The Thomas Pridgen Lick - Lesson of The Week

This week's lesson found me at "80/20 Studios West", filming a quick video while bunking/hanging with my parents in Montana. (Yes, "white trash surfing", or riding the inner tube of a big rig tire down the river, is the truth. No, don't carry your car keys with you.)

Anyway, in search of something "quick and dirty" I could make for you guys, I remembered a Thomas Pridgen lick from one of the first Gospel Chops videos ever made, and luckily it dovetailed with something I'd been messing about...sorry - messing around...with (hanging out with too many Brits lately;) since shooting the Nick Smith Lesson two weeks ago.

"People have been playing that same lick since the '90s! I played that lick on the Jimmy Kimmel show with Keyshia Cole!" Thomas says, apparently urging viewers to move onto something else. As novice Gospel Chops aficionado, I had different things in mind.

If this lick's a cliche, I probably need to learn it.

Anyway, you're likely here for the transcriptions.

Make sure you enter your best email address on the next page, because that's where I'll email the transcription. (It's free, btw.) And as a "thankyou", I'll also send you three my most popular videos from the archive. If they don't help you, just unsubscribe! If they do, I'd love to hear about it!

Anyway, enjoy the lesson, and if you have any favorite Thomas Pridgen licks you'd like me to transcribe and/or break down, just leave a comment below!

Play Odd Meters Like Nate Wood - Lesson of The Week

For months I've been looking for an excuse to do a lesson on Nate Wood. Medium-term fans of the channel will remember Nate was my interview guest last fall - another drummer who atomized me in a "shed" by appearing to think and play in four dimensions and making me feel repetitive and dynamically limited by comparison. But it was difficult to find a subject on which to base a Nate lesson - do I cover a demanding Tigran Hamasyan tune like Serpentine? Or do I break down his solo from Kneebody's Trite, which requires probably six months of training in cross-handed break-beat hi hat technique out-of-the-gate. The problem with Nate's playing is the "difficulty level" is so high, and it's so whimsical. There aren't really any "licks" to latch onto.

But I found something - Nate's penchant for expanding the barline on odd meters, and Ben Wendel's tune Backbou from his excellent record Frame seemed like the perfect canvas upon which to demonstrate.

First things first - you're probably here for the transcriptions. Get them by clicking on the button below.

Make sure you enter your best email address on the next page because that's where I'll send the download links. In exchange for your email address, I want to send you 3 of the most popular lessons from the archive, that I have it on good authority will make you better!

Have a nominee for the next Nate Wood lesson? Leave a comment below!

Play The Big Beat Like Jeff Ballard - The 80/20 Drummer

Jeff is the first of a few weeks of lessons on things I wouldn't have been able to do a year ago. People have been asking for a breakdown of the Knives Out beat from the Brad Mehldau Trio for ages, but I wasn't good enough to make it happen.

Luckily the collective pressure pushed me to get my act together, and in the process I figured out a few shortcuts to playing half-swing-half-breakbeat stuff as Jeff does on that tune.

First things first - the transcription...

Make sure you enter your best email address on the next page, so I know where to send the files! Just for giving me your email address, I'll send you 3 or my most popular videos from the archive, complete with transcriptions, completely free.

Have a favorite Jeff Ballard track? (The list is deep - mine might be The Next Step with Kurt Rosenwinkel.) Leave a comment below!

Play Gospel Chops Like Nick Smith - Lesson of The Week

Ahoy folks this week's "guest" needs no introduction. Famous not only as one of the best drummers of his generation, but also - and in my opinion more importantly - for bucking the "conventional" path to success: playing in church, going to Berklee, then getting huge on the internet, largely on the back of bootleg church clinic videos and the insurgent Soultone Cymbals YouTube channel, is Mr. Nick Smith.

That's why the track that's the subject of this week's video hits so close to home. "Comin from low, still on the rise - Look at Me."

Anyway, you're likely here for the Transcription, so let's get to it!

Make sure to enter your best email address on the next page, because that's where I'll send the transcription. You'll also get 3 of my most popular videos from the archive, complete with transcriptions, for free, just for giving me your email address. It goes without saying that I hate spam and I won't abuse your email address!

Have a favorite Nick Smith track? Let me know in the comments below!

Virtual Drum Clinic - Nate Answers Viewer Questions, Part One

It began as an exercise to save time. "Just ask my viewers what they want to hear about, then I won't have to invent a lesson," I thought. Ha!

The good news is, like most self-challenges I accidentally get myself into because I think they'll be "easy", recording this one both pushed me to consider a lot of what I do more deeply, and gave me a (virtual) ream of good ideas for lessons. Anyway, in this lesson I discuss...

