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: A-ritmo-ética. Las matemáticas detrás de los ritmos

Filmed:
1,035,486 views

¿Listo para bailar en tu asiento? El baterista Clayton Cameron rompe diferentes géneros de música, desde R&B a latina y pop, con sus ritmos. Una charla que prueba que el hip hop y el jazz no son más divertidos que las matemáticas, simplemente se basan en ellas.
- 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.

00:12
How manymuchos of you love rhythmritmo?
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¿A cuántos de Uds.
les encanta el ritmo?
00:16
Oh yeah, oh yeah. Oh yeah. (CheersAclamaciones)
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Oh Sí, oh sí. Oh, sí.
(Aplausos)
00:18
(DrummingDrumming)
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(Tambores)
00:27
I mean, I love all kindsclases of rhythmritmo.
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Quiero decir,
me encanta todo tipo de ritmo.
00:31
I like to playjugar jazzjazz,
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Me gusta tocar jazz,
00:33
a little funkcanguelo,
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un poco de funk,
00:36
and hipcadera hopsalto,
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y hip hop,
00:40
a little poppopular, a little R&B,
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un poco de pop, un poco de R&B,
00:47
a little Latinlatín,
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un poco de latina,
00:54
Africanafricano.
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africana.
01:05
And this grooveranura right here,
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Y este ritmo,
01:13
comesproviene from the CrescentCreciente CityCiudad,
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proviene de Crescent City,
01:16
the oldantiguo secondsegundo linelínea.
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la vieja segunda línea.
01:18
(CheersAclamaciones)
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(Ovaciones)
01:25
Now, one thing all those rhythmsritmos have in commoncomún
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Ahora, una cosa que todos
esos ritmos tienen en común
01:31
is mathmates,
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son las matemáticas,
01:32
and I call it a-rhythm-etica-rhythm-etic.
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y yo lo llamo a-ritmo-ética.
01:35
Can you repeatrepetir after me? A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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¿Pueden repetir después de mí? A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
01:40
ClaytonClayton CameronCameron: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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Clayton Cameron: A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
01:42
CCCC: A-rhythmA-ritmo a-rhythma-ritmo.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythmA-ritmo a-rhythma-ritmo.
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CC: A-ritmo a-ritmo.
Audiencia: A-ritmo a-ritmo.
01:44
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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CC: A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
01:46
CCCC: Yeah.
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CC:¡Sí!
01:50
Now all those stylesestilos of rhythmritmo
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Todos esos estilos de ritmo
01:55
are all countedcontado in fourlas cuatro
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son contados en cuatro
01:59
and then subdividedsubdividido by threeTres.
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y luego subdivididos en tres.
02:02
What?
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¿Qué?
02:04
Yeah. ThreeTres is a magicmagia numbernúmero.
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Sí. Tres es un número mágico.
02:08
ThreeTres is a groovin'groovin ' numbernúmero.
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Tres es un número que disfrutamos.
02:10
ThreeTres is a hip-hophip hop kindtipo of numbernúmero.
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Tres es un número estilo hip-hop.
02:14
But what does subdividingsubdividiendo by threeTres mean?
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Pero ¿qué significa
subdividir por tres?
02:17
And countingcontando off by fourlas cuatro?
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¿Y contarse en cuatro?
02:19
Well, look, think of it this way.
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Bueno, piénsenlo así.
02:21
A measuremedida of musicmúsica as a dollardólar.
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Una medida de música
es como un dólar.
02:25
Now a dollardólar has fourlas cuatro quarterscuarteles, right?
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Un dólar tiene
cuatro cuartos, ¿sí?
02:31
And so does a 4/4 measuremedida of musicmúsica.
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Y también una medida
4/4 de música.
02:34
It has fourlas cuatro quartertrimestre notesnotas.
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Tiene cuatro cuartos de notas.
02:38
Now, how do you subdividesubdividir?
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Ahora, ¿cómo subdividen?
02:40
Now let's envisionguardar this:
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Vamos a imaginar esto:
02:45
threeTres dollars'dólares worthvalor of quarterscuarteles.
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el valor de tres dólares
en cuartos.
02:48
You would have threeTres groupsgrupos of fourlas cuatro,
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Tendrán tres grupos de cuatro,
02:52
and you would countcontar it,
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y contarán
02:54
a-one-two-three-foura-uno-dos-tres-cuatro, one-two-three-fouruno dos tres CUATRO,
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uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
02:56
one-two-three-fouruno dos tres CUATRO. TogetherJuntos.
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uno-dos-tres-cuatro.
Juntos.
02:58
All: A-one-two-three-fourA-uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
one-two-three-fouruno dos tres CUATRO, one-two-three-fouruno dos tres CUATRO.
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Todos: Uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres-cuatro, uno-dos-tres-cuatro.
03:01
CCCC: Okay, now you feel that?
