Famous Rock Drummers

July 01, 2009



Session drummer Jeff Anthony returns to shine a light on some of his drumming heroes. Here, we look at the patterns and hitting styles used by some of rock music's most distinctive percussion players, including Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters (and Nirvana and Probot and occasionally from Queens of the Stone Age), John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, Stewart Copeland from the Police, Vinnie Colaiuta of Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage and countless other albums, and Neil Peart from Rush.

Recorded and edited by Tyler Brown at Bellboy Recording in Richmond CA. (20 mins.)

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The Art of Sampling

March 23, 2009



The three members of hip hop group V.E.R.A. Clique, one producer/beatmaker (Dan Craig) and two MCs (Anderson Ray and Macsen Apollo) join producer/beatmaker Johnny Igaz to talk about sampling. We look at hardware vs. software sampling, hear how different drum tones are layered to make for fuller hits, and dissect a sampled production. Craig and Igaz both work here at Pandora as well. (11 mins.)

That link above is to V.E.R.A. Clique's site, but this one is to their Pandora artist profile.

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Hip Hop Hooks

January 14, 2009



Originating in Bend, Oregon but now firmly rooted in Oakland, V.E.R.A. Clique has been refining their hip-hop sound for many years. In this episode, the group's beat maestro (Dan Craig) and MCs (Anderson Ray and Macsen Apollo) walk us through the process they used to build a hip-hop hook on their song "Still Winn'n." Also joining us is hip-hop producer Johnny Igaz to talk about the approach and role that hooks play in production. Craig and Igaz both work here at Pandora as well. (9 mins.)

That link above is to V.E.R.A. Clique's site, but this one is to their Pandora artist profile.

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Country Songwriting

October 24, 2008



From the lonesome lakes of Wisconsin to California's fields and orchards, JJ Schultz has been traveling and writing country-folk ballads. As we hear here, one of the main tensions in classic country songwriting is the balance between sweet, major-key melodies and melancholy words. It's a tradition of songcraft that places value on specific imagery, concrete visual descriptions, and identifiable situations. Those lyrical scenes are key. This episode explores the tradition, and extols the virtues of great songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson. (12 mins.)

That link above is to JJ's site, but this one is to his Pandora artist profile.

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Singing

Recording Vocals with Ariah Firefly

Mixing Vocals with Ariah Firefly

The Basics of Vocal Harmony with Greg Giles and Kelly Atkins from 20 Minute Loop

Singing Intervals with Melody Parker

Melodic Construction with Melody Parker

Song Lyrics with Michael Zapruder

Word Choice In Lyrics with Michael Zapruder

Rhythm

Drums and Drumming, Part I with Jeff Anthony

Drums and Drumming, Part II with Jeff Anthony

Percussion Without Borders with Sameer Gupta

Hip Hop Rhyme Schemes with Darian Gray

Meters and Time Signatures with Adam Blum

Metric Modulation with Chris Horgan

Drum Feels (With Toms and Kick) with Jeff Anthony

Drum Feels (With Hi-Hat and Snare) with Jeff Anthony

The Art of Sampling with V.E.R.A. Clique, Dan Craig and Johnny Igaz

Styles

Elements of Salsa with Marina Garza and Orquesta D'Soul

Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady and Dub with Vic Wong, Ray Jacildo, and the Soul Captives

Electronic Dance Music, Part I with Chris Horgan, Christian Runge, and Beatropolis

Electronic Dance Music, Part II with Chris Horgan and Beatropolis

Holiday Music with Todd Haemmerle

Types of Metal with Kurt Kotheimer, Ava Mendoza and Weasel Walter

Gypsy Jazz with Vic Wong and Panique

IDM and Glitch with BlipVert

Composition

Major & Minor with Scott Pinkmountain

Pedal Point with Michelle Alexander

Three Chords with Russell Johnson

Quiet & Loud with Matt Cannon

The Blues Scale with Bob Coons

Building A Song From The Ground Up with Scott Pinkmountain

Dissonance with Russell Johnson

Country Songwriting with JJ Schultz

Hip Hop Hooks with Johnny Igaz, Dan Craig and V.E.R.A. Clique

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Instruments

Electric Guitar Effects with Patrick Greene

Upright Bass with Seth Ford-Young

The Guitar Riff with Will Redmond

Synthesis with Steve Hogan

The Trumpet with Gene V. Baker

Strings with Alan L. Lin and Yair Evnine