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-ritm-etiek. De wiskunde achter de maat

Filmed:
1,035,486 views

Klaar om te dansen op je stoel? Drummer Clayton Cameron ontleedt verschillende muziekgenres - van R&B tot Latin tot pop - aan de hand van hun maatsoort. Een talk die aantoont dat hip-hop en jazz niet cooler zijn dan wiskunde -- ze kunnen niet zonder.
- 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 manyveel of you love rhythmritme?
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Wie van jullie houdt van ritme?
00:16
Oh yeah, oh yeah. Oh yeah. (CheersCheers)
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Oh yeah, oh yeah. Oh yeah. (Gejuich)
00:18
(DrummingDrummen)
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(Drumt)
00:27
I mean, I love all kindssoorten of rhythmritme.
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Ik ben dol op allerlei ritmes.
00:31
I like to playspelen jazzjazz-,
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Ik speel graag jazz,
00:33
a little funkFunk,
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wat funk,
00:36
and hipheup hophop,
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hiphop,
00:40
a little popknal, a little R&B,
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wat pop,
wat rhythm & blues,
00:47
a little LatinLatijn,
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wat Latin,
00:54
AfricanAfrikaanse.
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Afrikaans.
01:05
And this grooveGroove right here,
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Deze groove hier,
01:13
comeskomt from the CrescentCrescent CityStad,
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komt uit de Crescent City (New Orleans),
01:16
the oldoud secondtweede linelijn.
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de oude tweede regel.
01:18
(CheersCheers)
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(Gejuich)
01:25
Now, one thing all those rhythmsritmes have in commongemeenschappelijk
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Wat al die ritmes gemeen hebben,
01:31
is mathwiskunde,
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is wiskunde.
01:32
and I call it a-rhythm-etica-ritme-etic.
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Ik noem dat a-ritm-etiek.
01:35
Can you repeatherhaling after me? A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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Zeg me na: A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
01:40
ClaytonClayton CameronCameron: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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Clayton Cameron: A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
01:42
CCCC: A-rhythmA-ritme a-rhythma-ritme.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythmA-ritme a-rhythma-ritme.
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CC: A-ritme.
Publiek: A-ritme.
01:44
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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CC: A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
01:46
CCCC: Yeah.
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CC: Yeah.
01:50
Now all those stylesstijlen of rhythmritme
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Al die ritmische stijlen
01:55
are all countedgeteld in fourvier
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worden in vier geteld
01:59
and then subdividedonderverdeeld by threedrie.
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en dan in drie verdeeld.
02:02
What?
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Wat?
02:04
Yeah. ThreeDrie is a magicmagie numberaantal.
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Ja. Drie is een magisch getal.
02:08
ThreeDrie is a groovin'kolkende numberaantal.
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Het getal drie heeft een groove.
02:10
ThreeDrie is a hip-hophip-hop kindsoort of numberaantal.
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Het getal drie is een hiphop-getal.
02:14
But what does subdividingcontroledoeleinden by threedrie mean?
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Wat betekent 'in drie delen'?
02:17
And countingtelling off by fourvier?
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En aftellen per vier?
02:19
Well, look, think of it this way.
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Je moet het zo zien.
02:21
A measuremaatregel of musicmuziek- as a dollardollar.
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Een muziekmaat is een dollar.
02:25
Now a dollardollar has fourvier quartersvertrekken, right?
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In een dollar zitten vier kwartjes.
02:31
And so does a 4/4 measuremaatregel of musicmuziek-.
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In een 4/4-maat ook.
02:34
It has fourvier quarterkwartaal notesaantekeningen.
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Die heeft vier kwartnoten.
02:38
Now, how do you subdivideonderverdelen?
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Hoe verdeel je die?
02:40
Now let's envisionvoor ogen this:
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Even kijken:
02:45
threedrie dollars'dollars' worthwaard of quartersvertrekken.
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je hebt kwartjes
ter waarde van 3 dollar.
02:48
You would have threedrie groupsgroepen of fourvier,
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Dat zijn 3 hoopjes van 4.
02:52
and you would counttellen it,
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Die tel je.
02:54
a-one-two-three-foura-één-twee-drie-vier, one-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier,
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1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4,
02:56
one-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier. TogetherSamen.
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1-2-3-4. Samen.
02:58
All: A-one-two-three-fourA-één-twee-drie-vier,
one-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, one-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier.
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Allen: 1-2-3-4,
1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4.
03:01
CCCC: Okay, now you feel that?
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CC: Oké. Voel je dat?
