Members alleydog Posted July 19, 2005 Members Share Posted July 19, 2005 Is it a "bad" idea to produce an acoustic (Indie Rock) album with no percussion? Does anyone know of such an album I can listen to as a reference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madambaster Posted July 19, 2005 Members Share Posted July 19, 2005 I don't think it's a bad idea at all. Check out Iron & Wine-The Creek Drank the Cradle. I have this album and he doesn't use drums a lot, if at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsongs Posted July 19, 2005 Members Share Posted July 19, 2005 It's not unusual to have no drums on an album, especially an acoustic album, but I might recommend have one or two tracks with hand percussion (congas/bongos etc.) and a number of track wiith a shaker to provide the groove, just to make things interesting and to keep it sounding like just a demo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LeGreatOne Posted July 20, 2005 Members Share Posted July 20, 2005 How about music with no instrumentation at all? Acapella singing can be rich and full. Add a few strings and it takes on a different sound. There was a two man act back in the 1960's that was really very good. One sang lead and the other played slap bass. They were known as "The Pair Extraordinaire"... It can be argued that slap bass is indeed percussive, even though it's a stringed instrument, but then look at how successful street accordionists or concertina players have been as the sole accompaniment to singers. Anything's possible... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ThomasH Posted July 21, 2005 Members Share Posted July 21, 2005 I have been listening to Johnny Cash's last album The Man Comes Around and there is hardly a drum on the whole album. Actually I think there is one song with drums on. Mostly the rythm is held by a western guitar played in a kind of percussive way. It sounds great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alleydog Posted July 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted July 22, 2005 Thanks for the comments. Great ideas! I learned that Elliott Smith has some cool songs without drums also. It sucks not having a drummer, but I guess I'm looking for excuses to record originals without one. Just saw a Zeppelin cover band tonight playing acoustic....it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yidneth.com Posted July 23, 2005 Members Share Posted July 23, 2005 well, i'm a solo act, and unfortunately I don't play drums, sometimes i add subtle electronic drums, but most of my songs remain drumless, actually I do like it most of the time like that, but also many people think that eve if it's by purpose, i've found many people think it's a lack of production. I think it will be fine if it's ok with you, it's your music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted July 25, 2005 Members Share Posted July 25, 2005 Yeah there are lots of folks who play without drums. If you've ever seen Richard Thompson or Peter Case play solo acoustic, it gives you an idea what one GREAT songwriter and a guitar (which they also both play incredibly well) can do. In general though, I can't personally imagine writing too many songs without drums. I'm a sucker for great drumming, and am blessed to have an awesome drummer in my band. He is now starting to get involved in the songwriting process, which is great, but he's always been really great at taking a song to the next level by participating a LOT in coming up with the arrangement. So I'd say that if you really relate to drums and that it hinders you as a writer to write without them (I know it does me), find a drummer! Preferably one that can play some percussion or a stripped down kit and could do some acoustic gigs with you... we've done some coffeehouse gigs that way and it's way cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members opranks612 Posted July 26, 2005 Members Share Posted July 26, 2005 I'd suggest you at least include percussion on some of the tracks, so you can lighten up on the guitar playing (you no longer have to rely on it to provide the beat) and it keeps it from being monotonous. Of course, a pleasantly fitting conga piece, or if you can integrate it a bodhram (irish frame drum) or a tyco (huge japanese drum) part would be awesome. And I suggest recording your foot tapping onto a pine box or something for one of the songs where you're more sparse on the guitar playing. It adds for a cool effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rickenvox Posted July 26, 2005 Members Share Posted July 26, 2005 Elliot Smith has had some great songs without drums or percussion - with great rhythms, not just dull strumming. Acoustic guitar is a great percussive instrument in some cases - just listen to Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club recordings from the 30s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted July 26, 2005 Members Share Posted July 26, 2005 As others have suggested, there's a big relatively unexploited area between no drums at all and your typical boom-chak rock drumming. One thing I've noticed is that when I think about my favorite albums that I think of as not having drums or much drums, what I often find is that there is actually a fair bit of percussion, but that it's usually subtle and often well outside the confines of your standard pop kit drumming. Some of the big label non-rock and/or folkie recordings of the late 60s and early 70s had some very inventive arrangements in general. A somewhat familiar exemplar of that long-ago trend is, say, Leonard Cohen's eponymous first album. It's filled with quirky, colorful arrangements with all kinds of offbeat (er, you know) percussion and unusual instrumentation. As the seventies progressed, though, it seemed like everything just kind of mushed together. Also, I think trap kit drum arrangements were seen to have more 'street cred' then, less arty... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ratthedd Posted August 10, 2005 Members Share Posted August 10, 2005 Originally posted by alleydog Is it a "bad" idea to produce an acoustic (Indie Rock) album with no percussion? Does anyone know of such an album I can listen to as a reference? Jewel's first CD was mostly songs without percussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mandopickr Posted August 11, 2005 Members Share Posted August 11, 2005 A couple more things to listen to are any bluegrass band. Some acoustic jazz. Bands like, Nickle Creek, Newgrass revival, and early David Grissman quintet. No drums but plenty of rythym, with many different styles of music from jazz to regae to undefinable. You may not be into bluegrass but it will give you some ideas about how to utilize other acoustical stringed instruments to achieve the sound that you are looking for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members songrytr Posted August 11, 2005 Members Share Posted August 11, 2005 Originally posted by alleydog Does anyone know of such an album I can listen to as a reference? Jules Shear - "The Third Party" 1 voice and 1 guitar. Out of print but I see it a lot in the used bins. Good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fulcrum Posted August 11, 2005 Members Share Posted August 11, 2005 After I was listening to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds' live album from a few years back, I discovered that I really didn't miss the drums very much at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members arellspencer Posted August 18, 2005 Members Share Posted August 18, 2005 I do a lot of tunes without drums. I put drums in many to get through the tune and just left the drums out on final mix. every song does'nt need drums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ratthedd Posted August 18, 2005 Members Share Posted August 18, 2005 There are a number of Lynyrd Skynyrd tunes without drums. Mr. Banker comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheBoatCanDream Posted August 19, 2005 Members Share Posted August 19, 2005 I'm transfering my dad's first album from vinyl to digital right now, and the entire album has no drums - just accoustic guitar, electric lead, vocals, a piano in one track. Sounds different, lacks bass end, but it works. It adds character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Floridafred Posted August 28, 2005 Members Share Posted August 28, 2005 I caught a solo act at the local blues room a couple months back that had a very effective way of maintaining a beat. Wish I could remember his name but he played a mean guitar, sang and drummed with his feet. He sat in a chair, put a strip of something under both feet that gave a kinda hollow sound. Then he got both feet going into a dedicated mike. He did a heel and toe with both feet that sounded great along with the vocals and guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted August 28, 2005 Members Share Posted August 28, 2005 Adding drums is not a "songwriting " decision...it is an "arrangement" decision. A song can be the same song a capella, with an acoustic, or with a full band arrangement. The "song" is the same. Don't get hung up on it. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cosmic Closet Posted August 30, 2005 Members Share Posted August 30, 2005 ...also, the better a bass player you can get your hands on, the less you'll feel you need the drums (my opinion, anyway.) Acoustic guitar plus good bass = lots of rhythm. Best, Cosmic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheBoatCanDream Posted August 30, 2005 Members Share Posted August 30, 2005 It's not necessarily just a matter of orchestration. It's not a simple thing to say, but when you take out a single voice you can change a song drastically. A whole dimension can be lost, and to simply call it "orchestration" simple doesn't make the cut. At the same time, you can lack that dimension and still hear that it's the same song - sorta - and with blues / jazz, you can do the same song with with a dozen people or just one. I just don't think it's apropriate to be so dismissive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted August 30, 2005 Members Share Posted August 30, 2005 Originally posted by TheBoatCanDream It's not necessarily just a matter of orchestration. It's not a simple thing to say, but when you take out a single voice you can change a song drastically. A whole dimension can be lost, and to simply call it "orchestration" simple doesn't make the cut. At the same time, you can lack that dimension and still hear that it's the same song - sorta - and with blues / jazz, you can do the same song with with a dozen people or just one. I just don't think it's apropriate to be so dismissive. yes, but "twinkle twinkle little star" is the same SONG whether it's pounded out on a childs toy piano or whether it's orchestrated for a symphony. the song is the same.Do some reading on these terms and then come back. Drums are an arrangement decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.