Part 3: Synth Medal In the last two play-along articles, we worked on the proper performance technique, groove vocabulary, and sounds of contemporary pop/R&B and punk-pop— two styles of music that you’ll likely be asked to play as a working drummer. This month we’re covering synth metal by way of a chart titled “Ninth Nail.” Synth Metal During the past decade, many top rock acts fused elements of synth pop and heavy metal into an aggressive new sound. The style became extremely popular by incorporating dance beats, keyboard synthesizers, and distorted rhythmic textures in a rock setting. This play-along chart is in the tradition of Nine Inch Nails and Rob Zombie. The verse is an eight-bar section. The groove is a one-bar phrase that features straight 16ths played on closed hi-hats over a quarter-note bass drum pattern. The chorus is a twelve-bar section. The groove builds on the verse pattern […]

January 2013 Issue