{"id":31498,"date":"2021-10-22T08:03:06","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T15:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=31498"},"modified":"2023-11-01T13:05:38","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T20:05:38","slug":"dave-grohl-drums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/dave-grohl-drums\/","title":{"rendered":"Dave Grohl: Everything You Need To Know About The Nicest Guy In Rock"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g5czBl-4qXE\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<p>You might know him as the vocalist of the Foo Fighters, the drummer for Nirvana, or the nicest guy in rock. No matter how you slice it, Dave Grohl is one of the most influential drummers in rock history. He&#8217;s also been inducted into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame twice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He&#8217;s been a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/top-20-rock-drummers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bona fide music icon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> since Nirvana burst onto the alternative rock scene in Seattle almost 30 years ago. His memorable drum parts on hits like \u201cCome As You Are\u201d and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/how-to-play-smells-like-teen-spirit-beginners\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSmells Like Teen Spirit\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provided a soundtrack to the \u201890s for angst-ridden teens around the world.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As if that weren\u2019t enough, his second act as the front man for Foo Fighters showed off his impressive musical versatility and rock star personality.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether it\u2019s pounding drums, mean guitar riffs or singalong anthems, Dave Grohl is one of the most influential musicians on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a closer look at how a teenager hitting pillows with drumsticks in his bedroom became a rock and roll icon.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<h4>Who is Dave Grohl?<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Dave Grohl is the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of the band Foo Fighters.<\/li>\n<li>He was the drummer of Nirvana.<\/li>\n<li>Grohl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Nirvana in 2014 and as a member of Foo Fighters in 2021.<\/li>\n<li>He has recorded albums with multiple artists, including Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, and Nine Inch Nails.<\/li>\n<li>He directed &#8220;Sonic Highways&#8221;, &#8220;Sound City&#8221;, and &#8220;What Drives Us&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>He topped the New York Times bestseller list with his book, &#8220;The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-did-dave-grohl-get-into-music\">How did Dave Grohl get into music?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-did-dave-grohl-join-nirvana\">How did Dave Grohl join Nirvana?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#grohl-founded-the-foo-fighters-in-1994\">Grohl founded the Foo Fighters in 1994<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#dave-grohls-influences-and-drumming-style\">Dave Grohl&#8217;s influences and drumming style<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#recordings-collabs-and-other-projects\">Recordings, collabs and other projects\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-drum-kit-does-dave-grohl-play\">What drum kit does Dave Grohl play?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#honors-and-achievements\">Honors and achievements\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#why-is-dave-grohl-so-awesome\">Why is Dave Grohl so awesome?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-did-dave-grohl-get-into-music\">How did Dave Grohl get into music?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know the former Nirvana sticksmith learned to play drums on a pillow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Born January 14, 1969 in Warren, Ohio, Dave Grohl developed his love for music by listening to the AM radio in his mom&#8217;s car. His ear for melody developed further when a twelve-year-old Grohl began teaching himself guitar with a Beatles songbook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He spent a summer with his older cousin Tracey, who introduced him to punk music and steered him toward drums. After one failed lesson with a local jazz teacher, he taught himself to play by ear by arranging pillows like a drum kit and playing along to Bad Brains records. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around age 15, he discovered Led Zeppelin and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/john-bonham-drum-genius\/\">John Bonham<\/a> and &#8220;became obsessed&#8221;.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-did-dave-grohl-join-nirvana\">How did Dave Grohl join Nirvana?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1986, a 17-year-old Grohl responded to an ad for hardcore band Scream. Grohl lied about his age to get the gig, but suffered a crisis of confidence and turned them down after it was offered to him. <br><br>A few months later, having watched them at the famous 9:30 Club in Washington DC, Grohl convinced them he&#8217;d made a terrible mistake and talked his way into the band. During this time, he toured the USA and Europe and made two studio albums.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/181809003\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:71.88552% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/181809003?et=zGheyf8hTZhJcp1u0FceUg&#038;tld=com&#038;sig=YWCifUy4JhtiGqB3G5tOMWIVPrm4oaMGXKB9bUhpplg=&#038;caption=true&#038;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"427\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In 1990, having watched Scream live, Kurt Cobain allegedly said, &#8220;That&#8217;s the kind of drummer we need&#8221; and invited Grohl to Seattle. His first record with the band, <em>Nevermind<\/em>, was a critical and commercial hit, selling over 30 million copies. Nirvana is widely considered the most influential band of the 90s, and Grohl&#8217;s drumming is the foundation of that success.