What drum skill, or piece, was your ‘most challenging’ to play.

[DrummBumm89]

Black Betty - Ram Jam
Until I realised there are some major tape edits where the drum breaks are.
Still aiming to get it to sound like the record though.

Mick

I lost a gig because I couldn't play that drum break "just like the album". I'm not going to boast of prowess, but I'd like to see someone who can nail that take after take. Hard to sound THAT jumpy.

 

[pedro navahas]

I guess mine was Jesus Christ Superstar, made great money but it was compensation for all the woodshedding I did!

 

[rsmittee]

Art Blakey's solo on Doodlin has some "fast" triplets on the bass drum that get me every time. They're not THAT fast, but I struggle with it. Also, the Fool in the Rain version of the Purdy Shuffle is challenging for me. Something about opening and closing the hihat just makes it that much more difficult to get the feel of it.

 

[yetanotherdrummer]

In the real world application of playing with bar bands, I found that you didn't need to "nail" the parts, you just needed to nail the feel most of the time. Maybe it's different now from when I was playing.

Of course there are always some intros and fills that need to be copied because they are an integral part of the song arrangement.

 

[pgm554]

Tornado

 

[rsq911]

Here is my snare solo (Mvt. 3), from my 9/11 piece if anyone is interested in it, or "chopping out" as we used to call it.

 

[Pat A Flafla]

"Everybody Wants to Rule" is a great groove. I watched the new lineup performing it live and I'm not sure about the 80's band, but the hi-hat is sequenced and the drummer played the groove along with the sequence, playing more straight on the hihat. It worked.

I play basically a fast version of a slow shuffle beat, and that's a fun endurance workout. The tune's nothing to sniff at if played up to speed.

 

[Pat A Flafla]

I lost a gig because I couldn't play that drum break "just like the album". I'm not going to boast of prowess, but I'd like to see someone who can nail that take after take. Hard to sound THAT jumpy.

I do, but I charted it and practiced the hell out of it (The Ram Jam Version).
BTW--"Just like the album" wasn't even the way it was recorded. They cut and spliced the original song like Edward Scissorhands.

 

[Blisco]

Van Halen Jump solo section is still giving me fits and anxiety

 

[HalldorL]

Being able to play three consecutive ghostnotes AFTER a rimshot accent with my left hand. Four 16th notes in a row Llll at 120 bpm. Took me a few years. Now it just flows. The fruits of practicing!

 

[Ludwigboy]

"Everybody Wants to Rule" is a great groove. I watched the new lineup performing it live and I'm not sure about the 80's band, but the hi-hat is sequenced and the drummer played the groove along with the sequence, playing more straight on the hihat. It worked.

Maybe this helps...here is Tears for Fears performing the song live; check out at 1.01 ....it sounds right.... and see 1.20 also....actually when the song came out I thought the high hat was electronically created and the drummer just played a shuffle along with it.

 

[Tarkus]

Don’t Stop Believing, the 1/8 notes played on the hihat with the left hand thru out the song just gives me fits. Especially as the right hand parts get more complicated. Not to mention my distain for this song, it’s up there with Freebird for me. People love the song so I do what I can when we play it.

Same here.

Played this song recently as 'replacement drummer' in a band, and was really looking forward to it, as I like the song. Watched the 'explanation video' of Steve Smith on youtube, and thought OK, might get challenging, but let's try (there were two dozen other songs to learn for 1 rehearsal).

No way - I couldn't do the left hand Hihat. It always sounded 'somehow', but I never got the power necessary to drive the song, nor the coordination of my right hand, when the more complicated things start. Of course, I finally did the hi hat with my right hand and nobody noticed anything 'wrong'. Just the opposite, they liked my 'bell' so much.

'Most challenging' for me is mostly when I underestimate a song. Can be something as simple as 'Schools out' (Alice Cooper), or 'straight AC/DC songs'. If you want to do it 'right', its not that easy ... (at least for me).

 

[Matched Gripper]

Maybe this helps...here is Tears for Fears performing the song live; check out at 1.01 ....it sounds right.... and see 1.20 also....actually when the song came out I thought the high hat was electronically created and the drummer just played a shuffle along with it.

What a great, timeless song! I always thought it was 8th note triplets on the hihats until I saw a tutorial video on Youtube.

 

[Polska]

I finally decided to master "The Oakland Stroke" once and for all. It's been about four months and I can get through it....mostly....every.....time :/

Coincidentally I also recently started on it. Took the transcription from Drumeo and have been slowly working it out. 2 measures! I can get it a couple times through slowly, but I'm hoping to memorize it and get that feel. Really fun groove. The last 4e+ah trips me every time.

 

[EVLdrummer]

After 50+ years of trying, I still have problems with "A Banda", from Herb Alpert's Ninth album ( December 1967). My hat's off to drummer Nick Ceroli for originating the side-stick/right-hand snare/hi-hat beat at that speed! I also still have problems with the finale' solo of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971). Oh Well...

 

[Tornado]

Being able to play three consecutive ghostnotes AFTER a rimshot accent with my left hand. Four 16th notes in a row Llll at 120 bpm. Took me a few years. Now it just flows. The fruits of practicing!

That first 16th ghost note after a rimshot is so hard at faster tempos. Still working on getting the sick height down to match the rest.

 

[Ludwigboy]

After 50+ years of trying, I still have problems with "A Banda", from Herb Alpert's Ninth album ( December 1967). My hat's off to drummer Nick Ceroli for originating the side-stick/right-hand snare/hi-hat beat at that speed! I also still have problems with the finale' solo of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971). Oh Well...

Another DFO post talks about "Rock and Roll" here....

Led Zep Rock and Roll

So I figured out the extro for the song, didn't take me long and I over-think things but it's not that hard. I lead the triplet part with my right hand for now, I'm working on leading it with the left hand and that's a bit difficult, it's going to take me a couple weeks or more to get that...

www.drumforum.org

A Youtube by a gentleman named Bonzoleum is mentioned and he does a supurb job of breaking it down and explaining it,,,,,

 

[Houndog]

This Guy explains it well

 

[luckydrummer95]

This Guy explains it well

10:51 Even the best of us make mistakes

 

[drums1225]

Two words: Left foot.

Was my Achilles heel when I played double bass (I haven't even set up my double pedal in 10 years), and even more so when playing straight 8th notes on the hi hat. One of the few things related to drumming that didn't come fairly naturally to me. It continues to be an uphill battle.