I always kinda scoff at ppl that are like “I’m so glad the drummer didn’t overplay” cause it’s like damn just let them have fun it’s music. But this performance felt like the *perfect* amount of drums. So tight and full but not very complicated. Good shit
This is musicianship at another level. Playing to a click is one thing, but you also have to know chart, be spot on with your fills & time and play in a cramped, unknown-to-the-audience location for multiple shows a day. Kudos to you who have obviously done this for a minute.🤘🏻🤘🏻
I’ve been been a theatre drummer since 2017, it’s hard and stressful career. Although I’ve made friends through it. It is a really hard job, sometimes playing for 6-8 hours a day can be tiring. All of it, every show is done to a click and sight read.
Rob F yes thats right but i play in october the Broadway from mamma Mia and the director she that the last seccons that i Will do a solo from the drum. 😂😂
Pulling out the book is a dope move though. I guess playing angry birds in breaks gets boring after a while ^^ Great job. Also thanks for including the clicks. It's hard to imagine how all of you would stay in sync otherwise. Another mystery solved...
I remember sitting in the front row for Mamma Mia in Toronto and looking into the pit to see one of the keyboardists reading a magazine between her parts and was amazed how easily she moved back and forth between reading and playing.
I have played many show on trumpet and if the pit is deep and you can't be seen by the audience it's normal for a book or even a deck of cards to appear in long dialogue parts lol
That's awful. I don't suppose it's any different in the UK. What do you do when the run ends ? do you try and set yourself up with something just before the run finishes ?
Interesting that he doesn't even have the music on the stand. Obviously, it wouldn't be tough to memorize after a few weeks, but I thought industry standard was to at least have the music THERE, just in case.
Yeah most often the monitors are conductor and stage - I've sat in a few pits and that tends to be the way. On a lot of musicals it's unlikely consider playing completely without a pad eg Wicked or something more complicated. But on pop/rock jukebox musicals then especially for a drummer who arguably will have the easiest part, the sheet music can end up being more of a distraction once you have it down and there is really no real risk of forgetting your part.
A whole show like Mama Mia most of professional musicians can easily memorise after few days of learning. Once I had a contract on the ship as a showband musician (bass) where I had to learn choreography, - for we had to move a lot with the cast, - and all the music for 2 long shows (50 minutes each), and I had only one week to prepare, besides that I also always had time to get pissed in the crew bar :)
Lots of shows these days are complex enough from a technical perspective that they have to be on a click track so the lights, flies, and stage turtles can be digitally synced directly to the music and cue everything all at once, perfectly.
I helped set up this production when it rolled into a city close to where I live. Each musician has a closed circuit video monitor at their station. One is a close up of the music director. I don’t remember if the other one is a wide shot of the stage. You can see the monitors on the upper left corner of this shot. The sound for this show was pretty amazing since every instrument was running direct. There were no amps at all in the pit. But it was mostly due to the fact that the musicians are top-notch.
Hi Daniel, How does one go about auditioning for playing in a pit band as a musician? Assuming that they have the necessary skill set (Sight Reading, Proficiency etc.) E.g. Are there websites to look at with listings?
I like it when you started reading. This reminds me of the musicians in the tip in Milan, Italy, when I saw the musical. When the first act was over, they started reading
Hi Derek. Yours is the best arrangement and playing for Mamma Mia, that I have found on CZcams. (Why is everyone playing different parts when they have the charts in front of them?). I am due to play for Mamma Mia in January. I have a TD30 too. Do you mind telling me how you set up your user kit(s) for the show?
Yes, they'll be times when an artist will be sat waiting to play for up to 15 minutes, as long as you don't miss your cue you're gonna want to read to avoid getting bored and fidgety...
I've played in productions where the brass players were knitting during the show, I personally like to read ahead the music of any changes that may have happened,
@@FinesthandmadeMusic After you've been playing the same thing over and over 8 times a week for months and months, believe me, you won't want to stare at the paper to read the music.
