“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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