This guy is unreal. I'm always amazed at his technique and speed, but as a drummer, the thing that impresses me the most is his application of rudiments and poly rhythms with his feet. That's a whole different level of amazing.
I hope people that watch this guy understand just how much Lang practiced to get this good. I have seen some of the best drummers in the world, but this guy is on another level as far as speed and technique are concerned. This is what dedication and hard work get you!
This man is my hero....im a black metal drummer but love everything about music....and Thomas Lang could fit into any band ..... literally any band.....
@@kitsune630 dude, that's NOT how music works. Make no dif how TALENTED a musician is: it's all based on CHEMISTRY. (This is why all the Great bands....made SHIT MUSIC after those bands break up. If JimmyPage were a genius, he'd have created another dozen bands as GREAT as Zep, see? But he scoured the earth for a Plant replacement and FAILED. Of the 4 pink floyd dudes, HOW MANY made music JUST AS GREAT, solo? A: not one! ALL our most "genius" musicians mostly made SHIT when with other musicians, b/c it's NOT SKILL OR TALENT. It's CHEMISTRY and we have no control over that.) I don't think TL was right for DT at all! ANALOGY: actors who go to a lot of auditions and "FAIL" think it's their fault or lack of merit. Almost NEVER is it. EX: A DIRECTOR will have a VISUAL image of what a character looks like.... and then HIRE THE ACTOR WHO LOOKS MOST LIKE THE DIRECTOR'S IMAGE. Talent and Skill are very secondary. Ergo, all these actors feeling sorry for themselves are WRONG. It's nothing they did to "lose" the audition.
@@dumpygoodness4086 jesus christ! I was just making a joke about how he didnt make it into dream theater and you spit out a fucking essay at me! Take a joke!
@@dumpygoodness4086 very good point. technically, coordination, limb indepedence lang is above mangini. watched few videos of soloing. lang stomps. im one the fan was hoping Lang is in DT instead of MM. too bad, being in a band is not just about technique.
He's beyond human . I don't think there's much more you can show this guy . He took all the boring and hard exercises that most drumming students didnt want to practice and turned it to this !! Unreal !
For those calling Lang a "practice room drummer", here are a few of the people and groups he has played for: John Wetton, Robert Fripp, Glenn Hughes, Peter Gabriel, Asia, Nik Kershaw, Tina Turner, Robbie Williams, Kelly Clarkson, Sugababes, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Victoria Beckham, Ronan Keating, Steve Hackett, 911, Boyzone, Falco, Nina Hagen, Steve Jones, Mick Jones, The Commodores, George Michael, Doogie White, B*Witched, Gianna Nannini, Lighthouse Family, Westlife, Kylie Minogue, The Blockheads, Sertab Erener, Vienna Art Orchestra, Bonnie Tyler, Nadine Beiler, and Paul Gilbert. Oh.... And St0rk. He has toured extensively with John Wetton and the Paul Gilbert album is superb. Just because youtube is full if vids of him masturbating a drum kit, that does 't mean that is all he can do....
Dfd Dfd But that is how it is if you are a session drummer.... and yes, I don't like a lot of stuff in that list, either. But no doubt it pays his bills. Some of the stuff, though, is amazingly good. Try the Paul Gilbert album ;-)
Bob Ayers That is the way it is for session players.... they are rated on how many different artist hire them to play, so the worlds greatest session men have played for hundreds of artists. The general public haven't usually got a clue who they are...
84 people without the talent or ear to hear how good he is? This guy is ( from a 27 year long drummer ), gifted as all hell. If you dont like this solo, look up some of his other works, the talent is undeniable. AWESOME.
I'm an old school drummer. I am 62 years old so you can probably guess who I'd say was the best drummer of all time. Well that just changed watching this. Tomas has it ALL! Kudos to Weckyl, Coliuta, Royster Jr. And many others... phenomenal artists all. This guy is in another dimension!
Everyone likes to knock on how Lang is just a practice room drummer, albeit he's one of the best practice rooms alive, but they forget one important detail, and this is huge: this man took his insane practice room chops and made a career out of them. Very few people could ever dream of doing that. This man took his passionate love of drumming, pursued it to inhuman levels of technical proficiency (including a VAST knowledge of drum theory, the mark of a true drummer), and then made it into a career. Mad props to this man.
