ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Clayton Cameron - Drummer
A pioneer in brush technique, drummer Clayton Cameron has toured with Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett and jazz legend Kenny Burrell.

Why you should listen

Clayton Cameron holds a unique title: Brush Master. That's because this percussionist prefers brushes to sticks, and has spent his career perfecting the art of brush technique. Cameron grew up in Los Angeles and started drumming at a young age on empty oatmeal boxes. After college, he moved to Las Vegas, where he was hired as the drummer for Sammy Davis Jr.'s big band. "It would be Sammy's tap dancing night after night that would inspire my brush playing," says Cameron.

During his tenure with Sammy Davis Jr., Cameron played with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. And, after moving to New York, he struck up a longterm friendship with Tony Bennett, and spent 15 years touring with the master. Cameron recorded 15 albums with Bennett, including his Grammy-winning Tony Bennett Unplugged.

Cameron has also worked with jazz legend Kenny Burrell, who encouraged him to teach at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music. In addition, Cameron released his debut album in 2012, Here's to the Messengers: Tribute to Art Blakey, and formed his own group, Jazz eXplosion. Cameron has also released several DVDs over the years as well as a book, Brushworks

More profile about the speaker
Clayton Cameron | Speaker | TED.com
TEDYouth 2013

Clayton Cameron: A-rhythm-etic. The math behind the beats

Clayton Cameron: Rhyth-matik -- Die Mathematik hinter dem Beat

Filmed:
1,035,486 views

Seid ihr bereit, auf euren Sitzplätzen zu tanzen? Der Schlagzeuger Clayton Cameron schlüsselt verschiedene Musikrichtungen -- von R&B über Latin bis hin zu Pop -- durch ihren Rhythmus auf. Eine Darbietung, die beweist, dass Hip Hop und Jazz nicht cooler als Mathe sind, denn sie basieren darauf.
- Drummer
A pioneer in brush technique, drummer Clayton Cameron has toured with Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett and jazz legend Kenny Burrell. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