Christ, reminds me of the few months I did sessions for bumpers/jingles and the times you'd do demos with MIDI only keyboardists. That constant click in one ear; I finally got it to be a kick sample on one & then hi hats on the rest for my sanity. This cat is a pro, no stressing at that gig grabbing a book, lol.. probably like his 80th show or something... Very comfortable with the material...
harry_mwalker you’re most likely right. when i wrote this, i wanted to have it listen to how he played each song. well fast forward to present day and i’ve already done a production of mamma mia (that unfortunately got cancelled due to corona) but now i know all the songs lol🤷🏽♂️.
Your playing is outstanding and I wish I could see you play the entire show. I'm gearing up to play this musical and I have a Roland TD-50 and they don't sound nearly as awesome as your digital kit. Can you please help me with what kit you are using? I would greatly appreciate the help! I'm killing myself to get them dialed in.
@@hmcvm Thats correct, but i compared his playing to recordings of other professional performances and they were not identical. Thats why im asking. I think they all have the sheet music, but develop some parts differently.
@@dazzduo I'm basically quoting someone from a Wicked drum cam comment when I say this, but a good pit drummer will often use what's written as a guide for what to play. How much they change will vary from song to song and show to show. There are also some shows where you're not gonna want to make any changes, but other shows like this, or Wicked since I already referenced it in this comment, have a lot of room for interpretation.
He's right under the front lip of the stage. It's either his video of Voulez Vous or Under Attack that you can see fog from fog machines on stage pouring into the pit. In terms of this being from the broadway production, not a clue.
That was interesting to watch, thank you for sharing! :) 0:17 That warning message from the speaker went over my head; was it supposed to be a joke, or was it a genuine warning...?
adam4757 the MD still does have the overall control as he gave me the cues for when to begin the click. You sorta treat it like just playing another instrument
@@FlyBoyMT ebb and flow with a click track and a chart to play? I understand that each night's performance would be slightly different with a live drummer, but in most cases the audience is not comparing one night to another. sequences sound robotic? you could record the exact performance in this video and play it back from a sequencer. I'm not talking about a sequence with everything quantized to a grid.
JustLeo I’m playing in my high schools production on keyboard 4(we are an arts school, so it’s not as bad as you’d think for a high school) we have it play in voulez-vous, overture, mamma mia, the mega mix at the very end, our last summer and i believe that it
Skylar Niang after watching these types of videos I wish more than anything my high school’s musicals would use live musicians. Our music program and director are definitely good enough to arrange parts and perform but they use backing tracks instead (although i do go to a public high school so that explains it)
Do you still have all the backing tracks and clicks? Is it on Audacity? I would buy them from you. We are doing Mamma Mia in April 2020. I'm on the drums. (I have Roland TD-50KV too) Thanks! Steve
If you are referring to the show in general, it calls for x4 keyboard, x2 guitar, bass, drums, percussion. No idea for this specific performance. Check out the page on MTI for more specifics.
@@ALTFlying I think this production might have three guitars. I'm guitar 2 in my school's upcoming production and there are some parts here and there I don't recognize.
ALT2870 Nah I mean there a literally just some guitar parts I hear that nobody has in our production. Namely the octave double in the Mamma Mia melody guitar solo. I’d look for a time stamp but I can’t play the video without discarding the comment on mobile
I'm all about live performance. I'm a drummer too. I wish there were logistics that made a real set possible, that's all. Electronic drums sound too perfect to me. Personal taste.
@@Arsinoe22 Agreed. The same could be said for the software that the electronic drums run on. Acoustic avoids all of that. Acoustic Drums > Electronic Drums > Recorded Drums. But I'm not trying to start an argument or anything. :)
Electronic or Acoustic, you still need to play them. You could equally record acoustics. One big benefit I can see for electronics, is how much quieter they would be in the confines of the pit. BTW I played for a local production of Mamma Mia, and was able to do things like map Timpani to a couple of pads, because they could not afford to have real ones.
Matheus Neves live theatre relies on performers being able to adapt to mishaps on stage or technical issues, which a prerecorded track isn't able to do.
Do you also object to live musicians using keyboards instead of acoustic pianos? How do you feel about electric guitars? Are they just supervising playback, too? Don't be ludicrous.
lekoman it’s not just for the drummer tho! It’s also to keep the whole band in the pocket of the groove so every show is consistent. Shows have many technical elements that all have to work together with the music. And often lighting and set automation is tied into the click tracks. I guess you could think of it as the heart beat of the show, not just for the band/orchestra.
