SP Studio Systems SP-12 - Manual (Page 93)

APPENDIX
© E-mu Systems, Inc. 1985 Page 93
Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2002 www.emulatorarchive.com
APPENDIX E: TIPS ON CREATING REALISTIC DRUM PARTS
If you’re a drummer, you probably don’t need to read this. But for those of you who
are primarily melodic players and are using the SP-12 to augment your recordings or
live act, read on.
Listen to drum parts by good drummers. Whenever a record comes on, study the
drum sound. Note how the drummer not only sets a solid base on which the other
instruments can play, but makes creative use of both notes and spaces.
Keep it simple. Drums are not a melodic instrument, but a rhythmic instrument.
Often a simple backbeat is more effective than trying to do elaborate series of
drum rolls.
Beware the three-armed drummer. Remember that a drummer has two feet and
two hands; therefore, you can’t have a bass drum, high hat, two toms, a snare
drum, and rim sound occurring at the same time. Make sure that your parts are
physically consistent with the way people play drums, or they will not sound
“right”.
Use dynamics creatively. A drum part without dynamics isn’t much of a drum part
at all.
Work carefully with bass instruments. The bass and drums should lock together
into a cohesive sound. If the bass player syncopates in a particular way, try to
match that with the drums.