Wie viele von euch lieben Rhythmus?
00:12
How manyviele of you love rhythmRhythmus?
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Oh yeah, oh yeah. Oh yeah. (CheersCheers)
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Oh yeah, oh yeah. Oh yeah. (Jubel)
00:18
(DrummingTrommeln)
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(trommelt)
00:27
I mean, I love all kindsArten of rhythmRhythmus.
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Ich liebe alle möglichen Rhythmen.
00:31
I like to playspielen jazzJazz,
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Ich spiele gern Jazz,
00:33
a little funkFunk,
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ein bisschen Funk
00:36
and hipHüfte hopHop,
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und Hip Hop,
00:40
a little popPop, a little R&B,
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ein bisschen Pop, ein bisschen R&B,
00:47
a little LatinLatein,
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ein bisschen Latin,
00:54
AfricanAfrikanische.
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afrikanische Musik.
01:05
And this grooveNut right here,
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Und dieser Rhythmus hier
01:13
comeskommt from the CrescentHalbmond CityStadt,
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stammt aus der Crescent City
(New Orleans),
01:16
the oldalt secondzweite lineLinie.
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der alte "Second Line"-Rhythmus.
01:18
(CheersCheers)
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(Jubel)
01:25
Now, one thing all those rhythmsRhythmen have in commonverbreitet
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All diese Rhythmen haben eines gemeinsam:
01:31
is mathMathe,
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Mathe.
01:32
and I call it a-rhythm-etica-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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Ich nenne es "Rhyth-matik".
01:35
Can you repeatwiederholen after me? A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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Könnt ihr es nachsprechen? Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Rhyth-matik.
01:40
ClaytonClayton CameronCameron: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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Clayton Cameron: Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Rhyth-matik.
01:42
CCCC: A-rhythmA-Rhythmus a-rhythmein Rhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythmA-Rhythmus a-rhythmein Rhythmus.
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CC: Rhyth-ma, Rhyth-ma.
Publikum: Rhyth-ma, Rhyth-ma.
01:44
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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CC: Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Ryth-matik.
01:46
CCCC: Yeah.
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CC: Yeah.
01:50
Now all those stylesStile of rhythmRhythmus
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Bei all diesen Rhythmusstilen
01:55
are all countedgezählt in fourvier
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zählt man 4 Schläge,
01:59
and then subdividedunterteilt by threedrei.
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die dann in 3 unterteilt werden.
02:02
What?
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Was?
02:04
Yeah. ThreeDrei is a magicMagie numberNummer.
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Yeah. 3 ist eine magische Zahl.
02:08
ThreeDrei is a groovin'Groovin ' numberNummer.
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3 ist eine groovende Zahl.
02:10
ThreeDrei is a hip-hopHipHop kindArt of numberNummer.
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3 ist eine Art Hip-Hop-Zahl.
02:14
But what does subdividingUnterteilung von by threedrei mean?
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Aber was bedeutet
das Unterteilen in drei?
02:17
And countingZählen off by fourvier?
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Und das Abzählen von vier?
02:19
Well, look, think of it this way.
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Stellt es euch einfach so vor.
02:21
A measuremessen of musicMusik- as a dollarDollar.
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Ein Takt als einen Dollar.
02:25
Now a dollarDollar has fourvier quartersViertel, right?
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Ein Dollar besteht
aus 4 Vierteldollarmünzen. Stimmt's?
02:31
And so does a 4/4 measuremessen of musicMusik-.
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Und so ist es bei einem 4/4-Takt.
02:34
It has fourvier quarterQuartal notesNotizen.
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Da gibt es 4 Viertelnoten.
02:38
Now, how do you subdivideunterteilen?
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Wie unterteilt man das jetzt?
02:40
Now let's envisionsich vorstellen this:
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Stellt es euch so vor:
02:45
threedrei dollars'Dollar ' worthwert of quartersViertel.
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Vierteldollarmünzen im Wert von 3 Dollar.
02:48
You would have threedrei groupsGruppen of fourvier,
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Ihr hättet 3 Vierergruppen,
02:52
and you would countGraf it,
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und ihr würdet sie zählen:
02:54
a-one-two-three-foura eins zwei drei vier, one-two-three-foureins zwei drei vier,
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
02:56
one-two-three-foureins zwei drei vier. TogetherZusammen.
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
Alle zusammen.
CC und das Publikum: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3 - 4, 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
02:58
All: A-one-two-three-fourA eins zwei drei vier,
one-two-three-foureins zwei drei vier, one-two-three-foureins zwei drei vier.
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03:01
CCCC: Okay, now you feel that?
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CC: Okay, klingt das gut?
03:04
Now let's take those threedrei groupsGruppen of fourvier
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Jetzt nehmen wir diese 3 Vierergruppen
03:09
and make them fourvier groupsGruppen of threedrei.
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und machen daraus 4 Dreiergruppen.
03:13
And listen to this.
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Hört euch das an.
03:15
A-one-two-three-fourA eins zwei drei vier, one-two-three-foureins zwei drei vier,
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
03:17
one-two-three-foureins zwei drei vier, with me.
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4, sprecht es mir nach.
03:19
One-two-three-fourEins zwei drei vier, one-two-threeeins-zwei-drei, come on, y'ally ' all!
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3, kommt schon!
