how to approach everlong ?

mxo721

Senior Member
how would you go about learning this song ? I can usually write down a drum part on paper and think " the bass lands here, the hihat is here" but this song with the steady 16ths on the hihat and the broken up bass drum part just boggles my mind, it' just such completely different things going on rhythmically between the b/d and the hihats and snare. any thoughts on this much appreciated.
 
I believe if you go to Online Drummer they have either a video lesson or a tab, or both. Whatever it is it will help you.

You pretty much have to think of the song as a rap song with 16ths on the hi hat. Try playing just the bass and snare to get an idea of where everything lands. Then try adding an alternating hand pattern on the hats (I'm sure you've played one before) on top of that. Try playing it slow to get it down before you play it at its original speed. (Which is 158 BPM if you want to know)

In terms of the chorus I don't know much but the obvious parts and the bridge, I'm still building up the endurance to play the verse cleanly.
 
If I had a way to make an image of the repeat for the verses, I would do so and upload it here to show you. However, I don't. So I can't.

Learning a song by ear takes time and dedication to that song, but it seems like you have the main idea of the part down already. I would suggest that you listen to the song as much as you need to fully understand the part. If you can find sheet music for it, all the better.

Good luck.
 
thanks for the replies, werid thing is, I can play the verse part, using 8ths on the hihats, perfectly, it when i try to play with using both hands to do 16ths, on the hihtats, it's a train wreck, I guess I can't walk and chew gum at the same time,
 
Slow it down.. WAY down if you want to get it right. 158 BPM is way too high to play a 16th note beat off the hi hat when trying to figure something out.

Don't worry if it takes a while for you to get used to the alternating hands on the hi hat, its weird for some people at first. It opens up a world of new ideas though.

Try playing this beat to get you a basic idea.

H|xxxx-xxxxxxx-xxx|
S|----x-------x---|
B|x-------x-------|


Key: each "x" or "-" = 16th note

Once you get that cruisin' try to change where your playing the bass. Everlong is pretty much a variation of this for the verse.
 
This file should help. :)
 

Attachments

  • everlong.mp3
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thanks burmuda, I can really here the b/d clearly on that, I can do almost the whole thing at a slower tempo, it is ( 1 ) single beat that I'm banging my head through the drywall over, I think it's beat 3 on the b/d, like a dotted 8th note, or a rest, that hesitation you know ? instead of boom boom boom boom...the boom boom-------silence-----..boomboom boom...I'll keep plugging away, thanks again.
 
The pattern that's confusing you is most likely this one


--|1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a 1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a
HH|xxxx-xxxxxxx-xxx|xxxx-xxxxxxx-xxx|
SD|----o-------o---|----o-------o---|
BD|o-------o-o---o-|--o-----o-o-----|


Skipping the one in the second bar and all that. Dave varies the bass drum pattern a lot though. It helps if you listen to the guitar, the bass often follows the guitar accents.

good luck with this song. I don't have the chops to play it :(
 
This song's 16th hats are a good example of how interdependence is a better concept than independence. Don't think of the hands playing 16ths, one hand occasionally coming down to hit the snare, and a foot stepping on the pedal. Think about how on any given count, your hands and foot work in combination. Basically, start slow, stay slow, and see how your limbs work with each other - not spearately - in order to play the part. Once that relationship between your hands and feet is established, you'll find parts like this will come easier. In the beginning they may still need a bit of dissection, but eventually you begin to hear and feel those relationships when you first listen to a part, and it will become easier to translate it to your limbs and a kit without much (or any) practice.

Think of it like playing and singing. It's the melodic and rhythmic relationship between the two makes it a single 'arrangement' for the player. Nonbody's really thinking about playing and lyrics and melody at the same time. It all becomes one thing.

Same with drumming. There was undoubtedly a time in each of our drumming beginnings when we thought we could never get our 4 limbs to work correctly with each other. But over time, even once-complicated parts become very natural. In fact it becomes difficult to describe what each limb does separately without having to pause and think about it.

16ths and this song will become that way too.

Bermuda
 
The pattern that's confusing you is most likely this one


--|1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a 1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a
HH|xxxx-xxxxxxx-xxx|xxxx-xxxxxxx-xxx|
SD|----o-------o---|----o-------o---|
BD|o-------o-o---o-|--o-----o-o-----|

I'm not 100% familiar with this song, but I'm noticing in this tab that the HH part drops out when the snare hits. Have you tried playing the HH part with two hands? It might not be the way it was played on the record, but it might help you get the grooove down without cramping up your HH hand.

You could also try playing this with 8th notes on the HH just to get the groove down, then start trying to play the 16th notes.
 
Here's my transcription of the song.
I think it's pretty much exactly what Dave plays on the record.

Any tips on how to improve my transcription are greatly appreciated though.
 

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  • Everlong.pdf
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Last edited:
My approach would be to listen, listen and listen. Start working it out with your fingers and toes whilst tapping on the desk (your co-workers will love you) and then try it on the kit later.

Personally, trying to play something exactly as it is on record has never interested me. I like to discover the framework and then put my own take on it. eg on Everlong, the pre-verse bit I put more kick drum in to accent the snare hits.

I personally could never work it all out from tab as my brain works on improvisation and not planning. I use my ear to work things out, if i still can't get it, I go and see them play it live
 
99% of the bass drum notes are 8th notes. I would just figure that out first, so you can play it with the standard 8ths on the hi-hat. Then, to switch to 16ths, you just fill the gaps with your left hand, and bring your right over to the snare on 2 and 4.
 
how would you go about learning this song ? I can usually write down a drum part on paper and think " the bass lands here, the hihat is here" but this song with the steady 16ths on the hihat and the broken up bass drum part just boggles my mind, it' just such completely different things going on rhythmically between the b/d and the hihats and snare. any thoughts on this much appreciated.

This is the easy part of the song from a technical point, but it is extremely physically tasking. It just flat tires you out. The rest of the song is actualy more technically difficult , but will give you a needed rest between those draining verse sections. Practice hard. Concentrate on speed and endurance. GL.
 
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