03:04
Now let's take those threedrie groupsgroepen of fourvier
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Nu nemen we die drie groepen van vier
03:09
and make them fourvier groupsgroepen of threedrie.
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en we maken er vier groepen van drie van.
03:13
And listen to this.
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Luister nu.
03:15
A-one-two-three-fourA-één-twee-drie-vier, one-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier,
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1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4,
03:17
one-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, with me.
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1-2-3-4, samen.
03:19
One-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, one-two-three' one-two-three ', come on, y'ally'all!
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1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, komaan!
03:22
All: One-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier,
one-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, one-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, ahAh.
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Allen: 1-2-3-4,
1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, ah.
03:27
CCCC: There you go.
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CC: Ziezo.
03:28
All right, secondtweede linelijn.
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Oké, tweede regel.
03:34
One-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, one-two-three' one-two-three '.
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1-2-3-4, 1-2-3.
03:38
One-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, one-two-three' one-two-three '.
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1-2-3-4, 1-2-3.
03:41
One-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, one-two-three' one-two-three '.
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1-2-3-4, 1-2-3.
03:44
One-two-three-fourOne-two-drie-vier, one-two-three' one-two-three '. Yeah.
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1-2-3-4, 1-2-3. Yeah.
03:48
Now, that's what I call a-rhythm-etica-ritme-etic.
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Dat noem ik a-ritm-etiek.
03:51
Can you say it? A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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Zeg het eens? A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
03:53
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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CC: A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
03:55
CCCC: A-rhythmA-ritme a-rhythma-ritme.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythmA-ritme a-rhythma-ritme.
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CC: A-ritme, a-ritme.
Publiek: A-ritme, a-ritme
03:57
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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CC: A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
03:59
CCCC: Yeah. Now pickplukken the swingschommel
beatovertreffen, and do the samedezelfde thing.
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CC: Volg nu de swing beat
en doe hetzelfde.
04:02
One, two, one, two, a-one-two-three-foura-één-twee-drie-vier.
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1, 2, 1, 2,
1-2-3-4.
04:12
Yeah. MmMm.
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Yeah. Mm.
04:16
One-two-three' One-two-three ', one-two-three' one-two-three ',
one-two-three' one-two-three ', one-two-three' one-two-three '. WhooWhoo.
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1-2-3, 1-2-3,
1-2-3, 1-2-3.
04:21
So I want to take the secondtweede linelijn beatovertreffen
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Ik wil het ritme van de tweede regel
04:25
and the swingschommel beatovertreffen and put them togethersamen,
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en de swing beat
samen nemen.
04:27
and it soundsklanken something like this.
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Dat klinkt ongeveer zo.
04:43
AhaAHA.
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Aha.
04:44
A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
04:46
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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CC: A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
04:48
CCCC: A-rhythmA-ritme a-rhythma-ritme.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythmA-ritme a-rhythma-ritme.
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CC: A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
04:50
CCCC: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
AudiencePubliek: A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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CC: A-ritm-etiek.
Publiek: A-ritm-etiek.
04:52
CCCC: Yeah. Hip-hopHip-hop.
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CC: Yeah. Hip-hop.
04:56
Now it's usinggebruik makend van a fastersneller groupgroep of threedrie
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Nu gebruiken we
een snellere groep van drie:
04:59
we call a triplettriplet.
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een triool.
05:01
Triplet-tripletTriplet-triplet. Say it with me.
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Triool-triool. Zeg me na.
05:03
All: Triplet-tripletTriplet-triplet.
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Samen: Triool-triool.
05:06
CCCC: Triplet-tripletTriplet-triplet. Triplet-tripletTriplet-triplet.
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CC: Triool-triool. Triool-triool.
05:12
CCCC: So I'll take all the rhythmsritmes
that you heardgehoord earliervroeger,
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CC: Neem alle ritmes
die je al hoorde,
05:16
we'llgoed put them togethersamen, and they soundgeluid like this.
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voeg ze samen,
en dat klinkt zo.
05:43
A-rhythm-eticA-ritme-etic.
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A-ritm-etiek.
05:45
(ApplauseApplaus)
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(Applaus)
Translated by Els De Keyser
Reviewed by Desiree Kramer

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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