How to Play Like Chris Dave Pt. 2

Am I as good as my word? Part two of the Chris Dave deep dive is ready.

To reiterate, my goal for you after you’ve studied both these videos is not that you’ll have a verbatim Chris Dave lick to pull out of your toolbox when the moment’s right, but rather that you’ll start to hear “Chris-Dave-esque” things naturally, when it makes musical sense, and be able to play your own phrases in Chris’ style.

Like most of the drummers I cover on the channel, Chris has a repertoire deep enough to render any attempt to wrap your arms around it not only woefully inadequate, but a Quixotic affront to humility writ large. Whiiiich is pretty much the 80/20 Bat Signal. At-the-ready to answer, foolheartedly, the call, I attempt in this week’s lesson to give you some Hot Licks to supplement the beats we learned last week, including the Money Lick from the Kanye Flashing Lights cover. Importantly, though, not just licks - I attempt to get underneath to what Chris may have practiced, so that you can improvise your own.

Anyway, you’re probably here for the transcription.

And for the comment thread this week, a fun one - if you could be stuck by lightening and play exactly like Chris Dave with zero practice, but you could never again know True Love, would you take the Devil’s Bargain? (I feel like I know some Juilliard students who took this bargain - whaaaaaaaaat. JK I love you guys;) Leave a comment below!

The 2015 Asia Clinic Tour - Post One

If you're reading this it means you've already successfully signed up to get information and updates about the upcoming Asia tour. Thanks!

Since you're here, why not take a moment to tell me a little more:

If you're interested in Hong Kong, click here to tell me what dates are best for you.

Click here for Bangkok,

and here for Taiwan.

Finally, if you're living in any of those places and want to be a "fixer" - helping me out with venues or practice space in exchange for money, lessons, or karma, click here;)

More soon!

How to Play Like Chris Dave Part One

I suspect this one will cause controversy. In fact, it already has.

Any attempt to wade into an area so thoroughly explored by other drummers, let alone try to speak intelligently about somebody who’s inspired so much emotion, is bound to provoke some disagreement. And nobody since maybe Elvin Jones has broken with drum tradition so powerfully as Chris.

So let me be clear - I’m not taking a stand on exactly what Chris plays. In this lesson at least. I’ll leave that to others (one of whom I link to in the lesson). True - in Part 2, which releases this Sunday, I include one exact transcription. In general, though, I’m most concerned with what they practiced to be able to improvise the things they play, and how we can steal the Root and use it to come up with our own licks.

In this lesson, I deal with one facet of Chris’ playing - his feel. In particular, two beats from his now famous drum cover medley.

Anyway, you’re probably here for the transcription.

And for your comments, a less obvious question: if you’re a Chris fan like me, what convention of drumming did Chris give you permission to rethink? Leave a comment below!

How to (Really) Play Up Tempo Brushes For Subscribers

I work on brushes a lot because I suck at them. Seriously. I believe they’re the single most difficult thing in the drummer’s tool kit.

But that’s precisely why I may have some insight. If I can help myself get better at brushes, I can help anyone.

Anyway, I finally felt confident enough to circle back to brushes this week and tackle one of the more popular subjects I get asked about: up-tempo brushes. Since I’m working on specing out a practice regimen for my course, I thought I’d take just a bit of the approach I’m using there and explain it in this lesson.

Bottom line: we’re trying to make your playing cleaner, and bust you out of ostinatos and make you feel freer at up tempos.

Anyway, you’re probably here for the transcription.

Do you have any tricks or hacks that have worked for you to make up-tempos “click” better? I’d love to hear about them below!