It has been said before, but it is worth saying again; Ralph Salmins has one of the
most impressive and diverse CV’s in the business. This very impressive stickman
paid us a visit at Drumtech to host a superb masterclass that was the highlight of the
year so far.

Starting off was a performance of John Coltranes ‘Moments notice’. Ralph emulated the
great ‘Philly’ Joe Jones on drums with great accuracy. Posing a big question, Ralph asked:
“What are the things you need, that will make people want to work with you?” He than spent
time talking about the essentials of good playing, Time Feel and Groove. “We should think
about, and focus on these as much we can every time we play. It will make you a better
musician. One of the central things about playing well is getting a very high level of
concentration, and completely immersing yourself in the music. You will get many people
throwing information at you, so it is very important to empty your mind of all distractions. The secret is knowing which things to take notice of and which to ignore.” Speaking on trying to come up with a groove or particular sound. “I try not to discuss it, and just play the music. What we create naturally is most often the best.” Next he talked about feel, subdivisions and note placement within the pulse. “When someone likes your playing, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have chops like Vinnie Colaiuta, as long as people can trust the feel you create.”
Speaking about internal reference points, which is where you feel the groove and relate it to the centre of the pulse, Ralph demonstrated playing a simple groove to a click using brushes and a cross stick on the snare. He started by playing in the centre of the click, than behind and in front of the pulse to create a subtle change in feel.

For everyone who attended, there was a chart for ‘Have You Met Miss Jones’ to follow as
Ralph played along to this classic. He explained how to always let the chart serve the music and not the other way around. “On the chart write anything that will help you remember important cues or changes. Get all the information down that you need to get through the song.” He also talked us through the arrangement with all the hits, to give us an insight to what he played. “Swinging phrases with conviction.”

A few more tracks followed including Count Basie and his Orchestra, Frank Sinatra, and a
Steely Dan tune. Playing along to these is a great way to practice as well as to a click.

Nearing the end, Ralph answered questions from the audience about getting yourself
noticed by producers, fixers and others who hire for session work. “A lot of people think that
a good way to sell yourself is to make a good demo. I have found that in my experience it
doesn’t usually pay off. It is usually by word of mouth, recommendation, or people you have
played with that get you work. Get out there and play with as many people as possible.
Experience is the best way. Remember the session scene is not a closed shop at all, so
you can go for it!”

The penultimate track, a beautiful ballad from Ray Charles and Betty Carter demonstrated
the somewhat neglected art form of brush playing, and was excellent. To conclude this great night, Ralph finished with a swinging blues number with a magnificent performance. Thanks to Ralph, it was a very informative and enjoyable display at this Drumtech Masterclass.

Tony Travers (Drumtech 2003 Scholarship Winner)

“A lot of people think that a good
way to sell yourself is to make a
good demo. I have found that in
my experience it doesn’t usually
pay off. It is usually by word of
mouth, recommendation, or people
you have played with that get you
work. Get out there and play with
as many people as possible.
Experience is the best way.
Remember the session scene is
not a closed shop at all, so you
can go for it!”

RALPH SALMINS
Drumtech Patron