Part 1

Name: Dave Abbruzzese
Nationality: American
Occupation: Drummer, songwriter
Recent release: Dave Abbruzzese joins Kind Hearted Thieves for their new songle “Dark Petal.” The band's full debut album Love & Other Curses is out via Ramsden.

[Read our Kind Hearted Thieves interview]

If you enjoyed this Dave Abbruzzese interview and would like to find out more about his work and current projects, visit him on Instagram, and Facebook.



What was your first drum set like and what are you using today?

My first drum set that was of any substance that wasn't destroyed by Christmas night was a Royce drum set and it really took a beating pretty quickly! I was 11 or 12 years old. It was a 22, 12, 14, 16 with a snare drum. It was silver sparkle. The fact that it had chrome on it was magic! My older brother Frank found it at a garage sale for $20 and I absolutely loved it.

It was an amazing thing and it opened up the door to discovery, instantly. I wanted to find out how it worked and tune it and clean it. It was a very cool and very treasured moment when I got that first drum set.
 
What I'm using today is a custom crafted Drum Workshop finish ply set. The ability to have the support from the great DW company for over 30 years is not lost on me. It actually is part of what inspires me to to work hard and get the most out of the opportunities that I have. I have always maintained that it isn't about the price or reputation of the brand, it's about the sound that I hear in my head and the ability to achieve that sound from the instrument that I play.

Drum Workshop is that sound that I hear in my head. My sound. The fact that the company is made up of incredible human beings is a gift as well. I could not be more grateful for having found my sound. I'm also happy that 'my sound' works so well for so many different types of session work! From the Kind Hearted Thieves raw folk grunge sound to the darker heavier rock sessions, they serve the songs very well!

A very big part of my sound is my snare drums and I use a variety of various makers. Ronn Dunnett has provided me with some amazing go to options for recording sessions, his 2N model is incredible. Also, Ronn has resurrected the Milestone percussion brand and the Milestone 14x6.5 snare drum is unbelievable. Jeff Woods and I have gotten together and he is producing the David Abbruzzese signature model snare drum which is a 12x7 drum. I have snare drums from Ludwig, Tama, Yamaha, DW …

I really can't complain at all about my choices these days. I'm certainly appreciative and humbly blessed.

What, to you personally, are factors in terms of build and design that you appreciate in drums and percussion instruments?

Just like any instrument there's a spirit to them. Over the years it's become undeniable. I noticed when I was a kid that there's magic in them.

I've discovered that there is just a feeling that comes from a well-crafted drum, or cymbal, or a new pair of sticks. I mean every element. Little things inspired and motivated me to move forward to try new things and be excited.

The biggest factor is the ability to allow me to do what I want to do, limitlessly, while simultaneously inspiring and exciting me as a player.

Late Rush-drummer Neil Peart said: “The equipment is not an influence. It doesn't affect the way I play. It's an expression of the way I play.” What's your take on that?

I have a lot of respect for Neil as a player and a person and that's his comment. That's his answer to a question.

For me personally the equipment that I play on does influence to a certain degree the way I express myself. So in that, it does affect the way I perform as well as the sounds that I hear inspire the way that I play. They just do and I like it that way.

Drumming is an integral part of many cultures, and traditions. Which of these do you draw from in your playing – and why?

I don't know that I draw from any specific culture or tradition other than the music that moved and inspired me when I was younger.

That being said, my expression of myself musically has always been motivated by what I'm feeling and experiencing as a person. Music is the soundtrack to the way I walk through my life and it is my personal way of being.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a drummer / percussionist?

Good question. There's always challenges. Always. The degree of the challenge has changed throughout my career.

When I was a young drummer starting out, the challenges were getting my head to wrap around my hands and feet … being able to afford the instrument … being able to afford replacing the things I broke … being able to achieve what were milestones of achievement. Like getting that Zeppelin song down or learning how to deal with the egos of bandmates when that started happening at young age … Finding a place to rehearse … Getting my 26 inch Ludwig kick drum into a Volkswagen beetle.  

The challenges of being a drummer are many and they changed throughout my life. There are still challenges today, as a 55-year-old drummer that hasn't really slowed down. The challenges are less mental now than they were when I was in my 20s, now they're more physical.

Incorporating the task of meeting and taking these challenges head on is to me part of the process of being dedicated to my instrument. I like them. I like the challenges.

Which practices, exercises, or experiences were most helpful in reaching your goals?

For me personally it was to stay inspired, motivated, and focused. There were a lot of sacrifices along the way and every one of them were worth it. I am a drummer.

What do you think you're doing different than other drummers?
 
Nothing.

How do you experience the concepts of "groove," "swing," and "rhythmic feel" in music?

I experience those things the most when I don't feel them in someone else's playing.

It's different all the time for my experience of those things in the music that I am a part of. Doing session work remotely means that I often receive tracks that have the feel of the other players on the track before I lay down the drum tracks. In that, I have to listen to the feel of the other players. Maybe the bass player pushes or pulls a certain way against the guitar player. I have to pay attention to the subtle nuances in order to avoid creating inappropriate tension for the song.

Some songs need me to push the hihat or the cymbal hits while keeping the snare drum on the click and pulling the kick back to create a good supportive foundation for the feel of the song. It's a complex dance, but I love it. It's all about being present and listening to the song as a song.

How do time signatures and tempo affect our perception of rhythm?
 
They don't, really. It's about what the song needs. I learned to get out of my own clever thoughts long ago! Sometimes, I will get hired to work on something mathematical ... Even then, I just pay attention to doing whatever I can to play what I feel is correct for the song.
 
I think if I were working with a band and writing, I might try to be more cerebral and clever. But for now, it's all about achieving what the song and the songwriters need.

What is the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody?

In a word? Everything.