Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. Those who knew him loved him, and those who didn’t admired him.

The original drummer and founding member of Avenged Sevenfold has become an iconic figure in rock and metal with his skills, creativity, and huge personality.

Though he passed away far too soon at just 28 years old, his drumming continues to make a massive impact – and he’s quickly become a legend in his own right.

Here’s why The Rev is still one of the greatest modern metal drummers.

Who was The Rev?

Jimmy Sullivan, known to fans as “The Rev” (short for “The Reverend Tholomew Plague”) grew up in California with parents who encouraged him to play piano and drums at a young age. He eventually started drum lessons at age 10 on a toy drum set from Sears, getting a proper kit a year later.

By the time Jimmy formed Avenged Sevenfold with his schoolmates in 1999, M. Shadows and Zacky Vengeance, he’d already cut his teeth in other groups, playing in various other bands and projects throughout high school and joining the percussion ensemble at Harbor College in LA.

He had a huge personality, and according to those closest to him, was “everyone’s best friend”. A larger-than-life figure who used to wear kimonos and sport wild hair, The Rev has become a bit of a holy character in the book of modern metal.

Who were The Rev’s biggest influences?

Early in his drumming journey, Jimmy was interested in breaking down his favorite songs and started transcribing Pantera and Slayer, moving on to Dream Theater and Rush, then expanding into funk with Dave Weckl and Terry Bozzio pieces.

Also a Zappa fan, his diverse interests helped shape who he was as a musician, helping him build what would become a unique style in the heavy music genre.

When The Rev passed away in 2009, his band asked one of his drumming heroes, Mike Portnoy, to help record the remaining drum parts on their fifth album Nightmare, which they released in 2010. By refining the demos The Rev had recorded before he died, Portnoy was able to stay true to the original vision.

The Rev’s signature style

With such a range of musical tastes, it’s no wonder he took an atypical approach to writing metal drum parts.

Influenced by punk music in his early years, he’d often incorporate skank beats in sections where a meat-and-potatoes metal drummer might make a less “bouncy” style choice. But it’s this type of punk beat that gave Avenged Sevenfold songs a unique flair and set them apart from their genre-mates.

Check out the bridge in “Bat Country” – it’s a drummy part with rudiment-based fills, double bass and thrashy grooves, but with that bouncy punk beat at the end:

Like most rock and metal drummers, The Rev was a master of single strokes – but he’d add other rudiments, like drags, to give parts more flair. Here’s the intro of “Chapter Four”:

And then there’s his hand-to-foot combos, which you can hear throughout Avenged Sevenfold’s discography, like in the bridge of “Unbound (The Wild Ride)” or the intro from “Remenissions”:

The “Remenissions” bridge (1:57) also features an intricate ride bell pattern with a two handed hi-hat groove at a blazing tempo. The verse of “Almost Easy” also features double bell flourishes, which has become a Rev trademark.

Avenged Sevenfold’s current drummer Brooks Wackerman acknowledges it too: “Whenever I’m doing double rides, it’s an homage to him.”

While he had his own distinguishable style, The Rev was still full of surprises. For example, the hi-hat part in the verse of “Brompton Cocktail” has a hip-hop vibe:

And there are some nods to classic rock in his drumming, whether intended or not. This fill from “Blinded In Chains” sounds a bit like Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher“:

And the kick doubles in “Scream” are undeniably Bonham-esque:

If you’ve ever seen video footage of The Rev – or saw him live during his career – you can see how Tommy Lee influenced his showmanship. He loved the visual component of performing, twirling drumsticks, doing crossovers, and making huge motions while crashing.

Not every excellent writer or musician emphasizes the performance element, and vice versa. But The Rev did both, and a high level.

Jimmy Sullivan, double bass beast

Power and finesse: a rare combo for metal drummers. Most tend to lean one way or another, but The Rev was an exception, especially with his feet.

Here’s a live video of “Critical Acclaim” – a slower song for double bass, but a powerful groove nonetheless:

You can also see how he moves seamlessly between kick patterns in “Almost Easy”, adding bursts of 16th notes to spice up an otherwise straight forward groove:

A hallmark of metalcore and djent, the verse of “Unholy Confessions” features syncopated kick patterns that perfectly complement the guitar chugs. The bridge switches things up with a flurry of 16th notes, 16th note triplets and 8th notes:

And then there’s “Beast And The Harlot”, a rite of passage for any aspiring double bass drummer. It features a killer drum solo that builds perfectly, showcasing rapid fire footwork and hand-to-foot combos:

Learn how to play like The Rev with Avenged Sevenfold transcriptions, drumless tracks and practice tools in the Drumeo members area.
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The Rev sang and wrote with Avenged Sevenfold

He wasn’t just a drummer, but a total creative force. The Rev was able to pull off demanding drum parts and vocal runs simultaneously. You can hear him take on lead vocals on multiple tracks, including the chorus of “Critical Acclaim”:

…and backed up lead vocalist M. Shadows with additional vocal parts on “Seize The Day”, “Afterlife” and “A Little Piece Of Heaven.”

A skilled pianist as well, you can hear The Rev’s melodies in songs like “I Won’t See You Tonight Part 1”:

Or the intro of “Warmness On The Soul”:

An integral part of Avenged Sevenfold’s songwriting machine, The Rev wrote melodies and arrangements for entire tracks. “Almost Easy,” “Critical Acclaim”, “Afterlife”, and smash hit “Bat Country” contain anthemic pop elements but take on a somber tone:

The verse of “I Won’t See You Tonight Part 2” has a memorable djenty, syncopated double bass groove in 7:

While not every band lets their drummer go off the rails, The Rev loved to include drum breaks and mini drum solos, which you can hear plenty of in “Darkness Surrounding”:

He was an accomplished player at a deceptively young age. Even though he’d never recorded to a click track before, he recorded the drums for their first album, Sounding The Seventh Trumpet in one take (at the age of 19, no less).

Not content with just one band, he launched a side project in 2001 with Avenged’s lead guitarist Synyster Gates. It was called Pinkly Smooth and featured The Rev on drums, piano, and lead vocals.

Check out “Mezmer” that features a King Crimson-esque groove:

While Pinkly Smooth was The Rev’s outlet to do something different, his flair for the theatrical – influenced partly by Danny Elfman – still made its way into some Avenged Sevenfold tracks, like “A Little Piece Of Heaven”, which he wrote in its entirety.

The Rev wrote over 60% of the album Nightmare, but he tragically never got to record it.

Complemented by a haunting piano line, “Fiction” showcases The Rev’s vocals – salvaged from the demos he recorded prior to his death. It’s the last song he wrote for the album, handed in three days before he passed.

A creative and unusual character, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan was a beloved bandmate and friend whose impact on the rock and metal world is undeniable.

Countless drum covers pay homage to his iconic drum parts:

A trailblazer, he inspired drummers to pull ideas from outside of rock and lived each day like an adventure.

Gone too soon, but never forgotten.

A final song, a last request
A perfect chapter laid to rest
Now and then I try to find
A place in my mind
Where you can stay
You can stay away forever

“I don’t want to channel all my energy into drumming, or to be a Buddy Rich. I just want to play drums for the Who, and that’s it.”

Keith Moon

Well-behaved people rarely make history – and Keith Moon is no exception! The drummer of The Who tragically passed away at the age of 32, but not before establishing a legendary reputation that would make anyone’s grandma blush.

With a nickname like “Moon the Loon”, it’s no surprise to find out about his over-the-top pranks, his penchant for destroying hotel rooms, and a reputation for instigating shenanigans.

While he undeniably had an explosive personality, why was Keith Moon a drumming ‘genius’? He had an original writing and playing style, always throwing in rolls and fills and cool ‘drummy’ parts – and this is what cemented his influence among drummers of the ’60s and beyond.

One of the earliest rock drummers to use a double bass kit, he helped bring heavy hitters into the spotlight. Here are a few reasons why Keith Moon was one of the greatest drummers in history.

1. The Keith Moon sound

When The Who blew up in the ’60s, Keith Moon couldn’t be contained. He beat the living crap out of the drums and had a frantic and driving feel.

Here’s an example of his tom-pounding triplets from “My Generation”:

You can hear more of Moon’s relentless tom assault on “The Ox” – like the Surfaris’ ’60s surf rock classic “Wipeout” but even crazier:

Keith Moon has influenced a ton of modern drummers. Brad Wilk (Rage Against The Machine) and Todd Sucherman (Styx) both cite “Bargain” by The Who as a must-know, kick-heavy track. Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is a fan of Moon’s cymbal crashes in between fills:

While his over-the-top energy gave the band its exciting sound, Moon was still a master of dynamics. He’d sometimes set up a new section of a song with a dense drum fill, which was especially rare in the early ’70s. Listen for it in “When I Was A Boy”:

Some drummers might need a few bars to make a statement with their fills, but Keith Moon could do a lot with just one bar – like in “Baba O’Riley”:

2. Awesome grooves

Giving songs the “Animal treatment” doesn’t mean saying goodbye to tasteful, simple grooves. Listen to how Moon pulls it back in “Love Is Coming Down”:

You can hear Moon’s great pocket in “Join Together” and “Put The Money Down”:

“Baby Don’t You Do It” opens with a breakbeat-style drum part, and improvised grooves sometimes turn into a full drum solo:

If you’re a fan of triplets, you can hear some classic Keith Moon magic in “I’m One”:

And listen to his trademark triplets in “The Rock”:

3. An unconventional approach

Who bandleader Pete Townshend described Moon’s drumming style as “free”. Unapologetic in his approach to both writing and performing, he – as Frank Sinatra would put it – did it his way.

Who needs hi-hats when you’re Keith Moon? He abandoned the kit staple early on, going through a no hi-hat phase in the ’70s – and finding new ways to express himself – before eventually bringing them back.

Another example of his unconventional approach is in the verse sections of “Going Mobile”. Most drummers would play straight through, but Moon chose to drop the snare every few bars:

Listen to how Moon eliminates the cymbals – save for a single china hit once per bar – in “New Song”:

“Sister Disco” also features a tom groove with a single hit on the china in every bar:

A true “drummer’s drummer”, Keith Moon knew how to cleverly add a ton of drums into his parts. He double-tracked his drums in “I Can See For Miles”, which means he recorded the drum part twice and layered them to get a fuller sound.

“Out In The Street” and “Glittering Girl” feature busier grooves that most drummers would consider drum fills, but it was standard fare for Keith Moon:

One of his band’s most famous songs, “Pinball Wizard”, became a massive hit with a ton of radio play – even without a standard rock beat!

4. Leading from the drums

Keith Moon wasn’t “drummy” for the sake of being “drummy” – he accented and accompanied the music expressively, much like a jazz or orchestral drummer. Pete Townshend once said, “Keith decorated as he played”.

Max Weinberg (Bruce Springsteen’s drummer) says, “He was as influential in the sixties as Gene Krupa was in the thirties” and “in my view, was the lead instrument in The Who.”

Listen to “Won’t Get Fooled Again” – another hit that sacrificed standard drum beats for copious shots and fills. It’s truly a song for drummers!

Moon didn’t overplay for the sake of it. If you pay close enough attention, he was almost always following a vocal part or a detail played by another instrument – like in “Behind Blue Eyes”:

You can also hear his fills and embellishments followed the vocal parts in “My Wife” and “The Real Me”.

His crazy fills in “Cut My Hair” pull back to a casual rock beat, making the chorus that much more impactful:

5. Theatrics and lunacy

Without his over the top showmanship, Keith Moon’s genius might have gone under the radar. But with energy out the wazoo – much like his idol Gene Krupa – he was impossible to ignore.

“I’d see a big band with a double bass drum setup, twirling the sticks, all the theatrics. They’re the people I really dug growing up.”

Keith Moon

With stick tricks and theatrics pulled from the book of Krupa and his own brand of zany facial expressions, Moon dominated the stage.

