6/8 grooves...DEAR GOD!

[drummerdude666]

This isn't about recording but i need a bit of help.

I'm in a new band which i've just joined. There have been a few issues so far.

They are 11 years older than me..thats been a bit wierd.
I had no part in the writing of the songs (usually i get very involved)
And finally...most of there songs are in 6/8.

6/8 is still a natural time sig for me, i can play it without thinking...but we need some strong grooves to power along the song, a lot of it is tribal tom work. But the majority of it is keeping the tribal tom grooves rhythm within the hi-hat grooves. So combining the tom parts with the new grooves you introduce.

What i need help with is finding 6/8 grooves. Nothing I'm playing is powering allong the groove. In 4/4 is easy as almost everything you've heard is in 4/4 so you have all this 'stock' drum grooves you can try out etc.

In 6/8 you dont have that, and it's getting tedius trying to power along these tracks with something thats...just..not quite there. It almost it. But something is missing.

I need to hear any song you can think of in 6/8 that are powerful/rock/moving. This way i can get ideas from them.

Thanks guys.

[drummerdude666]

It won't let me edit for some reason.

Here's an example of the stuff we do.
http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/15316_06track06.mp3

[lilblakdak]

Dont mean to burst your bubble butthat song is in 4/4

[Reggie]

Originally Posted by lilblakdak

Dont mean to burst your bubble butthat song is in 4/4

Uh, not the one I clicked.

The band Fingereleven does a lot of 6/8 songs. like 80% of their songs are 6/8. Look them up sometime for some examples of grooves.

[drummerdude666]

I'll have a listen to finger eleven, thanks mate. I'd forgotten about them

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you can't count time signatures. That song is in 6/8

[Farview]

Originally Posted by lilblakdak

Dont mean to burst your bubble butthat song is in 4/4

It is in 6/8. If you count it in 4/4, the phasing doesn't work.

[fazil]

Originally Posted by lilblakdak

Dont mean to burst your bubble butthat song is in 4/4

Count twice as fast and you'll see that it's in 6/8

If you consider this as 4/4 you'll have to play triple notes (is that the right name ?) all the time.

I like the song btw.

[Kasey]

its definetly in 6/8. it's not bad either.
dont go listen to finger eleven, they suck.
lol.

[Mo-Kay]

Dont mean to burst your bubble butthat

lol... I read "bubble butt hat"

[Reggie]

Originally Posted by Kasey

dont go listen to finger eleven, they suck.
lol.

Compared to what? Certainly not you.....

[PhilGood]

I always look at 6/8 or 12/8 like this:

If you take a 4/4 measure and subdivide by eighth notes, you get two per every quarter note.

A 6/8 is a 2/4 based on triplets instead of two eighth notes. A 12/8 is 4/4 based on triplets instead of two eighth notes. They are both shuffles and the man who made the best use of shuffles was Jeff Porcaro. Study anything you can find from that man. From Boz Skaggs, to Steely Dan to Toto. Look at his discography and it will amaze you.

This song is actually 12/8. You have to count to 4 to complete one measure, but its based on triplets.

[drummerdude666]

Re-counting that song, you are right. It is 12/8. I re-listened to a few other of the songs and most are in 6/8 a few are in 12/8.

Good ears.

Jeff Pocaro is an awsome drummer. My drum teacher has the plesure of knowing him, so that'll be handy.

I've found that a perfect circle have a few songs in 6/8 so i've been having a listen to them. That's given me some ideas...

Anybody else got any suggestions?

[PhilGood]

Originally Posted by drummerdude666

Jeff Pocaro is an awsome drummer. My drum teacher has the plesure of knowing him, so that'll be handy.

was... Jeff died in '92.

[drummerdude666]

Originally Posted by PhilGood

was... Jeff died in '92.

My bad, guess it's not that Jeff who my drum teachers buddies with

[PhilGood]

Originally Posted by drummerdude666

My bad, guess it's not that Jeff who my drum teachers buddies with

Its probably his Dad Joe, who is a teacher at P.I.T. and every bit as amazing!

[drummerdude666]

Or maybe it is.

And he's talking about him in the past, I can't think of any other drummers called Jeff who my drum teacher would be on about.

[whyseye]

Originally Posted by PhilGood

Its probably his Dad Joe, who is a teacher at P.I.T. and every bit as amazing!

One of the coolest cats around - been teaching and doing studio session work for a million years. True story - had originally wanted to name his baby Cosmo Porcaro, but his wife objected, so he wound up being Jeff.

[MadAudio]

And BTW, one of the Porcaro's (not sure if Jeff or Joe) wrote an excellent book called Drum Set Method.

I do 6/8 a lot, especially with the kind of tribal tom licks you're talking about. Two of my biggest influences in that realm* were Budgie (of Siouxsie and the Banshees/The Creatures) and Martin Atkins (Killing Joke, Ministry, Public Image Ltd,. Damage Manual to name a few).

In fact, one of the new Blindfold songs goes from 6/8 to 7/8 and back (with an eventual cruise through 4/4 territory)!

*Edited to clarify: I mean here the realm of tom-laden grooves, not 6/8. Like you, I find that a very natural meter to play.

[MadAudio]

Originally Posted by PhilGood

was... Jeff died in '92.

Yes, and in life imitates art fashion, it was a "bizzare gardening accident."

[tilinmyowngrave]

Originally Posted by drummerdude666

Re-counting that song, you are right. It is 12/8. I re-listened to a few other of the songs and most are in 6/8 a few are in 12/8.

Good ears.

Jeff Pocaro is an awsome drummer. My drum teacher has the plesure of knowing him, so that'll be handy.

I've found that a perfect circle have a few songs in 6/8 so i've been having a listen to them. That's given me some ideas...

Anybody else got any suggestions?

What a perfect circle songs are in 6/8? Im sry, I just started doing music theory 3 weeks ago, before that I just messed around, so I wanna get to udnerstand this kind of terminology.

[drummerdude666]

MadAudio - Have you got some tracks of yours i could have a listen too?

tilinmyowngrave - I have no idea yet. I'm not a precect circle fan. WHich is not to say i don't like them but I've never had a listen to them. I picked up one of their albums today after being told that *most* if there stuff is in 6/8.

Just have a listen to some of there songs and tap your foot along. Then just start counting it out. If you're counting to 4 before you start at 4 again, then it's in 4/4. If you are counting groups of 6. Then more than likely it's in 6/8.

[noisedude]

I still want you to put up more songs of that band of yours, Eric. Sort it out!

[RAMI]

Almost any blues tune is in 6/8 ( or 12/8, not much difference...) whether it's a slow blues or a quick shuffle. A few examples of classic rock are "Some Kind of Wonderful", "Reeling in the Years", "Roadhouse Blues".

[drummerdude666]

Originally Posted by noisedude

I still want you to put up more songs of that band of yours, Eric. Sort it out!

hahaha, I still havnt met your hottie sister yet

click here

There's a song on there, and once the site is finished..i'll let you know

[drummerdude666]

Originally Posted by RAMI

Almost any blues tune is in 6/8 ( or 12/8, not much difference...) whether it's a slow blues or a quick shuffle. A few examples of classic rock are "Some Kind of Wonderful", "Reeling in the Years", "Roadhouse Blues".

I listen a lot of blues, and dont get me wrong, they are powerful grooves.

But they don't suit the style of music i play in this band. The songs need to be driven, need to get people going mad and enjoying themselves. In 4/4 this is relitavly simple. In 6/8 i'm finding im often repeating myself, and everything seems to stutter...

You know what, I'm babbling.