Friday Feature: Neil Peart of Rush

You know how tall people always get asked if they play basketball? I have twin cousins who are 6’6”, and they do not play basketball, nor do they want to. They humor people all the time who ask the question, and privately want to slap them silly. 

Well, it’s like that for drummers, too. The minute somebody finds out you play, they’re all, “So, hey, what about Neil Peart, huh? You must love Rush, right?” I’m the kid who deliberately avoided all things Rush and Peart for years. No, decades. Religiously, you might say.* 

Up until a couple of years ago, I loved fantasizing about witty remarks I could reply with, but always said something like, “Oh, yeah, well you have to love him/them, right? Great stuff. Yeah, big fan.”

So, here’s the thing: I finally read an interview with Neil. After his first wife had died in 1998, he had spent an entire year riding a motorcycle around North America, and written a book about it - his fourth. The interview, and subsequent other articles I read, revealed Peart as a highly intelligent, well-rounded person, as well as being one of the most respected and emulated musicians of the modern era. I remember being impressed with him as a person, not as a musician. 

Somehow, for me, that opened my ears - and my mind - to the music of Rush. Had I my life to do over, I would have taken that album the first time it was offered, not the 28 billionth. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan, not yet, anyway, but I have finally become an appreciateur, if you will, of Neil Peart and Rush. They take the creation of their music, and musical expression, very seriously. I respect them a great deal, and am coming to know more of their repertoire.

For those of you who have yet to get to know Neil Peart, allow me to suggest a starting point, although I’m probably the only one of his fans who would recommend it. Start with his instructional video, “A Work in Progress.” It’s pretty recent, so it’s thirty or so years into his career, and he talks about reinventing himself. Awesome. That I love.

Happy discovering!

*The way I also avoided the Beatles until about a year ago, I might add. I’m a fool’s fool, so to speak, because I’m now a dedicated student of the Beatles. Wish I had come to them sooner.

Gear Up: Cymbals - Drum Set

Last week I had the opportunity to set up a brand new Yamaha Stage Custom Birch kit, fresh out of the box, equipped with a Zildjian A Custom box set of cymbals - 20" ride, 16" and 18" crashes, and 14" hats. The kit was AWESOME (but that's for another post), and the cymbals were a nice change of scenery for me. Most of my cymbals are Zildjian Ks and K Customs, which are very different from A Customs. I almost hated touching everything for fear of leaving fingerprints.

So, that brings us to the questions of the day.

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How many cymbals should you have in a basic drum kit?
At very least, you should have hi-hats, a ride and a crash. Beyond that, use your imagination and watch other drummers for ideas. For me, I use hats, ride and two crashes - one left and one right - and a splash right over my first rack tom. I'm also a big fan of stacking a splash upside down on top of a ride or crash. There are other cool ideas all over the place, just experiment and see what you like and works for your playing and style of music..

What sizes should you use?
This is open to debate. I'm a weirdo, cymbal-wise, so I use 13" hats, a 22" ride, and my crashes are 15" and 17". The splash is 7". I'm not a really high volume player, so these particular cymbals get me what I need in terms of control and response.

Standard sizes (if there are standards anymore) are 14" hats, 20" ride and 16" or 18" crash. Again, try a lot of cymbal sizes, and find what works for you.

Which brand is best? Uh......yeah.....about that. This is like the Coke/Pepsi debate or the Chevy/Ford debate, but much, much worse. Given that I've played cymbals I've liked from more than a dozen different companies, I'd sooner tell you which presidential candidate I'm voting for this year. I'd probably take less heat for that than for declaring cymbal supremacy for one or the other.

In my personal cymbal bag I have a pile of Zildjian Ks, K Customs, A Customs and As. I also have some Sabian and Meinl pieces. In addition, I have a serious hankering for some Bosphorus, Hammerax, Paiste and Soultone. There are many more cymbal makers, too many to mention here.

Again, listen for what you like, and play what makes you happy.

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A few years ago I had the opportunity to play one of the practice kits at Brigham Young University (BYU), and it was equipped with a set of Paiste Signatures. Like I said above, I'm mostly a Zildjian guy, but I was blown away. They were the smoothest, silkiest, easiest playing plates I'd ever met. The experience taught me never to walk away from something just because of the brand name. Put stick to metal, and let your ears make the call. 

One more resource you may want to check out is MyCymbal.com. They allow you to hear the exact cymbal you're purchasing before you buy, usually played by somebody awesome, like Peter Erskine or Jeff Hamilton.

Good luck choosing some great cymbals. And don't be afraid to try something new.

Happy drumming!

Beyond the Kit: Wind Chimes

Seriously, you need wind chimes. You may not think you do, but you do.

Wind chimes - often called bar chimes - are a lesser-used effect, but common enough that you ought to own a set. They aren't terribly expensive, and usually come with a good bag for traveling (and keeping them quiet!).

These chimes are generally played by sweeping a metal scraper (or a triangle beater) across the bars, or using your fingers, to cause the bars to contact each other and create sound.

There's a great sound sample on the Sabian website.

Some of my favorite drummers in the business have wind chimes as part of their kit. At very least, they are one of the accessories good percussionists have available on studio sessions and gigs.

Bar chimes can be made from a variety of different metals, in different weights and lengths, and come in many different configurations. Most of the cymbal companies make them, and there are three or four other outfits that have excellent models, too.

My favorite (I'm not endorsed or anything, so I hope my opinion is fairly objective) is Treeworks. They have some unique ideas that I really love, such as the EchoTree. Check it out at the link above.

If nothing else, become acquainted with wind chimes and learn how to get a good sound. Your music-making will thank you for it.

Happy chiming!