Transcripts Provided by World Without Borders

Chat Sponsored by Pro-Mark Stix Corporation

Chat Date: September 25, 2001

 

Art Verdi: It's great to be here! I'm glad that you are having me on this chat.

GCS Cys: To start with, tell us a little bit about your start as a musician.

Art Verdi: My father was a jazz violinist and then he turned into a cabinet refinisher and he collected a lot of Big Band 78 records. As a child I got a chance to hear a lot of the great bands of that era and I started recognizing the Kruppa style, the Buddy Rich style and the Chick Webb style. I learned early the importance of a drummer keeping good time and swinging with the band. When I got my drum set, I started keeping time and playing to these records. Then I started going into playing with Count Basie and Woody Herman, and I created my own style this way. I was playing to their records to find my own style.

bb thomas: Mr Verdi What is your daily practice schedule?

Art Verdi: The first thing I would do is to play warm-up rudiments with the metronome. Then once my hands are fully warmed up, I then practice with the drumometer. I keep a daily log of what I am doing and where my hands are with the drumometer. Then I just get on the drums for the rest of the time and work out different and new patterns for the drums.I do a lot of independence exercises and I work out musicial new ideas all the time.

SoundzapS: What is it about Pro-mark sticks that you like them better than others. I mean, is there a reason. I can't seem to find much difference in sticks

Art Verdi: The reason why is because I went shopping for drumsticks, I didn't have much time and they didn't have my brand but they did have Pro-Mark sticks. I figured I'd be there at least a half hour because I am very fussy when it comes to the balance and the tone of the stick, but the first package was completely to my liking. I like the tone of each stick to match perfectly. The next time I went to get sticks, the second package was perfect. Their sticks are matched very well.

Jerry Mitchell: I heard you played for Joe Morello a few times and that you were friends at one time. Is this true? Did you ever take lessons from Joe?

Art Verdi: I still consider Joe a friend of mine, and I learned a lot from Joe just from watching him play and talking with him. I never formally took a lesson from him - which I should have - and he is a very generous and humble man when giving you information that you ask him for. I have not heard in the last couple of months but I assume that Joe is still around and playing.

Craig Alan: Can you tell everyone the type of grip you used to set the new record?

Art Verdi: I use traditional grip when I broke the record.

dnugking: Art, when are we to expect an instructional video released to the public? I know I will purchase one.

Art Verdi: I've been inquiring in different studios about setting up a technique tape. We have a few in mind and I am getting my materials together. We should have something out soon.

DrummerMom: Mr. Verdi, How often do you practice in order to maintain your level of speed doing single strokes?

Art Verdi: Each day varies. If I can get in a few hours, that's great, but sometimes things come up and I can't put in the time that I would like. Every time I get the chance, I try to keep up with my technique as much as I can.

Hank Parks: Where did you get that dyna sonic snare? I been looking for one of those for years.

Art Verdi: I bought a Rogers drum set (4 pieces) and at that time, DynaSonic was very popular. I think that Buddy Rich even played one then. I've kept it though the years and now I still use it as my snare drum because I love the sound.

SoundzapS: Art, do you read music?

Art Verdi: Yes, definitely. I learned to read music when I first started when I was six years old. In fact, I played little vibes too.

bb thomas: What is the left hand finger technique that you use?

Art Verdi: That's a good question, bb thomas! I use the the index finger and the middle finger to manipulate the stick between those two fingers. I actually control the bounce of the stick with those two fingers.

Tim Waterson: Art you say you can play triplets on your left hand at over 200 does that mean your new record will be 1200?

Art Verdi: I can play triplets at 200, but when you go into a single stroke roll you have to maintain an even single stroke roll for a minute so basically a single stroke isn't going to be as fast as just manipulating the stick between either hand. That makes the count less - at least for me anyway.

frankysaro: You talk a lot about Buddy RIch. Did you know him or play with him?

Art Verdi: I met him quite a few times in New York - especially in Buddy's Place, and I happened to work a lot of gigs with his guitar player that he used at Buddy's Place. His name is Jack Wilkins. A lot of the times, he would call me and invite me to come down and spend time with them. I have not seen him in a long time. Buddy was always a very humorous and perfect gentleman.

nashvilledrummer: Art, what can WFD fans do to round out their skills and talent as drummers?