You can feel his raw energy and passion in this promo video for “Who Are You”, the title track from their 1978 album:

You can see how his insanity translated on and off the stage in this trailer for The Who’s 1979’s rockumentary, The Kids Are Alright:

Moon’s chaotic energy helped The Who shine as a live band. You can hear it in live recordings of “Summertime Blues” and “Heaven And Hell”:

As if that wasn’t enough, here’s some classic footage of Moon destroying his drum kit:

Moon wrote the track “Bell Boy” where he gets extra silly and puts on a Cockney accent while performing lead vocals:

Don’t mind if we drop a few more examples of his “Moon the Loon” persona. Here’s Keith Moon destroying a hotel room:

And here’s a clip of The Who’s 1967 performance where Moon put explosives in his drums. It went off like a bomb and interrupted the transmission, giving Townshend permanent hearing loss in one ear and resulting in a cymbal injuring Moon’s arm.

No matter how you slice it, Keith Moon was one of the most unique and celebrated drummers in rock history. His unpredictable and chaotic approach to drumming wasn’t just about hitting things; it was full-blown performance art. Whether he was smashing drum kits or pranking people, or taking artistic liberties in his writing, there was only one Keith Moon.

He proved that in the world of rock, sometimes it’s the drummers who steal the show.

In the early 2000s, The White Stripes was one of the biggest bands in the world. Multiple hit singles and chart-topping albums propelled drummer Meg White and vocalist/guitarist Jack White through the stratosphere.

While they’ve since disbanded, one thing that set the band apart was Meg’s raw, simple drumming, which quickly became both a trademark of their sound and a point of contention to haters.

As we know from legendary bands like The Beatles, AC/DC and The Rolling Stones, a drummer doesn’t need to be a technical wizard to be a star – and The White Stripes wouldn’t have had the same organic, garage rock oomph with a ‘grid-perfect’ drummer.

The same could be said about Jack White’s guitar: no crunchy distortion, no White Stripes.

Meg White’s powerful, quirky sound helped her snag 6 Grammys and a spot on Rolling Stones’ 100 Greatest Drummers List.

She knew how to leave space and give songs character, and that’s why she’s one of the top rock drummers – and “loudest introverts” – of the 21st century.

As one person pointed out on Twitter, “Some folk just don’t get it: limitations are part of what makes rock music good.”

1. Meg White’s grooves are urgent and heavy

Her simple but powerful grooves have a certain urgency to them, giving the band a jump start in every song.

These ‘thumping’ beats have been a trademark of The White Stripes since day one.

Meg took the “less is more” approach – you can get more power when you have more space.

Listen to the dramatic groove in “The Union Forever”, where cymbals only fall where there’s a kick or snare. Many drummers would keep the cymbals going throughout the bar, but Meg chooses carefully.

Here’s the first chorus:

For more heavy grooves, listen to those crashes in the chorus of “Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground”:

And the cymbal placement in the second “re-intro”:

Meg was known for slowly adding layers as a song would progress, building energy by making simple changes or adding another piece of the kit. In “Rag & Bone”, she starts by only playing on the rim, then adds in kick, then floor tom, and finally exploding into the full groove.

2. She crafted drum parts with powerful simplicity

Meg’s accents would often follow the guitar line. Sometimes the use of space can feel as much like a hook as the guitar melody.

“Seven Nation Army” is a perfect example of how simple doesn’t mean boring. Any other drum part wouldn’t have fit this song, and without Meg White’s stripped-back playing it may not have earned a Grammy.

Listen to the driving quarter note groove in the first half of the chorus, before it punctuates the guitar every other phrase:

Meg’s parts are full of choices most drummers wouldn’t make, and that’s why she’s such a unique player.

The music is in charge of us.

Jack White

How many drummers would be satisfied playing the same beat for an entire song? It’s worth sacrificing our egos for the good of the music:

“My Doorbell” features a funkier, slightly syncopated groove involving a tambourine stick. It’s definitely a recognizable drum part:

“White Moon” is another great example of playing for the song, and is mostly comprised of kick, shaker, and crash cymbals. It supports the music perfectly:

And then there’s “Little Room” – which takes a lot of discipline to play kick drum and hi-hat consistently for the entire song:

3. Meg knew how to leave space with style

Pro musicians tend to recognize Meg White’s genius, and many have voiced their praise (Questlove, Tom Morello, Margo Price and Butch Vig, to name a few).

In the intro of “Ball And biscuit”, Meg doesn’t play the hi-hats consistently, and that’s what makes this basic beat more interesting:

There’s a distinct maturity and restraint in the notes she decides not to play. “The Big Three Killed My Baby” features kick, floor tom and snare in the chorus – and only kick and crash in the verse. It has a retro vibe and echoes some of those staple drum parts of the ’70s.

While many rock drummers neglect their left foot, Meg’s often doubles what her other limbs are doing. You’ll notice it in the hi-hat part of the first chorus of “There’s No Home For You Here”:

The White Stripes had a unique, unpredictable writing style with tempo changes and multiple feels within many of their songs.

“Black Math” has a slowdown in the middle of the song that makes it sound even heavier, and “Bone Broke” features a slow chorus and some different feels on the drums – like a swung snare with straight crashes, and a tension build in the solo using only kick and crash.

Here’s the second verse:

And in “Red Rain“, a light ride cymbal part gives way into heavy accents, the dynamics injecting more life into the song as it moves along.

Some people think the more notes a drummer plays, the better they are. But it’s not always technical prowess that turns a musician into a legend.

Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, and Phil Rudd all found a platform within some of the world’s biggest bands, and over the years more and more people are recognizing how critical their straight forward drumming was to the music’s success.

If you’re a beginner drummer, try learning a White Stripes song or two (we have a ton of play-along tracks and game-changing practice tools in the Drumeo members area).

Advanced players should also try learning Meg White’s parts, because while they may seem easy to grasp at first, drummers know that sometimes the hardest rhythms to play well are the simplest or the slowest.

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Is Tommy Lee a good drummer?

He isn’t just good – he’s great. And we’re here to show you why.

Mötley Crüe wouldn’t be the same without Tommy Lee, the rockstar poster child. His personality and energy are off the charts and he’s influenced countless drummers for decades.

From hard-hitting drum solos and unique cymbal techniques to signature grooves and fills, let’s break down why he’s such a legendary monster.

Grooves, baby

Tommy Lee has created some of rock’s sleaziest, tastiest grooves, and you can hear them on tracks like “Sick Love Song” (the intro ride bell groove is LA perfection):

And then there’s “Kickstart My Heart”, which features one of Tommy Lee’s most famous grooves. He plays a flam on every back beat, and always keeps consistent spacing between his hands. And maintaining that beat with maximum energy? Not as easy as it seems!

Let’s not forget about the intro of “City Boy Blues” – a recognizable groove for any Crüe fan:

We’ve got hi-hat barks, cymbal shots and accents on the china; a great groove with lots of cymbal action.

If you’re familiar with Tommy’s drumming on Crüe albums from the ’80s, you’ll know how much he loves the cowbell.

Listen for it on “Public Enemy #1” and “Come On And Dance” (the latter having a killer four on the floor groove with triplets on the cowbell):

Mötley Crüe is known as “The world’s most notorious rock band” largely for their party lifestyle and over-the-top antics, so it makes sense that they didn’t always take the road most traveled. Most bands in their scene would never have thought of alternating between a straight and swung feel, but you can hear it on tracks like “Take Me To The Top” and “Wild Side”:

Tommy Lee has branched out from his main gig in the past, going into recording sessions with other bands.

Here’s a cool groove in 9/8 that Tommy Lee played on the Smashing Pumpkins’ 2014 song “Tiberius”:

Every cymbal gets special attention

Tommy Lee doesn’t shy away from anything, especially his cymbals. His creative use of chokes helped set him apart from what other rock drummers were doing in the ’80s (other than, say, Alex Van Halen).

“Shout At The Devil” has some great examples:

And then there’s “Live Wire”:

Of course, we can’t forget about all the hi-hat openings and barks baked into “Dr. Feelgood”:

One reason this groove is so cool is how the hi-hat opening shifts from being on the beat to the offbeat.

Tommy basically inverts the “Dr. Feelgood” groove on “Rattlesnake Shake”, where starts it on beat three instead of beat one:

He keeps going with his trademark hi-hat openings in “Wild Side”, where he opens the hi-hats on beats one and three during a 16th note groove:

In “Primal Scream”, he incorporates a cymbal choke and hi-hat barks on the left hand while his right hand grooves on the ride. This groove rules:

He’s a master of all things theatrical

If you’ve never seen Tommy Lee play drums – in person or in a video – stop what you’re doing and watch this right now:

No one walks away from a Mötley Crüe show without having one of Tommy’s theatrical drum solos blow their mind.

One of his biggest influences is Tommy Aldridge, who played drums with Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Pat Travers and more. Known for twirling drumsticks, criss-cross sticking, cymbal grabs and other “big moves”, both Tommies have built showmanship into their performances, making their drum solos impossible to ignore and difficult to forget.

It wasn’t just about looking cool, though – it was also about being seen. Literally.

Tommy Lee loved Tommy Aldridge’s wild drum solos but he was hidden behind a wall of drums. “I gotta figure out a way where people can see what’s going on!”

“The plan was, let’s build something so sick that this’ll probably never, ever be done again. I think we achieved it.”

The theatrics all started on the Theatre Of Pain tour in 1985 with a rotating cage. But it didn’t stop there. For the next tour, he decided it was time to fly his drum kit over the audience.

During the 2000s, Tommy showed Mötley Crüe fans that he could fly from the stage to ceiling-suspended risers. Later, he played a 360-degree roller coaster drum solo.

And then he gave us the “Crüecifly”…

The heaviest (and sometimes biggest) bass drum in all the land

Tommy Lee’s double bass playing stands out on Mötley Crüe’s ’80s records in particular, as well as his heavy syncopated bass drum grooves (like in “Louder Than Hell“). He’s serious about his low end: you might catch him playing a 26″ – or even 32” – bass drum!

When the band remastered Theatre Of Pain, they included the bonus track “Tommy’s Drum Piece from Cherokee Studios”. Does it remind you of Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks“?

Now listen to his bass drum work on “Let Us Prey”:

Tommy’s double bass parts in the intro of “Use It Or Lose It” are peak hair metal:

With a syncopated ride bell pattern peppered with simple accents atop steady double bass, it’s a classic part.

These days, Tommy mostly saves his double bass work for fills and flourishes rather than grooves, like in “Hooligan’s Holiday”.

More drum fills than you can shake a stick at

Tommy has a distinct style, and specific ideas and concepts you can hear him using on a bunch of different albums.

He loves “sweeping” drum fills, especially 16th note triplets, in songs like “Looks That Kill” (chorus), the intro of “Save Our Souls”, the intro of “Red Hot”, or dropping into the first chorus of “Smokin’ In The Boys Room”.

Tommy will also use 30-second note bursts played as singles in a lot of drum fills. Listen to “Saints Of Los Angeles” (pre-chorus), “Home Sweet Home” (leading into the final chorus), and “Primal Scream”.

If you like Tommy Lee and Mötley Crüe, we’ve got all these songs (and way more) transcribed note-for-note inside the Drumeo members area, along with drumless play-along tracks, practice tools and a supportive community.

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There are legendary bands…and then there’s Queen. 300 million record sales and an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame later, it’s safe to say drummer Roger Taylor contributed heavily to the iconic stadium sound that defined the ’70s and ’80s.

He cowrote some of Queen’s biggest hits, contributed vocal harmonies, and pursued a solo project as a singer-songwriter. Here’s why Roger Taylor is irreplaceable.

1. His style is unique

One of Roger Taylor’s most recognizable features is that he often barks the hi-hat with the snare to emphasize every backbeat. For example, in “Play The Game” by Queen:

And in the verse of “Somebody To Love”:

If there’s a snare hit on the backbeat, it’s definitely going to be a rimshot in Roger’s world.

Roger Taylor’s cymbal work has always been next level while staying tasteful, like in Queen’s “Bicycle Race”:

“I love cymbals. They provide wonderful dynamics. Quite often, I’ll overdub very specific cymbals…you have to know which ones to use in which places.”

For example, Roger went back and overdubbed the ride cymbal in “I Want To Break Free”:

Listen to the layered wood block and choked crashes in “Good Old Fashioned Loverboy”:

And of course, there’s also Roger’s drum fills. In “Innuendo”, the song opens with a triplet march on the snare that builds tension and excitement:

His fill choices (like the key fill in “You’re My Best Friend” played in reverse) and his ability to use them to build energy (like in “I Was Born To Love You” and “Under Pressure”) have set him apart during his 50-year career.

2. His pocket is undeniable

Whether the beat is simple or supporting complex changes, Roger Taylor’s drumming has always perfectly complemented the music.

“Another One Bites The Dust” is a great example of a song that wouldn’t sound quite the same with another drummer behind the kit. The part may be simple, but the pocket is perfect.

You can hear his epic pocket in “Cool Cat”, “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “A Kind Of Magic.” Simple, sure, but his cymbal choices and feel were exactly what the songs needed.

3. He’s a chameleon

Songs like “Killer Queen” and the bridge of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” have tricky arrangements, but Roger Taylor’s drum parts helped make the flow feel natural and comfortable to the listener.

He’ll often make subtle but interesting changes to songs live, like subbing rim clicks with cowbell.

The drum parts even complemented Freddy Mercury‘s vocals. Check out “Death On Two Legs”, which features fills and changes that often matched the vocal phrasing:

And the shots in the bridge of “Hammer To Fall”:

While he’s known for being a rock drummer, Roger has incorporated a punk edge here and there, like the snare roll and double time feel in the outro of “It’s Late”, or the beats in “Stone Cold Crazy” and “I Want It All”.

Of course, there’s also Bohemian Rhapsody (Roger sang the highest harmonies!), which has one of the most intricate and chaotic arrangements in popular rock music.

The latter half of the song wouldn’t be what it is without the polyrhythmic bass drum pattern:

Beyond Queen

Like many other top drummers (Phil Collins comes to mind), Roger Taylor does a lot more than just ‘warm the throne’. He’s released six solo studio albums since 1981, often singing, drumming, playing guitar and more.

You can hear a nod to John Bonham in “More Kicks”, which sounds a lot like Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks“:

Between collaborating with legends like Gary Newman, Elton John and Taylor Hawkins, Roger Taylor is one of the world’s top drummers because he knows how to support the music. What have you learned from him?

If you’re a Foo Fighters (or Taylor Hawkins) fan, this is the ultimate drum video for you.

Drumeo’s Brandon Toews recently undertook the ambitious project of drumming to a medley featuring all 183 Foo Fighters songs. In one take.

This tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins’ incredible legacy is a testament to the enduring power of music to bring people together and inspire greatness. With no breaks, edits, or do-overs, Brandon demonstrates his drumming skills and his great appreciation for Taylor Hawkins’ genius.

To learn more about how the video was made, check out Brandon’s behind-the-scenes episode here:

Follow along with the medley as Brandon plays through every Foo Fighters song, chronologically in album order:

“Foo Fighters” (1995)

• This Is A Call
• I’ll Stick Around
• Big Me
• Alone + Easy Target
• Good Grief
• Floaty
• Weenie Beenie
• Oh, George
• For All The Cows
• X-Static
• Wattershed
• Exhausted
• Winnebago
• Podunk
• How I Miss You
• Ozone

“The Colour And The Shape” (1997)

• Doll
• Monkey Wrench
• Hey, Johnny Park!
• My Poor Brain
• Wind Up
• Up In Arms
• My Hero
• See You
• Enough Space
• February Stars
• Everlong (learn the key fills from Everlong here)
• Walking After You
• New Way Home
• Requiem
• Drive Me Wild
• The Colour And The Shape
• Dear Lover

“There Is Nothing Left To Lose” (1999)

• Stacked Actors
• Breakout
• Learn To Fly
• Gimme Stitches
• Generator
• Aurora
• Live-In Skin
• Next Year
• Headwires
• Ain’t It The Life
• M.I.A.
• Fraternity
• Iron And Stone
• Make A Bet

“One By One” (2002)

• All My Life
• Low
• Have It All
• Times Like These
• Disenchanted Lullaby
• Tired Of You
• Halo
• Lonely As You
• Overdrive
• Burn Away
• Come Back
• Walking A Line
• Sister Europe
• The One
• Win Or Lose
• Normal

“In Your Honor” (2005)

• In Your Honor
• No Way Back
• Best Of You
• DOA
• Hell
• The Last Song
• Free Me
• Resolve
• The Deepest Blues Are Black
• End Over End
• Still
• What If I Do?
• Miracle
• Another Round
• Friend Of A Friend
• Over And Out
• On The Mend
• Virginia Moon
• Cold Day In The Sun
• Razor
• The Sign
• I’m In Love With A German Film Star
• Kiss The Bottle
• Spill
• Skin And Bones
• Born On The Bayou

“Five Songs And A Cover” (2005) 

• World
• FFL

“Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” (2007)

• The Pretender
• Let It Die
• Erase/Replace
• Long Road To Ruin
• Come Alive
• Stranger Things Have Happened
• Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)
• Summer’s End
• Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners
• Statues
• But, Honestly
• Home
• Once & For All
• Seda
• If Ever
• Keep The Car Running

“Greatest Hits” (2009)

• Wheels
• Word Forward

“Wasting Light” (2011)

• Bridge Burning
• Rope
• Dear Rosemary
• White Limo
• Arlandria
• These Days
• Back & Forth
• A Matter of Time
• Miss The Misery
• I Should Have Known
• Walk
• Better Off

“Medium Rare” (2011)

• Band On The Run
• I Feel Free
• Life Of Illusion
• Young Man Blues
• Bad Reputation
• Darling Nikki
• Down In The Park
• Baker Street
• Danny Says
• Have A Cigar
• Never Talking To You Again
• Gas Chamber
• This Will Be Our Year

“Sonic Highways” (2014)

• Something From Nothing
• The Feast And The Famine
• Congregation
• What Did I Do?/God as My Witness
• Outside
• In The Clear
• Subterranean
• I Am A River

“Songs From The Laundry Room” (2015)

• Kids In America
• Empty Handed

“Saint Cecilia” (2015)

• Saint Cecilia
• Sean
• Savior Breath
• Iron Rooster
• The Neverending Sigh

“Concrete And Gold” (2017)

• T-Shirt
• Run
• Make It Right
• The Sky Is A Neighborhood
• La Dee Da
• Dirty Water
• Arrows
• Happy Ever After (Zero Hour)
• Sunday Rain
• The Line
• Concrete And Gold

“Run Rudolph Run” (2020)

• Run Rudolph Run

“Medicine At Midnight” (2021)

• Making A Fire
• Shame Shame
• Cloudspotter
• Waiting On A War
• Medicine At Midnight
• No Son Of Mine
• Holding Poison
• Chasing Birds
• Love Dies Young

“Hail Satin” (2021)

• You Should Be Dancing
• Night Fever
• Tragedy
• Shadow Dancing
• More Than A Woman

“Dream Widow” (2022)

• Encino
• Cold
• March Of The Insane
• The Sweet Abyss
• Angel With Severed Wings
• Come All Ye Unfaithful
• Becoming
• Lacrimus Dei Ebrius

Put four of the world’s top drummers together and what do you get?

Drumeo worked with some amazing people this past year, and we asked Larnell Lewis (Snarky Puppy), Hannah Welton (Prince), Dennis Chambers (Parliament-Funkadelic) and Aaron Spears (Usher/Ariana Grande) to shed over an instrumental called “Intermediate Funk” (a play-along you can find in the Drumeo members area).

While we filmed each of them separately, we’ve combined each of their takes into a single video so you can see how everyone approached the song differently.

It’s funky, it’s upbeat, and you get to see each pro drummer take solos.

Who should we get to collab next, and on what song?

A little while ago, we dared pop drummer Domino Santantonio to play a Slipknot song after hearing it once.

She’s not a metal drummer and she’s never listened to Slipknot. We also didn’t let her hear what the drum part sounded like. Call us unfair, but we thought it turned out great!

Domino gave it her own spin, and over 2.5M views later she’s back to give us a taste of our own medicine.

Drumeo’s Brandon Toews produces the recurring segment that dares pro drummers to play a song (in an unfamiliar style) after hearing it once.

Domino got her revenge

The tables have turned, and revenge is sweet. Domino dared Brandon – also not a metal drummer – to learn a Slipknot song on the spot.

This time it’s “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” off Slipknot’s latest album The End, So Far. The blistering drums on the original track helped Jay Weinberg snag the 2022 Drumeo Award for Drum Recording Of The Year. Jay joined Slipknot back in 2014.

190 BPM is a tricky tempo on the feet – even for experienced drummers – and Brandon hasn’t touched a double bass pedal since we challenged him to learn “Bleed” by Meshuggah last year.

It’s his first attempt to learn a Slipknot song. What do you think? Did he nail it or flub it?

We think Brandon did great, but he wanted to give himself a fair chance to learn the song’s details properly by using the practice tools in the Drumeo members area to slow down the track and work on his weak spots.

You can do it, too. Get the full transcription of “The Dying Song” and its drumless track inside drumeo.com!

Is Ringo Starr one of the greatest drummers of all time?

Or is he only famous because he was a member of The Beatles?

Even though he’s one of the most well-known drummers of the 20th century, fans of Ringo still think he’s underrated – especially because he’s had his fair share of haters:

In this article and video, we’re going to look at Ringo’s drumming – objectively – and explain why he’s such a great player.

Drummer, singer, songwriter, bandleader, rock ‘n’ roll pioneer…Ringo is responsible for making drumming look cool and inspiring countless people to take up the instrument.

Whether he was playing with The Beatles, the All-Starr Band or others, his one-of-a-kind approach set him apart from other drummers and he always wrote parts that elevated the song.

If you think Ringo shouldn’t be recognized as a groundbreaking musician because he doesn’t play impossibly technical parts, finish this page and then think again.

1. Ringo has a unique drumming style

One reason Ringo has such a unique vice on the kit is – surprise, surprise – he’s a left-handed drummer who plays a right-handed setup. You can hear how he often uses his left hand to play accents and keep time on the hi-hat, and he executes his fills leading with his left.

Ringo has a unique way of hitting the drums. From his signature ‘windshield wiper’ hi-hat playing to ‘dancing’ and throwing his shoulder into the groove while he drums, the way he moves affects his feel and his swing.

He’s notable for his simplicity, unlike many drummers who are known for their technical prowess or speed. The Beatles’ music didn’t call for a showy drummer – they needed a drummer who could write the right parts.

Listen to the song “In My Life“. Where many drummers might’ve played an 8th note hi-hat groove, Ringo chose to hit the hi-hat just once per bar. That note placement makes all the difference.

“Love Me Do” is kick, snare, and hi-hat the entire song. Fills in “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude” don’t need to end with a crash, either.

Why hit a cymbal for the sake of it? Ringo decided it wouldn’t fit the music, so he simplified the part.

“It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play.”

Miles Davis

He knows how to serve the song on the drums, and this is one of the reasons Ringo Starr is one of the greats – and the perfect drummer for a band like The Beatles.

2. His drum parts are unexpected

Without Ringo’s creativity and imagination, the Beatles wouldn’t have sounded as original. He created drum parts you wouldn’t typically hear in pop or rock songs in the ’60s and ’70s.

The tom and hi-hat part in the bridge of “Something“. The unconventional opening beat in “Come Together“. Who expected the drums to sound like this?

In the song “Ticket To Ride“, Ringo doesn’t play a metronomically perfect groove, and that’s part of the beauty of it.

Ringo’s signature style includes quarter note triplets (“Day Tripper”, “She Loves You”) and atypical drum solos like in “The End”, which features 8th notes on the bass drum, a broken 16th note fill on the toms, and an 8th note build in the final bar.

And for those thinking Ringo can’t hang with anything not in common time, listen to the proggy bridge of “Here Comes The Sun” (it alternates 5/4 and 4/4) or the bridge of “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” (9/8 and 10/8).

3. Ringo created legendary grooves

One of the world’s most recognizable drum parts is the main theme in “Come Together.” Ringo says he played it counterclockwise (starting on the floor tom) because he’s left-handed. However, if you check out the isolated track, it sounds like he’s descending from left to right. You be the judge.

Even the verse is special: most drummers might have opted for a backbeat, but Ringo chose to play 8th notes on the floor tom with quarter notes going on the kick. It takes a certain ability to get people dancing and grooving with such a simple part.

Ringo’s drumming on “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is almost as recognizable to Beatles fans as “Come Together”.

A solo single he released in 1972 – “Back Off Boogaloo” – features a trademark snare pattern in the intro, a part that came to be because he claims he wasn’t able to play it on the bass drum under a groove.

In a sense, Ringo’s perceived shortcomings may have actually contributed to his strengths.

4. His drum fills are ‘funny’ – but memorable

“I’m no good on the technical things…I’m your basic offbeat drummer with funny fills because I’m really left-handed playing a right-handed kit. I can’t roll around the drums because of that.”

Ringo Starr

Ringo’s fills are often original and memorable. That’s not to say he didn’t have his own formula for writing: he’d often play two 16th notes followed by a 16th note rest, and then a group of four or five 16th notes.

You can hear this structure in songs like:

• “Golden Slumbers”
• “Octopus’ Garden”
• “She Said She Said”
• “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

The former Beatles drummer is also a fan of triplet fills (Listen to “Oh! Darling” and “A Day In The Life”), a proclivity shared by Ringo’s friend John Bonham.

5. Ringo has already left a legacy

While most reserve talk of legacy for people when they’re no longer with us, it’s clear Ringo has already had a massive impact on multiple generations of drummers (and drummer-adjacents).

His playing progressed as The Beatles progressed. Compare earlier tracks like “Twist and Shout” and “Please Please Me” to “Helter Skelter” and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” and you’ll notice a difference.

Many people are drawn to fast, technical playing for its physical and rhythmic impressiveness, but forget about the most important thing: music.

Ringo understands the role of the drummer and what it means to support the music.

And for that reason – outlined by the points above – he’s a genius in our books.

What makes Ringo Starr so great?

Gregg Bissonette has been playing ‘double drums’ with Ringo since 2003, and has been drumming in his All Starr Band since 2008. The former Beatle was one of Gregg’s earliest influences, and as he puts it, he now gets to play a few feet away from his drum hero every night.

Why does Gregg think Ringo has been such a game changer for so many drummers?

The Beatles wouldn’t sound the same

Songs like “I Feel Fine” or “Ticket To Ride” wouldn’t be the same without Ringo’s unique parts. The drums mirror the bass perfectly in “Come Together” and the main theme is immediately recognizable. The groove from “In My Life” only has one hi-hat hit per measure, yet it’s so effective that even drummers like Stan Lynch (Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers) have found inspiration there.

Ringo has his own style and swing

Many people started playing drums because of Ringo (and not just because he in one of the biggest bands in the world). Gregg changed from traditional grip to matched grip to emulate his hero. Ringo ‘dances’ while he plays, throwing his shoulder into it as he gets into a rocking motion.

He’s got a real swing to his style, which probably comes from his favorite drummers, like Cozy Cole. Even when the tune has a straight 8th note feel, Ringo tends to swing his fills (“Strawberry Fields”) which adds perfect unpredictability and feel to the song.

He changed the perception of drummers

You used to see artists like Elvis and Buddy Holly perform with the drummer in the background, generally unable to be seen by the audience. Suddenly, there was Ringo Starr up on a riser, just as important as John, Paul and George. They were a real band!

The drummer isn’t just keeping time in the shadows anymore; they’re counting the songs off, leading the way, and creating the feel.

Ringo also led the way in how drums were recorded. The compression on the drums and cymbals, the sound, the tuning…it was a real game-changer at the time.

He’s an incredible musician

Ringo and the band had such a great time, you’d never notice they didn’t record to a click. They always played as a unit, and Ringo listened carefully to the vocals. He never wanted a fill to get in the way of the song.

Even when he sings, he sings with the same great time and feel and swing. Plus, he brings joy to the music and makes it fun.

Whether or not you’re a fan of Ringo Starr or The Beatles, you have to admit it: he was ahead of the game as a drummer, and he has forever changed the landscape for beat keepers everywhere.

“There’s no rules” when it comes to drums – at least according to Travis Barker.

The 47-year-old drummer has become a household name over the last 20 years. Thanks to Travis and his bands (including Blink-182, The Aquabats, Transplants and more), millions of youth around the world have found a passion for the drums.

By merging musical styles and creating signature rhythms that have become hooks in themselves, he’s carved out his own niche in the industry – and he deserves all the acclaim he’s received during his career.

There are many reasons why Travis Barker is one of the top drummers of all time, and we’re going to highlight a few here – with lots of proof to back it up.

1. Travis Barker combines punk rock with drumline

In his 2015 autobiography Can I Say, Travis talks about how he developed his signature style early on as he spent hours honing his drumline chops, taking jazz lessons, and learning Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms.

Did you know Travis Barker is a left-handed drummer? He’s played on a right-handed kit for so long that he’s basically ambidextrous, so he can move around the kit evenly and comfortably.

And if you’re wondering why he sets up his toms and snare perfectly flat, that comes from playing in his school drumline – as do the rudiments he often includes in his drum parts.

Watch: 5 Ways To Improve Your Punk Drumming

Rudimental drumming is a big part of Travis’ playing style. You can hear it in subtle ways, like in the intro of “What’s My Age Again?” (with five stroke rolls and pataflaflas on the ride):

You can hear his fast, accented, single stroke rolls in the bridge of “Going Away To College”:

And double strokes on the hi-hats in “After Midnight”:

Travis also likes to work the toms in creative ways, like this heavy groove in “I Feel So” by Box Car Racer:

Listen to how Travis combines many of these elements and uses most of the kit in the outro of “Home Is Such A Lonely Place” and in the prechorus of Blink-182’s “Always”:

2. His drum parts are instantly recognizable

He could be a straight forward drummer and support Blink-182’s straight forward guitar riffs, but then he wouldn’t be Travis Barker. He separated himself from other drummers in the genre early on, deciding to push back against whatever ‘authority’ said punk drummers had to play simple.

Many Blink-182 songs start with a drum part. Travis is so adept at writing drum hooks that they become crucial and memorable parts of the song. Would “First Date” be the same without this iconic drum intro?

Drummers will probably recognize the verse of “Adam’s Song”, which uses unique cymbal placement, a variety of sounds like bells and splashes, and tom triplets:

How about the verse of “Anthem Part Two”?

Check out how the drum part drives the intro of “Hey I’m Sorry”:

And you’ll hear how extra percussion sounds (like cowbell) take “Feeling This” to the next level:

Travis often plays grooves on the rims, like in the intro of “Snake Charmer”:

And in “I Miss You”:

Another Barker-ism is syncopated ride bell patterns, which you can hear in songs like “Aliens Exist” and “Wishing Well”:

Travis’ drumline influences surface again in timeless parts like his rolls in “There Is” by Box Car Racer and “Easy Target” by Blink-182:

3. His speed and precision are world class

One of the most important skills a punk drummer needs to have is the ability to play fast. Travis’ speed and endurance help him nail songs like “Heart’s All Gone”, which is one of Blink-182’s fastest songs and features plenty of bass drum doubles:

And like other punk drummers, Travis is a master of the skank beat (the double-time polka beat), a defining groove of the punk rock style. You can hear it in songs like “Dumpweed”, “The Party Song” and “Anthem”.

If you want to hear Travis’ blazing fast drum fills, check out “Generational Divide” (it’s less than a minute long) and the intro of “Cynical”.

We said it before, but that iconic fill from the intro of “First Date” needs to be mentioned again.

4. He’s created a career outside of Blink-182

He could’ve been content with the success of his primary band, but why stop there when you could keep drumming?

One of the many reasons Travis Barker is a household name is because he’s always pushed boundaries stylistically. As someone who can thrive in a range of musical situations, he’s played and collaborated with Transplants, Halsey, The Aquabats, Machine Gun Kelly, Avril Lavigne and many more.

Outside of punk and drumline influences, you can hear Travis’ hip-hop influences in his work with Transplants and the late DJ AM. He founded DTA records in 2019 and started producing rap artists, too.

Listen to his solo album and hear how he can turn straight forward grooves into something more interesting.

Travis has also appeared with the Foo Fighters, HER and more.

From a clothing brand (Famous Stars and Straps) to reality TV (Meet The Barkers) and a wellness company (Barker Wellness), Travis has done it all.

And because of him, more people are playing drums today.

It didn’t surprise us that the public named Travis Barker Drummer Of The Year at the 2021 Drumeo Awards. Thousands of drummers grew up looking up to him, and his influence is undeniable.

Do you agree?

If not, you might want to re-read this article.

Learn about other influential drummers in our ‘genius of’ series:

• 7 Reasons Why Dave Grohl Is A Drumming Genius
• 5 Reasons Why Danny Carey Is A Drumming Genius
• 5 Reasons Why Phil Collins Is A Drumming Genius
• 5 Reasons Why Neil Peart Was A Drumming Genius
• 6 Reasons Why Elvin Jones Was A Drumming Genius
• 5 Reasons Why John Bonham Is A Drumming Genius
• 3 Reasons Why Stewart Copeland Is A Drumming Genius

Nirvana’s Nevermind is one of the biggest records of the ’90s. It’s the defining album of the grunge era. And it’s considered one of the greatest albums of all time with over 30 million units sold.

Nevermind introduced the world to Dave Grohl, once a target of criticism in drum magazines but later acknowledged as creator of some of the most celebrated drum parts in recent history.

In this video and article, we dive into the best sections from every song on the album. You’ll also get insider tidbits about working with producer Butch Vig and what Kurt Cobain was like behind the scenes during the making of the record.

“They were living in this apartment complex, and it was chaos. There’d be graffiti on the walls, and the couches were upside down. They’d stay up every night and go down to Venice Beach until six in the morning. I’d go into the studio at noon and they’d wander in around four.” (Butch Vig, Rolling Stone Magazine)

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nevermind opens with the biggest hit on the record: “Smells Like Teen Spirit“. Decades later, it’s still praised as one of the greatest songs of all time. The massive drum intro is instantly recognizable even by non-drummers, and the syncopated chorus groove drives hard. It’s arguably one of Dave Grohl’s best drum beats.

“In Bloom”

Nirvana’s former drummer Chad Channing wrote the iconic intro part, though Dave Grohl played it on the album.

The triplet fills also bring the song together.

“Come As You Are”

This track features Grohl’s signature quarter note grooves and lots of snare rolls. Because it uses some of the first beats and rudiments people typically learn on the kit, “Come As You Are” is a great song for beginner drummers.

“Breed”

Grohl stuck to the core part written by Chad Channing, which involves a quarter note groove with the odd ghost note. The heavy but syncopated chorus features flams and well-placed crashes.

“Lithium”

The simple cross-stick groove in the verse uses a powerful fill to transition into the chorus. The bridge groove incorporates syncopated flams for an interesting change-up.

“Polly”

The only song on Nevermind that features Chad Channing’s original recording, there’s no drum part – only a few cymbal hits.

“Territorial Pissings”

One of the most high-energy songs on the album, Nirvana would often end the set with “Territorial Pissings” and destroy their instruments on stage. The dense kick drum part makes it even more fun to play.

“Drain You”

The song starts with a great driving groove. The bridge builds into the end of the song with lots of toms and cymbal crashes.

“Lounge Act”

While it might seem like a straight forward drum part, Grohl throws in off-beat crashes and quick snare fills in the third chorus. The song ends with some nice syncopated crashes and triplet fills.