"Please turn off all recording devices"
Drummer:
I wonder if there will so many random pov videos
@Lyman Mashburn Stupid Scam and you know that. stfu
This is the way
1:59 - that moment when your clicktrack becomes a tuned percussion instrument... 😎
I always kinda scoff at ppl that are like “I’m so glad the drummer didn’t overplay” cause it’s like damn just let them have fun it’s music. But this performance felt like the *perfect* amount of drums. So tight and full but not very complicated. Good shit
This is musicianship at another level. Playing to a click is one thing, but you also have to know chart, be spot on with your fills & time and play in a cramped, unknown-to-the-audience location for multiple shows a day.
Kudos to you who have obviously done this for a minute.🤘🏻🤘🏻
I’ve been been a theatre drummer since 2017, it’s hard and stressful career. Although I’ve made friends through it. It is a really hard job, sometimes playing for 6-8 hours a day can be tiring. All of it, every show is done to a click and sight read.
I fancy the drummer
Is playing with a click harder? I feel like it’s easier
What an amazing sensation to be there playing drums for a whole audience, cast and band. Congratulations!
I like the man saying 12345678
I was in the pit and he se 12345678 two
Cues helps not to mess the song order.
Rob F thats right love mamma Mia
@@captainquin8099 I remember a duo, not using cues and the saxophone player began to early to play (after half of the intro)
Rob F yes thats right but i play in october the Broadway from mamma Mia and the director she that the last seccons that i Will do a solo from the drum. 😂😂
Pulling out the book is a dope move though.
I guess playing angry birds in breaks gets boring after a while ^^
Great job. Also thanks for including the clicks. It's hard to imagine how all of you would stay in sync otherwise. Another mystery solved...
I remember sitting in the front row for Mamma Mia in Toronto and looking into the pit to see one of the keyboardists reading a magazine between her parts and was amazed how easily she moved back and forth between reading and playing.
I have played many show on trumpet and if the pit is deep and you can't be seen by the audience it's normal for a book or even a deck of cards to appear in long dialogue parts lol
I know right? A drummer who can read?! ;) Juuuuust kidding, yo. Nice playing.
Just amazed at these people's skills
redstrat1234 thanks!
Most of the pub/club band drummers I know would have a heart attack if they were shown a metronome, never mind given a clicktrack lol. Great work sir.
Really ? this looks like highly skilled work. Not many could do what you do, so you think that you would get paid a premium rate
That's awful. I don't suppose it's any different in the UK. What do you do when the run ends ? do you try and set yourself up with something just before the run finishes ?
heck I'm amazed 1 person can conduct AND play keyboard. but I GUESS that's easy when there are only 9 musicians in the pit.
Those synths in the background are pure ear candy. Never thought an ABBA musical would sound this good
This is absolutely amazing
the slight tempo change when the SOS theme starts is so good, it was a part I didn't play because I was keys 2 but it sounded cool haha
edit- playing it again and starting Keys 4 todayyyyy 😝✌️ tbh not the most interesting part but some of the lines are so sick
This makes me incredibly happy! Thank you so much for this clip, and for your part in this incredible legacy of a show!!
I just love this overture xx 😘
Wow - love this. Great seeing what goes on behind the scenes!
i really want to get into guitar to become a pit musician because of vids like these!
same! I play electric right now and I wanna persue it and do pit band and stuff
I don't think I've ever seen a drummer sit behind his kit and not make a sound before. lol Well done!
I was putting the phone up to my ear to hear what the man was saying at the beginning then the metronome started. I shit my pants.
My favourite musical EVER
This is the music I wanna hear while descending into the afterlife 👁️👄👁️
Interesting that he doesn't even have the music on the stand. Obviously, it wouldn't be tough to memorize after a few weeks, but I thought industry standard was to at least have the music THERE, just in case.
I assume its wgsr on his screen. One is conductor the other is drum tab
@@apricothopeful3510 I hadn't considered that. I just assumed one monitor was the conductor and the other was the stage.