03:22
All: One-two-three-fourEins zwei drei vier,
one-two-three-foureins zwei drei vier, one-two-three-foureins zwei drei vier, ahAh.
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Alle: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3 - 4, 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
03:27
CCCC: There you go.
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CC: Jetzt habt ihr es!
03:28
All right, secondzweite lineLinie.
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Okay, Second Line.
03:34
One-two-three-fourEins zwei drei vier, one-two-threeeins-zwei-drei.
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3.
03:38
One-two-three-fourEins zwei drei vier, one-two-threeeins-zwei-drei.
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3.
03:41
One-two-three-fourEins zwei drei vier, one-two-threeeins-zwei-drei.
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3.
03:44
One-two-three-fourEins zwei drei vier, one-two-threeeins-zwei-drei. Yeah.
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1 - 2 - 3 - 4,
1 - 2 - 3. Yeah.
03:48
Now, that's what I call a-rhythm-etica-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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Das nenne ich Rhyth-matik.
03:51
Can you say it? A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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Könnt ihr es sagen? Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Rhyth-matik.
03:53
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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CC: Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Rhyth-matik.
03:55
CCCC: A-rhythmA-Rhythmus a-rhythmein Rhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythmA-Rhythmus a-rhythmein Rhythmus.
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CC: Rhyth-ma, Rhyth-ma.
Publikum: Rhyth-ma, Rhyth-ma.
03:57
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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CC: Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Rhyth-matik.
03:59
CCCC: Yeah. Now pickwähle the swingSwing
beatschlagen, and do the samegleich thing.
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CC: Yeah. Jetzt nehmen wir den Swing
Beat und machen das Gleiche.
04:02
One, two, one, two, a-one-two-three-foura eins zwei drei vier.
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1 - 2, 1 -2, 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
04:12
Yeah. MmMm.
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Yeah. Hm.
04:16
One-two-threeEins-zwei-drei, one-two-threeeins-zwei-drei,
one-two-threeeins-zwei-drei, one-two-threeeins-zwei-drei. WhooWhoo.
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1 - 2 - 3, 1 - 2 - 3,
1 - 2 - 3, 1 - 2 - 3. Whoo!
04:21
So I want to take the secondzweite lineLinie beatschlagen
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Jetzt möchte ich den Second-Line-Rhythmus
04:25
and the swingSwing beatschlagen and put them togetherzusammen,
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und den Swing Beat zusammenfügen,
04:27
and it soundsGeräusche something like this.
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und das klingt ungefähr so.
04:43
AhaAha.
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Aha.
04:44
A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Rhyth-matik.
04:46
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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CC: Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Rhyth-matik.
04:48
CCCC: A-rhythmA-Rhythmus a-rhythmein Rhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythmA-Rhythmus a-rhythmein Rhythmus.
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CC: Rhyth-ma, Rhyth-ma.
Publikum: Rhyth-ma, Rhyth-ma.
04:50
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
AudiencePublikum: A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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CC: Rhyth-matik.
Publikum: Rhyth-matik.
04:52
CCCC: Yeah. Hip-hopHip Hop.
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CC: Yeah. Hip Hop.
04:56
Now it's usingmit a fasterschneller groupGruppe of threedrei
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Hier wird eine schnellere Dreiergruppe
verwendet,
04:59
we call a tripletTriplett.
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die wir Triole nennen.
05:01
Triplet-tripletTriplett-Triplett. Say it with me.
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Triole-Triole. Sprecht es mit.
05:03
All: Triplet-tripletTriplett-Triplett.
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Alle: Triole-Triole.
05:06
CCCC: Triplet-tripletTriplett-Triplett. Triplet-tripletTriplett-Triplett.
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CC: Triole-Triole. Triole-Triole.
05:12
CCCC: So I'll take all the rhythmsRhythmen
that you heardgehört earliervorhin,
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CC: Ich nehme also all die Rhythmen,
die ihr zuvor gehört habt,
05:16
we'llGut put them togetherzusammen, and they soundklingen like this.
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füge sie zusammen,
und das klingt dann so.
05:43
A-rhythm-eticA-Rhythmus-Schulrhythmus.
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Rhyth-matik.
05:45
(ApplauseApplaus)
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(Beifall)
Translated by Oradjeha Tanshi
Reviewed by Nadine Hennig

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Clayton Cameron - Drummer
A pioneer in brush technique, drummer Clayton Cameron has toured with Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett and jazz legend Kenny Burrell.

Why you should listen

Clayton Cameron holds a unique title: Brush Master. That's because this percussionist prefers brushes to sticks, and has spent his career perfecting the art of brush technique. Cameron grew up in Los Angeles and started drumming at a young age on empty oatmeal boxes. After college, he moved to Las Vegas, where he was hired as the drummer for Sammy Davis Jr.'s big band. "It would be Sammy's tap dancing night after night that would inspire my brush playing," says Cameron.

During his tenure with Sammy Davis Jr., Cameron played with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. And, after moving to New York, he struck up a longterm friendship with Tony Bennett, and spent 15 years touring with the master. Cameron recorded 15 albums with Bennett, including his Grammy-winning Tony Bennett Unplugged.

Cameron has also worked with jazz legend Kenny Burrell, who encouraged him to teach at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music. In addition, Cameron released his debut album in 2012, Here's to the Messengers: Tribute to Art Blakey, and formed his own group, Jazz eXplosion. Cameron has also released several DVDs over the years as well as a book, Brushworks

More profile about the speaker
Clayton Cameron | Speaker | TED.com