Motus Mentis

6 Comments

1. Ron D says

   Mal,

   I agree, Gavin is from out of this world.

   There may be some people out there who are wondering what makes Gavin so spectacular to other drummers like Malcolm and me. Well, this video is an excellent example of something that I like to point out to any non-drummer who is curious at all about the drums. That is how little movement from the drummer’s arms is needed to play well. Many people have the misconception that drummers must move their arms about wildly when they play (think Animal from the Muppets). Yes, that is true for some drummers (Keith Moon, for example, who seemed to be the model for Animal, IMHO), but the real power and speed comes from the controlled motion of the wrists, not the arms. The arms really just transport the wrists to where they need to be when playing the toms and cymbals. The majority of the time, Gavin’s body moves very little compared to the amount of fast notes you are hearing. Note how his left arm is parallel to the ground most of the time, and yet, the notes are blazing by. It takes remarkable technique to pull this off.

   Ron DiCesare

   Posted March 2, 2009 at 9:30 pm | Permalink
2. Malcolm says

   Thanks, Ron. Very true: efficiency of motion is often a sign of mastery. It is certainly so in martial arts; as the understanding improves the movements get smaller.

   Posted March 2, 2009 at 10:58 pm | Permalink
3. chris g says

   That dude plays like a girl. This is how you do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKQgDY0pZ68

   Really, the only thing wrong with Travis’ performance is he didn’t twirl his sticks enough and his hair is too short.

   Posted March 3, 2009 at 12:05 am | Permalink
4. Malcolm says

   Chris, I do have to give Travis Barker high marks for attitude; he was by far the most enjoyable part of Blink-182. And I realize your comment is rather tongue-in-cheek (I hope so, at least).

   I’ll say this — it’s easy to see how Mr. Barker stays so slim.

   Posted March 3, 2009 at 10:37 am | Permalink
5. JO says

   What does he use the laptop computer for in his performing?
   Jeanie

   Posted March 4, 2009 at 1:06 pm | Permalink
6. Malcolm says

   Jeanie, that’s where the recorded music that he is playing along with is coming from.

   Posted March 4, 2009 at 1:15 pm | Permalink