Your dream one-off private lesson?

[RickP]

Freddie Gruber ( same reasons as JR)
runners up would be :
Jim Chapin
JoJo Mayer
Peter Erskine
Steve Smith

 

[tempobob]

A good place to hang is PASIC. Most of the drummers (living) mentioned are just hanging out like everyone else and are usually pretty approachable, if not for a lesson, at least to answer some questions.

 

[bellbrass]

#1. Charlie Watts. I'm not sure that he'd want to give a lesson, but I'd take it if he did.
#2. Freddie Gruber. If he's good enough for Neil Peart, he's good enough for me.
#3. Joe Morello. I'm sure my hand technique would improve just from one lesson.

 

[EvEnStEvEn]

I've had brief lessons with Steve Houghton and Jim Chapin.
I wish I'd taken better notes, could certainly use a refresher course.

 

[biggator]

Jojo Mayer
Danny Carey (it would be a weird lesson, but hopefully a good one)
Jimmy Chamberlin

John Bonham (decomposed and all, he can still play his ass off)
"-)

 

[bebop]

Elvin Jones 8)

+1 You beat me to it.

 

[Bugford]

I'll second Peter Erskine. Steve Smith would be cool, too.

 

[ron_haynes]

Richie Hayward
Jeff Porcaro
Zigaboo Modeliste
Stanton Moore
J.R. Robinson
Manu Katche ...

For me, it's all about the approach and the groove.

 

[RebusKyle]

Well not one of the chops boys for sure.

I'd love to have a private lesson with Matt Wilson, Bill Stewart or Jeff Ballard. Getting into their individual concepts of a) why and how the drums are played and their role in the music would keep anyone busy for awhile...

My friend took some lessons with Ballard and had some interesting things to say....the one thing that I took away from what he learned (and was something I've been actually working towards for years....) was that Ballard was very against relying on bouncing for speed. He basically (if you can't tell from his style) sticks everything. Crazy technique to get that fast and clean, but that's just it....if you want to play that fast and clean while staying in control you have to single, double, triple or quadruple your strokes instead of bouncing.

I actually think his early work specifically the stuff on Rosenwinkel's albums is a testament to this, and is what got me started down that path.

I'd bet that Stewart and Wilson would be great too. I know I read an interview with Stewart once and he spoke mostly about focusing on your practice as if it's a performance. In other words no rudiments while watching tv and such. I get what he's saying, but that's intense!!!

My list would be as follows.....
Living:
Glen Kotche
Brian Blade
Jeff Ballard

Non-Living:
Elvin
Tony Williams
Keith Moon
Bonham
(although I'm not too sure how productive lessons with Moon and Bonham would be


-Kyle

 

[agogobil]

Airto.

 

[mikestand]

Airto.

Oh yeah - I should have put him on my list too. His work with Corea and RTF, especially "Light as a Feather" was probably the biggest single influence on my style, such as it is. He showed me drums not only could sing, they could dance...

 

Hal Blaine!

Why Hal Blaine?

Spending time with him learning tricks of the trade would be tantamount to spending time with most of my favorite drummers from the late 50's through much of the 70's. That's because most of these drummers were really Hal in the studio.

 

[art]

Wes Starr

Ron Tutt

Hal Blaine

Steve Gadd

with 5 drum sets

 

[Drum Kat]

I've had my dream lesson! I have gotten to sit down with Bun E. not once but, twice! I will tell you guys that to get to sit down with Bun has been a life-long dream and it was effing awesome to swap drum licks with him. He's aces in my book. I still dream of a Master Class with him

 

[NashvilleGull]

Matt Cameron or Michael Lee for me..

 

[Luddite]

Mitch Mitchell
It would go something like this---"OK, now what in the Sam Hill were you playing during the breakdowns in 'Hey Joe'? And don't get me started on the live version of 'Manic Depression!'"

 

[art]

Abe Laboreal jr.

 

[dave11772]

Mr. Gadd - I want that Aja samba!

 

[bat]

For me it would be my father, who got me started drumming in the first place as a boy, but who I never played with again as I got older, followed by my uncle (my father's brother), who played professionally almost his entire life. Both are deceased now but I would pay anything to play with them now. Maybe someday after I leave this earth I will get to again.

 

[hawker]

Steve Gadd
Peter Erskine
Steve Smith
Jeff Hamilton
and Buddy. (no doubt this would be a short lesson)