1:26 - how to practice playing over a tune form, how to practice drum solos

6:33 - can you learn drums or are you either born with it or not, and what to do when the band has crappy time

10:01 - respecting the tradition, and choosing a grip

13:21 - how to play the bass drum faster, play off the head

(14:50 - roadmap;)

17:08 - what's my background, and what advice would I give a young jazz drummer looking for career success.

Resources mentioned in this episode - 

• How to play like Mark, Part 2 (advanced soloing)
• Stablemates, by Benny Golson
• The 8020 Roadmap
• The Tropical MBA Podcast - Make money without working for the Man.

Guys, if you want to continue the discussion about any of the issues I'll be in the comments of this post. Love your feedback!

Play Like Stewart Copeland Part One

It's hard to quantify fully the influence Stewart Copeland has had on drums writ large, and on me personally. The first album I was allowed to call my own when I was a kid was a copy of Regatta de Blanc, which I nearly wore out playing Message in a Bottle and Walking on The Moon. Fast forward 13 years and I went off to college and discovered jazz - first drummers like Philly Joe Jones and Art Blakey, then modern drummers like Eric Harland and Kendrick Scott. Long-story-short, it had been a minute since I gave Stewart a concerted listen. Then a few months ago I discovered some clinic videos on YouTube, and before I knew it I was down a rabbit-hole, rediscovering songs I hadn't thought about in ages.

Here's the thing - Stewart still sounds like he was recording those songs in 2008. Put the police back together, get Eric Harland to sub for Stewart and my guess is he'd sound an awful lot like...Stewart. That's how deep the influence runs, and that's how ahead-of-his-time Stewart was.

Anyway, you're probably here for the transcription!

If you're new to the channel, make sure to enter your best email address on the next page, because that's where I'll send you the transcription. You'll also get 3 of the most popular videos from the archive, as a "thanks" from me.

Have a favorite Police song? Tell me what it is in the comments below!

Play the Ride Cymbal like Tony Williams - Lesson of The Week

There's probably no skill more fundamental to playing jazz drums than playing the ride cymbal, and no better practitioner than Tony Williams. Tony was the Paganini of the ride cymbal. The Franz Liszt. While others played in the traditional fashion (and Roy Haynes and Elvin had their own unique takes), Tony deconstructed the ride beat, and got so deep inside it he was able to pull off seemingly Matrix-like feats. And the most signature, the most quintessentially "Tony", was the six-note sequence.

Well, in this era of the Flynn Effect and killers like Justin Brown, Kendrick Scott and Eric Harland, you may find players who nearly equal Tony's facility, but nobody who's surpassed it.

First things first - here's your transcription.

If you're new to the channel, make sure you enter your best email address on the next page, because that's the address to which I'm going to send the download! As a "thank you", you'll also get a sequence of 3 of my most popular videos from the archive, complete with their own transcriptions.

Finally, have you tried to play the ride cymbal like Tony? What's worked for you and what hasn't? Leave a comment below!

Play Like Dana Hawkins 1 - Lesson of The Week

Ahoy, new viewer! If you're seeing this page, it's likely your first exposure to the channel.

The 80/20 Drummer represents a different approach to drum instruction - one that starts from the question - "what if all the conventional wisdom were wrong?"

Three popular myths I aim to debunk are - 1) all practice hours are created equal, 2) you have to be Born with it to play the drums, 3) you Can't Play Jazz. (You can, and it will make your other playing stronger!)

But, I digress. The reason you're here is for the transcriptions.

Please make sure you enter your Best email address on the next page, because that's where I'm going to be sending the transcriptions.

You'll also get 3 additional free videos from the archive over the next couple of weeks, as a "thanks" for signing up!

As long as you're here, why not browse the other free lessons on this page?

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Play Like Mark Part 3 - The Lick

Hey folks if you're seeing this article, you're probably new to the channel. Welcome!

The 80/20 Drummer, inspired jointly by my love of drumming and of strategic thinkers like Kevin Kelly and Tim Ferriss, is where I document my journey to get great at drumming, and share everything I learn with you. This week, we've got the third installment of one of my favorites, and one of the most unorthodox drummers of the last few years, Mark G. Oh - you probably want the transcription -

I encourage you to entrust me with your best email address on the next page (it's where you'll get the link for the transcription;), and in exchange, I'm going to send you the three most popular videos from the archive - I like to say they're 3 videos that will change your playing in 3 weeks.

If you dig this "taste" of my approach, I encourage you to stick around and explore some of the other lessons.

Ooh - finally - if you like this lesson, please click on the social buttons below and share it!

