Piston (Rock) - Walkthrough

Preview

# Music Lesson: Playing the Rock Piece "Piston"

With the rock piece *Piston* that we're about to play through, there are a couple of things I'd like to highlight that you need to be aware of.

## Structure Overview
- **Four bars per line**: This is a natural structure for musicians, often feeling like four, eight, sixteen, or thirty-two bar sections, which are quite common in songs.
- **16-bar sections**: Great for our piece.

## First Line Breakdown
- **Quarter note snares** on beats one and two:
- I’m choosing to play this right-left to develop our single strokes.
- If right-handed, avoid playing a loud right hand note and a quiet left hand note. We aim for an even sound:
- If I was playing: (demonstrate)
- If I’m left-handed: (demonstrate)
- The impact we want for this style of music relies on an even sound.

- **Guitarist's phrase**:
- After the quarter note snares, the guitarist has a chance to play a little phrase.
- It's important for drummers to leave space for other musicians; sometimes, what we don't play is just as crucial.

- **Bar three reminder**:
- Just quarter note snares throughout.
- **Tip:** Don’t pick up speed. It often feels easy, and confidence may lead to speeding up.

- **End of the first line**:
- Ending with the same phrase: one, two on the snare for the fourth bar.

## Second Line Breakdown
- **Groove kicks in**: Incorporating hi-hats.
- **Bass drum and snare parts**:
- Steady rhythm with a couple of quarter note rests.
- You might expect a bass drum on beat three in the first and third bars, but it’s not there—watch your timing!

- **Sound considerations**:
- Decide whether to play the hi-hats with the tip of the stick or the side for a stronger sound.
- I prefer playing with the side of the stick for a more pronounced effect since it’s a rock piece.

- **First two bars example**:
- Play with the tip of the stick (demonstrate).
- Choose a method that feels comfortable for you, but consider the sound related to rock music—typically, you want to dig in a bit.

- **Fill in bar four**:
- Combination of eighth notes and quarter notes.
- Allow the right amount of space for each note value.
- Count eighth notes: “1 and 2 and 3 and 4.”
- This helps maintain the time feel, preventing speeding up, especially since there's a metronome on the track.

## Next Lines Overview
- **Grooving in quarter note feel**:
- Watch for rests, especially on beat four of bar four in the third line—a complete quarter note rest: no hi-hat, no snare, no bass drum.
- Counting through this rest will be your best friend for confident entry into the next line.

- **Hi-hat and bass drum**:
- Quarter notes allowing the second half of the bar for guitar again in both bars.
- Remember: play the snare with the hi-hat instead of the bass drum.
- Additional fill in the third bar, combining quarter notes and eighth notes.

- **Final reminder**:
- Watch out for the eighth note bass drums; don’t let them take you by surprise.
- Finish strongly with hi-hat and bass drum, followed by hi-hat and snare in the last bar.

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