Sharp comment on timing, flamming — 1 or 2 or 3 or any note is an infinitesimally brief instant, a marker, not a note. Because every note has an impact envelope that spans time, there is inherent blur – a ‘flamming by nature’ that is inescapable without sampled notes per SMPTE time-perfect synchrony. These are arguably among the best drummers on earth, and yet every single note is easily discerned as slightly flammed by someone, meaning “there is no repeatably playable ‘perfect one'”…thickness of multiple hands, multiple heads, sticks, counts, minds.
The single most interesting thing about this video — to my ear — is how not one single snare BEAT conveys a Tightest-Possible snare NOTE — meaning, four snares in unison causes inescapably, inherent “flam” note. This is the micro-variations at work, in everything from the players to the drums to the acoustics. We must presume these four human timeclocks are hitting that beat and note exactly on-time, and yet every note is smeared, slightly, noticeably, probably for various different combinations per-note. Maybe here is why I never really can ‘get into the groove’ of marching band … because the numerous players inescapably smear every note in some way inherent to the nature of multiple players. …IMHO
Dave Weckl | Peter Erskine | Dennis Chambers | Gavin Harrison: “Caught Up” Tribute to Aaron Spears
