By The Landlord
“It's not the notes you play, it's the notes you don't play.” – Miles Davis
“Music is the space between the notes.” – Claude Debussy
“When I lost the use of my hi-hat and bass drum legs, I became basically a singer ...” – Robert Wyatt
“Eat drums! Eat cymbals!” – Animal, The Muppet Show
It can be a peculiar effect when the noisiest, most extrovert, dominant, assertive person leaves the room. The entire dynamic changes. Perhaps at first some drive, energy, and momentum is lost. Suddenly there's some silence, some naked space, perhaps even embarrassment. The more introverted present may be looking at each other, wondering what to say. But with fewer options and choices, there's a void to fill, and there's inevitable change. Behaviour may be realigned, directions different, actions perhaps newly creative. It could be the making of some who previously could not make a sound. Suddenly new voices can take shape and be heard.
And so then, this week there's an almighty musical presence missing, a mainstay of rock, pop and several other genres, even of the full symphony orchestra which might contain such items as timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, bells, gongs, or even the humble triangle. So it's not just the drums, cymbals and hi-hats that must be omitted from the classic band format, but any in the family of struck or gently brushed or rubbed friction membranophones, friction idiophones made of glass, metal, ceramics, and wood, or struck chordophones, such as steelpan, nor any kind of percussion, including also the electronic kind – programmable drums machines and similar production of beats.
In the past, we've included topics such as outstanding percussion and focused on particular instruments in this family, but this time they are having a week off.
One starting point might be bands who usually have a drummer but also recorded without songs without them for contrast. Any other instruments, vocals and genres can be in the mix, and while this might exclude more obvious forms of rock, pop, dance, disco, funk and more, let’s also aim to explore all types of music, including non-western kinds.
Another key parameter here is that this topic also rules out solo artists performing on their own, or even duos too, those who might simply play guitar or piano and sing as that would be far too obvious and unfocused as an option. The music must be played by a group, but without a drummer or percussionist, or anyone playing such an instrument. Not necessarily hits of course, but definitely no hitting.
How then will the soundscape and style change? Will the spikes, dots and dashes be replaced by smooth curves and shimmering waves, or will the non-percussion instruments take on a new, more rhythmic role?
Traditionally, pop and rock songs begin with a guitarist or piano singer-songwriter who is then joined by bass and drums, or they begin with that backline and build from there with chords and melodies. But without a beat, might that entire dynamic be different here?
After his accident, falling blind drunk from fourth-floor window at a party in June 1973 where he broke his spine, which left him paralysed from the waist down, drummer Robert Wyatt's music adapted and changed. “I was a drummer who did a bit of singing, and then I became a singer who did a bit of percussion." While he adjusted his playing to a lighter style, he also went from standard kit drummer to distinctive singer and highly inventive multi-instrumentalist, including keyboards, guitar, trumpet and cornet. I mention him because of his evolution away from full drumming, but percussion involved in any one song would excluded from this topic.
Robert Wyatt: turning to trumpet
And paradoxically, although his accident was devastating, he also stated, in retrospect, that it may have saved him from an alchoholic death, with his previous heavy drinking lifestyle with the likes of Mitch Mitchell, Noel Redding and especially Keith Moon.
So, might there be more space in the music? It's a consideration. We've heard from Debussy and Davis about finding space between notes. But drummers love to fill spaces, particularly Keith Moon, whose brilliantly itchy style of crazy fills helped defined The Who.
This topic might then feel like suddenly going from having Dr Samuel Johnson or Brian Blessed in the room to a quiet library, or something akin to John Cage, the silent bells of Japanese ‘Ma’ culture (間) and the aesthetics of negative space.
Japanese ‘Ma’ culture includes concepts silence and negative space
This topic may or may not involve more air and silence, but will certainly be about different sounds. Overall though, it's easier to say what it won't be that what it is, so on that note, before filling the beatless, percussion-less void with song suggestions, let's clear the musical palette and enjoy a different Japanese moment. Here like some sweating, RADA-trained actor inside a spongy Mr Blobby costume, a surely frustrated, but rather brilliant heavy rock/metal drummer dressed as Nyango Star, couldn't help but express himself at a children's concert. He not only doesn’t miss a beat, but adds thousands more with rather impressive, if inappropriate skill. Take your fill ..
That’s certainly used up all the beats for any set of ears, and so then, it's time to suggest your songs played by groups without any percussion in comments below, hopefully covering a wide variety of styles and cultures. Taking the baton, but certainly not hitting anything with it, is the always knowledgeable Nilpferd! Deadline for suggestions is Monday 11pm UK time, for playlists published next week. Stick with it, but without the sticks.
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