Is there a drummer in the house?
I'm trying to figure what type of beat(s) that Ringo is playing in "I Wanna Be Your Man".
The song (only about 2 minutes long) seems to start with some sort of Congo(?) type beat. When they hit the chorus (I wanna be your man - I wanna be your man ...) Ringo shifts into a ... typical "rock" beat?
I'm doing some home, multi-track recording (Fostex M8 - whatever - 8 track). I don't have anybody to jam with, so I'm doing a demo of songs (covers and a few originals) - playing everything myself!
Well, I came up with a little ditty that is not so loosely based on this Beatles song. I have a set of electronic pads. I can do some very minor drumming on my own (no threat to any drummer anywhere!). Usually, I can come up with some sort of pocket beat to get by. But this very simple tune has me stumped. I'm considering (already trying to) using a pre-program beat off my keyboard. I've found several beats that are close, but nothing exact.
Any clues? Please include type of beat (rumba- disco - etc) and pattern (4/4 - 16/20 - or whatever ). And if you're in the Golden Isles area - free feel to stop in and just play it for me! 😉
PS - all of y'all who think Ringo was a bad drummer - try analyzing one of these simple sounding tunes sometime! 😉
This might help.
PS - all of y'all who think Ringo was a bad drummer - try analyzing one of these simple sounding tunes sometime! 😉
Agree completely. Ringo plays songs and music, not just drums. I think he's brilliant. In my 40+ years as a musician and rhythm section member, I've come to realize that there is nothing easy about simple.
To be fair, a lot of my difficulty comes from my not really being a drummer. The beat to this song, is deceptive - at least to me. Watching the video that steved posted helped a little. The main problem is that in typical YouTube fashion - the video isn't entirely in sync with the audio (on my computer, at least).
I've completed several tracks for my project already. I'm no Gene Krupa, but I've been able to lay down basic rhythms to songs that I thought were more complex than I Wanna Be Your Man. Ringo's right hand is real busy here and there seems to be a double beat on every other left hand strike of the snare. It's not Ginger Baker stuff, but trickier than it sounds. At least for me it is. I'll either get it or change it up and make the tune my own. If I can't do it right - I'll do it my way!
I'm a drummer (amateur)
I like Ringo's drumming a lot - very musical. For example - In My Life, Anna
On this song
The description depends on how you "count it out" If the lyric "I" is on the downbeat and Wanna starts on 2, then -
It looks and sounds like with the R hand he is playing straight 1/8 notes on a partly open high hat - at the end of one of the verses he closes the high hat to give it a tighter sound
The left is playing on 2 +, 4, with 2 being almost a ghost note and and accent on "+"
(if I could right music on my computer it would be easier).
I think the bass is playing on 1 and 3
If you are counting the lyric "I" as 1 and "Be" as 2, then the R hand would be 1/16 notes, the L would be on the "and- a" of 1 and 3, "and" of 2 and 4, and bass drum on every beat.
the challenge to playing this, that is mentioned in the comments of the vid, is keeping the R hand going the whole song. It takes serious chops to do that.
hope that helps
[Edited on 3/14/2015 by stormyrider]
The Fab Faux drummer Rich Pagano showing and commenting on Ringo's playing
I'm a drummer (amateur)
If you are counting the lyric "I" as 1 and "Be" as 2, then the R hand would be 1/16 notes, the L would be on the "and- a" of 1 and 3, "and" of 2 and 4, and bass drum on every beat.
the challenge to playing this, that is mentioned in the comments of the vid, is keeping the R hand going the whole song. It takes serious chops to do that.
hope that helps
[Edited on 3/14/2015 by stormyrider]
I feel it more this way because the notes on the high hat are really fast. Much more like 16th's...but yes it can be counted and felt at both tempos
^^
agree. If I was going to write it out I would do it that way, with the hand's in double time.
It was easier for me to describe in words the 1st way
I just downloaded a music writing app for my ipad - I'm still learning how to do it (it's not intuitive)
ETA - thanks for the links from the Fab Faux
ETA #2 - I was always bothered by people who didn't give Ringo credit for his drumming. After seeing the vids from Pagano, listening some more and trying to reproduce some of what Ringo did, it's clear to me that Ringo not only had taste and swing, but the chops to go with it. He just played what the song demanded, clean, and simple (or at least simple sounding)
[Edited on 3/14/2015 by stormyrider]
[Edited on 3/15/2015 by stormyrider]