Finally someone understands! This guy pretty much hit the jackpot making a career out of technicality! Usually it's always people just get complimented like "you're incredible!" to those who are just fast and technical and people are told "you're hired!" to those who are able to just keep the beat steady and in time! With Thomas, it is completely backwards! Much respect for this hard working drummer!!
Lol Thomas is fast and technical so idk what you're trying to say. Just screwing with ya lol but I know what u mean. I mean the guys been playing for 40+ years! If u stick with it throughout life you CAN be this good! Not exactly cause we all have different styles of playing. But don't wish man keep playing and you can become very great!
You need to live on Long Island NY to be in Dream Theater ..they might've loosened the requirement since they are geriatric. Yet back in their 40's & 50's so was the rule.
I stood a few feet from him as he played about ten years ago. I've been playing for fifty years and very few drummers impress me and teach me anything. HE'S THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! He's incredibly strong, disciplined, precise and musical. Not even accounting for his inhuman speed. He doesn't even know what size sticks he uses. He says the biggest he could find. As I got older I did that also and found better control without losing much speed. I use 1B's. he's the best for a reason. Practice!! I saw his Sonor effects pedal. $1000 Holy shit!! A drummer at a practice studio I used brought one in and I murdered with it. It was great. Heel, toe!! The poor guy that bought it couldn't handle it!! I was a monster back then anyway!! Cant play anymore. Disabled!! Develop your feet and practice PAINFULLY SLOW and you will get incredibly fast!! Look at how he pays attention!!
Not possible!! Lost the playing use of my left hand. My index finger was amputated and my middle finger is useless. Chainsaw did the damage!! Thanks anyway! Buy Lang's disc. I used to buy almost everyone's disc I could find!! Steve Smith!! Huh? Yup!! I started to play from an open pedal because of him. What a difference!! Try it!! You can learn something from everyone. Put it all together and you have created a monster!! Buy discs and practice!! My teacher Mickey Sheen used to get me to practice so painfully slow that it was extremely difficult. The result? 32nd note sweeps that very few drummers could do!! Cover eight pieces in a half second without a burp!! Practice, Practice, Practice!! Three hours a day!!
Some drummer on Drumeo said one should practice even "ridiculously slow". Perhaps speeds up the formation of connections in ones brains? :o And, furthermore, improves accuracy?
Most unreal coordination I ever saw in my entire life ... Do not have a clue, how this guy left and right hemisphere collaborate at all. I think just a very small of percentage of people can play like this. Amazing enough, I bow!
Indisputable that Thomas Lang is by far the best technical drummer in the world I'd say all around Drummer nobody even comes close to this dudes independence and chops
Thomas Lang is not the best technical drummer, he is probably ONE of the best. Check out Virgil Donate, Chris Coleman...NEVER EVER say the best...There's no such thing...Thomas Lang lacks the feel of Chris Coleman & Chris Coleman is a much faster playing drummer...and Thomas Lang cannot hang with Haracio Hernadez independence...However, Thomas is good at certain things, he's no joke...But watch the Dream Theater Drum audition RUclips video...he couldn't play off the top of his head...Marco Minneman could as well as Virgil Donate
Are you serious when you compare Horacio Hernandez to Lang in terms of independence? you better watch Thomas Lang DVDs to know that there's no one come close to Lang in that department.
Portnoy is good for learning how to use double kick in a groovy sense and at first getting your double kick skills started, consistent and comfortable... However after that, I think you'd have to move to a drummer like Thomas in order to further progress your ideas and challenge yourself. Both are great and portnoy will forever be my greatest influence, but there are more technical drummers to move forward to once you've learnt what you can from him.
I was stuck in a rut, unable to move beyond where I’d been for so long. So, I attended the first Thomas Lang Boot Camp in hopes of acquiring some new tools. There, I had the opportunity to study with Thomas for 8 hours/day for 3 days. The fourth day, we just hung out. What a privilege and a tremendous educational experience! He showed us his technique up close and patiently explained everything he was doing and why. I learned so much. Did I mention he’s also hilarious? I agree his approach is machine-like, mathematical even, but I can appreciate that aspect of drumming, too. No drummer can be all things to everyone. If I want groove, I’ll listen to Phil Rudd or Cozy. For the thrill of the art of drumming as an extreme sport, I’ll take Thomas Lang, Tony Royster, Jr, Chris Coleman, and split the difference with Todd Sucherman and Weckl.
