“Heartbreaker From Tennessee” by Dasha
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Intro Groove (0:02)
The drums don’t waste any time getting started on this one. The intro has all limbs going; quarter notes on the hi-hat keeps time while the left-hand does a steady 8th note pulse on the rack tom rim, providing the bed of sound for the floor tom accents.
2. Chorus (0:36)
The chorus groove is driving with a 4 on the floor kick pattern, and a fun albeit challenging motif between the rack tom and floor tom. Nailing those hits really helps set up the energy of the vocals throughout this chorus.
2. Outro Chorus (1:31)
As the final chorus hits we reach the peak of the song in both energy and rhythmic allowances… put simply, now’s the time to land some more interesting fills while still being musical.
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“symptom of life” by WILLOW
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Verse (0:11)
Such a unique and fun groove to play! It features a simple alternating pattern between the snare and high tom in 7/4 time.
2. Chorus (1:06)
Whereas the verse offered a more complex syncopated groove in 7, the chorus offers a sense of “normalcy” with a laid-back deep pocket pattern with 8th notes on the hi-hat and tight kick and snare accents.
2. Verse 2 (1:47)
One of my favorite parts of this drum chart. The main verse groove is the same, but Asher Bank (recording drummer) chooses to change it up only for 4 bars, with a more laid-back pattern utilizing 16th notes on the kick drum.
2. Pre-Chorus (2:08)
This interlude before chorus 2 took the longest to learn note-for-note. It’s still in 7, but the drums really start to open up here; featuring a lot of syncopation and ride bell hits that perfectly compliment the beautiful lead vocal vibrato, culminating in a powerful 16th tom fill leading us back into the closing chorus.
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“Born With A Beer In My Hand” by Morgan Wallen
Ever since I first heard this song I knew I wanted to learn the drum part. It’s certainly not your typical radio modern country groove of kick and snare, but instead is built around the the toms, hats, and snare hits on beat 4.
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Verse Groove (0:13)
This track features a cool repetitive drum groove heavily utilizing the toms, rim, and hi-hat.
2. Bridge Build + Outro (2:29)
The drums in this song are super repetitive; really the same groove throughout the verses and choruses, though the bridge offers a nice dynamic change-up and builds into the outro chorus where we finally get more of a driving groove that has been building up the entire song.
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“Tears of Joy” Tod Sucherman Drum Chart (Jerry Goodman)
Background
Back during my college years at SUNY Oneonta, a friend and I decided to stay up late one night and watch Todd Sucherman’s Methods and Mechanics DVD. Having already been turned on to Todd’s playing, I was immediately drawn to his performance of Tears of Joy, an instrumental piece originally composed by Jerry Goodman from his live album from 1987 called It’s Alive. Years later, Todd asked Jerry to record the piece for him and thus this version featuring Todd’s performance was created. For me, the piece represents the ultimate display of musical expression as well as competency on the instrument. It was that night in college that I promised myself that one day I would learn the piece, note for note, and record it professionally, just like Todd. I’m so proud and excited to finally share the video performance.
Todd’s Original video performance
Learning the Piece
In order to perform this piece and learn Todd’s parts, I needed a transcription, and luckily the digital version of Todd’s DVD included a full transcription by professional drummer and educator Brad Schlueter. In terms of the process, this was the most daunting and time-consuming piece I have ever attempted to learn. In reality, I have been working with this on and off ever since college, so over 7 years. What worked for me was breaking the piece into sections, learning the piece one measure at a time, and then adding on, until eventually, I had larger chunks of music learned and then could connect each section until I had the full piece in my hands.
Time Signature
The entire piece is in 13/8 time, making any performance of the track extremely challenging, let alone learning Todd’s complex passages and phrases. As he explains, when Jerry sent Todd the finished track, there were many bars where the bass resolution was actually placed on the anticipation: beat 13, which changes the rhythmic shape tremendously. As with any odd time meter, it’s important to internalize the different ways to subdivide by breaking down each bar into groups of 3s and 2s. For Tears of Joy, there are 3 main subdivision feels: 2-2-3-3-3 / 2-2-3-2-2-2 / 3-3-3-4.
The Setup
Any drummer can instantly recognize Todd Sucherman’s setup, as he usually features a large gong drum to the right of his kit. For this piece, he uses 5 rack toms, 2 floor toms, 1 gong drum, and an array of crash cymbals and splashes. I utilized a stripped-down version of his setup, still incorporating the gong drum alongside 2 rack toms and 2 floor toms.
Gear-wise, I am using my Pearl Session Studio Select which features a hybrid Birch and African Mahogany shell. I’m using a custom Pearl Drums 14″ x 6.5″ Walnut Music City Custom Snare drum made proudly in Nashville, TN. Cymbals are all Zildjian K-Sweet series. I’m also using the new R2 Air Tom Suspension system from Pearl.
