Gospel Chops: fashion or a real new style?
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Drummer, Percussionist, Composer, Arranger, Author
Periodically, waves of music arrive that change the balance of customs, the Afro-American communities, which for many generations have met regularly in churches to sing in large groups either a cappella or accompanied by a band, unleash an irrepressible energy, many prominent elements of world music were born there, such as the great Aretha Franklin to name one of the most representative voices of Soul.
The musicians who accompany the singers, and specifically the drummers, have elaborated the traditional drumming rudiments which include sticking (combinations of alternating single and double strokes) and linear phrases (combinations of strokes between hands and feet) so far nothing new, but they have elaborated them exponentially thus creating a veritable language or if you like, a new style. They are called 'Gospel Chops'. I'm referring to those new models of hyper-technical betterism that at times verge on the circus. Obviously in a world where speed is king, all this has great appeal, especially among young drummers.
Already teacher Gary Chaffee of the Berklee School in Boston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqTm61bEzA more than forty years ago, he wrote a series of groundbreaking volumes https://www.garychaffee.com/booksdvds where he delved into the study and application of this technique, these books are now part of the syllabus of all drum schools and have certainly been a reference for Gospel Chops drummers as well,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFMMcEuYoaQ.
Being a technically very 'flashy' drumming style, it is often used to show off one's technical ability in online videos, which, however, sometimes borders on a repetitive exercise for its own sake, neglecting the musical content.
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