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.

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:

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