“Stay Away”

Grohl adapted Channing’s original parts for this one. The song starts with accented snare roll and goes into a steady tom part.

At the very end, we get a wicked triplet-based drum solo.

“On A Plain”

“On A Plain” is one of the first songs Nirvana ever recorded with Dave Grohl on drums.

The heavy quarter note groove features interspersed tom builds. In the bridge, the drum part alternates between syncopated flams and a straight forward groove to follow the guitar and bass.

“Something In The Way”

The simple and slow eighth note groove features the occasional fill, and each chorus ends with a bar of 2/4.

“Endless, Nameless”

“Endless, Nameless” is a hidden track on the physical album, and the drum part is based on steady eighth notes on the kick and quick snare fills mid-bar. As a bonus treat for drummers, there’s a solo at the end.

Dave Grohl is one of the top rock drummers of all time. Some of his most well-known drum parts came from Nevermind. Try these songs for yourself!

FYI, Drumeo membership includes full drum notation for the entire Nevermind album, the original tracks with drums removed, and practice tools to loop and slow down. Get a free 7-day trial to Drumeo here!

If you’re a beginner drummer who’s just learning how to play drums, here are five easy songs you can play right now.

No joke – even if you’ve never picked up a pair of sticks (learn how to hold drumsticks here), all of these songs are based on this simple drum groove. You can play the same beat the entire song, and as you progress in your drumming skills, you can add fills and other details later.

(P.S. We have the drumless versions of these tracks available for Drumeo members – get a free 7-day trial to our online drum lessons platform now!)

1. “We Will Rock You” – Queen

A great song for brand new drummers, the original recorded track is just stomps and claps – but Roger Taylor would play the rhythm on the drums live. It’s the same groove the whole song, which means it’s a great way to practice a simple beat while rocking out to a Queen classic.

2. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” – Bob Dylan

Another song you can get through by playing just one beat – the essential rock beat – you should focus on consistency and spacing between the notes.

3. “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” – Green Day

Similar to the last beat but with one more note on the kick drum, you can groove on the same pattern through the whole song if you want.

4. “Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson

This is basically the quicker version of the groove from “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.”

5. “You Shook Me All Night Long” – AC/DC

This song is similar to “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” with an extra kick drum hit. It’s a bit quick for a new drummer, but if you slow it down and get it solid, you’ll be playing at full speed in no time.

The practice tools in the Drumeo members area let you loop (repeat) sections, slow them down, and find drumless versions of songs to play around with. Get a free 7-day trial to the Drumeo lessons platform – you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll be playing your favorite tunes!

You might like these other articles, too:

• 20 Easy Drum Songs For Beginners
• Learn To Play Drums In 10 Minutes
• 13 Easy Drum Beats For Beginners

Stewart Copeland, longtime drummer of The Police, is one of the most unique drummers to come out of popular music in the last several decades.

His sound is often instantly recognizable between his diverse rhythmic influences, the way he creatively orchestrates patterns, and how he incorporates modern technology into his drum parts.

Let’s talk about Stewart Copeland, and why he’s one of the greatest drummers of all time.

Why is Stewart Copeland a good drummer?

The Police drummer has a distinct style because of his motley influences (Middle Eastern music, punk rock and jazz keep things interesting). Fans know him when they hear him. His high-tuned drums were also one of multiple components that gave The Police their reggae-rock sound.

Why do people love Stewart Copeland? Let’s break it down with some of his best drum parts:

1. His signature style combines unexpected influences

Born in the U.S. to a classical-loving mother and a jazz-loving father combined with a childhood spent in Egypt, Lebanon and England, Copeland grew up with many different influences.

His style combines reggae, jazz, Arabic music, Latin, and punk rock, which gives him a unique rhythmic sound. For example, unlike most pop or rock drummers, he won’t wait until the end of 8 or 16 bars to add in a fill or chop.

Check out how he adds the kick only on the ‘and’ of beats 1 and 2 in “Roxanne” by The Police:

You’ll also hear some cool syncopation in the chorus of “Next To You”:

And the bridge of “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”:

Copeland is also known for his hi-hat work, sometimes even grooving on a hi-hat part without a backbeat in songs like “Bring On The Night” and “Darkness”.

Did you know Copeland is a left-handed drummer who plays on a right-handed setup? This could explain why he often opts for busier patterns on the left side of the kit (like in “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”).

“Driven To Tears” also features some cool ride and hi-hat parts:

He incorporates toms in a unique way during the intro and first verse of “Next To You”:

He’s also taken influence from Arabic Baladi rhythms and reggae, where the bass drum emphasizes beat 3. Listen to the one drop feel in “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” and “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”:

Copeland often omits the bass drum on the downbeat, which you can hear in songs like “Behind My Camel”, “King Of Pain”, and “Spirits In A Material World”.

Listen to how the heavy punk groove changes to a reggae groove in the chorus of “Message In A Bottle”:

And check out the cool syncopation in “There’s A Spy In The House Of Love” by Animal Logic, one of Copeland’s other projects.

2. His gear choices make his sound recognizable

His unique sound comes in part from his regular use of ice bells and Octobans. Copeland has been a consistent TAMA player with the exception of his high-tuned Pearl snare drum.

During a time where other drummers were going for a deep, heavy sound, the Police drummer typically tuned his snare and toms up high (one exception is his work with the band Oysterhead, where he opted for a deeper tom sound).

His cross-stick work in the intro of “Reggatta De Blanc” and the verse of “Wrapped Around Your Finger” adds nice percussive elements to each respective song:

Listen to how he’d add delay and other effects to the drums, like in “Walking On The Moon” and “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”.

3. He thinks like a composer

…because he is one. His compositions are layered and each part is carefully orchestrated. Copeland has worked on soundtracks for movies like Wall Street and We Are Your Friends, shows like The Equalizer and The Amanda Show, games like the Spyro series and Alone In The Dark, and composed music for huge orchestras.

This composer’s mindset has resulted in cool overdubs, like the tom dubs in the verse of “Message In A Bottle”.

If you listen to Copeland’s solo album The Rhythmatist, you’ll hear a unique blend of acoustic and electronic sounds from the studio with raw recordings from his time in Africa.

For more sheet music and a deep dive into the entire Police discography, you can find note-for-note transcriptions, drumless play-along tracks and helpful practice tools (among thousands of other resources) in the Drumeo members area. Click here to get a free 7-day trial to Drumeo!

“Drummers shouldn’t just think of themselves as drummers. If you’re going to be a musician, you should expand your horizons, compose things, and work with other instruments.” -Stewart Copeland

Stewart Copeland, an iconic figure in the world of drumming, has left an indelible mark on the music industry with his unparalleled talent and innovative approach to percussion. As the former drummer of the legendary rock band, The Police, Copeland’s rhythmic prowess has captivated audiences worldwide and continues to inspire generations of drum enthusiasts. 

If you’re into drumming and want to take your skills to the next level, diving into the techniques and influences of drummers like Stewart Copeland can be a game-changer. This article’s got you covered, giving you all the inside info on Copeland’s epic career, his awesome collaborations, and the drumming tricks he’s mastered. We’re here to inspire and educate, so you can totally add a bit of Copeland’s genius to your own musical journey.

Whether you’re a mega-fan of The Police or just a beginner drummer eager to sharpen your skills, come join us on a rhythmic adventure as we explore the epic legacy of Stewart Copeland, the drumming virtuoso. 

Stewart Copeland’s influences

Copeland got his first drum kit at the age of twelve. Self-taught and driven by a natural talent for rhythm, he spent countless hours practicing and experimenting with different techniques.

Growing up in an artistic and musical family, Copeland was exposed to a rich tapestry of musical genres and cultural influences, which left a lasting impression on his approach to percussion.

Copeland’s father, Miles Copeland Jr., was a prominent jazz musician and composer, while his mother, Lorraine Adie, was a talented artist and founder of the International Folk Dance Federation. This upbringing immersed the future Police drummer in a world of diverse musical traditions, including Middle Eastern, African, and Latin rhythms. These intricate beats greatly influenced his drumming, leading him to incorporate unique patterns and polyrhythms in his playing.

As a teen, Copeland discovered rock and jazz music. Legends like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, and rock drummers like Keith Moon and Ginger Baker ignited his passion and laid the foundation for the dynamic and energetic drumming style he’d later become known for.

Stewart Copeland co-founded The Police in 1977

As the band’s drummer and primary songwriter, Copeland’s contributions were integral to The Police’s sound. The band’s fusion of rock, reggae and punk elements – along with Copeland’s inventive drumming – catapulted them to international fame.

Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, The Police achieved worldwide success with a string of hit albums and singles. Their album Reggatta de Blanc (1979) won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, a major milestone in Copeland’s early career.

The band’s chart-topping hits, like “Roxanne”, “Message In A Bottle”, “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” and “Every Breath You Take” showcased Copeland’s versatility as a drummer, transitioning seamlessly between musical genres.

Copeland’s exposure to non-Western rhythms played a crucial role in The Police’s experimentation with reggae and other global musical influences. This fusion of styles became a defining characteristic of the band’s sound, setting them apart from other rock acts of their time – and the drumming solidified Copeland’s reputation as an innovative and groundbreaking drummer.

Who else has Stewart Copeland drummed with?

Copeland’s drumming career spans decades and a wide array of projects and collaborations. Known for his versatile style and innovative rhythms, his contributions to various bands have left a lasting impact on the world of music.

His contributions have earned him several awards and accolades, including multiple Grammy Awards and recognition for his prowess as a drummer and composer.

Curved Air

Before founding The Police, Copeland drummed with English prog band Curved Air. His brother Miles was managing the band and brought in Copeland to complete the lineup during the band’s reunion in 1975.

Animal Logic

After The Police disbanded, Copeland went on to form the band Animal Logic with bassist Stanley Clarke and vocalist Deborah Holland. The trio blended elements of rock, jazz, and funk, creating a unique and eclectic sound. Their self-titled debut album, Animal Logic (1989) showcased Copeland’s rhythmic experimentation became a platform for even more musical exploration.

Oysterhead

In 2000, Copeland teamed up with bassist Les Claypool of Primus and guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish to form the supergroup Oysterhead. Their fusion of rock, funk, and improvisational elements resulted in the critically acclaimed album, The Grand Pecking Order (2001).

Film scoring and other projects

Beyond his work with bands – he’s also lent his talents to Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits and other legends – Copeland ventured into scoring, contributing to soundtracks for movies, TV shows, and the Spyro the Dragon video game franchise. His compositions showcase how he well can adapt his drumming to different genres and visual narratives.

In recent years, Copeland continues to push the boundaries of drumming. His YouTube channel chronicles the jam sessions that take place at his own studio, Sacred Grove, including a collaboration with Snoop Dogg. 

What drums does Stewart Copeland play?

Copeland’s drumming style is shaped not just by his unique approach to rhythm, but also by his choice of gear.

Stewart Copeland’s drum kit specifications and setup have evolved over the years (check out this wiki on gear he’s used throughout this career), reflecting his continuous exploration of new sounds and techniques. Through his distinctive choice of drums, cymbals, and effects, as well as the incorporation of unique elements like octobans, Copeland has created a recognizable drumming sound.

Here’s an overview of his drum kit specs, including sizes, brands, cymbals, and any unique or custom elements that contribute to his iconic sound.

Stewart Copeland’s drum set

Stewart Copeland’s kit is a reflection of his innovative and versatile drumming style. Throughout his career, Copeland has used a variety of drums and cymbals to achieve his signature sound.

Here’s his general setup – a Starclassic Maple in “Police blue sparkle” – according to his TAMA profile:

One of the most unique elements of Copeland’s drum kit is his use of octobans: small, tuned cylindrical drums that produce high-pitched tones. He positions four of them above his main drum kit, allowing him to add melodic layers to his playing. He’s also a fan of the almighty cowbell.

Here’s Stewart Copeland’s cymbal setup as listed on his Paiste profile:

• 14″ 2002 Flanger Splash (discontinued)
• 12″ Signature Combo Crisp Hi-Hat “Rhythmatist”
• 6″ 2002 Cup Chime
• 18″ Signature Fast Crash
• 8″ Signature Splash
• 10″ Signature Splash
• 16″ Signature Full Crash
• 22″ Signature Blue Bell Ride “Rhythmatist”
• 17″ Signature Fast Crash
• 18″ Signature Traditionals Light Flat Ride
• 18″ Signature Fast Crash

How to play drums like Stewart Copeland

Versatility, rhythmic complexity, and diverse influences: these have made Copeland’s drumming unique, and you can channel his approach to develop your own musical voice.

Here are some insights into Copeland’s drumming techniques, as well as a few practice tips to improve your own skills:

1. Embrace polyrhythms and syncopation

Copeland’s drumming often features polyrhythms, where multiple rhythms are played simultaneously to create intricate patterns. Practice incorporating different rhythms between your hands and feet to develop coordination and add depth to your playing.

Experiment with syncopation, accenting off-beats to create tension and interest in your grooves. Start with simple patterns and gradually increase the complexity to challenge yourself.

2. Fuse musical styles

Copeland’s ability to blend various musical genres into his drumming style sets him apart. Explore different genres such as reggae, punk, funk, and jazz, and incorporate elements from each into your drumming. Fusing styles in an unconventional way and you’ll start to develop a unique sound.

3. Master your dynamics

Copeland’s drumming is known for its dynamic range, from soft and delicate to powerful and explosive. Focus on developing your dynamic control by practicing crescendos and decrescendos on various surfaces around the kit. This skill will help you express emotion and add depth to your performances.

4. Experiment with gear and sounds

Like Copeland, experiment with effects cymbals and percussion instruments to add texture and color to your drumming. You can use cowbells, splash cymbals, and even tambourines to create cool accents.

You could even try adding octobans or extra toms in your setup to add melodic layers to your drumming.

Practice tips and exercises

To drum like Copeland, you need to practice like Copeland. Here are some exercises you can try:

Polyrhythmic warm-up: Start with a simple polyrhythmic exercise, like playing quarter notes with your right hand and eighth-note triplets with your left hand on the snare drum. Gradually increase the tempo while maintaining control and precision.

Genre fusion grooves: Experiment with combining different genres in a single groove. For example, blend reggae-style hi-hat patterns with punk rock snare accents. This exercise will expand your vocabulary and help you discover new combinations.

Dynamic control drill: Set a metronome to a slow tempo and practice playing consistent single strokes on the snare drum, starting very soft and gradually building up to full volume and effort. Focus on maintaining steady control and smooth transitions between dynamic levels.

Syncopation workout: Play a basic rock beat on the drum kit and introduce syncopated accents on the snare drum or toms. Explore different syncopated patterns and incorporate them into fills to add excitement and unpredictability to your drumming.

Octoban exploration: If you have octobans or additional toms, experiment with playing melodic patterns using different tom sizes. Create short melodic phrases and incorporate them into your drumming, enhancing your playing with musical motifs.

This drum solo by Styx’s drummer, Todd Sucherman, is a great example to follow:

Embrace experimentation and explore different musical influences to unlock your creativity and become a versatile and innovative drummer, just like Mr. Copeland himself.

Legacy and influence

Stewart Copeland is a trailblazer who has had a major impact on the world of music. His time with The Police, Oysterhead, and other collaborations have inspired countless musicians and bands to experiment with rhythms and genre fusion.

Copeland’s influence goes beyond the drumming community, as his innovative drum parts have become an integral part of the iconic songs produced by The Police and other projects, and his film scores have touched audiences worldwide.

His rhythmic innovation, versatility, and emphasis on musicality have inspired drummers to embrace creativity and push the boundaries of their craft.

If you want to up your game and find your unique voice, look no further than Stewart Copeland. Explore different genres, dive into those tricky rhythms, and don’t be afraid to think outside the drum kit.

Phil Collins has created an incredible legacy with an impressive body of work, which includes at least one of the most iconic drum fills of all time.

You know the one. And you’ve been playing it wrong all along.

If you aren’t already a fan, buckle up and get ready to change your tune – because in this video, Brandon Toews breaks down 12 iconic drum beats and fills from Genesis, Phil Collins’ solo career, and Brand X.

Read: 5 Reasons Why Phil Collins Is A Drumming Genius

(You can find a ton of complete Phil Collins transcriptions and play-along tools in the Drumeo members area. Click here to get a free 7-day trial if you haven’t joined Drumeo yet!)

1. “In The Air Tonight” – Phil Collins

Yep – you knew this one would be here. Let’s get it out of the way. It’s the drum break from Phil Collins’ solo album Face Value, and it’s probably one of the most air-drummed parts of all time.

Phil told us that most drummers play it wrong without realizing it! There’s no kick in between the last tew tom hits. Oops.

2. “Easy Lover” – Philip Bailey & Phil Collins

He teamed up with another Phil – Philip Bailey of Earth Wind & Fire – and it resulted in a hit duet with a cool 8-bar drum intro. Get used to going back and forth between two rack toms and coming back with a flam on the snare.

If you’ve got the gear, break out the Rototoms at the end.

3. “Watcher Of The Skies” – Genesis

This classic Genesis tune features a 6/4 groove that drives the tune forward. Learn that snare pattern first before you start moving things around, and start slow (especially to nail the four consecutive one-handed strokes).

4. “The Cinema Show” – Genesis

You can find this 7/8 groove in one of the tune’s solo sections. Learn this one slowly so you nail the hi-hat opening after beat 6. It sounds awesome at full speed!

5. “Behind The Lines” – Genesis

This part is from the opening track on Genesis’ 1980 album Duke. It might sound like it’s in odd time, but it’s actually in 4/4 – and the crash accent might throw you off. But the unique cymbal work gives it a unique sense of movement.

Our notation is based on the framework of the intro section. Phil builds on this idea more on the actual recording, so give it a listen and play around with it.

6. “Dancing With The Moonlit Knight” – Genesis

A fan favorite, “Dancing With The Moonlit Knight” has a great-sounding, heavy groove in one of the verses near the end of the song. Crash shots, china, open hi-hats and ghost notes…what more could you ask for?

7. “Dance On A Volcano” – Genesis

The opening fills in this song are so cool.

8. “Nuclear Burn” – Brand X

It’s tough to play such an intricate groove at full tempo, but it’s worth it. You could think of this 11/8 part as a bar of 4/4 followed by a grouping of six 16ths at the end (or two groupings of three 16ths).

9. “Firth Of Fifth” – Genesis

If you like odd time grooves, you’ll dig this one. Don’t let that bar of 13/16 throw you off!

10. “Supper’s Ready” – Genesis

If we had to choose the coolest part from this 23-minute masterpiece, it’d be the section the band calls “Apocalypse In 9/8”.

You’ll hear Phil adding in some hi-hat footwork on the recording, but it’s inconsistent so we didn’t notate it here. Feel free to add it in once you’ve got this down.

11. “Undertow” – Genesis

A classic Phil Collins fill that uses the entire kit!

12. “Second Home By The Sea” – Genesis

We couldn’t cover Phil Collins’ parts without doing at least one on a Simmons SDSV kit. We set it up as close to Phil’s ’80s touring configuration as we could.

Here are the Simmons pads we used at Drumeo for this video:

If you’re trying this on an electronic kit you can choose the closest sample that emulates that classic Simmons sound.

That concludes this list of iconic Phil Collins drum parts. We think he’s one of the top drummers of all time. Do you?

Did we miss any classic grooves or fills? Which one is your favorite?

These are all great parts to learn if you’re getting into prog drumming. Don’t forget to check out the thousands of drum transcriptions, practice tools and more on Drumeo!

Remember the good ol’ days of drum battles? Where legendary drummers like Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa duked it out in the best way they knew how?

Art Blakey vs. Ginger Baker.

Louie Bellson vs. Simon Phillips.

Buddy Rich vs. Animal (the muppet).

Steve Gadd vs. Dave Weckl vs. Vinnie Colaiuta.

For a time, the mighty drum-off was a hot commodity in musical entertainment. Two drummers face to face, kit to kit, throwing down in a friendly competition.

We’re bringing the drum battle back. In this video, Big Band/jazz phenom Greyson Nekrutman challenges Drumeo’s Brandon Toews to a showdown. And it gets heated.

Who do you think won? Whose socks were knocked off?

Watch this video – and then check out Greyson’s course on “Big Band Drumming” with a free 7-day trial to Drumeo so you can learn how to play like him (and maybe even outperform your opponents in a drum-off).

And if you like watching Greyson shred, watch this video where he battles with himself!

“It’s not what you are, it’s what you’re playing.”

Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham was one of the greatest rock drummers in history. Known to fans as “Bonzo”, his power and energy behind the kit were unmatched.

Here are 5 reasons why Led Zeppelin’s stick wielder was a relentless dynamo.

1. Powerful playing

‘Powerful drumming’ is synonymous with Bonham. It’s especially obvious in songs like “Dazed And Confused”, “Rock And Roll” and “In My Time Of Dying”.

Check out the intro groove on “Rock And Roll”:

And then there’s the shots and drum fills after the solo in “In My Time Of Dying”, the intro of “Achilles’ Last Stand”, and the drum fill in “Dazed And Confused” where it transitions into the main 12/8 groove:

Don’t get us wrong, though: Bonham wasn’t just about playing heavy. He still had discipline and gave the music what it needed, whether it was a booming tom part or something more nuanced.

For example, check out how he transitions from the verse to the chorus in “What Is And What Should Never Be.” He starts light on the ride with a cross stick and moves into a louder, driving groove.

2. Unprecedented bass drum work

Within 10 bars of Led Zeppelin’s debut album, fans heard Bonham’s awesome bass drum work in “Good Times Bad Times”. This type of playing set him apart from other rock drummers of his time and double strokes on the kick quickly became part of his signature sound.

If you read drum music, here’s the notation for that part:

You can also hear Bonham’s legendary work on tracks like “Out On The Tiles”, “Since I’ve Been Loving You”, “Kashmir” and “Black Dog”.

If you’re looking for even more examples of his bass drum proficiency, check out these songs:

• “Communication Breakdown”
• “Heartbreaker”
• “All My Love”
• “Out On The Tiles”
• “The Wanton Song”

▾ Download: 22 Free Led Zeppelin Drum Transcriptions

3. An undeniable feel

Bonham had a distinctive laid back feel. Influenced by genres like jazz and blues, Bonham leaned heavily into triplets like Joe Morello, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa and Max Roach.

Listen to how he infused his relaxed feel into “The Lemon Song”, or the shots at end of the first chorus in “Out On The Tiles”.

One reason his time feel was so incredible is because he wasn’t metronomically perfect. He could push and pull depending on what the music called for.

You can also hear awesome syncopated hi-hat work on tracks like “Houses Of The Holy”, “In Through The Out Door”, “The Crunge” and “Fool In The Rain”.

4. Recognizable drum grooves

Bonham undeniably created melodic beats and fills that even non-drummers can recognize, like “Rock And Roll” and “Immigrant Song“.

And of course, there’s “Whole Lotta Love”, “The Ocean” and “Kashmir”.

5. Intense drum solos

As legendary as he is now, he only released two drum solo recordings during his life, which was tragically cut short at the age of 32. These were “Moby Dick” and “Bonzo’s Montreux”.

But every solo he played was a work of art and featured different textures, dynamics, spontaneity, creativity and technical prowess.

During each live show, Bonham would take a 15-30 minute solo while the rest of the band took a break. While they all had a similar framework, the solo sounded different every night.

He’d typically start by hand drumming on the kit, followed by congas, timpani work and even hits on the gong before busting into absolute fury around the toms.

One thing’s for sure: no Bonham solo was complete without his signature triplets, leading with his left hand:

He’d often play them as crossovers around the kit, with sticking like this:

He’d often turn the triplet into a four-note grouping (LRLK), also known as the ‘bucket-of-fish‘ lick, which he sometimes worked into a three-beat phrase. Here’s an example taken from the song “No Quarter”:

(Learn how to improve your triplets in this full drum lesson)

Bonus: More facts about John Bonham

Who Were John Bonham’s Influences?

