Two 80s classics...

[Andy]

Back in the eighties every drummer used to talk about two particular
drum beats:

50 ways to leave your lover (as played by Steve Gadd) and Rosanna (Jeff
Porcaro).

Hands up who can play both of those two properly? I've worked on them
over the course of 10-15 years and still find it hard to get them to
sound like the original performances.

Which is more difficult: Porcaro's well placed ghost note or Gadd's
low-volume dynamic playing?

Andy

[Steve Turner]

Post by Andy
Back in the eighties every drummer used to talk about two particular
50 ways to leave your lover (as played by Steve Gadd) and Rosanna (Jeff
Porcaro).
Hands up who can play both of those two properly? I've worked on them
over the course of 10-15 years and still find it hard to get them to
sound like the original performances.
Which is more difficult: Porcaro's well placed ghost note or Gadd's
low-volume dynamic playing?
Andy

I can play them both, but I find "50 Ways" to be the more difficult of the two,
mainly because it's so unique and different than what I'd typically be playing,
and I don't play it very often so it's easy to forget how it goes and what the
stickings are.

Incidentally, "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" is from 1975, not the eighties...

[Andy]

Post by Steve Turner
I can play them both, but I find "50 Ways" to be the more difficult of
the two, mainly because it's so unique and different than what I'd
typically be playing, and I don't play it very often so it's easy to
forget how it goes and what the stickings are.
Incidentally, "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" is from 1975, not the eighties...

Didn't realise how old this song is...

What I find tricky with both is to get it to sound right once you've
worked out the sticking. Quite a bit of precision required.

Andy

[Pete Pemberton]

Post by Andy

Post by Steve Turner
I can play them both, but I find "50 Ways" to be the more difficult of
the two, mainly because it's so unique and different than what I'd
typically be playing, and I don't play it very often so it's easy to
forget how it goes and what the stickings are.
Incidentally, "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" is from 1975, not the eighties...

Didn't realise how old this song is...
What I find tricky with both is to get it to sound right once you've
worked out the sticking. Quite a bit of precision required.
Andy

You have to practice enought to get to a point that you aren't thinking
about the sticking to make it sound right. If you are thinking about
what your hands are doing it will sound stiff and forced.

PP

[-MIKE-]

Post by Andy
Back in the eighties every drummer used to talk about two particular
50 ways to leave your lover (as played by Steve Gadd) and Rosanna (Jeff
Porcaro).
Hands up who can play both of those two properly? I've worked on them
over the course of 10-15 years and still find it hard to get them to
sound like the original performances.
Which is more difficult: Porcaro's well placed ghost note or Gadd's
low-volume dynamic playing?
Andy

Gadd. I can never find enough duct tape to get my toms to sound that
dead.

[Andy]

Gadd. I can never find enough duct tape to get my toms to sound that dead.

It being the 70s there probably was some duct tape involved - and the
o-ring on the snare...

It's a challenge with nothing but drums in the mix - sounds pretty good
to me though. I'm not a big fan of open/ringing toms and snares. Good
sounding toms didn't seem available before 1980 anyway!

Andy

[-MIKE-]

Post by Andy

Gadd. I can never find enough duct tape to get my toms to sound that
dead.

It being the 70s there probably was some duct tape involved - and the
o-ring on the snare...
It's a challenge with nothing but drums in the mix - sounds pretty good
to me though. I'm not a big fan of open/ringing toms and snares. Good
sounding toms didn't seem available before 1980 anyway!
Andy

Gadd is phenomenal and I mean no disrespect.... but I heard him on TV a
couple months ago and his toms sound exactly the same as they did in the
70's... no tape to be seen.

I think he just likes that sound. And that's fine... he's Gadd. :-)

[Pete Pemberton]

Post by Andy
Back in the eighties every drummer used to talk about two particular
50 ways to leave your lover (as played by Steve Gadd) and Rosanna (Jeff
Porcaro).
Hands up who can play both of those two properly? I've worked on them
over the course of 10-15 years and still find it hard to get them to
sound like the original performances.
Which is more difficult: Porcaro's well placed ghost note or Gadd's
low-volume dynamic playing?
Andy

Gadd. I can never find enough duct tape to get my toms to sound that dead.

Just through away half of your tension rods and use Evans hydraulic heads!

PP

[-MIKE-]

Post by Pete Pemberton

Post by Andy
Back in the eighties every drummer used to talk about two particular
50 ways to leave your lover (as played by Steve Gadd) and Rosanna (Jeff
Porcaro).
Hands up who can play both of those two properly? I've worked on them
over the course of 10-15 years and still find it hard to get them to
sound like the original performances.
Which is more difficult: Porcaro's well placed ghost note or Gadd's
low-volume dynamic playing?
Andy

Gadd. I can never find enough duct tape to get my toms to sound that
dead.

Just through away half of your tension rods and use Evans hydraulic heads!
PP

So you've done it, huh? :-)

[oldschool]

Post by Andy
Back in the eighties every drummer used to talk about two particular
50 ways to leave your lover (as played by Steve Gadd) and Rosanna (Jeff
Porcaro).
Hands up who can play both of those two properly? I've worked on them
over the course of 10-15 years and still find it hard to get them to
sound like the original performances.
Which is more difficult: Porcaro's well placed ghost note or Gadd's
low-volume dynamic playing?
Andy

I find Rosanna a harder groove to hit. 50 Ways comes together easier
when you remember that Gadd's playing left hand on the hat.

For that great 70's "cardboard box" drum sound I recommend a big duct
tape triangle on the head. I put it on the bottom (not the playing
side). Makes 'em deader than a doornail.

[Andy]

Post by oldschool
I find Rosanna a harder groove to hit. 50 Ways comes together easier
when you remember that Gadd's playing left hand on the hat.

The thing with Rosanna is that the verses are easier than the intro, ie.
it's easier to play the ghost note on every beat, rather than just now
and then. I found it helpful to get the verses right first, then the
whole song, especially the 6 bars drum intro...

Andy