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BRAD WEBB |
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This year at Drumtech, students have been extremely privileged to experience the playing of some of the best in the business including Billy Cobham and Ralph Salmins. The final master class came from Brad Webb who is at the beginning of his exciting career and he gave a very interesting insight to the world of session work as he held up the standard of the classes we have seen. |
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Webb is currently playing with the Blue Man Group, a lively and very tribal show where the musicians have blue faces and perform some unusual and demanding patterns. Webb started with a track with a fellow performer from the show which immediately captured our interest as they showed the power and dynamics with which they play throughout the show. After this Webb explained how each track is very free as the patterns are changed with certain calls played by the drummer. Every pattern was very tribal and powerful, dominated by the toms and a constant quarter pulse on both the hi-hat and bass drum with his feet. He mentioned how it was very hard to get used to his feet having to hold this ostinato while playing the several different patterns (of which I am not going to try to spell as they have special names) but once he did he slotted into the unusual style. Webb also talked about auditions he has faced to get to where he is now and gave an important piece of advice for how to handle them. This being to never go first as you can then find out what it is you have to play and be calm about doing it. This has clearly worked for him as he got the job. He also discussed the difficult art of practice and how rudiments are so important in playing and how you can use them in so many different ways. This he demonstrated with a page from a book called Stick Control which has several figures with which you can add rudiments to and read it in many different ways. This master class made the career feel real for us beginners and the prospect ever more exciting. So thank you Brad Webb for making it so. |
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