, will be more than welcome.

Altough some techniques, "stick tricks", attitudes or movements could seem circus moves instead of musical ones, I don´t  reject them for their value as a way to improve technique. For this reason, I´ve found myself trying certain things that, despite I will never use them in an orchestral situation, they´ve helped me to develop my technique to a state I have never known before.

YouTube is an invaluable source for information, where people with extraordinary talent upload their habilities. That´s what I´m doing now: surfing those videos, devouring information, assimilating it and learning as much as possible.

As a game, an inspired by the videos posted by Bill Marschall, this is what I came up with:

Take this as a divertimento, something not too important, a mere technique exercise...

If you are interested, this is the transcription:

© David Valdés

You see... This is what a Friday afternoon can do for your technique.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés

St. Cecilia Day.

Today, November 22nd, is St. Cecilia Day, patron saint of musicians.

As a homage to the Patron and all musicians in the world, I´d like to suggest you a work by Henry Purcell "Heil, Bright Cecilia!", also know as "Ode to St. Cecilia" (z. 328, composed in 1692).

I´d like to specially recommend number 11 from the 13 numbers it contains. As you already know my "warrior" ardor, my passion for timpani, and my interest in military music, it is not a coincidence that I´m posting a fragment entitled "The Fife and all the Harmony of War".

The Gabrielli Consort and Players, conducted by Paul McCreesh (please pay attention to the wonderful inflection to minor few bars before the end, and the return to major at the last bar):

The text goes:

"The Fife and all the Harmony of War,

in vain attempt the Passions to alarm,

Which thy commanding Sounds compose and charm".

Happy St. Cecilia Day to all.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés

Ringo Starr and timpani.

We all know Ringo Starr as the drummer for the most influencial pop band ever existed. We also know he isn´t the best drummer in the world, but we know he was what The Beatles needed at that time: nothing less and nothing more.

Apart from the drums (his kits is something I´ll write about in the future), Ringo also recorded tambourines, congas, bongos... But, for a classical percussionist, the really surprising thing is that he also recorded timpani.

This photo was taken at Abbey Road, studio #2, on September 30th, 1964, during the session for "Every Little Thig". Nine takes were recorded (the chosen one was #8), and then some overdubs were tracked: Ringo on timps, which is also doubled on piano by Paul McCartney.

With regard to the piano part, there was a story about George Martin playing it, but this photo proves it was McCartney:

You can hear the song here:

These timpani were probably part of the existing backline at Abbey Road (they are marked "1" and "2").

We can see Ringo´s peculiar technique: french grip in his right hand, and german one in his left hand. We can also see the rings that originated his nickname.

For those of you who are meticulous (some of you already know about my passion on recording techniques), the mic in the pictures is a Neumann U47 (or maybe an U48: they are exactly the same except for their polar pattern, which I cannot see, so it´s impossible to know whether it´s a U47 or  U48).

I think this is the only time Ringo played timpani, and these photos are an exceptional graphic document that allow us to see the most famous drummer in history playing on instruments we normally see in an orchestral context.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés