Alex Duthart
Encyclopedia
Alex Duthart was a Scottish
drummer
who revolutionised Scottish pipe band
snare
playing.
Described by Buddy Rich
as "a far better drummer than me", Duthart picked up his first set of sticks at the age of eight. First taught by his father John, he cited as his influences as A.D. Hamilton, an orchestra
l drummer, Jimmy Catherwood (also taught by Duthart's father), Paddy Donovan from Dublin, and Alec McCormick, a leading drummer with the Glasgow Police Pipe Band.
In 1948 Duthart entered his first solo drumming competition, earning second place. He subsequently won so many times that he retired from solo competition to give other drummers a chance. In 1953 he guided his first corps, the Dalziel Highlanders, to a World Championship drumming title. After this he spent several years as a dance-band drummer, developing a style of drumming that he brought to the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band
when he was invited to form a drum corps in 1957. The style of drumming he brought in at that time is generally recognised to be the basis of modern pipe-band drumming, consisting of a jazz-influenced style and what Alex called the "chips", a call and response system where the lead drummer plays a phrase solo which is answered by the full drum line. He also invented the drum salute, a showcase piece for a drum corps without the involvement of pipes.
Alex played for Shotts for a further twenty-nine years, apart from a couple of years with Invergordon Distillery and the Edinburgh City Police band.
Despite being a working blacksmith
all his life, Duthart found the time to teach many workshops worldwide, and many drummers still have fond memories of his unique style of play and musical authority. He also produced two books of music and comment, and many of his drum scores are standard pieces today.
Duthart finished his career playing for British Caledonian Airways
; it was while playing for this band that he suffered a heart attack
while lined up to play in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
who revolutionised Scottish pipe band
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
snare
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
playing.
Described by Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
as "a far better drummer than me", Duthart picked up his first set of sticks at the age of eight. First taught by his father John, he cited as his influences as A.D. Hamilton, an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l drummer, Jimmy Catherwood (also taught by Duthart's father), Paddy Donovan from Dublin, and Alec McCormick, a leading drummer with the Glasgow Police Pipe Band.
In 1948 Duthart entered his first solo drumming competition, earning second place. He subsequently won so many times that he retired from solo competition to give other drummers a chance. In 1953 he guided his first corps, the Dalziel Highlanders, to a World Championship drumming title. After this he spent several years as a dance-band drummer, developing a style of drumming that he brought to the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band
Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band
The House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band, also known as Shotts and Dykehead or simply "Shotts", is a grade one pipe band from Shotts, in the North Lanarkshire region of Scotland...
when he was invited to form a drum corps in 1957. The style of drumming he brought in at that time is generally recognised to be the basis of modern pipe-band drumming, consisting of a jazz-influenced style and what Alex called the "chips", a call and response system where the lead drummer plays a phrase solo which is answered by the full drum line. He also invented the drum salute, a showcase piece for a drum corps without the involvement of pipes.
Alex played for Shotts for a further twenty-nine years, apart from a couple of years with Invergordon Distillery and the Edinburgh City Police band.
Despite being a working blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
all his life, Duthart found the time to teach many workshops worldwide, and many drummers still have fond memories of his unique style of play and musical authority. He also produced two books of music and comment, and many of his drum scores are standard pieces today.
Duthart finished his career playing for British Caledonian Airways
British Caledonian
British Caledonian was a private, British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, operating out of Gatwick Airport in the 1970s and 1980s...
; it was while playing for this band that he suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while lined up to play in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
External links
- Biography — from www.drumming.tk
- An interview with Duthart in Modern Drummer — from www.drumming.tk,
- Alex's 1986 British Caledonian Airways Drum Corps performing his Salute to Max Rayne — YouTube video