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-solid fa-check\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n                   <strong>Watch:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/the-best-drum-parts-from-nirvanas-nevermind\/\">The Best Drum Parts From Nirvana\u2019s \u201cNevermind\u201d<\/a>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"grohl-founded-the-foo-fighters-in-1994\">Grohl founded the Foo Fighters in 1994<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cobain died tragically in &#8217;94. During an interview on The Graham Norton Show, Grohl spoke about life after Nirvana. &#8220;When Kurt died and it all ended, I didn&#8217;t know what to do with my life,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t listen to music anymore because it hurt too much, so I tried to escape and went to Ireland to soul search.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I was trying to figure out my life when I picked up a hitchhiker who was wearing a Kurt Cobain t-shirt, and I thought, &#8216;Even in this remote place, I can&#8217;t outrun life&#8217;, so I went home and started over with the Foo Fighters. I needed to survive and get on with life.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QbcKyJfB4so?si=j82N9usjqTmvFAch&amp;start=639\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Later in 1994, Tom Petty asked Grohl to perform on Saturday Night Live, soon inviting him to become a full-time member of his band, The Heartbreakers. After much deliberation, he decided to pursue his own vision, entering the studio to record what would become the Foo Fighters&#8217; first record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grohl tracked every instrument except one guitar part, intending it to be an anonymous release that sounded like a band of several members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He assembled the first lineup to tour in what would ultimately become one of the most successful groups of all time, earning 15 Grammy Awards, headlining festivals, selling out stadium tours worldwide and a 2021 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1339944624\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.66667% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1339944624?et=SpXbSlLiQ1Fp4gO9O4GIHg&#038;tld=com&#038;sig=KwKBMxbMbZU33gpdc3uzRPdS1ZkhjXUPvhrIzNpUWio=&#038;caption=true&#038;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Grohl may be the frontman of the Foo Fighters, but he&#8217;s continued to contribute rhythmically to the band from the debut album to their latest release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2022, Foo Fighters bandmate and legendary drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away while the band was on tour in South America. An all-star lineup performed two tribute concerts in London and Los Angeles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Wembley Stadium, during a blistering Foo Fighters set featuring several guest drummers, Grohl wept while playing &#8220;Times Like These&#8221; in an emotionally charged performance. Critics described the album that followed &#8211; <em>But Here We Are<\/em> &#8211; as a &#8220;brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1239516199\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:65.31986% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1239516199?et=OFOy6qtbTvp8enyYK6mlNQ&#038;tld=com&#038;sig=1_c05b80WFWyY7R3DutxQQlXWA8VlbRv0tdX1RAFoFM=&#038;caption=true&#038;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"388\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dave-grohls-influences-and-drumming-style\">Dave Grohl&#8217;s influences and drumming style<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Those years of playing along to Led Zeppelin left a clear mark on his playing, and you can hear Bonham&#8217;s swagger and power in Grohl&#8217;s drumming. Hard-hitting beats with fun, inventive fills make him one of rock&#8217;s greatest, and there is also that frantic punk energy that he can call upon when required. His wide range of influences and ear as a songwriter make him a tasteful player, which you can hear across his vast discography.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-solid fa-check\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n                   <strong>Watch:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/the-12-best-dave-grohl-grooves\/\">The 12 Best Dave Grohl Drum Beats<\/a>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Grohl has said that when he wrote the drum parts for <em>Nevermind<\/em>, he was heavily inspired by disco beats. To this day he can&#8217;t read music, but his natural ear has more than compensated:<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dZCrdSC2-1I?si=5i61go0695v8cES1\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"recordings-collabs-and-other-projects\">Recordings, collabs and other projects&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Dave Grohl has a long list of albums; too many to list here! But there are some iconic performances. Nirvana&#8217;s <em>Nevermind<\/em>, Foo Fighters&#8217; <em>The Colour and the Shape<\/em>, <em>Songs for the Deaf<\/em> by Queens of the Stone Age, and the eponymous Them Crooked Vultures record are classic Grohl cuts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He&#8217;s worked with acts ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Halsey, side projects such as a Bee Gees tribute album (&#8220;Hail Satin&#8221; by Dee Gees), and a metal project, Probot, featuring various iconic heavy metal vocalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grohl has made some fun movie appearances, like Tenacious D&#8217;s Pick of Destiny, The Muppets, and Bill &amp; Ted Face the Music, as well as the horror-comedy Studio 666. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also directed the series Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways, documenting the making of that album, as well as the movies Sound City and What Drives Us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As natural storyteller, Grohl released a memoir of his life and career titled &#8220;The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music&#8221; in October 2021, which became a #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-drum-kit-does-dave-grohl-play\">What drum kit does Dave Grohl play?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During his time in Nirvana, Dave played TAMA drums. A broken piece of the bass drum from his Granstar series kit (which he trashed at the Cabaret Metro to force the tour manager to buy a new kit) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christies.com\/en\/lot\/lot-5447347\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sold at auction<\/a> for almost $10,000 in 2011!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The specs of the kit were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>14&#215;15&#8243; TAMA Granstar rack tom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16&#215;18&#8243; TAMA Granstar floor tom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16&#215;24&#8243; TAMA Granstar bass drum<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>8&#215;14&#8243; TAMA Superstar birch snare<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>18\u201d Zildjian A Custom crash<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>20\u201d Zildjian A Custom crash<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>22\u201d Zildjian A Custom ride<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>15\u201d Zildjian A Custom hi-hats<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>He would go on to play a red <a href=\"https:\/\/www.livenirvana.com\/equipment\/dave.php#gsc.tab=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Granstar<\/a> II, and finally a black Artstar II (pictured below) which he played at some of Nirvana\u2019s iconic shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/75399135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.32997% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"\u201cdisplay: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/75399135?et=BuN-KdrhTtV3H4UpJfqPvw&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=TyJyUtnJBFFr6FepEYBbpH3SbIf9CKkggwYL9MMe2OM=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"394\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Grohl now endorses DW Drums. During his time in Them Crooked Vultures, he played a DW Jazz Series kit consisting of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>9&#215;13&#8243; rack tom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16&#215;16&#8243; floor tom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16&#215;18&#8243; floor tom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16&#215;20&#8243; gong drum<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16&#215;24&#8243; bass drum<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>6.5&#215;14&#8243; aluminum snare drum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dave Grohl Plays DW Drums\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HOlk0DUGlPY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"honors-and-achievements\">Honors and achievements&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Grohl was awarded the key to the city of Warren, Ohio, where there&#8217;s a roadway named &#8220;David Grohl Alley&#8221; (and it&#8217;s home to the world&#8217;s largest drumsticks at 23 feet long and weighing 900 lbs). He has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (with Nirvana and Foo Fighters) and has won multiple Grammy Awards.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-is-dave-grohl-so-awesome\">Why is Dave Grohl so awesome?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>1. His drum intros are legendary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you hear someone trading flams on the snare with open hi-hat hits and kicks placed in between, you don&#8217;t even need the music accompaniment to know that it&#8217;s &#8220;Smells Like Teen Spirit&#8221; by Nirvana. It&#8217;s one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/the-20-most-recognizable-drum-beats-of-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most recognizable drum parts of all time<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grohl&#8217;s flams are iconic. You&#8217;ll also hear his legendary style in the intros of Nirvana&#8217;s &#8220;Scentless Apprentice&#8221;, &#8220;Song For The Dead&#8221; by Queens Of The Stone Age, and &#8220;My Hero&#8221; by Foo Fighters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Foo Fighters - My Hero (Official HD Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EqWRaAF6_WY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>2. His fills are unique<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether it&#8217;s Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures or Grohl&#8217;s early band Scream, Grohl&#8217;s rhythmic vocabulary and precise execution are easily recognizable. The flams he adds to fills (in songs like &#8220;In Bloom&#8221; and &#8220;Smells Like Teen Spirit&#8221;) come from his influences in disco music!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve heard &#8220;No One Knows&#8221; by Queens Of The Stone Age, you probably air drum that triplet-based fill. You can also hear Grohl&#8217;s hand-to-foot combos on tracks like &#8220;You Know What You Are&#8221; by Nine Inch Nails, &#8220;Binge&#8221; by Scream, and &#8220;No One Loves Me &amp; Neither Do I&#8221; by Them Crooked Vultures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grohl tends to use three beat phrases and loves playing them over the bar like (like in &#8220;Everlong&#8221; by Foo Fighters). And you can&#8217;t deny that he loves creating tension with huge tom builds (like in &#8220;Breed&#8221; or &#8220;Aneurysm&#8221; by Nirvana). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter what he does behind the kit, he&#8217;s always playing to support the music. If the song doesn&#8217;t need chops, he stays simple &#8211; and that&#8217;s noticeable on tracks like &#8220;February Stars&#8221; by Foo Fighters, &#8220;Heart Shaped Box&#8221; by Nirvana, or even &#8220;Tribute&#8221; by Tenacious D.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"text-center\">\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ca\/detail\/94982723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/94982723?et=GPTph6qyTYBIbIPJHc6SXg&amp;tld=ca&amp;sig=zqy122ttwcm44PEU-ZnFG5jyWdpaRSbUTPikmxMtsis=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>3. His drum parts are energetic and creative<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to &#8220;Elephants&#8221; by Them Crooked Vultures, the intro from &#8220;Hanging Tree&#8221; by Queens Of The Stone Age, or the chorus of &#8220;My Hero&#8221; by Foo Fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes it\u2019s easy to forget what an awesome drummer Dave Grohl is. His parts are inventive and unique and he always plays what\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/pro-drum-studio-tips-3\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best for the song<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Everyone remembers the hits, but deeper cuts like \u201cStay Away\u201d from Nirvana\u2019s 1991 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevermind <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">album really showcase what he\u2019s about.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nirvana - Stay Away (Live at Reading 1992)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3YtH2rjrfaI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tone of the drums is fat and beefy (like his idol <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/john-bonham-drum-genius\/\">John Bonham<\/a>) and Grohl\u2019s parts perfectly complement the guitar lines. The verses, choruses and solo sections have different tone colors to give the song variety and move it forward.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His later work with Nirvana shows his musical growth and relentless drive to get better. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=peclQi67KS8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His drumming on the hit song \u201cDumb\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the band\u2019s 1993 album <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Utero <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is subtle and grooving, showing that Grohl is far more than just a rock basher.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The intro and verses are played on the rims of the drums along with cross-stick and a sparse bass drum part built around the vocal melody. When the chorus kicks in, he plays the snare on beat 2 and the toms on beat 4 and the \u201cand\u201d of 4, almost like a slower version of a mambo. This is a bold creative choice since he could have just played a straight backbeat (which he saves for the end of the tune). However, this tonal variation makes the chorus so much more interesting! The feel is also excellent \u2013 he plays laid-back but not sloppy. This tune is only 2 minutes and 30 seconds long, but Grohl\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/gavin-harrison-drum-lessons\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">musical choices<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> give it a wonderful arc. This is some killer drumming.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>4. He&#8217;s fearless<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">History has shown that creating great art requires taking risks, and Grohl has never been afraid to put himself out there and try new things. Nirvana\u2019s iconic <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1994 MTV Unplugged<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> performance is a perfect example, and it almost didn\u2019t happen. Kurt Cobain was unhappy with how the drums sounded when Grohl played with sticks in rehearsals. After a lot of tension and stress, someone ran to the music store for hot rods and Grohl delivered one of the most memorable drumming performances of all time. He was clearly out of his comfort zone, but he played with sensitivity and touch, giving the music exactly what it needed. In the process, he made it okay for rock drummers everywhere to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/how-to-play-a-rock-ballad-like-a-pro-todd-sucherman\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">turn down the volume<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and play \u201cacoustic\u201d sets.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He took another huge risk by creating the Foo Fighters. After his time with Nirvana, Grohl could have had a long and successful career as a sideman with groups like Pearl Jam or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (both of whom wanted him). Instead, he started from scratch and created something that was uniquely his. He did exactly what he wanted to do, and without that fearlessness, Foo Fighters and all their hit songs would never have existed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"text-center\">\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ca\/detail\/1056225622\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.66667% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1056225622?et=4fwmYEgmR_t6_FoIEyJXDg&amp;tld=ca&amp;sig=JiHT8bS5-HsTPMAmnJoSw6iYi3JxKl-uqXFJqLiPgUo=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>5. He&#8217;s a well-rounded and versatile musician<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kurt Cobain always spoke highly of Grohl\u2019s songwriting and was beginning to involve him more in Nirvana\u2019s creative process at the time of his death. This faith proved to be well-placed, as Grohl has written some of the biggest smash hits of all time such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/everlong-drum-fills\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEverlong,\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cMy Hero\u201d and \u201cBest of You.