The YouTube channel "Drumeo" has a series of videos where they invite professional drummers into their studio and then play them a song they don't know, with the original drums removed - so they just hear vocals, guitars, etc.. And they're asked to play drums to the song. It's usually something out of their style, so it's a bit of a challenge. Most people come in, give the song a listen a two, take notes, get the feel for the overall song, chart out sections, etc.. And they give it a few tries all the way through. The end result is always pretty fascinating, and impressive. They're rarely exactly the same as the original, but they make it work. At the end they hear the original back and see how they did - they're usually pretty humble about it.
But Chad Smith, of Red Hot Chili Peppers, is no ordinary professional drummer. No note taking for this guy...
Watch this.
F*cking A.
I’ve not really been a great fan of Smith, but my respect for him has grown enormously after watching this. He killed it. Not the same approach as the original, but his own approach, and he nails it.
First take, right? He heard the shifts in dynamics, he built where he needed to build, he killed it.
Big ears, solid chops. I’ve been playing drums for over 50 years now, and I have no idea how somebody hits that hard, all the time, without hurting themselves or just generally getting sloppy and FUBAR.
Props.
Thanks for sharing this cleek!
I’ve not really been a great fan of Smith, but my respect for him has grown enormously after watching this.
same here. i never really paid attention to him, since everybody else in that band is soloing all the time.
but, wow.
First take, right?
yeah. all on the first listen, even. he listened to like 20 seconds and then jumped in with both feet.