I've been on a YT drum binge lately, and this guy keeps showing up. Every time I watch one, I am entirely flabbergasted at the level of technical proficiency, especially in his feet. Why is this guy not listed among the top drummers of today? I see a lot of Tony Royster Jr., and deservedly but it's hard to imagine Thomas Lang being technically inferior to any drummer alive. Not sure how he is within a band setting, but he's clearly an unparalleled clinician and soloist. His solos have more musical interest than pretty much any others I've come across.
LOL I too have been on a YT drum binge. I am amazed at the endless amout of amazing players out there that I have never heard of. Also after playing for 30 years, I can't believe how little technique I have!
Well, actually he is a well known player in drum circles. But as far as i know, he has not played with any big name artists i think.Also, he is from another country unlike say Tony Royster. Look at a guy like Vinnie C. though.The man has been a side man to many great artists and is well known for that, in addition to great chops etc.
He's played with a huge number of big name artists. Falco, Peter Gabriel, George Michael...to name a few. It's a pretty big list of music I mostly don't care for LOL (except the ones listed)
usually it's all Bonham, Peart, ect. Although Bonham had great feel he is not even close to being the best player ever. Most of the best are totally unknown by the general public. Lang is technically one of the best ever.
I had the pleasure and privilege of witnessing Thomas Lang's playing live at a drum festival held in Wembley, London back in about 2004/5. It was the first time I'd ever heard of him and I was completely blown away by his immense technique and independence - when he played complex, individual patterns on clave and bass drum with both feet at the same, I was gobsmacked. There were a whole raft of other drummers who played that day, but his was the stand out performance for me and I've been a fan ever since. Comes across as a thoroughly decent chap too.
Lang's a great guy, and SKILLED up the wazoo... but I wish I could PRODUCE him, to bring out his strengths and ditch his weaknesses. (I want ONLY musicality, even if it's wild and intense.)
I love how he uses the kick so elegantly in his fills. He'll go around the kit, through all the toms, and when most would finish a fill on the floor tom, he always adds those lightning doubles before ending with the crash. Just one of his amazing traits. Feel sorry for people who can't hear his musicality, who just label him generic. Amazing.
SOMETIMES Lang is musical, but even HE will tell you he HAS to show off and wank off at these DRUM clinics. No one labels him generic. We criticize him for being TOO machine-like. (I personally want the firepower of Cobham, with the brains of Bruford. But cannot find that combination. If Lang FOCUSED just on his clever stuff, he could be that Holy Grail.)
I've been drumming for 30 years, I have thomas lang dvd's and the man is really a machine !!! He is incredible ... This is a show of what he can do technically ... He can play with a lot more feeling when he needs to. Thomas lang is a drumming legend and I aspire to be like him as my dad aspired to be as good as buddy rich, whom he met on a few occasions. My dad is 82 and still plays amazing sets !! I LOVE BEING A DRUMMER !! :-)
I'm a drummers n i hope i can just be a fraction of Thomas Lang, best I've ever heard n people don't realize how hard this man worked to be the (best) I've seen or heard . Lang u r my hero n i know how hard u worked, u are the best in this whole wold to me n I'm 43 years old ) u r ths man, God bless u for the enloyment u have brought to my ears, thank u very much sir,, peace out
Buddy only had a 5 piece though, and would of utilized the toms more. Not really a comparison. Understand what you mean about the "sticking", but NOW imagine if Buddy was style alive!?
I will fiercely disagree about that. If he had a set up like say Bozzio... he would of torn apart most drummers on a bad day. It's because of guys like Krupa, Rich, Bellson, and too many others to name... that drumming has gone so far. For crying out loud Bellson basically created the double bass. I grew up with stuff like Be-bop, Rock n' Roll, listened to Swing, but I'm a Metal fan. Jazz paved the way for these guys, historically. Playing a 5 piece like a modern drummer takes more than rudiment knowledge. It's an art, and they definitely established themselves as the pioneers!
Thomas Lang is one of the most technical drummers in the world and deserves that kind of credit. He plays with such power but is so smooth. Wish he would have gotten the DT job, but oh well.