John Bonham was influenced by a range of drummers from various genres of music. But it’s no secret that he was heavily inspired by the jazz greats. The drummers that had the greatest effect on Bonham were: 

• Gene Krupa
• Keith Moon
• Max Roach
• Buddy Rich
• Ginger Baker 
• Bernard Purdie
• Mitch Mitchell
• Carmine Appice
• Barriemore Barlow
• Alphonse Mouzon
• Simon Kirke
• Joe Morello 

Thanks in part to the influence of these drummers, John Bonham became a master at combing elements of rock, jazz, and blues to create a sound that was uniquely his own.

How Did John Bonham Die?

John Bonham passed away on September 25, 1980, at the age of 32. His cause of death was asphyxiation due to choking on his vomit after consuming a large amount of vodka. Bonham had a history of heavy drinking, and on the night before his passing, he reportedly drank a significant amount at a band rehearsal. The next morning, Bonham was found unresponsive in bed at Jimmy Page’s house, where he was staying at the time. Despite attempts to revive him, it was too late. Bonham’s death was a massive loss to the music world, and Led Zeppelin disbanded shortly after his passing, as they felt they could not continue without him.

Who Did John Bonham Drum For?

Prior to joining Led Zeppelin, Bonham played with several other bands, including The Blue Star Trio, Gerry Levene & The Avengers, and Band of Joy. He also briefly played with Tim Rose, a folk-rock singer-songwriter, and was a session musician for a number of other artists, including Roy Wood and Screaming Lord Sutch.

However, as you probably already know, it was Bonham’s work with Led Zeppelin that cemented his place in music history as one of the greatest drummers of all time. His contributions to the band’s music have left a lasting legacy and continue to inspire generations of musicians.

Notable Drummers Influenced By John Bonham

John Bonham is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in rock music history. So it’s no surprise that many drummers have cited him as a major influence on their playing over the years. Some of the most notable include: 

• Dave Grohl – Nirvana, Foo Fighters
• Lars Ulrich – Metallica
• Chad Smith – Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Phil Collins – Genesis
• Stewart Copeland – The Police
• Taylor Hawkins – Foo Fighters
• Neil Peart – Rush
• Danny Carey – Tool
• Alex Van Halen – Van Halen
• Joey Jordison – Slipknot
• Mike Portnoy – Dream Theater
• Tommy Lee – Motley Crue

Famous John Bonham Quotes

John wasn’t really known for his public speaking, so there aren’t too many famous quotes attributed to him. However, here are a few notable quotes that are often cited by his fans:

“I just like to play drums, you know. I don’t care about all the other stuff. I mean, I just want to play the drums.”

“I’ve always been obsessed with drums. They fascinate me. Any other instrument – nothing.”

“You can’t hurt them drums. You know why? ‘Cause they’re already dead.” 

“I think every drummer wants to play loud. But you’ve got to learn to play soft too, you know?”

“When you play with feeling, the notes come out from the heart, and they come out naturally.”

Closing Thoughts

From playing with two sticks in each hand in “Four Sticks” to timpani work in the intro of “In The Evening”, he really was one of a kind.

John Bonham redefined what it meant to be a rock drummer. If you still don’t think he was a drumming genius, well, that’s okay. We forgive you.

But if you love Bonzo as much as we do, you should check out this article next: 9 Bonham Grooves Every Drummer Should Know

Well, for the most part.

Many popular drum brands make drumsticks, even if their specialty is drum sets or cymbals. But not all drumsticks are made equal. Some woods are sturdier than others, they can come in different lengths and thicknesses, and they can be made of different materials.

This guide will highlight the best drumsticks for different styles so you can find the best batons for you. The Drumeo team has personally tested each of these products and often use them every day for gigs, recording and more.

The Best Drumsticks, Period

What makes a good pair of drumsticks? While most brands have great products and make sure each pair of sticks is perfectly matched, beginner drummers or those low on money (most pairs of basic wooden sticks are around $11 USD) might choose no-name sticks from a bargain bin.

That’s totally fine, but you’ll need to be aware of what to look for:

• Make sure the sticks feel comfortable in your hands
• Both sticks should look and feel similar (roll them on a table to be sure)
• Decide if you like the feel of lighter or heavier sticks

If you live in North America, you’ll probably come across at least a few of the following drumstick makers:

• Vic Firth
• ProMark
• Vater
• Zildjian
• Regal Tip
• Ahead
• Los Cabos

There is a standard for drumstick shapes and sizes, and you’ll find the most common sizes at any local music store or online drum shop.

Most pairs of drumsticks are labeled with a number and a letter. The higher the number, the slimmer the stick. The most common letters are A and B, with B being the heftier stick.

For example, a 7A is much slimmer than a 2B.

But a slimmer stick doesn’t necessarily mean a lighter stick. Maple is a lighter wood than hickory or oak, so a maple 2B could feel even lighter than a 5A made of a denser wood.

You can learn more in detail about the different types of drumsticks, sizes, and materials in this article here.

The most popular drumstick models are popular for a reason: drummers love them for playing all sorts of music. They trust the brands to make good quality products and know they’ll feel and sound great.

If you’re playing a variety of styles, a beginner drummer, or are looking for something that ‘just works’ overall, here are our picks for best all-around drumsticks, which are all sized 5A and made from durable hickory:

Vic Firth 5A American Classic

Size: 5A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: .565″

Tip: Teardrop

Vic Firth (the guy who founded the company) started making drumsticks not because he wanted to start a global brand, but because sticks in the 1950s weren’t up to his standard. The lacquered 5A American Classic is one of the most popular options around (in fact, Vic Firth says they’re the world’s best-selling drumstick). They’re made of solid, dense hickory for durability and a great feel and sound, and we recommend the 5A size as a happy medium for the versatile drummer.

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ProMark Rebound 5A

Size: 5A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: .565″

Tip: Acorn

The Rebound 5As have a long taper that help create a rear-weighted feel (which means a slightly heavier-feeling butt end) for better control on the kit. One of ProMark’s best-selling drumstick models, they’re super responsive and give you a nice balanced feeling in your hands.

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Vater Drumeo 5A Drumsticks

Size: 5A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: 0.570″

Tip: Acorn

These Drumeo-branded Vater 5As contain twice the moisture content of most regular drumsticks, making them less likely to splinter and break. All of Vater’s sticks are weighted, tone matched, and hand rolled so every pair is perfect.

These are the cheapest drumsticks in this guide, and some of the most affordable on the market. But don’t be fooled by the low price: these sticks are hardy as heck and will get you through rehearsals, gigs, studio sessions and more.

Watch: The 10,000 Rimshot Challenge (proving how hard it is to break these drumsticks)

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The Best Drumsticks For Rock

If you’re playing rock music, you’re probably looking for durability and power. Rock drummers need reliable drumsticks that can carry them through both the soft and heavy parts, and the following sticks meet those criteria perfectly.

ProMark Classic Forward 5A

Size: 5A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: .551″

Tip: Oval

Lacquered for a smoother finish and better grip, these ProMark Classic 5As are forward-weighted for more oomph (they have a shorter taper than the average stick). They’re built to play ‘into the drum’ which means more power and speed with less effort on your part. These are great for heavy hitting rock drummers looking for a solid option.

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Ahead 5B Rock Drumsticks

Size: 5B

Material: Polyurethane (aluminum core)

Length: 16″

Diameter: 0.595″

Tip: Oval (nylon)

If you’re looking for something more durable than wood, Ahead makes awesome polyurethane drumsticks that looks just as good as they sound. They come with replaceable covers, tips and rings and “last 6-10 times longer than wood drumsticks”. Ahead says they’re built with over 5% more rebound, which helps you play faster with less effort (you be the judge).

They do feel slightly different from traditional drumsticks, but if you tend to destroy sticks quickly you should give these a try.

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Vic Firth American Classic 2B

Size: 2B

Material: Hickory

Length: 16.25″

Diameter: 0.630″

Tip: Teardrop

The heftier 2B size means this stick is a little thicker, a little heavier, and a little longer to stand up to long rock jams. Some drummers love the feeling of something more substantial in their hands. Hickory is always a solid choice for heavy hitters and the teardrop tip will give you a nice warm tone on your cymbals. Vic Firth makes reliable drumsticks and the American Classic 2Bs are no different.

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The Best Drumsticks For Metal

Metal has more subgenres and drumming styles than many people realize. Some metal drummers play slow and heavy while others play at such high tempos they need to hit lightly to conserve energy. The following sticks include options for both breeds of metal drummers.

Vic Firth Extreme 5A

Size: 5A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16.5″

Diameter: 0.565″

Tip: Teardrop

Take the best-selling 5A American Classic and add an extra half-inch of length and you get the Vic Firth Extreme 5A, perfect for metal drummers who want a stick that’s small enough for fast, efficient playing but longer for more reach.

Still made of the durable hickory heavy drummers love, plus lacquered for extra grip.

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ProMark FireGrain 2B

Size: 2B

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: 0.630″

Tip: Oval

These drumsticks may look like they’ve come straight out of a deadly blaze, but ProMark FireGrain sticks are purposely heat-tempered to make them stronger. They’re forward-weighted for more power, too.

You can get these in other sizes, but we recommend the monstrous 2Bs for metal drummers who play the slow, heavy stuff.

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Ahead Speed Metal Drumsticks

Size: 5A

Material: Polyurethane (aluminum core)

Length: 15.69″

Diameter: 0.540″

Tip: Teardrop

The Ahead Speed Metal sticks are based on the design formerly known as the Joey Jordison Slipknot signature model. A bit shorter than the average stick (and slimmer than a typical 5A), you can expect a quick response and a ton of control. The tough polyurethane sleeve is replaceable and holds up to more beatings than regular wood, with an inner core of aluminum to keep these sticks stupidly light. A great option for speed players!

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The Best Drumsticks For Jazz

When it comes to jazz drumming, it’s all about articulation and a light touch. Maple is a perfect lightweight wood for capturing the subtleties of your playing, and a nylon tip will give you crisp definition when playing swing patterns on the ride cymbal.

However, hickory performs just as well (and has added strength for long gigs) and wood tips provide a nice warm sound on any surface.

Vic Firth 85A Drumsticks

Size: 85A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: 0.551″

Tip: Teardrop

The 85A is sized right between the 8D and 5A, a perfect balance of length and diameter for jazz or fusion drummers. For those unfamiliar with the 8D, they’re like a longer version of the 7A and super lightweight. The delicate stick end is great for nuanced playing and while it may be a bit harder to find than a 5A or 7A, it’s worth giving this model a shot.

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Vic Firth SD2 Bolero Drumsticks

Size: SD2

Material: Maple

Length: 15.75″

Diameter: 0.635″

Tip: Round

While these sticks are billed as “perfect for lighter orchestral work and pit playing”, they’re also a jazz drummer’s best friend. The SD2 Boleros have a short taper so they’re forward-weighted, and their small round tip is good for articulating intricate patterns.

If you prefer a thicker stick but want it to be light as a feather, this is the one for you.

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ProMark Forward 7AN

Size: 7A

Material: Hickory

Length: 15.375″

Diameter: 0.512″

Tip: Oval (nylon)

It’s lighter, it’s shorter, and it’s perfect for playing jazz. 7A is one of the most popular sizes for drummers who play this style, and it’s not uncommon to opt for nylon tips for that perfect ting ting-tingting on the ride. The ProMark Forward 7AN is just one example of a stick size that’s become a jazz standard.

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The Best Drumsticks For Electronic Drums

When you’re shopping for drumsticks to use with your electronic drums, you want to find options that won’t damage the heads. The best drumsticks for electronic kits have nylon tips. Wooden tips can break over time and rough edges could damage mesh heads. There’s nothing wrong with natural tips; you just need to be careful.