Yeah most often the monitors are conductor and stage - I've sat in a few pits and that tends to be the way. On a lot of musicals it's unlikely consider playing completely without a pad eg Wicked or something more complicated. But on pop/rock jukebox musicals then especially for a drummer who arguably will have the easiest part, the sheet music can end up being more of a distraction once you have it down and there is really no real risk of forgetting your part.
Any ideas what the box of switches are bellow his mixer
A whole show like Mama Mia most of professional musicians can easily memorise after few days of learning. Once I had a contract on the ship as a showband musician (bass) where I had to learn choreography, - for we had to move a lot with the cast, - and all the music for 2 long shows (50 minutes each), and I had only one week to prepare, besides that I also always had time to get pissed in the crew bar :)
please turn off all recording devices
drummer: yea sure
I don't know why I never would have guessed you guys were able to use meters during shows. That's so cool!
Lots of shows these days are complex enough from a technical perspective that they have to be on a click track so the lights, flies, and stage turtles can be digitally synced directly to the music and cue everything all at once, perfectly.
I helped set up this production when it rolled into a city close to where I live. Each musician has a closed circuit video monitor at their station. One is a close up of the music director. I don’t remember if the other one is a wide shot of the stage. You can see the monitors on the upper left corner of this shot. The sound for this show was pretty amazing since every instrument was running direct. There were no amps at all in the pit. But it was mostly due to the fact that the musicians are top-notch.
Hi Daniel,
How does one go about auditioning for playing in a pit band as a musician?
Assuming that they have the necessary skill set (Sight Reading, Proficiency etc.)
E.g. Are there websites to look at with listings?
I wouldn’t be certain, Jack. Maybe if you attend a show and talk to some of the musicians. Networking goes a long way.
Having played in an orchestra before the most relatable part? Having something good to read. :-)
That is awesome, the orchestra is the best
Intresting that he has no sheets.
Thank you for sharing this. Amazing job!
I like it when you started reading. This reminds me of the musicians in the tip in Milan, Italy, when I saw the musical. When the first act was over, they started reading
In other videos I didn’t hear this prologue, I really hope I get to play the version with this little intro when I perform this👌
This is so cool!!! Amazing Job!!
Absolute pro. Lots of groove. 🤙
Wow that audience roars when the curtain goes up.
gives me chills each time !
Your a great drummer 🥁🎼🎵🎶
Hi Derek. Yours is the best arrangement and playing for Mamma Mia, that I have found on CZcams. (Why is everyone playing different parts when they have the charts in front of them?). I am due to play for Mamma Mia in January. I have a TD30 too. Do you mind telling me how you set up your user kit(s) for the show?
Must be so much fun to do that, especially when you reached the point that you don’t have to look at the sheet music anymore.
God he makes it look easy !
Every time they’re about to start a new epic song and then they go to a new one 😭
Damn, this was great :D
Hé on 2:21 is that Two guitar playing together that on 🔥🔥🔥
Very nice job indeed sir!
Love ur playing and setup. Subscribed
I love that you don't overplay... Great stuff!
Wow......Just Wow
Great playing. That click track would drive me up the wall though. Do you then walk home at c=120?
on fire!🔥🔥🔥
Amazing job!
I see the secret of 16th on Hi Hat, doing the 8th with the left hand and the off beats with the right one.
exelente trabajo
Are you allowed to read books during the Show?
Yes, they'll be times when an artist will be sat waiting to play for up to 15 minutes, as long as you don't miss your cue you're gonna want to read to avoid getting bored and fidgety...
James Scanlan funny 😄
James Scanlan if i would Play there, i would sit there and stare at the paper to read the music
I've played in productions where the brass players were knitting during the show, I personally like to read ahead the music of any changes that may have happened,
@@FinesthandmadeMusic After you've been playing the same thing over and over 8 times a week for months and months, believe me, you won't want to stare at the paper to read the music.
5 ***** awesome playing!!
Christ, reminds me of the few months I did sessions for bumpers/jingles and the times you'd do demos with MIDI only keyboardists. That constant click in one ear; I finally got it to be a kick sample on one & then hi hats on the rest for my sanity. This cat is a pro, no stressing at that gig grabbing a book, lol.. probably like his 80th show or something... Very comfortable with the material...