It used to be that the only drummer anyone knew of with chops like this was Buddy. Now there are several guys out there, like Virgil Donati, Jojo Mayer, and Lang being the best. I think youtube and the other social media sites will spawn more super-human talents like this as time goes on. When I was growing up, the only way you found out about what was possible was through magazines, records and tv shows. You couldn't really see what the drummer was doing with your own eyes, and a description didn't really capture the performance either. Now you can hear it, see it, and have it demonstrated and dissected for you in detail. I wish I was younger.
Technisch brilliant, unglaublich variabel und ein wahnsinnig guter Lehrer. Sein Video über Bass Drum Techniken ist das Beste was ich je gesehen habe. Und er grooved auch noch! WAHNSINN
Pues yo soy baterista autodidacta, no soy la gran cosa pero me esmero mucho por adquirir técnica. Sé lo que se requiere para ello. Conozco las tardes interminables con una baqueta en cada mano repitiendo lentamente un movimiento con toda la atención puesta en la forma de las manos para cuidar que la técnica sea lo menos imperfecta posible, y estar así, horas y horas durante los suficientes días como para que ese movimiento lento y concentrado se convierta en un impulso automático y veloz. En este vídeo pude apreciar (dada mi gran ignorancia), por lo menos un par de técnicas de mano, técnicas de pié ademas de las interminables sesiones de desarrollo de psicomotricidad que se requirió para adquirir esa independencia total de sus extremidades. Haber llegado a ese punto no es cosa fácil. Es por eso que simplemente no puedo comprender cuando alguien le llama "baterista de sala de ensayo" a uno de los mejores bateristas que hay en el mundo en la actualidad. ¿Ustedes quieren escuchar un buen groove que les haga mover los pies?, ok, escuchen a Red Hot Chilli Pepper, Chad Smith tiene un muy buen groove, pero no creo que algún día llegue a desarrollar la mitad de la técnica de Tomas Lang, que, en mi opinión, es lo mas cercano a Dave Weckl que conozco en cuanto a técnica se refiere. Obvio, si me preguntan, el baterista que yo puse como meta final para mi es Dave Weckl, pero me daría por bien servido si llego a tocar como Tomas Lang!!! :P :P :P.... Como quiera que sea, cualquiera que llame payaso a Lang, debe estar verdaderamente trastornado. No es de personas en su sano juicio llamar payaso a un experto que es mas experto que los demás en lo que hace. Lo mas increíble de esto es que a mi me han insultado durante ya casi 5 meses por comentar en youtube que Lars Ulrich es, y con dificultad, apenas un baterista de garage y me daban los argumentos mas inverosímiles para demostrarme lo contrario. A este genio de la batería en cambio, vienen y le llaman payaso??? WTF???!!! Dios! Donde diablos estás???
Imagine it. There are geniuses are always surpassing geniuses in generations to come. It's a phenomenon that comes when least expected...and then it happens.
I wish he WOULD. Drummers love to show off, and DELIBERATELY try to be UN-musical. (EX: if Lang introduces a kiler groove or riff... REPEAT that 2 minutes later! THEME and VARIATION. ala verse chorus verse chorus.) DRUMMERS HATE TO BE MUSICAL. ARGH!!
He went professional at 18 years old and he’s practiced through the blisters one gets putting the hundreds of hours in to perfect his technique. This man is amazing. his polyrhythms are difficult to follow merely watching and listening. He doesn’t multi-task, he quadruple-tasks. I like him as much as Minnemann (my personal favorite), and Roddy, Mangini (also absolutely stellar!) , Donati, speaking ONLY of drummers alive today. I also just realized these drummers all auditioned for Dream Theater when Portnoy left. I can not think of anyone alive who can strike with the power of Lang. All the drummers I’ve mentioned are world class technicians. Lang is certainly that. I found it near impossible to follow his polys, a true master.
