Jim Chapin - Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer
There are several melodic exercises in each section of Jim's classic book Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer that are based
on popular tunes. However, the tunes were not mentioned in the book since so many of them would have been identifiable
to drummers back in 1948, the year in which the book was published. (Chapin actually wrote the book in 1938.) But, in our current time,
it's unlikely that drummers will recognize many of them just by their rhythms, so Chapin identified
each one and comments on many of them:
Section I A
1. "Giddy-up Napoleon," a tune from the late '20s.
Despite what many people think, a lot of these tunes had nothing to do with the bebop era. Jim chose thie one because it fit
the dotted-8th/16th concept.
2. "The Dixieland Band," recorded by Benny Goodman with Helen Ward singing.
The lyrics to the first couple of bars are, "Ever hear the story of the Dixieland band; let me tell you brother that the music was grand."
3. "Sweet Eloise"
4. "Louise," a song made famous by Maurice Chevalier.
"Every little breeze seems to whisper Louise."
Section I B
1. "The Carioca," which came from the movie Flying Down To Rio
with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
2. "Hawaiian War Chant"
3. "Anthropology," by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.
4. "Comin' On With The Come On," a riff tune by Cab Calloway that Dizzy Gillespie played. That was a
Savoy Ballroom-type song.
Section I C
1. "My Mama Done Told Me"
2. "Things Ain't What They Used To Be," by Duke Ellington.
3. "Old Man Rebop," a forgotten tune from the bebop era.
4. "Mop Mop," a tune that preceded the bebop era by about four or five
years. It hinted at the phrasing of bebop but the harmonic structure was very simple.
Section I D
1. An original tune that was never titled.
2. "Rusty Dusty Blues," recorded by Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie. The lyrics were,
"Get up, get up, get up, get up mama, get up off your big fat rusty dusty."
3. This is a strange tune built on the changes of "Blue Moon," called "Blue Goon."
Section IV A
1. "Pretty Baby"
2. "Wake Up and Live"
3. An Original.
Section IV B
1. This is a tune written by Denzil Best that was recorded under different names, such as
"Wee" and "Allen's Alley."
2. "Salt Peanuts" by Dizzy Gillespie.
3. "Shaw Nuff," by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
Section IV C
1. A Henry James composition, "Life Goes To A Party." Krupa was the drummer on the record.
2. "Now's The Time" by Charlie Parker. Jim wrote it as triplets even though you don't ever see it written that way.
Jim said, "See how hard is is to read in triplets?"
Section IV D
1. An Original.
2. An Original.
3. "Now's The Time," written in double time.