Syvåtte

Written for and dedicated to the 2021 Bluecoats drumline, Roger Carter’s groove-filled piece “Syvåtte” (pronounced “Seev-OTT-uh”) is inspired by the tune “Alfonso Muskedunder” by Norwegian DJ Todd Terje. The title “Syvåtte” is a combination of the two Norwegian words for seven (syv) and eight (åtte), which is in reference to the driving and incessant 7/8 time signature used for most of the piece. Throughout this work, Carter explores different feels within 7/8 to create new and intriguing rhythmic textures. A host of hybrid rudiments and irregular rhythms will challenge the most skilled contemporary rudimental players.

If your advanced-level drumline needs to work on its groove and feel in 7/8, this could be what you are looking for. It incorporates well-balanced features for all three sections and encourages players to go from paradiddle rudiments to singles to more isolated punctuations interchangeably.

Overall, “Syvåtte” has a lot of energy while avoiding the over-the-top bombastic nature of many in-the-lot warmup-style pieces. A word of caution: it was written for the 2021 Bluecoats drumline and requires that level of ensemble skill to achieve a high-quality performance.

—Joe Millea
Percussive Notes
Vol. 60, No. 1, February 2022