Love how everyone has negative comments about his drumming. I bet none of you could even play 1 single minute of this 23 minute piece. There's a reason why he's a world renown drummer and you're not, it's sad that you have nothing better to do than hate on people who are better than you.
anyone "bored" with this probably has little appreciation for truly virtuosic playing and/or probably can't follow what's going on...when you understand what he's doing and the coordinations he's pulling off flawlessly, each one crazier than the last, boring doesn't apply...I could gawk at this for hours on end and find something new every time I watched it
I was there when he played this solo. It was at la baguetterie in Paris 2001. Gregg Bissonette and Virgil Donati played the same day there. Tomas Lang broke his headphones right after he finished his solo. I have a complete video of this same solo from another angle, but with better audio!
IMHO, his drums sound so much better in the videos in which he plays Sonors vs DWs. Unreal technique, made all the more amazing considering the size of his signature drumsticks (marching sticks-like)
Is he man or machine? Man, I've never seen or heard of one man doing this shit before! Maybe cause I'm 50..lol Nah! Just never seen the stuff of legends! You Are a Legend!
Im rly proud of Mr Lang, all these haters show how jealous people get when they see his skills! For me i believe, that he just takes it all to a new level and it still takes time for some people to understand it... some don't want to understand it and just call it rubbish.
NOT FAIR, sir. ALL of us respect and admire Lang's SUPER-SKILLS.... but that doesn't mean we don't want LESS MACHINE-like playing. Calling us "jealous" is LAZY. (How ironic that a Lang defender is so LAZY, ha ha.) I NEVER want to be Precision Perfect. I like WILD AND FREE energy in my music. (Even bands like ELP who do precision so well, ALSO got wild and crazy in their shows, like when KE climbs on his Hammond organ and beats it up during Rondo!)
I like to think that when buddy rich died, his soul split into three parts. his speed and precision became Thomas lang, his feel and soul became Benny greb, and his left hand and innovation became jojo mayer.
I saw this man in the drum workshop and he is not even amazing he's not even human I don't think there's anyone out there that can do what he does I mean it is just not even human he's from another world And just think he has students out there he teaches can you imagine how good they're going to be
I've been playing for fifty five years, and no one touches this guy, ever. Saw Krupa and Rich and every great rock and jazz drummer that drew attention. No one in his league, Sorry.
So since when is playing music about fame and fortune? Thomas Lang is the epitome of smooth, polished, and technicality. He makes a living doing what he loves. To all the haters you're just jealous his left foot is better than both of your hands combined.
This guy is unreal. I'm always amazed at his technique and speed, but as a drummer, the thing that impresses me the most is his application of rudiments and poly rhythms with his feet. That's a whole different level of amazing.
He's got the cleanest doubles I've ever seen any drummer have!
I hope people that watch this guy understand just how much Lang practiced to get this good. I have seen some of the best drummers in the world, but this guy is on another level as far as speed and technique are concerned. This is what dedication and hard work get you!
This man is my hero....im a black metal drummer but love everything about music....and Thomas Lang could fit into any band ..... literally any band.....
Thomas does Liberace ,hahahahahahaha .
Clearly not dream theater 😳
@@kitsune630 dude, that's NOT how music works.
Make no dif how TALENTED a musician is: it's all based on CHEMISTRY.
(This is why all the Great bands....made SHIT MUSIC after those bands break up. If JimmyPage were a genius, he'd have created another dozen bands as GREAT as Zep, see? But he scoured the earth for a Plant replacement and FAILED. Of the 4 pink floyd dudes, HOW MANY made music JUST AS GREAT, solo? A: not one! ALL our most "genius" musicians mostly made SHIT when with other musicians, b/c it's NOT SKILL OR TALENT. It's CHEMISTRY and we have no control over that.)
I don't think TL was right for DT at all!
ANALOGY:
actors who go to a lot of auditions and "FAIL" think it's their fault or lack of merit.
Almost NEVER is it.
EX:
A DIRECTOR will have a VISUAL image of what a character looks like.... and then HIRE THE ACTOR WHO LOOKS MOST LIKE THE DIRECTOR'S IMAGE.
Talent and Skill are very secondary.
Ergo, all these actors feeling sorry for themselves are WRONG. It's nothing they did to "lose" the audition.
@@dumpygoodness4086 jesus christ! I was just making a joke about how he didnt make it into dream theater and you spit out a fucking essay at me! Take a joke!
@@dumpygoodness4086 very good point. technically, coordination, limb indepedence lang is above mangini. watched few videos of soloing. lang stomps. im one the fan was hoping Lang is in DT instead of MM. too bad, being in a band is not just about technique.