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Verse Groove (1:16 – 1:47)
I love how this 2nd verse really compliments the beautiful melody, while adding some intricate accents and ghost notes.
2. Tom Groove (2:24 – 2:50)
This took me a good bit of time to learn the coordination between the toms and the open accent on the hat.
3. Interlude (3:29 – 4:00)
Absolutely one of my favorite sections of the entire piece! This quieter breakdown is just beautiful and really highlights the intricacies of the snare, hat, and left foot. This was recorded without a click, so this section definitely took a while to get the feel down – balancing both a laid-back feel and a rhythmically accurate performance.
4. Solo Fills (4:40 – 5:02)
Which fill is your favorite? Another brilliant section here from Todd. Each fill is totally different and has its own challenges. I’d say they get progressively more complex from Fill #1 to Fill #3. The first fill is the most open and simplest to play, and really just needs to be practiced to nail down the timing. Fill #2 features an awesome triplet-based pattern of 24:13, while Fill #3 is just pedal to the metal, featuring an insane 30:13 pattern of 16th notes felt in 5 and cascading down the toms all the way to the gong drum and kick drum. This is actually harder to play with only 1 kick drum!
5. Outro Fill (6:20 – 6:24)
Just when you thought you had the piece under your belt, Todd throws in 1 more mind-boggling fill to close out the piece. It’s comprised of 16th-note patterns connected with accents and tricky combinations between the hands and feet. When you slow it down it’s not too bad, but the speed here is definitely the biggest hurdle to tackle.
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“Brand New” by Ben Rector
With a catchy chorus and driving lyrics, “Brand New” is a really fun song to jam to and really lends itself to the drum kit. As always, even with a drum cover, it’s important not to overdo it with chops and parts that get in the way of the song. Below I break down a few of my favorite parts and the decisions I made on the drum set. Check out the interactive transcriptions from Soundslice!
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Main Verse Groove
One of the main reasons I wanted to cover this song is for its driving energy and glorified tom parts throughout the song. Once you got them tuned up, it’s all in the accents! Keep the kick drum and floor tom steady not too loud; leaving room for the high/mid toms to sing on these accents. Though there is a lot of space to “drum”, I purposely left this part pretty simple to not take away from the verse lyrics and make it sounds too busy.
2. Chorus
Maybe it’s just because I’m in Nashville, but the chorus just screamed 16th note country snare 🤠 Again, similar to the verse tom groove above, I chose to keep most of the snare hits super soft, leaving room for the accented notes to speak and create tension.
3. Crazy Herta Fill
I feel like the whole drum part up until this point is continuing to build in energy, and really peaks to the climax at the outro chorus. So, to really accentuate this, I went for a (probably too busy) herta fill combining 16th notes and 32nd notes between the snare and high tom, culminating in a classic 16th note fill down the toms.
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“PMA” by All Time Low
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Main Verse Groove 0:23
The main groove in PMA seems simple, but Rian’s choice of intentional accents and tom fills make this much more interesting and harder to learn! I would try this in steps. First, four on the floor with the kick drum, then add in quarter notes only on the hi-hat. Next, snare on 2&4. When that is comfortable,try adding in the hat accents, and finally, add in the 8th notes on the hat to really solidify this forward groove.
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
2. Chorus 0:55
A classic synth/pop groove to play between the hats, kick and snare. Practice this first at a slower tempo and work it up to full speed!
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
3. Fill into Bridge 2:14
PMA is a mostly up-tempo, high-energy track, but the bridge is the only section that really slows down in a new half-time feel. To make this transition more effective, I decided on a simple 16th note fill down the toms, and starting off with a “herta” between the high rack and snare.
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
What makes this cover challenging?
The biggest thing for PMA by All Time Low is to keep up the energy! Following the first verse and chorus, don’t let Verse 2 drag, and make sure the bridge is still rocking even though it’s a different half-time feel. Check out All Time Low’s live performances of this song for more inspo!
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“Last Train Home” by John Mayer
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Main Verse Groove 0:23
The main groove for the entire song is a bit funky and syncopated with the added kick drum hits. The hi-hat and snare work is critical in making this groove really flow. You’ll notice hi-hat accents on the “&s” and ghost notes on the snare. Drummer Anika Nilles plays this type of groove between the hi-hat and snare in her video of ‘Wild Boy.’ Check it out here.
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
2. Verse Fill 1:22
Almost all of my fills in Last Train Home are based on this moving 16th note motif across the toms. What adds some flare to this fill is how it ends – moving down the toms and then back up to the snare with a crisp open hi-hat on the “&” of 4.
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
What makes this cover challenging?
This song is not hard to play on drums. The key, as it always should be, is to play to the music! Don’t overdo it. Experiment with making these grooves funky with extra ghost notes and hi-hat accents, and you’ll easily stick out from most drummers laying down to some classic John Mayer.
