Is Larnell Lewis ever not epic? If you’re familiar with his work, then you know that this performance will be no different. This solo is chock full of awesome footwork, ebbs and flows, rhythmic storytelling, and dynamics for days: the right way to write a drum solo!

For a truly mind-bending moment, check out this video next:

Remember the first time you heard “Enter Sandman” by Metallica?

Or maybe you’ve never heard the song at all.

It’s one of the most popular metal tracks of all time, but those outside the metal or rock world might not recognize it.

The last time Larnell Lewis came out to Drumeo, we challenged him to write a drum part – on the spot – to a song he’d never heard before (click here to watch) and he blew everyone away.

This time, Larnell wanted to try a style he’s not known for playing: metal!

If you want to see a fusion drummer try to play one of the most popular metal songs of all time, don’t miss this video (you can skip to 9:33 if you just want to watch Larnell play).

When learning a song, he practices active listening, which includes looking for these things:

• Song form: How many measures are in each section?
• Tone: How does the song feel? Is it aggressive or calm?
• Specifics: Any shots you should look out for?

Larnell takes an analytical approach and breaks down all the details, noticing patterns and themes and how the different instruments play off each other. Because of this, he can already hum the chorus’ melody and drum part after only hearing the song once, and remembers most of the structure as well.

While he’s known for his great drumming skills, he also has excellent listening skills and a strong memory. Larnell knows what to prioritize when learning, so he’s able to learn quickly. You can learn how to do it too!

Larnell Lewis has a magic in his drumming that nobody else can replicate, and he shares his talents in this playthrough of “What About Me” from Snarky Puppy’s 2014 release, We Like It Here.

We could rave about Larnell for paragraphs (he’s also a DrumeoCOACH for Edge members), but you should just watch it and see. Check out his creative accent placements and sonic cymbal choices.

“It’s a song that pushed my limits when I first encountered it,” he said. That’s not all: he had to learn an entire album’s worth of Snarky Puppy tunes while on a plane (they called him with 24 hours’ notice to record We Like It Here).

And if you want proof of how quickly Larnell can learn a song, check out this video:

If you like watching drum videos, you know you’re not alone. Larnell Lewis does too, especially when they’re covering songs he’s played! Watch the Snarky Puppy drummer react to Snarky Puppy drum covers, offer feedback, and share a few anecdotes about the recording process and laying down these tracks. You’ll be grooving in your chair along with him.

Follow the drummers in the video:

“Outlier” – Ray Aaraki
“What About Me” – Elnoe Budiman
“Lingus” – Becca Webster (RebeccaDrums)
“Shofukan” – Bruno Lamas
“What About Me” – Ahn’s Drumstory

What if you could have a second snare drum without increasing your kit size?

Larnell Lewis has more options built into his kit than the average drummer (which is fitting as he’s far from average): one of his ‘toms’ is actually a hidden snare drum!

A trick learned from Sput Searight, Larnell’s third tom is actually a 14×7 snare drum. When the snares are off, it sounds just like a tom.

The key to getting both a good tom and snare sound out of the same drum is to use a thicker batter head (Larnell uses an Evans hydraulic head, which is two plies with an oil layer) and a regular snare side head on the bottom. It’s important to get the sensitivity on the bottom head just right. If it’s too loose, you won’t get a good snare sound. If they’re too tight, you might get a weird rebound response.

Start tuning it loose and low – you should see creases when you press your hand in the center. Tune up in very small increments to get the wrinkles out. Then find a lug with the pitch you want, and adjust other lugs to match. If your kit is like Larnell’s, you’ll want this drum to be lower pitch than the second rack tom and higher than the floor tom. Make sure that when the snares are on, you don’t have too much of an effect on the toms.

So why have two snare drums? If you want that 70s funk or Motown vibe, if you want to change snare sounds mid-song, or if you want to have more sound options mid-groove or fill, give this a two-in-one idea a try!

Want to see Larnell Lewis hear a drumless song twice and nail it, form and feature, on his first run through? Hit that play button!

(P.S. He did it again with “Enter Sandman” by Metallica)

How can Larnell learn songs so quickly? How did he learn almost the entire We Like It Here album by Snarky Puppy on a 7.5 hour flight to record in Europe?

Watch him work through his process of listening to the song’s details, understanding sections and forms, and looking for shots and nuances.

As Larnell says, it’s important to practice listening and imagining yourself playing the drums – mental practice was huge for him in this exercise but is also crucial when he’s away from the drums. He also listens to what the other musicians are playing and understands that when those things happen, “you have certain options you can draw from on the kit.”