1:07 nice fill
PTSD from the click track from when I was in band
is there a way i could get the whole show of you playing...
same here
harry_mwalker you’re most likely right. when i wrote this, i wanted to have it listen to how he played each song. well fast forward to present day and i’ve already done a production of mamma mia (that unfortunately got cancelled due to corona) but now i know all the songs lol🤷🏽♂️.
Reminds me of cirque du soleid videos.
1:59 - 2:38 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
👍🏻
Love the playing! Which kit is it you’re using. Looking to get a Roland
How were you able to record all of the audio? Did you just record your ears?
Every musician has a Aviom (mini mixer) and they can usually take a mix from that for recording.
Your playing is outstanding and I wish I could see you play the entire show. I'm gearing up to play this musical and I have a Roland TD-50 and they don't sound nearly as awesome as your digital kit. Can you please help me with what kit you are using? I would greatly appreciate the help! I'm killing myself to get them dialed in.
Perfectly on point! Did you play sheet music or did you figur out something fitting by yourself?
FunnyVideos there is sheet music for all professional performances of musical theatre...
@@hmcvm Thats correct, but i compared his playing to recordings of other professional performances and they were not identical. Thats why im asking. I think they all have the sheet music, but develop some parts differently.
FunnyVideos yep you're right. Often the sheet music will notate "2 bar fill", where the performer will be able to add their own interpretation :)
@@hmcvm Thank you, that is what i wanted to know ^^.
@@dazzduo I'm basically quoting someone from a Wicked drum cam comment when I say this, but a good pit drummer will often use what's written as a guide for what to play. How much they change will vary from song to song and show to show. There are also some shows where you're not gonna want to make any changes, but other shows like this, or Wicked since I already referenced it in this comment, have a lot of room for interpretation.
Is this from the actual Broadway musical? Where is this in relation to the stage? Great job.
76ADAM49 overture!
He's right under the front lip of the stage. It's either his video of Voulez Vous or Under Attack that you can see fog from fog machines on stage pouring into the pit. In terms of this being from the broadway production, not a clue.
UK national tour I believe
Better than the album version in my opinion.
That was interesting to watch, thank you for sharing! :) 0:17 That warning message from the speaker went over my head; was it supposed to be a joke, or was it a genuine warning...?
Are they using main stage for the midi keys?
Hollie Parish Yes
Click drum/metronome must be needed as there's a few bpm changes during the track. Well done
Who controls the metronome? Is it the musical director or someone offstage?
I controlled the click track with a device we referred to as the "Go Box". A lot of productions will use a pad to trigger clicks/tracks as well.
Interesting! I would have assumed the MD had control over when the music begins and the tempo.
adam4757 the MD still does have the overall control as he gave me the cues for when to begin the click. You sorta treat it like just playing another instrument
The conductors changes the beat, with his foot, he taps something, with his foot to change the beat.
that click would drive me nuts
It drives me nuts, But its what they use to keep to the rhythm
I bet you'll be thinking of this video next time you hear a faucet dripping.
Would the audience experience anything different if these drums were played from a sequence? I'm all in favour of live music, just curious.
@@FlyBoyMT ebb and flow with a click track and a chart to play? I understand that each night's performance would be slightly different with a live drummer, but in most cases the audience is not comparing one night to another. sequences sound robotic? you could record the exact performance in this video and play it back from a sequencer. I'm not talking about a sequence with everything quantized to a grid.
Sounds like 90s video game music
Does the click track happen throughout the whole show or when a song is about to start?
this is at least for the production i’m in, its only for a few songs.
@@skylarniang6993 ok. What do you play in?
JustLeo I’m playing in my high schools production on keyboard 4(we are an arts school, so it’s not as bad as you’d think for a high school) we have it play in voulez-vous, overture, mamma mia, the mega mix at the very end, our last summer and i believe that it
Skylar Niang after watching these types of videos I wish more than anything my high school’s musicals would use live musicians. Our music program and director are definitely good enough to arrange parts and perform but they use backing tracks instead (although i do go to a public high school so that explains it)
whats samples are you using
Do the theatre give you a drum kit or you used your own
They give it to you
Ok
You never have to bring your own drums. If you do, you always bring acoustic drums.