Play Like Dan Weiss - Lesson of The Week

Ahoy folks! If you're here you're probably new to the channel and want the transcription.

IN addition to the transcription, you'll also get 3 free videos from my archive that will introduce you to the channel, and you'll get every new lesson emailed directly to you, so make sure to enter your best email address!

Since you're here, scroll down and check out the other recent weekly lessons!

Salud!

Two Justin Tyson Inspired Chops - Lesson of The Week

Hey folks welcome to the free lessons! If you're new to the site, just scroll down when you're done with this lesson to browse all the latest lessons.

Click on the button below to claim your transcription. You'll also get 3 additional free drum videos emailed to you over the course of the next 10 days. Make sure you enter your best email address so I can send you these lessons!

There's just one more thing. If you dig this lesson, and are casting about for a way to "give back", do your boy a solid and click on the "share" buttons below and share this post with the universe!

Thanks!

Play Odd Meters Like Marcus - Lesson of the Week

Ahoy folks! Here's the Lesson of the Week for newbies to the site. (Welcome! Just scroll down when you're done with this one to see all my latest lessons!)

Get your transcription below.

If you're not already subscribed to the 80/20 newsletter, entering your email address will subscribe you. You'll then get 3 free lessons. No big deal. If you don't want to be subscribed, just claim your transcription then unsubscribe, but you want to be subscribed.

This week's lesson marks a departure from my usual material. I've actually created a Rudmental Ritual for you guys. But I want you to remember two things:

• All of this assumes you can play the stuff cleanly. It's all wasted time if you can't. If you're new and want to fine-hone your ability to make sure your "personal drum troupe" is locking up, check out my premium materials like the roadmap and the coaching course, or my free ones like the Gospel video for a primer. If you're currently enrolled in the coaching course, you can add a few of these as "extra credit" to the rudimental portion of your week's routine. (Folks who have asked me for odd meter stuff, you know who you are:)
• As soon as possible, you should orchestrate and improvise with this stuff, otherwise it's just moving your hands, and you're the drum equivalent to the guy at the gym doing the same weight he did last week on the bench that he only lowers 3 inches after he says "spot me brah."

OK - soapbox over. Enjoy it!

What are you currently doing for odd meter practice? Leave a comment below!

Play W.A.I.T.T. Like Justin Brown Part One - Learn The Tune

Hey folks thanks for checking out the site. You can download the transcriptions below.

There's only one thing I need from you. Your best email address. That way I can send you three videos to improve your playing in 3 weeks. Or, unsubscribe as soon as you get the Justin transcriptions. But you want to be subscribed. All my new lessons, as soon as they're posted, will be delivered to your inbox. And I'll never spam you. I'd rather die.

Anyway, while you're here feel free to explore and check out my other lessons!

How to (Really) Play Jazz Part 4 - Trick Yourself into Not Sucking

Those of you familiar with the channel know that sometimes I deconstruct Other People's playing and show you how to get inside the head of, say, Marcus Gilmore or Robert McNamara (shout outs, Jacob Mann - Mad Subliminal).

But in this lesson, I'm showing you how to practice like...Me!

One of the biggest killers I face every day is Hedonic Adaptation. The drum equivalent of doing the saaaaaame workout with the same weights day-after-day. After a while, your progress slows. It's the same with time keeping. We stop getting better because we stop hearing ourselves as we really sound. We get Used To Sucking.

In this lesson, I show you a simple hack to splash some proverbial cold water on your face, and tease out some flaws in even the most basic swing beats.

As promised, transcriptions are available here.

(If you're already subscribed to the mailing list, get it here.)

If you're new to the site, I want to meet you! Leave a comment telling me about the greatest challenge you face in becoming great at the drums!

How to Play Like Justin Tyson 1 - Lesson of The Week

Oooooooooh shit it's here.

"The Lick", from Justin Tyson's solo on 7 Ways from the Blue Whale video, is without question the most requested transcription this year. I shouldn't be surprised - I've sought out and catered to every Mark Guiliana and Gospel Chops fanatic on the internet.

Anyway, here's my transcription and deconstruction of Justin's lick, a theme to which he returns throughout the solo. I'll do more Justin lessons soon, during which I'll delve further into the "rhythmic brain" behind some of these idioms. For this first lesson, though, I wanted to crash course you on the basics of gospel orchestration, from the standpoint of how the fuck would someone even come up with that?!?

How to download

Clicking this button will get you the transcription and automatically subscribe to my newsletter, so you'll get three free videos to improve your drumming immediately, then about a video-a-week as the lessons of the week come out. You can unsubscribe at any time.