Art Verdi: Well, like I put on my site...a lot of drummers try to express themselves musically but they don't have the technique to work out a lot of the ideas that they want to play. Getting involved with the WFD or the drumometer and keeping a log on their progress will strengthen their hands and feet to be able to execute ideas that they could not do now.

danb: Art, have you surpassed the 1,116/min. mark?

Art Verdi: A few times I did, danb, but it was not on the camcorder at the time. In fact, one time I did and I forgot to press the record button.

danb: What has been your highest score thus far?

Art Verdi: I've also done 1119...it is very difficult to maintain those score every day.

penguin4sale: I have had a drumometer for about a year now, but have not been able to pass the 800 mark... what type of excercises do you recommend?

Art Verdi: top score - 1126 since I've been using the drumometer. I would recommend that you get a metronome and 800 is about 133... Go down to 130 and try to play at least as long as you can at that lower speed - sixteen note triplets. Then go to 133 and try to do that for at least a couple of minutes or as long as you can and then when you feel that you can maintain 133 for well over a minute, you should be able to do 135 for a good minute... If you play 135 and use the drumometer, the drumometer should register more than 800...you'd be increasing it like to 810; You just keep on and on doing that, increasing the speed on the metronome and it will build. I strongly feel that if you keep doing what I say, you should reach 900 in no time. Yes, you use the drumometer and metronome at the same time, but first you should metronome alone at a lesser speed and master it in a minute.

dnugking: Art working with your hands so, does it take away your from feet, can they keep up to your record. Do you use a double peddle.

Art Verdi: No, I don't use a double pedal, but my right foot is always going as I am practicing on the pad.

Lee Taylor: Hi Mr. Verdi congradulations on being the Fastest Drummer Champion. My name is Lee Taylor and I am 14. I play drums in the school band and my teacher Mr. Herron uses a Drumometer for teaching us drummers. When I play single strokes at my fastest after about 20 seconds he says my left hand starts to buzz. Mr. Herron says it will take time and practice to make my hand stronger so that this won't happen. Do you have any secrets for making my left hand faster with it not buzzing? Thank you.

Art Verdi: Again...getting back to the metronome. If you set it to a comfortable that you can play eight notes to with just the left hand, when you reach that speed in which you go into a buzz, work on the top speed that you don't buzz. Strengthen that until you can play at the speed that you are buzzing at now without buzzing (and you shouldn't buzz)

SoundzapS: what the hell was your score when you were in your 30's? geez, that is some great score. Were you even faster then?

Art Verdi: I assume I was faster then but they did not have a drumometer then so I don't know. That was actually about 26 years ago!

Craig Alan: Art, there has been quite a controversy over the Drumometer and the WFD. We all know that drumming is NOT all about speed. Having said that, can you explain how developing speed can be a tool for developing great groove ability? Could you also tell everyone which Pro-Mark sticks you use?

Art Verdi: I use 5A Pro-Mark Stix. I always feel that the more technique that a drummer has, the easier it is for him to maintain any kind of up-tempo grooves. I've seen drummers whose hands just cannot play as fast as the groove and they tire and that spoils the groove of the band. That happens because the tempo starts to drag especially with these punk bands because they play a lot of up-tempo grooves. The more technique he has, the more he could express himself as well as keeping the groove going.

Tim Waterson: Art how do you build up power in your fingers your hands are very high off the drums?

Art Verdi: When I broke that record, the sticks were nowhere near as high as that. I used mainly finger control when I broke the record. That video that you see with the sticks up high is bringing the stick up with the wrist and not the fingers. Basically, a lot of people think that I can play 11/16th at that height, but I use finger control at those speeds.

GCS Cys: Thank you Art Verdi! This was great fun. I am so glad you could join us today here at WWB and Pro-Mark's trading Fours! Thank you everyone who sent great questions in this way wonderful!

Art Verdi: Thank you all for joining the chat. It was my pleasure to be here! Goodnight all...