+TENENTS
*Sacred nyabinghi drumming translated on to drumset- Carly approached reggae as holy music:
“It’s a spiritual vibe that I try and get from my drums to the music. Because drums come from the slavery days and from Africa, it comes with a lot of history. The reggae drummer carries that history more than the guitarist or keyboards player, and the good reggae drummers make playing a spiritual experience.” (C. Barrett, Modern Drummer Magazine, 1982)
-tight, controled, in the pocket (do not spread out, overplay, overfill, over syncopate)
-high tuned snare & one-headed toms- DRY
-few crashes on cymbals (live a little more, but still sparse- play a rimshot instead)
-snare: think "repeater" drum, not timbale: dry 16th (semi-quaver) bounce strokes on snare or toms
*Sacred nyabinghi drumming translated on to drumset- Carly approached reggae as holy music:
“It’s a spiritual vibe that I try and get from my drums to the music. Because drums come from the slavery days and from Africa, it comes with a lot of history. The reggae drummer carries that history more than the guitarist or keyboards player, and the good reggae drummers make playing a spiritual experience.” (C. Barrett, Modern Drummer Magazine, 1982)
-tight, controled, in the pocket (do not spread out, overplay, overfill, over syncopate)
-high tuned snare & one-headed toms- DRY
-few crashes on cymbals (live a little more, but still sparse- play a rimshot instead)
-snare: think "repeater" drum, not timbale: dry 16th (semi-quaver) bounce strokes on snare or toms
-flowing African clave polyrhythms on cross-stick & hihat (flowing, not jarring or disruptive to the groove)
-ostinatos of high-pitched sounds, and "drops" of thunder (bass drum)
*Often accented the ah of 4 with an open hihat, or tom
-ostinatos of high-pitched sounds, and "drops" of thunder (bass drum)
*Often accented the ah of 4 with an open hihat, or tom
Example: Nyabinghi drumming (basic)
RIDDIMS
Carly's playing is varied, sophisticated, and often has a bit of a swing to it. Though Carly stays in the pocket, his groove embellishments and transitions display an eloquent vocabulary of syncopation and understanding of clave-based (African) rhythm. Here are a few examples. Modern reggae drummers unfortunately often simplify Barrett's beats, or play songs faster than the grace notes can be played.
Note the often used (One Love, War, Zion Train,...) triplet embellishment on hihat & cymbal at the end.
Carly used this phrasing often, sometimes replacing hihat/cym with cowbell dancing around the African Triplet (clave) cross-stick.
SKIPPING HIHAT BEATS
Some of Carly's most brilliant composition is demonstrated in his hihat polyrhytms.
half-measure syncopation adds brief waves of tension (interest), which is released in the straight hihat in the second part of the measure.
Hihat syncopation example: "The Heathen" (highlight the accents).
Crazy Baldheads exhibits a shuffle version of this hihat syncopation (below):
Hihat syncopation example 2: "Exodus"
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Fills (transitions)
- strictly used to signal section changes
-fill signals might use:
*call and response (kick-snare, or snare- toms)
*timbale-like snare rimshot- ruffs
*flowing syncopations
*bass drum syncopations, perhaps responded to by a timbale ruff
*omission
- strictly used to signal section changes
-fill signals might use:
*call and response (kick-snare, or snare- toms)
*timbale-like snare rimshot- ruffs
*flowing syncopations
*bass drum syncopations, perhaps responded to by a timbale ruff
*omission
A typical Carly kick drum fill:
Tuning
*high/tight (allows bounce strokes even on toms)
*one-headed toms (sound deep & dry even tuned high)
heads:
coated ambassador snare
black dot kick, toms: 12, 13, 16 (later also: 8, 10, 15)
*sometimes muffling with tape or taped cloth on toms *(see gallery)
The BEST way to learn how to play like Carlton is watch videos, & listen to isolated tracks:
Carly Sessions with other musicians:
Field Marshall by Peter Tosh *(named after Carly- his nickname was the "Field Marshall")
LAST RECORDING (1985):
***Let off Supm' by Dennis Brown & Gregory Isaacs
-on Simmons electric drums
-Robbie Shakespeare on bass
-Carly in a rare rockers context
STYLE CONTRAST
Below are Bob Marley Tunes played by OTHER DRUMMERS
Note the stiffer, simpler feel
Punky Reggae Party (Sly Dunbar)
Africa Unite (Carlton “Santa” Davis) p. 466 Masouri
Wake Up & Live (Mikey "Boo" Richards)
So Much Trouble in the World (Mikey "Boo" Richards)