The Song Fight Bulletin Board

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/0 ... index.html



The man deserves better than this, I can tell you:

"This distinctive, African-based 5/4 rhythm pattern (which goes bomp-bomp-bomp bomp-bomp) was picked up by other artists and has been a distinctive and recurring element in rock 'n' roll through the decades," according to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

A vastly under-appreciated founding father of rock and roll. Not too many left.

Well, I appreciate and respect the man and his music. R.I.P. Bo.

I don't even know what to say.

Perhaps he could be memorialized in an optional (or non-optional) challenge...

On the subject of Bo Diddley... would anybody care to comment on how one might program a drum machine to do a Bo Diddley sounding song? (Yeah, I know, turn it off and use real drums) Do the drums just do a fairly straight ahead rock beat and the BoDid beat is in the guitar and bass? Or is that beat happening in the drums as well, and if so, how?

Charles (KA)

It's all in the strum, baby....all in the strum. The beat is pretty much just a boop bap boop bap country beat changed up a little here and there.
....heavy on the boop.

king_arthur wrote:On the subject of Bo Diddley... would anybody care to comment on how one might program a drum machine to do a Bo Diddley sounding song?

If your drum machine uses 16 steps like most do, pick a sample, and set it to play on steps
1 4 7 11 13
then fill out your beat with other stuff.

See also (if I'm not completely full of it): George Thorogood (sp?) & the Destroyers' "Who Do You Love?", and Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy"

Rabid Garfunkel wrote:See also (if I'm not completely full of it): George Thorogood (sp?) & the Destroyers' "Who Do You Love?", and Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy"

Not to pick the nit but isn't that 3 against 4? Polyrhythmic anyhoo.

Pretty sure "I Want Candy" is dotted quarter + dotted quarter + quarter = 4/4. Three against four would be three beats having equal value; this is different.

Signboy - I've tried variations on the rhythm you suggested there, and have never been able to come up with something that sounds right. I know those are where the accents are in the strum, but I've never been able to work out a Bo Diddley _drum_ part. I'm kinda inclined to believe what BLT is saying, but if there are any other drummers who'd like to chime in, more opinions would be welcome.

Charles (KA)

king_arthur wrote:I'm kinda inclined to believe what BLT is saying, but if there are any other drummers who'd like to chime in, more opinions would be welcome.

I'd love to help, but I've searched itunes for some strange beats like those everyone was talking about, and I can't really find any. Give me the name of a song with the beat/rhythm you're thinking of, and I should be able to transcribe it someway or another.

Here's a couple by Buddy Holly on YouTube:

Buddy Holly - Bo Diddley
Buddy Holly - Not Fade Away

Funny enough, when I looked for Buddy Holly's 'Not Fade Away' my acoustic cover is the second link that appears.

ROCK!

Glenn Case

jimtyrrell wrote:
"This distinctive, African-based 5/4 rhythm pattern (which goes bomp-bomp-bomp bomp-bomp) was picked up by other artists and has been a distinctive and recurring element in rock 'n' roll through the decades," according to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

It's not 5/4, though, just(!) syncopated 4/4. And he was more than a one trick rocknroll pony. Listen to album tracks and you'll hear blues, r'n'b, etc. But of course, that irresistable beat made his name. That, and that crazy rectangular Gretsch guitar!

I don't know nuthin' 'bout no music. But I was reading about Son Clave drumming recently - and trying to imagine signboys explaination made son clave sounds in my head. I googled son clave and bo diddley and got this

http://www.drumsdatabase.com/bodiddley.htm

It's on the google so it must be true.......

Jerry wrote:

jimtyrrell wrote:
"This distinctive, African-based 5/4 rhythm pattern (which goes bomp-bomp-bomp bomp-bomp) was picked up by other artists and has been a distinctive and recurring element in rock 'n' roll through the decades," according to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

It's not 5/4, though, just(!) syncopated 4/4. And he was more than a one trick rocknroll pony. Listen to album tracks and you'll hear blues, r'n'b, etc. But of course, that irresistable beat made his name. That, and that crazy rectangular Gretsch guitar!

Right, that's what I mean. Friggin' Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame doesn't even understand time signatures.

I think that the beat goes kinda like this - (in 16th notes ... 9=accent, 0=no accent - I can't tell exactly what they're playing because of the recording quality)

9-9--99---9-9--- (From Glenn's Bo Diddley Vid)

9--99-9--99-9--- (From Glenn's Not Fade Away Vid)

Is that helpful KA? And did I get it right?

POST 2000! It's a new millenium of posts!