He's beyond human . I don't think there's much more you can show this guy . He took all the boring and hard exercises that most drumming students didnt want to practice and turned it to this !! Unreal !
And what a testament to practicing those old, boring , rudiments. Dear god!! 😮
For those calling Lang a "practice room drummer", here are a few of the people and groups he has played for:
John Wetton, Robert Fripp, Glenn Hughes, Peter Gabriel, Asia, Nik Kershaw, Tina Turner, Robbie Williams, Kelly Clarkson, Sugababes, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Victoria Beckham, Ronan Keating, Steve Hackett, 911, Boyzone, Falco, Nina Hagen, Steve Jones, Mick Jones, The Commodores, George Michael, Doogie White, B*Witched, Gianna Nannini, Lighthouse Family, Westlife, Kylie Minogue, The Blockheads, Sertab Erener, Vienna Art Orchestra, Bonnie Tyler, Nadine Beiler, and Paul Gilbert.
Oh.... And St0rk.
He has toured extensively with John Wetton and the Paul Gilbert album is superb. Just because youtube is full if vids of him masturbating a drum kit, that does 't mean that is all he can do....
Nice :)
SAHBfan And aboslutely everyone who happens to walk by that practice room thinks or says, "That guy is kicking some serious a** in there!"
Dfd Dfd
But that is how it is if you are a session drummer.... and yes, I don't like a lot of stuff in that list, either. But no doubt it pays his bills. Some of the stuff, though, is amazingly good. Try the Paul Gilbert album ;-)
SAHBfan What, he can' t keep a job whit same artist ? not stable worker !
Bob Ayers
That is the way it is for session players.... they are rated on how many different artist hire them to play, so the worlds greatest session men have played for hundreds of artists. The general public haven't usually got a clue who they are...
84 people without the talent or ear to hear how good he is? This guy is ( from a 27 year long drummer ), gifted as all hell. If you dont like this solo, look up some of his other works, the talent is undeniable. AWESOME.
Matthew Alchin you're absolutely right. He's a genius
Opinion...is all you have.
He is gifted for sure but, hell has nothing to do with it!
This makes me want to cry of how good he is. Weather you guys like him or not, all of your favorite drumers admire him for his playing.
Who cares about the thumbs down ,I don't .Cheers.
I'm an old school drummer. I am 62 years old so you can probably guess who I'd say was the best drummer of all time. Well that just changed watching this. Tomas has it ALL! Kudos to Weckyl, Coliuta, Royster Jr. And many others... phenomenal artists all. This guy is in another dimension!
another dimension is how I look at him.
Everyone likes to knock on how Lang is just a practice room drummer, albeit he's one of the best practice rooms alive, but they forget one important detail, and this is huge: this man took his insane practice room chops and made a career out of them. Very few people could ever dream of doing that. This man took his passionate love of drumming, pursued it to inhuman levels of technical proficiency (including a VAST knowledge of drum theory, the mark of a true drummer), and then made it into a career. Mad props to this man.
You'd never hear Dave Weckl, Dennis Chambers etc saying all that negative crap about this guy. Just saying. Wish I was half as good as he is.
Rhythm Rider He kinda has that pretty boy image people are jealous of. I'm convinced that's why Dream Theater didn't hire him.
Finally someone understands! This guy pretty much hit the jackpot making a career out of technicality! Usually it's always people just get complimented like "you're incredible!" to those who are just fast and technical and people are told "you're hired!" to those who are able to just keep the beat steady and in time! With Thomas, it is completely backwards! Much respect for this hard working drummer!!
Lol Thomas is fast and technical so idk what you're trying to say. Just screwing with ya lol but I know what u mean. I mean the guys been playing for 40+ years! If u stick with it throughout life you CAN be this good! Not exactly cause we all have different styles of playing. But don't wish man keep playing and you can become very great!
You need to live on Long Island NY to be in Dream Theater ..they might've loosened the requirement since they are geriatric. Yet back in their 40's & 50's so was the rule.
