Drum solo

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A drum solo is an instrumental solo played on a drum kit. A drum solo may be set or improvised, and of any length, up to being the main performance.

In rock, drum solos are unique in that traditionally they are always unaccompanied, whereas other instruments may play solos accompanied or unaccompanied. They are also typically free-form in that they do not necessarily adhere to the tempo, style or structure of the song they accompany.

In jazz, drum solos more typically adhere strictly to the tempo and form of the song, and may be accompanied sporadically by the other instruments; they may also "trade fours", or take alternating four-bar solos with the rest of the band. They may also trade eights, twelves (in the case of a blues), twos, single bars, or full choruses.

In contemporary worship, a drum lift is a passage in which the singing is backed only by the drums. It is not normally considered a solo, as the primary focus remains on the singing, however it bears some similarity to a solo. A drum lift may be set or improvised, simple or elaborate, and may vary in length from part of a line to an entire verse.

In marching band or drum corps, a drum section feature allows the remainder of the ensemble to create challenging formations without having to play their instruments at the same time. In years past the drum solo was a standalone work. Beginning in the mid-late 1980s, however, drum solos, even extended ones, tended to be integrated into the overall flow of the music. This occurred earlier -- such as in the 1976 Blue Devils show (in Channel One Suite, mimicking the drum break in the Buddy Rich original), but as time passed and show flow became more important, the stand alone solo fell by the wayside. They are relatively rare today.

Neil Peart of Canadian rock band Rush has gained considerable attention, especially in recent times, for his lengthy drum solos which can last nearly ten minutes. He often incorporates complicated time patterns and technical fills, as well as multi-percussion instrument interludes. For the latter, his drum kit is equipped with MIDI trigger pads that play assorted sounds when struck, such as a marimba, harp, temple blocks, triangles, glockenspiel, orchestra bells, tubular bells and vibra-slap. Also, he has often used a special riser that rotates the entire kit, allowing him to reach different sections as needed and still face front while he plays. Peart often draws on his heavy jazz and big band influences (particularly the work of Buddy Rich) to make his performances incredibly diverse. There is particular evidence of this in Rush's 2003 live release, Rush in Rio.

The drum solo had also become increasingly popular within rock music instrumentals in the 1960s and throughout the 1970s.^{[citation needed]} Some examples include, in chronological order: