Le Cri - Tougoudoum Number 9

Kenneth Spearman Clarke, called Kenny "Klook" CLARKE, is part of the pioneers, musicians of exception and forerunners in their domain. Been born January 9, 1014 in Pittsburg, he began his career in the 30's with a quartet, then joined the Teddy Hill's orchestra at the end of the 30's.

It exists several sorts of prolongation signs ; we will see here one of the most frequently used signs : The DOT.

It is impossible to know who was the first homo habilis who hit the first on an object to make music… Nevertheless we dispose of precious informations about the existence and the role of the percussions during the prehistory.

The prolongation signs are very useful to note lengths, superior to the lengths of "normal" notes as the quarter note or the half-note and to facilitate the reading.

Let us take for example the djembés and the dun-duns. The slap of the djembé will be replaced by the snare drum, while the bass of the dun-duns will be played by the bass drum and the floor tom. The left foot can play the Shekêré pattern (instrument that one shakes to mark the beat). One can keep the whole pattern of the bell or adapt it :

Besides, the African rhythms have always a special maening, accompanying the ceremonies or marking the events as the weddings or the harvests.

The choice of the cymbal stands is not always taken seriously by the drummers. It is nevertheless very important to have access to reliable and practical stands to attain easily to the cymbals or to set up toms or accessories for example. A good cymbal stand possesses several qualities : solidity, stability and modularity.

The latter years saw an interesting evolution of the equipment in this domain, notably in easiness of utilisation.

• the cymbal stand can be straight or equipped of a convertible boom, that allows disposing the cymbal with more precision around your drums. These stands are nevertheless more expensive,

• do not hesitate to spread the legs of the cymbal stands, one more time for more stability, even if that takes a bigger space,

By the continuation, he accompanied Miles Davis during his tours before settling in France, where he continued his career with the biggest jazzmen in France (René Urtreger and Pierre Michelot between other).

Played in Mali, the Jansa rhythm is a music (and a dance) of recreation, played at the time of night festivities.The beat is first slow, then quickens while mixing with the dance.

Here first the bell pattern ; take the time to play it alone (on the Ride cymbal or a ring for example) to familiarize yourself with it :

The pattern that guides it is played on the bell, while the drums (djembé and dun-dun) play different patterns that complete it or knock together. The whole gives a complex and fascinating polyrhythmy.

The dot is placed after the note and extends its value of a half :

Thus, a dotted quarter note lasts (or is worth) a quarter note + a eighth note (its half), so three eighth notes altogether.

Take first an example with a dotted quarter note, then a dotted eighth note, that is worth (very logically) three sixteenth notes :

The dot is particularly used in the ternary measures, where the time (the beat) is divisible by three :

The typical use of the dot is with the half-note in a 3 / 4 measure :

Note to finish that the dot is rarely used with the rests figures, even if that is possible in theory (dotted whole note rest, dotted quarter note rest…).

•it exists small booms to set up on the support of the toms or another cymbal stand ; attention, if the cymbal is too heavy, the whole installation may be unstable. A system, provided with a cable, allows to place your hi-hat cymbals wherever you want around the kit,

• some drummers like to dispose their cymbals high. Nevertheless, privilege especially the access facility (a too high Ride cymbal will tire quicklyer your arm) and the saving of time rather than the look. However it is true that a Crash cymbal placed high will be hit or whipped with more force,

• verify that the collar screws are reliable and do not risk loosening ; it exist memory rings, that allow finding easily your tuning and prevent the stem from slipping along the way…

• the cymbal must always be put on a piece of felt or plastic, in order not to touch metallic parts ; put also a piece of felt between the cymbal and the tighting screw,

Associated with the dance, they were played by the sorcerers for the ceremonies or to reach the trance in a metaphysical vision of life and death. One rediscovers this type of rites in certain tribes of Siberia, with the Chamans, sorcerers, medicine men and musicians.

In direct relation with the divine world, the drum was the symbol and the center of the world. Mankind used to communicate around it.

Each pattern can be adapted to the drums.

• for the same reason, do you assure that the thread of the stand is surrounded by a small plastic tube to protect the cymbal at its center ; it exists screws that adapt to almost all threads and in forms of stem to protect the center of the cymbal,

• do not squeeze the tighting screw too much, so that the cymbal can move on its stand without constraint and gives all its extent ; on the other hand, if the screw is not squeezed enough, it can unscrew themself completely because of vibrations and the cymbal risks flying away !

• in regards to the hi-hat stand, foresee a sufficiently wide separation of the legs if you want to add a second bass drum pedal without being obliged to quarter you to play it. Besides, a manufacturer proposes an interesting model allowing with the same pedal and an enclenchement system to play the hi-hat or the twin pedal without changing the position of the foot,

• after to have played, take the time to fold completely your cymbals stands ; they will take less place and will do more usage, especially if you transport them in boxes or well solid bags.

After listening for years to the "olders", such Chick Webb, Sid Catlett or Jo Jones, he participated in the fine evenings of the Minton's, in New York, alongside Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. This is from these late sessions that exploded a new and rebel music : the Be Bop (see History of the Drums period 1940-1960).

Playing the piano, vibraphone, xylophone and trombone (!), Kenny Clarke was a complete musician, with a phenomenal force and technique. This technique and
this energy allowed him to forge his own style, notably with a perfect mastery of the rudiments and an intelligent adaptation of these techniques on the drums.

But the hallmark of Klook, that, besides, has given him his nickname, is the employment of his famous "bombs", accents played on the bass drum to underline the melody or to clash with it. Even then it was rather usage to mark the times with the bass drum. Simultaneously, in the line of Jo Jones, he used the Ride cymbal to play the rhythmic and liberate his left hand from the uniform beat to make it participate in all the orchestra that represent the drums.

This new way of "thinking" the instrument is based on a perfect coordination of the members, as well as a new complicity with the double bass player, the plays of both musicians being more distinct henceforth.

All the drummers from this time, without exception, inspired themselves of the Kenny's play, feeling the extraordinary freedom that this new style could bring.

Note at last that Kenny Clarke took very interesting researches in the art of the solo and the afro-cuban rhythms, notably with the trompettiste Dizzy Gillespie and the cuban percussionnist Chano Pozo at the end of the 40's.

Until his death in 1985, Kenny Clarke little by little withdrew from the musical scene, lefting a precious musical and educational inheritance (notably with Dante Agostini).

The African rhythmics are the mothers of many other rhythms, used and adapted in different styles. The concept of "clave" comes from them ( the clave is a characteristic rhythmic pattern - we will study it very soon).