Ted Kirkpatrick

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Ted Kirkpatrick: drummer, songwriter, and cofounder of Tourniquet

As drummer, songwriter and cofounder of Tourniquet since its inception in 1990, Ted's aggressive, musical, and often unorthodox approach to the drums has been recognized by thousands. Ted grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and began to play drums at age 12. The readers of HM Magazine voted him "Favorite Drummer" for 10 years in a row, and again in 2003. Ted has twice been featured in Modern Drummer Magazine.

Ted’s philosophy of treating the drums as a musical instrument - not just a noisy timekeeper - makes sense in light of the fact that he has written the music and lyrics for fifteen of Tourniquet's #1 singles, in addition to the songs that bring out the technical, melodic, and eccentric side of the band. He is well known for his ability to create and execute polyrhythms within the framework of songs and for his advanced double bass technique.

Besides the normal influence of other drummers, Ted's unique style developed from other more unconventional sources. As a great admirer of the classical masters, he has incorporated the staccato bursts of Scarlatti's harpsichord sonatas, the counterpoint of Bach's fugues, and the explosiveness of Beethoven's symphonies into his playing.

As a traveler to the jungles of Papua New Guinea, the Amazon Basin of Western Brazil, Malaysia, Taiwan, Ecuador, the Solomon Islands and other far off lands in search of butterflies and other insects, the fantastic and repetitive sounds of the jungle have influenced his drumming as well.

For the often requested acoustic sets Tourniquet occasionally performs, Ted plays 6 or 12 string guitar. Ted also shows his talents as a guitar player on the bands latest release Where Moth and Rust Destroy, in which he does all of the albums rhythm guitar work.

1 Drumming Philosophy
2 Influences
- 2.1 Non-Drumming Influences
- 2.2 Drumming Influences
3 Drumming Equipment
4 Appearances
- 4.1 Video
- 4.2 Noteworthy Songs
5 External links

[edit] Drumming Philosophy

Learn all you can from watching, listening, and talking to other drummers, then step outside the drumming world and observe... You may be surprised how much non-drumming factors can influence your playing!

- Ted Kirkpatrick

[edit] Influences

[edit] Non-Drumming Influences

Jungle and insect sounds
Scarlatti Harpsichord Sonatas

[edit] Drumming Influences

[edit] Drumming Equipment

DW drums and pedals
Paiste cymbals
Vic Firth sticks
Remo heads
Impact cases

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Video

Circadian Rhythms - The Drumming World of Ted Kirkpatrick - 2003 (DVD)
Ocular Digital - 2003 (DVD)
Till Sverige Med Kärlek (To Sweden With Love) - 2006 (DVD)

[edit] Noteworthy Songs

"Viento Borrascoso" - Tourniquet's Psycho Surgery (1991)
"Descent into the Maelstrom" - Tourniquet's Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance (1992)
"K517" - Tourniquet's Vanishing Lessons (1994)
"Crawl to China" - Tourniquet's Crawl to China (1997)
"Trivializing the Momentous, Complicating the Obvious" - Tourniquet's Acoustic Archives (1998)
"Immunity Vector" - Tourniquet's Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm (2000)
"Melting the Golden Calf" - Tourniquet's Where Moth and Rust Destroy (2003)