Drum Technique in a Bottle
Description
Learn the tom-layering technique used by Stewart Copeland in the classic hit Message in a Bottle.
Leading into the first chorus, Copeland plays a traditional, driving, up-rock beat but adds a little flavor to it with the toms. On beats “& 3” of each measure, a tom pattern is layered over the base groove.
You can translate this technique to any groove you might already play. Try throwing in a tom pattern when your snare stick isn’t playing. Or, move some of the strokes you normally play on the snare drum to your toms. If you come up with something cool, share it with us!
Author
Publisher of OnlineDrummer.com, Alfred Publishing author, Ddrum artist, and veteran Drum! Magazine contributor, Nate is a graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio and holds a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Findlay.
