Dick Cully shares MORE drumming SECRETS part III
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- Dick Cully demonstrates Buddy Rich's drumming, explains Buddy's philosophy on drumming and shares the influence Buddy had on him as well as his own views. Dick's wonderful big band is featured, too! This video was uploaded with Dick's permission. Thank you, DC! @DickCullyTheDrummersDrummer
I saw this video in the late 1990's. By that time I had studied with Ed Soph (at the time teaching at North Texas State, later called University of North Texas). Soph was real big on maximizing anatomical comfort at the drumset. I was a traditional grip player and I angled my snaredrum foreword like you see in the video. Soph blasted me for it. I tried to explain that it is easier for me to hit a rimshot that way in traditional grip but he wasn't having it. I saw a recent video of Soph playing EXACTLY that way. LOL. The other thing is that the floor tom doesn't really work when even with the snare. In the video, watch how Cully hits the floor tom with his right arm. Every time he hits it, he tenses the right portion of his trapezius muscle and has to use his rotator cuff and posterior deltoid to position his right shoulder posteriorly and elevate it a bit. All of that is wasted energy and leads to tension.
I am still playing professionally, although most of my jazz gigs have gone away because everyone died. I still get to do some big band gigs and some occasional combo jazz. I really enjoy playing in larger venues though, and most of the jazz gigs are in tiny bars. Plus they are never backlined, which is a pain in the ass if you have to fly somewhere.
Thanks for posting these. Its fun to rewatch.
The one downside to a canister throne is that the height is not adjustable. For drummers with longer or shorter legs or torso, 24" would not work for everyone. This is why even if they were still available I would not choose a canister throne. Another reason is that it won't fold up for convenient transportation of the kit. It's like carrying another drum shell.
These proximity exercises are more beneficially practiced with you eyes closed. Put a piece of carbon paper face down on top of a piece of cardboard on each tom, and then do these exercises blindfolded to see where 'your' strokes 'naturally' fall when the only thing directing you is your focus on a relaxed, tension free posture. Then you move the equipment around to better center ergonomically efficient strikes on the heads, and try again. What most people do is set things up according to some supposed configuration, and then use their eyes to target the heads forcing their body every so slightly to obey them. Inches forward, backward, and up and down make huge differences in all aspects of play. If you can't play in the dark without committing error you're working too hard! Don't forget that all manner of classical musicians execute both gross and fine motor coordination without recourse to vision.
Is Cully actually better than Rich?!
No, but he is getting closer than most.
there is no better- ...just passion and skill- Humans invented the language and the words- they could mean anything
Cully is one of the best drummers I have ever seen, anywhere.
….the answer is to see both players side to side….I think most drummers do not like direct competition but wish to excel at “what” they do best. Let each play for their personality will come out….