Jazz Drums

[Mark All]

I’m a metalhead, but am getting into jazz.  I bought the jazz MIDI packs from Toontrack and third parties, but I can’t find any simple, characteristic, usable grooves.  Like 3/4 waltz.  All the patterns seem random, or unusual, rather than straight-ahead typical beats.  I’ve found this with most MIDI packs, but nothing in the jazz sounds like something an actual drummer would play.  I don’t have a jazz SDX, would that make a difference?  Hopefully I’m just missing something obvious, can anyone suggest where I’m going wrong?

Thanks!

Mark

Operating system: macOS Sonoma (14)

Superior Drummer 2.0

Topic

[Glenn Stanton]

if you’re using EZD – the core MIDI has some basic “odd meter” 3/4 clips to work with. Jazz in many cases is swinging 4/4.

Glenn

www.runnel.com
www.reverbnation.com/fossile

[Mark All]

Thanks, Glenn.  That’s helfpul, but my biggest issue is that most of the patterns, including rock, are not basic patterns you’d use with standard rock, pop, or anything.  The jazz ones sound a bit more random to me.  Trying to determine if I’ve done anything wrong, or if I just have to edit the existing patterns to get, for example, four-on-the-floor.

Operating system: macOS Sonoma (14)

Superior Drummer 2.0

[Glenn Stanton]

in my experience (as a, erm, drummer and drum programming) many jazz patterns are also “4 on the floor” but keep in mind “if it ain’t got that swing, then it don’t mean a thing” – so straight 4/4 for Jazz in generally more rare than swung 4/4. and of course factoring in ghost notes and possibly any polyrhythmic performance in the MIDI, yes, it can sound somewhat “random” compare to straight time.

Operating system: Windows 11

Glenn

www.runnel.com
www.reverbnation.com/fossile

• This post was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Glenn Stanton.

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Thanked by: Mark All

[Raymond]

IME Toontrack does not do jazz very well- they tend to make everything too busy, especially latin jazz.  I have been very disappointed as I wanted to make backing tracks to practice playing jazz guitar over and the Toontracks midi is pretty much unusable.  It seems nobody at Toontrack really understands jazz and think that the more notes the better, the session players seem only interested in showing their chops and Toontrack doesn’t know enough to reel them in.

I would expect some elaborate patterns, but not almost exclusively.  Even the drum bass and key tracks that are supposed to go together are all so elaborate that combined they make a jumbled mess.  Toontrack needs to realize that not every instrument in a jazz tune is meant to play lead.  The rhythm section should support the lead and not compete with them.

I guess if you are looking for something other than rock and metal Toontrack is a gamble.

[Glenn Stanton]

one thing i often do is to use the “edit play style”modifiers to reduce the number of notes to back off the amount of activity. i find this not only declutters my percussion, but in general sounds more realistic.

 

Operating system: Windows 11

Glenn

www.runnel.com
www.reverbnation.com/fossile

[Bear-Faced Cow]

The only two questions I can ask here is: what jazz packs are you listening to and what are you playing them on??

I have four jazz packs (two of them that came with expansions) and none of them are unwieldy. The cymbals lead as they’re supposed and the comps are rather sparse. I’m also playing them on kits that have jazz in mind. If you’re playing jazz grooves on presets that are more pop/rock based, you are going to get a very different feel. Some of the results might be close to what you are describing.

Also keep in mind that if you’re playing a groove intended for brushes with stick articulations, they’re bound to sound like the drummer just threw his kit down the stairs.

I have no idea on what pack you’re using and what you’re playing it on, but I can’t agree with your experiences here. Perhaps you should activate the web shop and do a tap-2-find on the jazz groove you’re looking for.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

• This post was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by Bear-Faced Cow.

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