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Popping Flams


Snapettes Mom

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Pete, we called them "flat" flams, versus flams you could "drive a truck through" (too open).

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The pop comes from the feeling and sound when the sticks hit the head at the same time. There's a noticable "pop" which you can also feel.

Popped flams would not be acceptable normally, unless the line is trying to pop them. I've never seen something like that. That would be double-stops, and it might be interesting actually, to try a flam passage with all double-stops instead of flams. I saw Devs do a doublestop passage with crescendi/decrescendi on the snares in 03. It was neat to watch.

Judges might not get it if it's too esoteric, though.

Open flams sound good on drumset, but probably not so good in a drumline. Best to get that flam interpretation consistent, and not so open or not so closed.

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If I were teaching it, I'd prefer a strict interpretation, and avoid saying things like "it's ok to pop, but better to play it correctly spaced" (paraphrasing), because I think that would confuse the line. Call a spade a spade. I'd say it's best to work it until it sounds the same, and until everyone's got the interpretation down pat. If everyone plays 'em pretty, you're set. Otherwise, it's just dirty.

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Rick Odello used to make us do Ghost flams.

We would play the flams but fake the accent/tap and play only the grace note..but you would stick the tap/accent just not actually play it.

Try it! He had some really Progressive ideas albeit sort of sadistic in nature he was a real slave driver.

Some times he would have us do an 8 count and then as soon as we started doing the Roll he'd wave to us and just leave...one time he left us for 20 minutes doing a roll. poor cymbals had to hold their arms out with the cymbals.

Rick would have never accepted Popped flams.

He's still the seinor instructor for BD just not the A corps..(C corps).

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Flammaster: Yeah, we did more than a few "roll strolls" when I marched! We used to get what we called "fonzie thumbs" because of the lactic acid buildup - the thumbs just won't stay put anymore. Steve "Goose" Goselin, a guy I marched with in 83 went to devs in 85 and 86 told me an interesting story though - he said Tom Float was interested in hearing the 27th exercises, and said the comment he remembers is that Tom was surprised that we'd just keep going and going, no breaks. Sometimes, I'd be wishing for a break with my forearms so tight I couldn't do anything - that can't be good for ya.

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