This is on another level
I stood a few feet from him as he played about ten years ago. I've been playing for fifty years and very few drummers impress me and teach me anything. HE'S THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! He's incredibly strong, disciplined, precise and musical. Not even accounting for his inhuman speed. He doesn't even know what size sticks he uses. He says the biggest he could find. As I got older I did that also and found better control without losing much speed. I use 1B's. he's the best for a reason. Practice!! I saw his Sonor effects pedal. $1000 Holy shit!! A drummer at a practice studio I used brought one in and I murdered with it. It was great. Heel, toe!! The poor guy that bought it couldn't handle it!! I was a monster back then anyway!! Cant play anymore. Disabled!! Develop your feet and practice PAINFULLY SLOW and you will get incredibly fast!! Look at how he pays attention!!
mike383 . Thank you for your story. Sorry about your disability, I hope you're able to comeback and play drums again, soon.
Not possible!! Lost the playing use of my left hand. My index finger was amputated and my middle finger is useless. Chainsaw did the damage!! Thanks anyway! Buy Lang's disc. I used to buy almost everyone's disc I could find!! Steve Smith!! Huh? Yup!! I started to play from an open pedal because of him. What a difference!! Try it!! You can learn something from everyone. Put it all together and you have created a monster!! Buy discs and practice!! My teacher Mickey Sheen used to get me to practice so painfully slow that it was extremely difficult. The result? 32nd note sweeps that very few drummers could do!! Cover eight pieces in a half second without a burp!! Practice, Practice, Practice!! Three hours a day!!
Some drummer on Drumeo said one should practice even "ridiculously slow". Perhaps speeds up the formation of connections in ones brains? :o And, furthermore, improves accuracy?
Most unreal coordination I ever saw in my entire life ... Do not have a clue, how this guy left and right hemisphere collaborate at all. I think just a very small of percentage of people can play like this. Amazing enough, I bow!
Indisputable that Thomas Lang is by far the best technical drummer in the world I'd say all around Drummer nobody even comes close to this dudes independence and chops
Except for Marco Minnemann, these two together are just nuts..
Id say Virgil Donati has better technique.
mike mangini is another technical wizard who I'd personally put at the top or very close to it
Thomas Lang is not the best technical drummer, he is probably ONE of the best. Check out Virgil Donate, Chris Coleman...NEVER EVER say the best...There's no such thing...Thomas Lang lacks the feel of Chris Coleman & Chris Coleman is a much faster playing drummer...and Thomas Lang cannot hang with Haracio Hernadez independence...However, Thomas is good at certain things, he's no joke...But watch the Dream Theater Drum audition RUclips video...he couldn't play off the top of his head...Marco Minneman could as well as Virgil Donate
Are you serious when you compare Horacio Hernandez to Lang in terms of independence? you better watch Thomas Lang DVDs to know that there's no one come close to Lang in that department.
This dude's level of drumming skill is incredible! He's on another level that is not human.
I've been playing 47yrs.and I can tell you Thomas Lang is one of my all-time double bass mentor's. Used too say Portnoy was the good's but wow ...
Portnoy is good for learning how to use double kick in a groovy sense and at first getting your double kick skills started, consistent and comfortable... However after that, I think you'd have to move to a drummer like Thomas in order to further progress your ideas and challenge yourself. Both are great and portnoy will forever be my greatest influence, but there are more technical drummers to move forward to once you've learnt what you can from him.
I was stuck in a rut, unable to move beyond where I’d been for so long. So, I attended the first Thomas Lang Boot Camp in hopes of acquiring some new tools. There, I had the opportunity to study with Thomas for 8 hours/day for 3 days. The fourth day, we just hung out. What a privilege and a tremendous educational experience! He showed us his technique up close and patiently explained everything he was doing and why. I learned so much. Did I mention he’s also hilarious? I agree his approach is machine-like, mathematical even, but I can appreciate that aspect of drumming, too. No drummer can be all things to everyone. If I want groove, I’ll listen to Phil Rudd or Cozy. For the thrill of the art of drumming as an extreme sport, I’ll take Thomas Lang, Tony Royster, Jr, Chris Coleman, and split the difference with Todd Sucherman and Weckl.
I've been on a YT drum binge lately, and this guy keeps showing up. Every time I watch one, I am entirely flabbergasted at the level of technical proficiency, especially in his feet. Why is this guy not listed among the top drummers of today? I see a lot of Tony Royster Jr., and deservedly but it's hard to imagine Thomas Lang being technically inferior to any drummer alive.
