Steemit Open Mic Week 63 - METAL DRUMS Improvised Over A Backing Track (use headphones/speakers with good bass)
Here's my entry for Week 63. My neighbor below me was home sick all week, so I couldn't make the cutoff for week 62. Soooo, I'm early for week 63!
PS - I was accidentally added late to Week 62, and then removed, so please disregard that.
I found this metal guitar backing track on iTunes this week and made up the general parts over the last day or so once I knew she was leaving town. I posted my first take on Friday night once I reached my other neighbor's curfew, but it was all too rushed and basic for my taste. I didn't think I'd have a chance to work on it again, but I contacted the same guy today and he said I could play for a little. Thankfully, I was able to get enough of an upgrade, albeit a few tempo flaws on some fills, that I was happy enough with to present. At this point, I'm not going to rock the boat to try another take when I've drummed on 2 of the last 3 days.
You'll hear some double bass work kick in at 2:23. Ironically, I look pretty stiff then because it takes a lot of focus. Hope you enjoy the POWER.
As always, you'll need to use headphones or speakers with good bass so you can hear the bass drum and toms. I'll try to record myself on an acoustic set sometime since playing electronic drums is uncomfortable and nothing like the real thing.
Song - "Drumless metal backing track (no click) - bpm 88 - B minor" by Gene2020.
Thanks to @luzcypher and @pfunk, and all judges, supporters and viewers.
Awesome to see you rocking out!!! Let's hope that you can have that private island someday to show up your pestering neighbors (and siblings) ;)
Hah, I've made amends with my neighbors, so it's ok for the long run with planning. Thanks for the compliment and reference to wearing a purple skirt with knee-high boots. Anything goes in metal.
Yo, @steemmatt – neighbors can be a bitch, man - right! Dude, man – I so appreciate your intellectual acumen… Not only with regard to music, but also with regard to your take on crypto and the like… The level of intensity to which your intellect resides therein, manifests itself quite clearly in your obviously rather capable percussive abilities. I totally loved this submission… The frickin’ kick was out of this world! Were you using a double kick or was it just a single foot thumping from the gateways of neighborly hell… ha-ha… Seriously, dude, this was awesome!
Wow, too many huge compliments for me to handle at once!! Thank you very much! I don't think anyone has ever said anything close to that before. I'm usually a jack of all trades and feel stretched too thin at times for my standards, so seeing something like means a lot. Thanks also for noticing some of my crypto comments too.
I've been making inroads with my neighbors lately and now have their cell phones to coordinate times. They're warming up a bit since I've been polite/proactive after explaining what it's all for. Even with short "safe" times to play, I can now do it semi-confidently with minimal worry about someone banging on my door or floor. With this entire self-recording aspect I'm fairly new to, it's just extra unnecessary pressure that interferes with me rocking out naturally. I'm usually taking my headphones off after every take to listen for knocks and peeking at my cell phone for texts. One day, if my crypto works out, I'll build the best soundproof booth the world can offer, or play in my garage on a private island.
I actually tried to step it up this time per your suggestions, and had my phone propped to record video of my feet to edit/split screen, but the confusion on being entered into week 62 by accident prompted me to abandon ship today when I redid my take. I'll do it the next time it fits the song.
The double bass drum pedal I use is below. Ironically, it's called the Pearl Eliminator - Demon Drive. It'd be really tough to do that with one foot at that tempo, but perhaps on a real bass drum with lots of practice.
Source
Thanks for going above and beyond.
I just love that double bass-pedal graphic, man! So cool... as was the entirety of your most kind reply! I very much hope that you get that "sound-proof" booth - or at the very least - that you get to that private island to which you allude. In the interim, I'm just happy just to dig your drumming and ponder the obvious relevance of your sage wisdom...
oh nice groovin totally into it ! Thanks for jammin for us, right in the pocket of the rock my friend
Thanks very much for listening and appreciating the vibes!
Rocking bro!... We should make some collaboration song sometime... What drum sample are you using?
Thank you. Wish I could redo it to fix some nuances, but the pads and pedals are too loud for my neighbors. I'm down for collaborating. I just need an mp3 file.
The backing track was by "Gene2020". The title of the song was "Drumless metal backing track (no click) - bpm 88 - B minor" I wasn't using any sample per se. I just play over the mp3 in my headphones that's on a USB drive attached to my drum's module.
I've posted a few other videos in recent weeks if you want to hear some other sounds.
Sounds good to me!, just the cymbals and hi-hats are too loud on the mix but thats ok, that module sounds great!, which one is it?
I hear you. When I'm not rushed, it's so much easier to consider those things. If I had one more hour to redo it, the track would be so much tighter.
I wish I had audio editing skills of any kind, but I just have each triggered balanced on the module to a level where I can hear myself clearly enough. It's one of the biggest challenges of playing over music on an electronic kit vs acoustic. Especially with a track, I need each piece to be loud enough to hear when playing. The music plays in my ears very loud and I don't know how to lower it independently without touching the master volume. The sticks on the pads also make a competing noise that's very distracting distracting which I need to drown out.
I'm playing on a Roland TD-30KV.
@dreamrafa - I updated the video above with a tighter version that had more punch to it (trying to lower the cymbals to no avail). Let me know your thoughts if you catch this.
Sounds tight bro!... Really like the sound of your module... You ever tried some VST like superior drummer or ezdrummer?
Never done much with a VST except seem them on YouTube. I don't really have a need for them since my module has tons of settings I haven't shown yet, which is more than enough for me. I can upload custom or other external sounds into the module (brain) to use on my triggers, and have been debating how to do that for a Mario Brothers cover...
very impressive! Some serious skills you got there
Thanks for listening and your compliment.
I love music .... & nice post ...@steemmatt
Please try to get your post in by Friday, the cutoff day. We're in week 63 now.
I'm a little confused. My entry is titled for week 63 and my post acknowledged missing week 62. I also mentioned in my post that my neighbor was home sick all week, so I couldn't play until the end, and then was submitting early for this week. I'm going to try to redo my video with another split screen now since I have a slot, FYI, so I may update the video.
@luzcypher - adding to my first reply, I intended for this to be in week 63, definitely not week 62 because I knew I was late. My title/comments/the paper in my videos reflected that, and I didn't add myself to your cumulative 62 list to make sure there was no confusion.
I sadly just redid the entire thing excited today to make it much better for this week since one neighbor said it was ok, and I definitely didn't know you counted me in week 62, after some judges appear to have already scored their picks.
I'd like to add this to week 63 officially since I replaced my Friday eve recording with a better one, and don't want this to go to waste potentially because of a little confusion. I reached out to two of the judges who usually comment on my stuff to ask if they saw my video tacked on potentially today, and really hope to have a full week for it to be absorbed by the community so it doesn't go to waste.
Please advise when you get the chance.