The Wikipedia section you posted on ornaments was fascinating to read,
though may confuse the understanding of flams slightly I'm guessing,
though I don't formally know. But I know that classical music
training, though not an untouchable pyramid of learning, is more score
oriented than is necessary for most drummers. In the world of drumming
as we discuss here; of studios and bands, charts, inner-clock, general
sound and this kind of language, things have moved from being designed
to program every detail of the playing to making the drummer a more
active part of ornamentation of his/her own, and also of spontaneous
composition. This makes the drummer's role unique, to give texture
(not just in jazz), the touch of that kit player that no one else has.
He also holds the rhythm section together and clocks the whole band
in time. This isn't what percussionists in orchestras do. They are
usually waiting for their parts, so they have to be made to order. The
language of ornamentation can still be used for drummers and there's
no reason it shouldn't, but it became less necessary with the
do-it-yourself (DIY) culture of popular music styles of all kinds.
You've touched on one of the essential features of being a drummer.
Now that you have, I notice that we should still know about orchestral
music, that we should continue to bridge the gap between spontaneity
and theory and still learn about other instruments, since they are all
related (even if they do start with the drum?).
Jonas
www.myspace.com/doppleganggang
www.myspace.com/jonasgolland

--- In rudiments@yahoogroups.com, Jason and Erin Brookens
<jebrookens@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Wow, interesting! I never knew they were different for melodic
instruments. Your understanding of flams is correct (unless I'm
wrong, too)...the main note is played on the beat, with the grace note
coming slightly before. I'm very interested though in how that would
work in a score if melodic instruments and rhythmic instruments are to
play the same thing, but the meanings are different. Hopefully
someone with some insight on the melodic instrument side can help.
>
> Jason
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "groovingandi" <groovingandi@...>
> To: rudiments@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 4:48:07 AM (GMT-0500) America/New_York
> Subject: [rudiments] flams
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi group!
>
> Was it just me or was the group broken for the last weeks? I wasn't
> able to post any messages, even browsing the old messages on the
> yahoo page didn't work...
>
> Now my question:
>
> Recently I had a discussion about flams. It was about one measure in
> a piece of music which contained a double flam on the snare and the
> same symbol in the brass line. I think it's not called flam but
> "acciaccatura" on melodic instruments, however, the symbol is the same
> (and in German, the name is the same as well: Vorschlag).
>
> I thought that for a single/double/triple flam, the main note is on
> the written beat (on the 1 for example) and the grace note is shortly
> before. But - as I learned now - for melodic instruments the meaning
> is different. The grace note is played on the beat and the main note
> is delayed.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornament_ (music)#Acciaccatura
>
> Is my understanding of flams incorrect? Obviously, the arranger wanted
> to have the grace notes the same way on all instruments...
>
> Andreas
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>