Eagle Rockabye, for solo drum set by Chad Floyd

About the Piece:

From the Composer: “Eagle Rockabye is the third of three works for drum set that I composed during my sabbatical in the fall of 2019 at Campbellsville University. Commissioned by Ben Cantrell, Director of Percussion at Winthrop University, the title pays homage to the “Eagles” of Winthrop University in “Rock” Hill, South Carolina.”

To order, visit http://www.chadfloyd.com/eagle-rockabye​

From the Performer: I’ve always found the drum set to be such an inquisitively musical instrument, capable of not only loud, thunderous downbeats but also melodic lines and phrases normally associated with more mainstream instruments like the piano or guitar. I really enjoyed learning Eagle Rockabye as it explores the melodic nature of the drums and some unique rhythmic patterns and grooves that will really test your independence on the kit.

Main Groove 1:19

The main groove is introduced at letter A, but one of my favorite sections is letter C, which features the same melodic groove on the toms, but with the hi-hat striking on every quarter note. This really helps push the groove forward and is also a ton of fun to play! It’s super important to keep your feet and hands locked in.

Controlled Chaos! 3:55

The entire piece is really one long build-up and at letter O it’s finally time to let loose! This section took a few days to get down tight. The Right hand is basically playing the same motion the whole time from the ride cymbal to the floor tom. The key is not to lose any momentum to the big crashes and outro at letter P.

Want to watch more drum videos like this? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.