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“Here In Your Arms” by Hellogoodbye
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Pre-Verse Tom Breakdown 1:05
As with any drum cover, you really want to stay true to the original song and its form for maximum effect. All while adding your own flavors without going “overboard.” This is a fun section where the toms are simply following the rhythms and accents of the guitar riff. Stickings can be tricky, but experiment with something unique for sections like this instead of just the standard groove with the hi-hat and snare.
Transcription: Tim Buell
2. Bridge Solo 2:52
Drum solo! Many pop songs like this one will feature an 8 bar build-up during a bridge to get back to the chorus. When there’s enough space and/or a repetitive line, as there is “Here,” don’t be afraid to let loose and let out those chops and rudiments you’ve been practicing all month. You may be surprised with what comes out! That being said, you still want to play in the right framework of the original tune. This bridge isn’t completely silent – there is that’s synth and vocal repetitive line that does have accents and characteristics to play around with, which is why I chose the snare/crash hits on bars one, two, and the last bar.
Transcription: Tim Buell
3. Outro Ride Groove 3:30
Had a lot of fun with this one! The pattern really starts on bar 3. Notice it’s an inverted paradiddle between the kick and snare, and dotted quarter notes on the ride bell. I break down this exact pattern on Instagram. Mixed in with a herta and some sextuplets between the toms to add just the energy needed to close out this cover.
Transcription: Tim Buell
What makes this cover challenging?
The song form on “Here” is actually quite simple, though because it features a lot of straightforward grooves and “four on the floor,” it’s more important than ever to stay in time. Practice this one with a metronome, for sure!
**Bonus: Download all of these transcriptions as a free PDF, courtesy of Tim Buell. https://www.timbuellmusic.com/
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“Blurry” by Puddle of Mudd
Important Rhythms:
1. Main Groove (Verse) 0:24
I consider this pattern to be deceptively tricky. Let’s break it down limb by limb:
Hi-hat is straight 16th notes, however, you really want to accent every other stroke, or the “1s” and “&s.” Luckily, this is all in the technique, and if you do it right, this accent pattern will actually come out naturally. Remember, it’s all in the wrist! Check out Todd Sucherman’s “push-pull” video where he breaks down how to achieve this.
Snare is standard 2 & 4.
On the kick drum we have a fairly syncopated rhythm that utilizes the “ah” of the beats. Notice bars one and two are nearly identical, with the 2nd bar of the phrase adding only one extra note on the “e” of four.
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
2. Common Fill 0:46
The entire drum chart really only uses one main fill and it’s pretty simple. Disregard the 1st three beats of the measure and focus on beat four or the last four 16th notes. Snare – hi tom – floor tom – kick. So, just going down the kit melodically. From a technical perspective, there is no reason not to just alternate these hits as RLRK. However, for a bit of showmanship and to avoid a slight crossover, I like to play the toms all on the right hand, so LRRK.
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
Favorite Fill? 3:12
This fill is actually very similar to the fill we discussed above. Instead of 16th notes on the hi-hat, we’re playing open 8th notes. Beats one-three are virtually identical, and on the last beat is where we have some fun…Again, we’re utilizing this high note to low note tom phrase, but this time squeezing in 32nd notes between the middle rack tom and floor tom. Try it out!
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
What makes this cover challenging?
Blurry by Puddle of Mudd is a very simple rock song. However, when playing this song on the drums it’s important to keep up the heavy rock energy and not to let any of the sections drag. While the tom fills are simple in nature, you have a narrow window within the bars to execute. So, practice this song with a metronome and be sure the stickings make sense for you. Have fun!
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“Monsters” by All Time Low
Important Rhythms:
1. Main Groove (Chorus) ~0:39
A fairly simple pattern here. Steady 8th notes on the hats, snare on 2&4.
It’s the kick pattern that really drives this song and adds that forceful pop/punk “punch.”
To change things up, I started playing many of those 16th note kicks on the snare for some extra energy.
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
2. Disco Groove (Chorus) ~50
The 2nd half of the chorus switches to this fun disco-style groove. It may be easy to play, but just as easy to play it sloppy. Really focus on locking in the snare and kick for a tight, even sound.
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
Favorite Fill? ~2:37
There’s plenty of room for flashy “chops” in this song, but for me, the perfect moment for some 32nd note flare was right at the outro. The energy coming out of the last chorus soars with Demi Lovato’s high note sustain and just begs for the drums to lead us into the last few bars of the song with something extra. The guitar and bass cut out on beat 4 and come back in on beat 2 of the next bar. Thus, this 32nd note fill between the kick, snare and toms compliments the tune nicely while giving the drummer some extra attention. 🤩
Transcription: Dan Ainspan
What makes this cover challenging?
As seen in the groove examples above, this song is not technically challenging for any medium to advanced drummer that can play some basic syncopated rhythms. However, I’d say stamina is something to be mindful of. The energy of “Monsters” really never lets up, and a heavy, forceful drum track is super important to make this song as catchy and impactful as it is.
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