Canadian Musician September / October 2019

PERCUSSION Stephane Chamberland is an internationally-recognized drummer, clinician, educator, and author living in New York City and Québec City. He endorses Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Promark Sticks, and Evans Drumheads. For more information, visit www.stephanechamberland.com. By Stephane Chamberland Developing a Musical & Creative Improvisational Facility Part 2 Stretching the Phrase Stretching and compressing a phrase is also is a really cool concept that I first learned from John Riley. We will be using different subdivisions but will keep the same note order and sounds. Check out Ex. 1. Ex. 1 Putting Phrases Together Now, we enter a world of infinite possibilities. While playing these phrases, make sure to keep track of where the one is. To help, try count- ing out loud. I will put some phrases together. Check out Ex. 2. Playing Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise on the Drums By changing the displacement without changing the rhythms, you will extend your vocabulary and make your ideas much more original. Try moving from the snare to the floor tom or the opposite. You may also just move randomly and surprise yourself with cool melodies. Dynamics Dynamics are like the shades of colour that a painter uses to express herself. As drummers, dynamics are extremely important. I recommend playing all the phrases again from very soft to very loud. It’s all about the range of expression. After seeing a clinic by Mark Guiliana in New York City, I was inspired to practice as soft as I could to gain more con- trol of my sound. Try it and I am sure this will become a very important part of your routine as well. Repetition Is the Key Developing our listening skills is crucial – being able to listen to yourself, then others, and finally, both at the same time. You want to be aware of what you are playing in the moment and the best way to prac- tice your awareness is to repeat the phrase you just improvised. Use all the concepts we talked about to then bring the phrases to the next level. The power of intention is big in this musical game. Mean what you play and play what you mean. 28 CANADIAN MUSICIAN Ex. 2

Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 28