Aside from this ‘head safety’ consideration, you can use any regular drumstick on an electronic drum set. But be aware that nylon tips may be more likely to white marks on your rubber pads.

Read: The Best Electronic Drum Sets

Vater American Hickory 5A

Size: 5A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: 0.570″

Tip: Acorn (nylon)

They’re simple, solid and cost-effective. Pick up a pair of hickory 5As from Vater and drum your heart out. The nylon tips are mesh-friendly and will give you nice punchy strokes on your electronic kit. This is the most common drumstick size and material for acoustic drums as well, so you can easily transfer over to a traditional setup.

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Zildjian Anti-Vibe Drumsticks

Size: 5A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: 0.560″

Tip: Oval

They Zildjian Anti-Vibe drumsticks are surprisingly light for 5As and come with a rubber insert that helps to reduce vibration, which you might notice if you’re playing on rubber heads. Less shock and vibration means less stress on your wrists and fingers so you can keep going for longer and worry less about injury.

Because the butt end is hollowed out to make room for the rubber insert, they feel a bit front heavy, which may or may not be up your alley. The rubber ends could be glued in more tightly, so consider adding some super glue for extra security.

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Los Cabos 5A Pink Drumsticks

Size: 5A

Material: Hickory

Length: 16″

Diameter: 0.575″

Tip: Acorn

One bonus to playing electronic drums is you don’t have to worry about chipping the paint on cool-colored sticks. These pink 5A drumsticks from Canadian company Los Cabos support breast cancer research. If you want to contribute to a good cause and get a solid pair of sticks at the same time, give these a go.

The brand also offers black and yellow dips (but the revenue from those don’t go to a nonprofit).

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The Best Low-Volume Drumsticks

While you can use rubber tips, rutes, brushes or felt mallets to play drums more quietly, drumsticks are only part of the picture when it comes to lowering overall kit volume.

If you’re looking to reduce the decibels even more, read this article and learn about low-volume heads, mute pads and more.

Vic Firth Practice Tips

Size: N/A

Material: Rubber

Length: N/A

Diameter: N/A

Tip: Barrel

One pack of Vic Firth Practice Tips comes with two pairs of rubber tips that fit over most drumsticks so you can instantly turn any surface into a practice pad. These are also great for reducing the volume of a drum set; they’ll just feel a bit different on the rebound.

If you prefer an oval tip and a slightly different feel, check out TAMA’s Silent Tips.

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ProMark Hot Rods

Size: 5A (ish)

Material: Birch

Length: 16″

Diameter: 0.560″

Tip: N/A

Hot Rods are basically the same size as a standard 5A drumstick but come with some obvious differences: they’re rute sticks, which consist of dowel bundles. They create a satisfying ‘tick’ sound when striking surfaces and are perfect for quiet drumming on an acoustic kit or other percussion instruments. But the quietness comes at a cost: these don’t feel like regular drumsticks, so expect a light feel and essentially zero rebound.

Don’t try to go all out with these; they aren’t built for heavy hitting and you’ll likely snap some of the dowels if you wail with them.

For an even quieter and smaller stick, try ProMark’s Cool Rods (they’re even lighter).

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More like this article:

• The Different Types Of Drumsticks
• How To Choose Drumsticks
• We Tested $1450 Worth Of Weird Drumsticks
• How Drumsticks Are Made

Danny Carey is a living legend, the drummer for Tool, and one of the top 100 drummers of all time.

Sure, we’re gassing him up, but why shouldn’t we?

In this video, Brandon Toews shows you how to play eight jaw-dropping drum parts that show why Danny Carey is a drumming genius:

1. “The Grudge”

The song’s outro features a four bar tom groove built on three bars of 5/8 and one bar of 6/8. You might also notice Danny Carey’s beloved swiss army triplets (a sticking pattern you can also hear in songs like “Rosetta Stone” and “Pneuma”).

2. “Sober”

This open hi-hat verse groove is a classic Danny Carey part. The key to getting this really tight is to make sure you close your hi-hats cleanly right on the beat.

3. “Eulogy”

Another famous Danny Carey part is the bridge from eulogy, which uses a 4 over 3 polyrhythm (the hi-hat plays 3-note groupings of 16th notes while everything else is in 4/4).

Get a full breakdown of how to play a 4 over 3 polyrhythm in this tutorial for the song “Jambi”.

4. “Forty Six & 2”

The chorus of this tune has a similar hi-hat pattern to “Sober” with some cool cymbal shots.

5. “Ticks & Leeches”

This is the version heard on the album Lateralus: the opening tom groove played with all single strokes and snare wires turned off.

6. “Schism”

“Schism” is one of Tool’s most popular songs and it has one of Danny Carey’s more recognizable drum parts. While it’s phrased in alternating bars of 5/8 and 7/8, you could also think of it in 12/8 or 6/8. The triplets on the hi-hats are played using single strokes.

And turn off those snare wires!

7. “Rosetta Stoned”

It’s played in 3/4, but throw in a bunch of polyrhythms (of course) and you have instrumental section in “Rosetta Stoned” – arguably one of Carey’s most difficult grooves.

The right hand is implying a 4 feel while the kick goes off on a 5/16 ostinato. You’ll hear more swiss army triplets and again the snare wires are off. An absolutely insane part.

8. “Pneuma”

This section from the chorus cycles between 12/8, 11/8 and 10/8 (but we notated it in 5/8 and 6/8 so it’s easier to follow). The hi-hat openings line up with the vocals, so be sure to get the placements spot on.

If you’re ready to challenge yourself, try to learn all of these parts. Or even better, learn all of the songs in their entirety!

With a 7-day free Drumeo trial, you can find the full notation and easy practice tools for all tracks on this page, a 9-lesson video course on “The Polyrhythms Of Tool”, over a dozen Tool songs and so much more we can’t fit it all here.

“I was a rebel. Nobody could play with me ’cause they couldn’t understand it.”

Elvin Jones is one of the top jazz drummers of all time, and definitely one of the most influential. But why?

• His power and energy were unmatched.
• He took a unique polyrhythmic approach to timing, comping and soloing.
• He was one of the first jazz drummers to approach the drum set as a single voice, often playing linear patterns.

Elvin Jones influenced big names like Mitch Mitchell, John Bonham, Bill Bruford, John Densmore and Ginger Baker, even having a drum battle with the latter in the early 70s.

A professional drummer from the 1940s until his passing in 2004, Jones was a key member of John Coltrane’s classic quartet in the ’60s, appearing on legendary jazz records like A Love Supreme, My Favorite Things and Ascension.

He also performed with big names like Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, and was a great bandleader with his own projects.

Here are 6 reasons why Elvin Jones was a genius (and how he helped change the direction and future of jazz drumming):

1. His playing was recognizable

Sonny Rollins’ A Night At The Village Vanguard (featuring the well-known tune “A Night In Tunisia”) is one of the first times people heard what was to become ‘the Elvin Jones sound’.

But outside of that album, here are a few key tracks where you can hear his flavor at its finest:

• “Remembrance” by Elvin Jones – Dramatic dynamics
• “Zachariah” by Elvin Jones – Huge cymbal crashes
• “Acknowledgment” by John Coltrane – A washy, rivet-filled ride sound
• “My Favorite Things” by John McLaughlin – Hemiolas/polyrhythms

2. His swing feel was unmatched

In the 1940s, most drummers would accent every quarter note or beats 2 and 4 while swinging on the ride, like this:

But not Elvin Jones. He’d often emphasize the upbeat of 2 and 4, like this:

Listen to “Anthropology” by Elvin Jones or “Miles’ Mode” by John Coltrane and you’ll hear the difference.

Jones was also known for his triplets, particularly his focus on the middle triplet partial (which most drummers neglected). You can hear this on tracks like “The Children, Save The Children” by the Elvin Jones Quartet.

3. His gear played a role in his groundbreaking sound

He was known for playing loudly with unprecedented energy and strength – so much strength that he’d sometimes nail the bass drum to the floor to keep it from sliding!

His over-the-top style could’ve been partially due to trying to get more volume out of his relatively small drums, which he used in the early days because of limited travel space and stage space.

From felt mallets on tracks like “The Drum Thing” (John Coltrane) and timpani on “Psalm” (John Coltrane) to riveted cymbals and flipping his drumsticks around to use the butt end, Jones carefully chose gear to give him the sounds he wanted.

4. Polyrhythms were rare in jazz

How many jazz drummers can you name from Elvin Jones’ time who were playing polyrhythms? One of Jones’ favorites was to play 3 beat phrases in a 4 beat context (like in “Impressions” by John Coltrane).

Or in the bridge of “A Love Supreme”:

He also incorporated hemiolas* into his drumming – rare for the time and style as well.

“People are never going to approach the drum set correctly if they don’t start thinking of it as a single musical instrument. If you learn it piecemeal, that’s the way you’re going to play it. You have to learn it in total.”

(*Hemiola is where three beats of equal value take up the space where two beats would typically fall.)

5. His grooves and time were masterful

It was once said that “Elvin loosened up the time and opened up the music,” and it’s this relaxed sense that set him apart.

Drummers still talk about his grooves about to this day, especially his trademark ‘afro waltz’, which can be heard on multiple songs Jones tracked with artists like John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter.

His Latin and Afro-Cuban-inspired grooves set him apart in the jazz world.

Listen to his power and volume on tunes like “Shiny Stockings” (Elvin Jones and Richard Davis) and how “The Trip” by Art Pepper features all four limbs in the intro.

6. His drum solos were explosive

Elvin Jones built his rudimental chops in the US Army band, and they made their way into his mind-blowing drum solos. Jones’ go-to rudiment was the paradiddle-diddle, moving between the ride and snare drum or around the toms (like on “Pursuance” by John Coltrane).

Nowadays people flock to players with linear drum chops, but it wasn’t always that way. Jones was sometimes criticized for the linear drumming that made up a big part of his vocabulary. Listen to “The Drum Thing” by John Coltrane and you’ll hear Jones often doing it in groups of threes.

Jones often used RLK and LRK (practice your rudiments leading with both hands, people!). If you like John Bonham’s triplets or you’re a fan of Carmine Appice and Ginger Baker, they might have got their heavy triplets from Elvin Jones.

Jones would incorporate wide open flams between drums, throw in chaotic tom flurries and rail on the cymbals like there was no tomorrow – but he could still play softly when the song called for it.

You could always tell when he was ending a drum solo because he’d play a buzz roll on the snare drum and vigorously nod his head (a great way to signal to the band when you’re about to wrap up).

Elvin Jones was a captivating and creative force behind the drums. If you enjoyed this breakdown of his playing, Drumeo members get access to notation and practice tools (to loop/slow down sections) for all of the tracks mentioned here. Click here to try Drumeo free for 7 days!

Art Blakey was a legendary drummer who, in the 40s and 50s, was a pioneer in modern bebop drumming. He played with jazz greats like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk and recorded over 70 albums with his band, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.

Known for his bold swing style, showmanship and total independence on the kit, his drumming inspired thousands of players in the 20th century and beyond.

In this video – filmed on the exact type of drums Art Blakey used in the ’60s – Brandon Toews breaks down some of his most famous drum grooves and explains why he was one of the most in-demand jazz drummers of his time.

1. “Caravan”

This Afro-Cuban groove, often called the nanigo, has a cool pattern on the ride bell. Keep that quarter note pulse going with your hi-hat foot!

2. “A Night In Tunisia”

This one uses double strokes between the floor tom and rack tom, a Mozambique bell pattern, and feet alternating through the groove. Art Blakey used to play “A Night In Tunisia” at an insane tempo: around 290 BPM. In this video, Brandon keeps it “chill” at 280.

3. “Moanin'”

It’s the original jazz shuffle! While you maintain a standard jazz pattern on the ride, you’ll create a shuffle feel by alternating ghost notes on the snare with backbeats on 2 and 4.

If you enjoyed this lesson, check out full note-for-note transcriptions of these songs (plus 1000s of other songs and lessons) in the Drumeo members area.