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CC: Bien, ¿ahora lo sienten?
03:04
Now let's take those threeTres groupsgrupos of fourlas cuatro
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Ahora tomemos esos
tres grupos de cuatro
03:09
and make them fourlas cuatro groupsgrupos of threeTres.
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y hagamos cuatro grupos de tres.
03:13
And listen to this.
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Y escuchen esto.
03:15
A-one-two-three-fourA-uno-dos-tres-cuatro, one-two-three-fouruno dos tres CUATRO,
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Uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
03:17
one-two-three-fouruno dos tres CUATRO, with me.
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uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
repitan conmigo.
03:19
One-two-three-fourUno dos tres CUATRO, one-two-threeuno dos tres, come on, y'allustedes!
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Uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres, vamos, ¡todos!
03:22
All: One-two-three-fourUno dos tres CUATRO,
one-two-three-fouruno dos tres CUATRO, one-two-three-fouruno dos tres CUATRO, ahah.
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Todos: Uno-dos-tres-cuatro, uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres-cuatro, ah.
03:27
CCCC: There you go.
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CC: Ahí lo tienen.
03:28
All right, secondsegundo linelínea.
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Muy bien, segunda línea.
03:34
One-two-three-fourUno dos tres CUATRO, one-two-threeuno dos tres.
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Uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres.
03:38
One-two-three-fourUno dos tres CUATRO, one-two-threeuno dos tres.
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Uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres.
03:41
One-two-three-fourUno dos tres CUATRO, one-two-threeuno dos tres.
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Uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres.
03:44
One-two-three-fourUno dos tres CUATRO, one-two-threeuno dos tres. Yeah.
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Uno-dos-tres-cuatro,
uno-dos-tres. ¡Sí!
03:48
Now, that's what I call a-rhythm-etica-rhythm-etic.
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Eso es lo que yo
llamo a-ritmo-ética.
03:51
Can you say it? A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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¿Pueden decirlo? A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
03:53
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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CC: A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
03:55
CCCC: A-rhythmA-ritmo a-rhythma-ritmo.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythmA-ritmo a-rhythma-ritmo.
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CC: A-ritmo a-ritmo.
Audiencia: A-ritmo a-ritmo.
03:57
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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CC: A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
03:59
CCCC: Yeah. Now pickrecoger the swingoscilación
beatgolpear, and do the samemismo thing.
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CC: ¡Sí!. Ahora tomamos
el ritmo swing y hacemos lo mismo.
04:02
One, two, one, two, a-one-two-three-foura-uno-dos-tres-cuatro.
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Uno, dos, uno, dos,
uno-dos-tres-cuatro.
04:12
Yeah. MmMm.
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Sí. Mm.
04:16
One-two-threeUno dos tres, one-two-threeuno dos tres,
one-two-threeuno dos tres, one-two-threeuno dos tres. WhooWhoo.
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Uno-dos-tres, uno-dos-tres,
uno-dos-tres, uno-dos-tres. Guuu.
04:21
So I want to take the secondsegundo linelínea beatgolpear
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Quiero tomar el ritmo
de la segunda línea
04:25
and the swingoscilación beatgolpear and put them togetherjuntos,
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y el ritmo swing
y juntarlos,
04:27
and it soundssonidos something like this.
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y suena así.
04:43
AhaAjá.
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¡Aja!
04:44
A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
04:46
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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CC: A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
04:48
CCCC: A-rhythmA-ritmo a-rhythma-ritmo.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythmA-ritmo a-rhythma-ritmo.
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CC: A-ritmo a-ritmo.
Audiencia: A-ritmo a-ritmo.
04:50
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
AudienceAudiencia: A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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CC: A-ritmo-ética.
Audiencia: A-ritmo-ética.
04:52
CCCC: Yeah. Hip-hopHip hop.
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CC: ¡Sí! Hip-hop.
04:56
Now it's usingutilizando a fasterMás rápido groupgrupo of threeTres
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Ahora usamos un grupo
más rápido de tres,
04:59
we call a triplettrillizo.
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llamamos un triple.
05:01
Triplet-tripletTriplete-triplete. Say it with me.
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Triple-triple.
Repitan conmigo.
05:03
All: Triplet-tripletTriplete-triplete.
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Todos: Triple-triple.
05:06
CCCC: Triplet-tripletTriplete-triplete. Triplet-tripletTriplete-triplete.
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CC: Triple-triple.
Triple-triple.
05:12
CCCC: So I'll take all the rhythmsritmos
that you heardoído earliermás temprano,
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CC: Tomaré todos los ritmos
que escucharon antes,
05:16
we'llbien put them togetherjuntos, and they soundsonar like this.
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los pondremos juntos,
y sonarán así.
05:43
A-rhythm-eticA-rhythm-etic.
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A-ritmo-ética.
05:45
(ApplauseAplausos)
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(Aplausos)
Translated by Ana Santos
Reviewed by Sebastian Betti

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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