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Foo Fighters - Best Of You (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h_L4Rixya64?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides drumming and songwriting, he sings, plays guitar and fronts the band. This versatility and musicianship is a great quality for drummers to emulate. Playing other instruments and writing songs will help you become a better drummer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>6. He makes everyone around him better<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nobody is perfect and Grohl is no exception. But his bandmates clearly enjoy working with him and he\u2019s always been known as a team player who strives to lift up the people around him. He doesn\u2019t take himself too seriously (wearing a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=146&amp;v=ibI5-k5sin8&amp;feature=emb_title\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wolf suit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on SNL, having a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3AZz9TSjZCM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drum battle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with Animal from the Muppets or (allegedly) writing one of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twistedsifter.com\/2011\/06\/foo-fighters-illustrated-tour-rider\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">funniest tour riders in history<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dave Grohl and Animal Drum Battle - The Muppets\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3AZz9TSjZCM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He\u2019s also keenly aware of his power as a public figure. Look no further than his friendship and mentoring of 11-year-old drumming phenom Nandi Bushell. Grohl didn\u2019t have to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jsDgrKdczAE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">invite her onstage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to play \u201cEverlong\u201d with the Foo Fighters, but did so because he recognized her special talent and wanted to elevate her. He seems to genuinely enjoy helping others, a quality that can serve all drummers well musically and personally.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>7. He&#8217;s resilient<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like anyone, Grohl has faced his share of adversity, and the untimely death of bandmate Cobain at such an early age was a huge blow. Grohl had to recover from that while starting his own group, writing the songs and playing all the instruments himself on Foo Fighters early recordings until he found the right lineup.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2015, he broke his leg but still fronted the band from a giant <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BrwRr6yVMj0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">custom-built throne<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Most musicians would have been at home resting, but Grohl didn\u2019t even miss a show.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since recovering, he&#8217;s sent the throne to other injured musicians to use onstage including Axl Rose and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/news\/dave-grohl-throne-darin-wall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Greyhawk bassist Darin Wall who was shot in the leg at a music venue<\/a>. Not only is Grohl tough, he tries to inspire that same resilience in others.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And with the passing of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022, he&#8217;s still opted to move forward rather than call it quits. The band is continuing on with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/foo-fighters-new-drummer-josh-freese\/\">Josh Freese<\/a> &#8211; a longtime friend of Grohl &#8211; on drums, which will hopefully help maintain a family feel in the Foo Fighters camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Enough said&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dave Grohl has had an extraordinary career as a drummer, songwriter, bandleader and public personality. He\u2019s truly one-of-a-kind<\/span> and he&#8217;s inspired so many people to start playing drums or guitar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dave Grohl&#8217;s career so far is a remarkable story. From humble beginnings, he taught himself to play and became the drummer in one of the most essential bands of his generation. He then did it all over again as a frontman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He&#8217;s made countless incredible records, directed music documentaries, and wrote a bestseller to tell the tale. Never taking himself too seriously, and often referred to as &#8220;the nicest guy in rock\u201d, we salute you, Dave!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to improve your rock playing, you need to check out the 12 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/the-12-best-dave-grohl-grooves\/\">best Dave Grohl drum beats<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dave Grohl&#8217;s legendary drumming style has set him apart from the pack. Here are some examples of why he&#8217;s one of rock&#8217;s hall of famers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":174,"featured_media":31540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4019],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drummers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/174"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31498"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49043,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31498\/revisions\/49043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}