If you could Have Lessons Fron Any Professional Drummer Who Would It Be?

But how good a teacher would all these famous drummers be? they aren't necessarily good teachers. Do they understand positive reinforcement? Are they patient?

You make good points.

I know someone who studied with VC and Billy...didn't turn out so good.
 
Certainly world class drummers don't automatically make good teachers, for sure. I for myself
wouldn''t see that as the kind of regular weekly lessons to a young drummer, but masterclasses
for advanced drummers whose cognitive abilities are sophisticated enough to deal with the
information and the person.
I see it like this:

So, for me, yeah, my "lesson" could be nothing but picking their brains.
 
Joe Morello.

One of the ones who got me interested in learning to play in the first place (back in the 60's).

An awesom player, and from what I understand an excellent teacher.

Jim
 
Back in the early 90's ,there was a drum studio/store on Staten Island called Percussion Paradise.I stopped in one day as i was getting back into playing and needed some sticks.

So there I am,talking to the owner,and there is this guy who seemingly just appeared out of nowhere,walking around with a pair of sticks.litterally playing the shop.The walls,counter tops,cymbals,drums,....everything.

I comment firstly how good he is,and then how much he looks like Joe Morello.

And so the owner says to him..."hey Joe...this guy thinks your pretty good".

After I picked up my jaw off the floor,I stumbeled out a few words and just when I thought "wow one of my drum heros"Joe tells me that Jim Chapin also teaches there.So now I'm looking for a hidden camera crew,but it was real.

I booked a lesson,went to his clinic the next week with Danny Gottleb,and thought that I might actually get pretty good at this.But life got in the way ...big time.

So by the time,I had the time,the place closed,and Joe moved over to Jersey,and only accepted advanced students.But that one lesson I did have showed me so many things that I was doing wrong.

Steve B
 
Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, Simon Phillips, Gavin Harrison, Todd Sucherman, John Riley and, last but not least, John Bonham.

Just what is going on in The Crunge, Bonzo?!

i´ve never heard the story of the inspiration for the song, but i would take it that he´s following the bassline.

also, check out the studio version of James Brown´s ¨I Don´t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open The Door, I´ll Get It Myself)¨ which i believe to be the inspiration for the funny time feel. not a rip off in any way, but a nod in that direction. http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/4M8s1oA342U/
 
Last edited:
Or it would put you off entirely. You'd see his ghost notes, and yours would sound like a jack hammer... that's demoralising.

EDIT: "yours" generally, not "yours" personally. ;)

hehehe ... I'd just like a little of that groove to rub off ... "Okay Polly, now I'm gunna play this groove and when I say GO you turn over the rain stick ... gottit?"

I'd even play rain stick for Bernard :)
 
There are a lot of drummers I love but I don't think they would be very good teachers. With that in mind I think Gregg Bissonette would be my choice
 
If it were really all on the table, and I acknowledge that the question is not "Which drummer would you most like to meet?" but "Who do I want to learn from?", I would have to go with Tommy Igoe. He's a very experienced teacher, plays just right for the music, has crazy good chops, and I would enjoy his sarcastic personality. He is also the type of player I try to emulate, from versatility to taste to professionalism.
 
for me it would have to be the man who's album 'spectrum' became the first record I tapped along on pots and pans when I was about 2 years old.....this is back in 1975 by the way!!...Mr Billy Cobham....for me he's the master......


closely followed by Steve Smith and Antonio Sanchez.......
 
If it were really all on the table, and I acknowledge that the question is not "Which drummer would you most like to meet?" but "Who do I want to learn from?", I would have to go with Tommy Igoe. He's a very experienced teacher, plays just right for the music, has crazy good chops, and I would enjoy his sarcastic personality. He is also the type of player I try to emulate, from versatility to taste to professionalism.

I was just about to mention Tommy Igoe, I'm surprised nobody has yet! So yes, he'd be my choice too, though there's so many others that would be flippin great. I bet Tommy would be such a laugh though with that dry sense of humour.

I had thought wouldn't it be great one day to take 6 months out to live in New York and study with him for a while, and be able to watch the band on Friday nights - the 2 year waiting list might be a bit of a problem though ;-)
 
Back
Top