Think you can nail it on the second go like Larnell? The song is called ‘Chick’s Pain’ by Mathieu Fiset and is available in the Drumeo Members’ area!

Larnell Lewis has impeccable foot technique that allows him to play doubles and triples with ease. What’s the secret to his incredible control? “It’s a combination of a size 15 shoe, a Yamaha FP9 [pedal], and a whole bunch of experiences.”

And in Larnell’s experience, he finds he gets the most control with his heel up, and where he taps the footboard in two separate strokes rather than sliding forward.

Check out this video for some game-changing tips. If you’d prefer a step-by-step walkthrough of exactly how you can get faster in just 10 days, enter your email below to get your free course, The Fastest Way To Get Faster!

In the video lesson above, Larnell demonstrates some examples while keeping 8th notes on the hi-hat and the snare on 2 and 4. Start slow and with a metronome to understand the motions, and even try tapping it out on the floor before you sit down on the drums.

The biggest takeaway from this video, however, is to be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Larnell’s foot technique. You’ve got this!

Acoustic and electronic drums are showing up together on stage more than ever in a phenomenon called ‘hybrid drumming‘. By blending modern technology with traditional drumming, you can create your own style and get your own effects. Larnell Lewis is the king of hybrid drumming; while you’re learning, try what he does, but then you should dig deeper and come up with some cool ideas of your own. There are tons of options!

In this quick video, Larnell uses his Yamaha EAD10 to add delay to his drums. With a module like this, you can add layers and sounds to live drums that were once only possible to create in a production studio.

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Larnell Lewis is an incredible and versatile drummer. He’s also mind-bogglingly comfortable combining traditional and modern techniques to create new sounds and concepts.

In this quick performance, you’ll see Larnell build a loop, adding more layers and effects as the video progresses. By the end, you’ll think you’re hearing ten drummers!

If you enjoyed this cool solo, make sure you check out his course, Blueprint to Soloing, coming soon to Drumeo Edge!

About Larnell:
Larnell Lewis is a Grammy Award winning musician, composer, producer, and educator. Along with his long-standing position behind the drums in Snarky Puppy, Larnell has led many highly successful groups of his own and toured the globe with some of the most well known names in music, including Etienne Charles, Gregory Porter, Benny Golson, Lalah Hathaway, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Lisa Fisher, Kurt Elling, Gary Burton, and more.

Larnell plays:
Yamaha Drums
Zildjian Cymbals
Evans Drumheads
Promark Drumsticks

Follow Larnell:
YouTube
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Website

The incredible Larnell Lewis is back at Drumeo for another mind-blowing full lesson. In this video, Larnell demonstrates how to build epic, killer fills powered by the kick drum.

You’ll learn how adding or removing the bass drum can create a sense of tension and release, get ideas on where to place the bass drum in a fill, and pick up many other tips along the way (like why you should always take the time to play things slowly, and how to start mapping drum fills on a grid).

We often hear big or epic massive fills and it can be challenging to figure out how to put it together. Don’t worry – Larnell’s here to teach you how to get there with flair!

Lesson Index:
0:31 – SONG: “Change Your Mind” by Larnell Lewis
5:45 – Introduction
10:55 – SONG: “No Access” by Larnell Lewis
16:50 – Adding an approach note
21:18 – Adding double kicks
29:51 – Understanding low and high frequencies
33:50 – Snare diddle fill (RLLRRK LRRLLK)
38:40 – Putting it all together in practice
45:35 – Larnell’s words of wisdom
47:45 – SONG: “Chick’s Pain” (Drumeo playthrough)
51:19 – SOLO

If Larnell blew your mind in this free lesson, just wait until you check out his course, Blueprint to Soloing, coming soon to Drumeo Edge!

About Larnell:
Larnell Lewis is a Grammy Award winning musician, composer, producer, and educator. Along with his long-standing position behind the drums in Snarky Puppy, Larnell has led many highly successful groups of his own and toured the globe with some of the most well known names in music, including Etienne Charles, Gregory Porter, Benny Golson, Lalah Hathaway, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Lisa Fisher, Kurt Elling, Gary Burton, and more.

Larnell plays:
Yamaha Drums
Zildjian Cymbals
Evans Drumheads
Promark Drumsticks

Follow Larnell:
YouTube
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Website

Check out Larnell’s new Juno-nominated album “In The Moment”!