If you're already subscribed, use this button

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How to Play Like Marcus Gilmore 1 - Lesson of The Week

You asked for it.

This is the first of, I'm sure, several videos investigating the style of one of the most unique and iconic jazz drummers alive, Mr. Marcus Gilmore. (You know anytime somebody includes "Mister" before the name of a dude he's introducing, he's a little star-struck, and I'm no exception. I'm not even interviewing the guy and I can't help calling him "mister".)

(And Get 3 free lessons to improve your playing in 3 weeks just for entering your email.)

Anyway, in the words of Jay Kay, "it's hard to know where to begin" in reverse-engineering Marcus' playing. But I took a stab. Instead of transcribing a couple of licks that you can deploy verbatim in inappropriate places, like every other channel on the internet (sorry - couldn't resist), I try to give you two concepts to practice, step-by-steeze (yes, I really just wrote that) to make a couple of core Macrus elements your own.

Without further ado, I give you....Marcus.

As usual, if this lesson has helped you, please share it!
 

How to Count Brotherly's System - Lesson of The Week

Last year I covered Brotherly's System. Since then a lot of people asked me one question - How Do You Count It?

A few months after I recorded it the original show, I learned from a couple of "sources" (whose names I don't have permission to share) that I'd been counting it wrong. These same folks told me where the real "one" was. Seeing plenty of other drum covers of System on the web, but no videos explaining how to play it correctly, I thought I'd do one last dance with System - record the definitive lesson on how to count the "hook" of the song - the reason everybody covers it - the delicious metric "modulation".

(And Get 3 free videos to improve your playing in 3 weeks just for entering your email address!)

In this lesson you'll learn -

1) How to count the metric modulation

2) A simple four-beat progression that will help you hear and play it better

If you enjoyed this lesson, please use the share buttons to share it with a friend or on twitter or Facebook!

What Can We Learn From Nasheet? - Lesson of The Week

Do Nasheet and I look like we're about to drop the hottest rap record of 2015? You can thank my buddy Sean for the graphic design, and the observation. I hope the lesson's as good as the thumbnail!

All joking aside, I thought it was high time to circle back to the jazz kit, and talk about a life-changing lesson with Nasheet Waits. One that's been affecting my outlook and approach to jazz ever since. Almost my whole approach - from the "hip hop beat" method for determining what to do with the left foot, to my "back and forth sweep" with the brushes - boils down to one simple exercise Nasheet showed me in his practice studio. One I was too young and stupid to appreciate at the time.

Anyway, in this lesson I'll talk about -

• The famous Nasheet exercise, adapted from one of the great drummers of the early 20th century.
• How adapting the exercise for brushes can actually help your stick playing more.
• How to start with just 3 simple idioms and build a great swing vocabulary.

As usual hope you find this lesson helpful!

If you like the material in the lesson and want to go deeper, learn more about the 80/20 Roadmap by clicking on the button below. Most drummers have the same 3 issues keeping them from being great. Here's how to fix them.

Play "Like" Sean Chopz Wright - A Lesson for The Drum House

Hey guys flattered to be asked by my friends at the Drum House to record a lesson for them. I've been a fan of their channel every since I watched a lesson by Berklee Gospel Chops phenom Sean "Chopz" Wright a couple of years ago. Sean has gone on to become one of the brightest stars to come out of Berklee in recent years. So I thought it would be appropriate to do a lesson deconstructing just a little slice of what Sean played in his lesson, and asking the question "why does Sean sound better than us?"

Anyway, I wanted to post the transcriptions here for any fans of the Drum House channel or mine, so you can download them for free. (It's only 3 beats, but if you like to learn by reading, or if it speeds up the learning process, you'll find them beneficial.)

I should add that when you enter in your email address on the next page you'll be added to my mailing list. If you don't want to be on the list you can simply ignore the "opt in" email, or unsubscribe at any time, but trust me:

You want to be on my mailing list.

Mailing list folks get all the free lessons first, along with a 3-part video series complete with transcriptions just for joining.

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Play "Like" Spanky Part 2 - Lesson of The Week

I had a breakthrough watching some Spanky YouTubage last week, and wanted to share just a smidgen with you folks. Spanky, most recently of Lady Gaga fame, has a knack to take a normal beat and make it sound like it's from outer space without even disrupting the song.

In this lesson I'll show you how to use the infamous Looping Exercise to create the unique Spanky McCurdy "inception effect" at two levels of subdivision.

I'm also making the transcription PDFs available for free to anyone who wants them. Full disclosure - to get them you'll be opting into my email list. Trust me - you want to be on my email list.