N E W S
Ivan Diaz Bosphorus Cymbals Artist
Bosphorus Cymbals was established in 1996 by three master cymbal smiths, Hasan Seker, Ibrahim Yakici and Hasan Ozdemir. They are called Masters because they are the most experienced cymbal smiths in Turkey who are still working actively.
The founders of Bosphorus were three good friends who grew up in the same neighborhood. Their common thread was being sent to work in a neighborhood cymbal workshop. Their humble beginings included cleaning the workshop and other menial tasks, but in time they were trained in the art of making cymbals. In the early ages of their youth they became cymbal smiths. Their teachers were the masters who manufactured the legendary cymbals of 60’s and 70’s.
After 16 years at the same workshop the friends ventured off on their own and established their own company. Today they maintain good relationships with their former employers. The Masters continue to respect their teachers to this day.
Bosphorus Cymbals has a strong team of cymbal smiths whom are trained at the Bosphorus Factory and most of them working for the company since day one. The Masters continue to craft in the workshop with their workers, guiding them to create the perfect cymbals with their 36 years of experience.
R I T M I A
D R U M S
Although there are great methods on the market today, they are basically geared towards the development of coordination between your limbs. In my experience, there are some basic steps to take before studying that type of material. If we think about our limbs as four separate drummers and our brain as a “master drummer”, then coordination exercises should not be the first step. First, the “master drummer” (brain) should develop a strong sense of time and pulse and a deep understanding of subdivisions and basic rhythmic figures. Then, we need to train each of the four drummers (limbs) to perform those subdivisions and figures in time and with a great feel. Then and only then should we move on to coordinate this “drummers ensemble ”to play and perform as a tight unit. Ritmia will provide exercises to cover these first steps based on the basic concept from which the drumset and drumset playing were born: 4 drummers in 1.
In a real playing situation, even if your weak point is just 1 of these 3 elements, your level of performance won´t be a good representation of you full potential. If you have a strong inner pulse ( rock solid time), mastery of many rhythmic patterns and grooves but your ears are not sharp enough, then you won´t be able to play well with others, because listening is key for musical interaction. If it´s your inner pulse whats that´s not strong and solid, the time will be all over the place and nobody will be comfortable playing with you. And if it´s your understanding of rhythm is the weak link then you will be very limited on what you can offer musically. I truly believe your drumming is as good as your time and groove, and your musicianship as good as your ears. This method will help anyone who´s willing to put some work into it.
M E T R O N O M E
The number one task of a drummer is to provide a solid pulse, which means you need to be able to create this steady pulse in relation to what the other musicians are playing. In other words, you need to feel and state such solid pulse while listening to the different figures, riffs, patterns etc. You need to develop the ears to keep your inner pulse steady, and that´s why the traditional quarter note click should not be the only setting you use to practice, because it is providing the pulse for you and you´re just following along. When we displace the metronome to the last 16th, we are responsible for stating the pulse. When we space the metronome out, for example making it click only on the first beat of every other bar, again we´re the ones providing the pulse. When the metronome is interpreted as quarter note triplets, we need to really understand this figure in order to provide an underlying pulse. Manipulating the metronome is a very effective way to develop sharper listening skills that will greatly improve our ability to interact with others in real life performance.
t
Ivan Diaz Canopus Drums Artist
Revive The 60’s Jazz Sound
With the NV60 M1 drum set Canopus has achieved the perfect balance between the classic, vintage sound of the 1960’s and the expectations of modern drum set performance and design. Its rich, sophisticated sound suits it to a wide range of musical genres. A major attraction of the NV60-M1 is its wider tuning range – which one is unlikely to experience with vintage drums.