Mel Bay Publications
Level : Beginning-Intermediate

Inside the Big Band Drum Chart is a first of its kind drum method that uses traditional and contemporary arrangements performed by a 17 piece jazz ensemble as the vehicle to study beats, musical form, ensemble phrasing, articulation, and interpretation. For each arrangement, there is “talk through” information explaining how the composition is played as well as transcriptions of key beats and melodic information that connects the “written drum part” to the music.

The 248 page book includes a 2.5 hour MP3 CD and an hour long DVD demonstrating every exercise in the text. Also included are anecdotes and interviews with legendary big band drummers and arrangers such as Louie Bellson, Jake Hanna, Phil Wilson, Mark Taylor and Bob Curnow.

Notation and Terminology
    Drum Set Notation
    The Chart Talk Through
    Big Band Forms
    Reading and Interpretation Ideas
    Rhythmic Interpretation1
    Alternate Notation for Time
    Basic Chart Reading Terminology

Time Keeping Elements
    The Bass Drum
    The Hi-Hat
    The Ride Cymbal
    Swingin' and the Groove (two and four/one and three)
    Articulation Markings and Musical Shape

Exercises
    Short Articulation Exercise with Quarter Notes
    Short Articulation Exercise with Eighth Notes
    Short Articulation Exercise with Quarters and Eighth Notes
    Long Articulation Exercise
    Long and Short Articulation Combinations Example One
    Long and Short Articulation Combinations Example Two
    Contemporary Interpretation Exercise One
    Contemporary Interpretation Exercise Two

The Big Band Sound
    Tuning
    Drum Heads
    Cymbals
    Sticks

Set Up The Band!
    Parallel Motion
    Counter Point
    Connector Material
    Building a Fill Vocabulary for Band Figures
    Figure Connector Study 1
    Figure Connector Study 2
    Figure Connector Study 3
    Figure Connector Study in 3/4
    Figure Connector Study in 5/4
    Trumpet One Phrase Shapes
    Tempo Transition Examples

Preliminary Charts
    Preliminary Chart 1- Swing
    Preliminary Chart 2- Shuffle
    Preliminary Chart 3- Ballad
    Preliminary Chart 4- Samba
    Preliminary Chart 5- Funk

Big Band Arrangements with Analysis
    Blaine Street
    Bottom End Shuffle
    Good Night Story
    Swing Open
    Tierrasanta
    People and Places

Appendix
    Solos and Transcriptions
    Sing Sing Sing
    Skin Deep
    West Side Story
    Drum Solo Breaks
    Ensemble Shout Chorus Transcription Excerpts
    Big Band Drumming Innovators and Innovations
    Interviews
    Big Band Recordings Discography
    Drum Methods Discography