My dream is to play like you ,😭
Which production is this?
Derek where is the percussion and the guitar 😕 I can not see some times I see the percussion on de left side or right
What did say it about white spandex?
JustLeo “We must also warn patrons of a nervous disposition that platform boots and white spandex are are featured in this production.”
@@idhott oh thanks
What kit do you use
I think td25 or td30
Its either a Td 30 or TD 50 from Roland Vdrums
That is a TD30.
0:53 what song is it?
Lay all your love over me
Where is this?
What's that green button for?
What are these buttons for?
I am a drummer. How can I get a copy of the drum art to practice this? Thanks
Is this what in ears sound like? Serious question. You can hear everything
Yes
What IEMs are you using
shure psm200s they look like
Nice clicktrack tho!
Which Kit is it?
It’s a Roland V drums model. The brain/module is a Roland TD 30! Also the fancy hi hats are VH-13’s I think.
What song is from 1:01 to 1:09?
I believe that’s the instrumental from Money, Money, Money!
Do you still have all the backing tracks and clicks? Is it on Audacity? I would buy them from you. We are doing Mamma Mia in April 2020. I'm on the drums. (I have Roland TD-50KV too) Thanks! Steve
É bravo, per quel poco che si riesce a sentire.
Most dramtic intro ever haha
It's essentially a tribute concert with some talking in between songs, it needs to be!
0:53-1:01 what the song?
The main part is lay all your love on me but there is another song remixed in it
by ABBA
How big is the orchestra pit member wise for this musical?
If you are referring to the show in general, it calls for x4 keyboard, x2 guitar, bass, drums, percussion. No idea for this specific performance. Check out the page on MTI for more specifics.
@@ALTFlying I think this production might have three guitars. I'm guitar 2 in my school's upcoming production and there are some parts here and there I don't recognize.
@@idhott The bass would be a bass guitar, not a standup bass, which would be three guitars theoratically. Is that what you have?
ALT2870 Nah I mean there a literally just some guitar parts I hear that nobody has in our production. Namely the octave double in the Mamma Mia melody guitar solo. I’d look for a time stamp but I can’t play the video without discarding the comment on mobile
nice metronome
Hi
The guy on the left wear sandals with socks
We all do, since it's very rare for the audience to see us in the pit.
with the long blond hair, without socks? Lady E-Gitar
Its a lass playing Bass, isnt it?
Frank..Zap..pa..was..born..in..nine..teen..for..ty
Electronic cymbals and drums makes me wonder why they need the drummer at all. Just play a recording. It would be 100% identical in sound.
I'm all about live performance. I'm a drummer too. I wish there were logistics that made a real set possible, that's all. Electronic drums sound too perfect to me. Personal taste.
@@Arsinoe22 Agreed. The same could be said for the software that the electronic drums run on. Acoustic avoids all of that. Acoustic Drums > Electronic Drums > Recorded Drums. But I'm not trying to start an argument or anything. :)
@@Arsinoe22 Good points
Electronic or Acoustic, you still need to play them. You could equally record acoustics. One big benefit I can see for electronics, is how much quieter they would be in the confines of the pit. BTW I played for a local production of Mamma Mia, and was able to do things like map Timpani to a couple of pads, because they could not afford to have real ones.
I don't want to sound rude. But if you are using a electronic drumm what's the difference between a playback and you playing?
Matheus Neves live theatre relies on performers being able to adapt to mishaps on stage or technical issues, which a prerecorded track isn't able to do.
@@hmcvm Yet...
Do you also object to live musicians using keyboards instead of acoustic pianos? How do you feel about electric guitars? Are they just supervising playback, too? Don't be ludicrous.
lekoman it’s not just for the drummer tho! It’s also to keep the whole band in the pocket of the groove so every show is consistent. Shows have many technical elements that all have to work together with the music. And often lighting and set automation is tied into the click tracks. I guess you could think of it as the heart beat of the show, not just for the band/orchestra.
@@peterjohns7295 Dunno why you're directing that at me - I know all of that.
must be fun to play behind the curtain ... but why ? take computer band noone will spot difference