Not sure how he is within a band setting, but he's clearly an unparalleled clinician and soloist. His solos have more musical interest than pretty much any others I've come across.
LOL
I too have been on a YT drum binge. I am amazed at the endless amout of amazing players out there that I have never heard of. Also after playing for 30 years, I can't believe how little technique I have!
sttommore He is not listed as the top drummers today because he is not a guy, he is not human, so it wouldn't be fair for the other humans.
Well, actually he is a well known player in drum circles. But as far as i know, he has not played with any big name artists i think.Also, he is from another country unlike say Tony Royster. Look at a guy like Vinnie C. though.The man has been a side man to many great artists and is well known for that, in addition to great chops etc.
He's played with a huge number of big name artists. Falco, Peter Gabriel, George Michael...to name a few. It's a pretty big list of music I mostly don't care for LOL (except the ones listed)
usually it's all Bonham, Peart, ect. Although Bonham had great feel he is not even close to being the best player ever. Most of the best are totally unknown by the general public. Lang is technically one of the best ever.
I had the pleasure and privilege of witnessing Thomas Lang's playing live at a drum festival held in Wembley, London back in about 2004/5. It was the first time I'd ever heard of him and I was completely blown away by his immense technique and independence - when he played complex, individual patterns on clave and bass drum with both feet at the same, I was gobsmacked. There were a whole raft of other drummers who played that day, but his was the stand out performance for me and I've been a fan ever since. Comes across as a thoroughly decent chap too.
Lang's a great guy, and SKILLED up the wazoo... but I wish I could PRODUCE him, to bring out his strengths and ditch his weaknesses. (I want ONLY musicality, even if it's wild and intense.)
I love how he uses the kick so elegantly in his fills. He'll go around the kit, through all the toms, and when most would finish a fill on the floor tom, he always adds those lightning doubles before ending with the crash. Just one of his amazing traits. Feel sorry for people who can't hear his musicality, who just label him generic. Amazing.
*****
It's a drum solo... meant to impress other drummers. This isn't a song.
***** IDI !
Tom Unwin ÜBEN DU KLEINER WIXI !
SOMETIMES Lang is musical, but even HE will tell you he HAS to show off and wank off at these DRUM clinics.
No one labels him generic. We criticize him for being TOO machine-like. (I personally want the firepower of Cobham, with the brains of Bruford. But cannot find that combination. If Lang FOCUSED just on his clever stuff, he could be that Holy Grail.)
Beautiful art painted with two sticks. You had to be born to be a drummer to lay like that. Practice does make perfect but this guy is greatness!
I've been drumming for 30 years, I have thomas lang dvd's and the man is really a machine !!! He is incredible ... This is a show of what he can do technically ... He can play with a lot more feeling when he needs to. Thomas lang is a drumming legend and I aspire to be like him as my dad aspired to be as good as buddy rich, whom he met on a few occasions. My dad is 82 and still plays amazing sets !! I LOVE BEING A DRUMMER !! :-)
I'm a drummers n i hope i can just be a fraction of Thomas Lang, best I've ever heard n people don't realize how hard this man worked to be the (best) I've seen or heard . Lang u r my hero n i know how hard u worked, u are the best in this whole wold to me n I'm 43 years old ) u r ths man, God bless u for the enloyment u have brought to my ears, thank u very much sir,, peace out
Totally Amazing, It just Doesn't get Better than that!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank YOU, from the bottom of my heart!!! Namaste
He's insane. Gotta love him.
Eccezionale unico non ciò parole mai visto un fenomeno del genere bravissimò
simply amazing!
Unreall. Pure Class. Seen Him Live Twice. By Far The BEST Drummer On The Planet.
Finally. A video of a drum solo title "Amazing" that actually is AMAZING! This guy is phenomenal.
You have a cat that swims,wow.
this is my first time seeing this dude. he's like buddy rich on fast forward. i love it.
Buddy only had a 5 piece though, and would of utilized the toms more. Not really a comparison. Understand what you mean about the "sticking", but NOW imagine if Buddy was style alive!?
I will fiercely disagree about that. If he had a set up like say Bozzio... he would of torn apart most drummers on a bad day. It's because of guys like Krupa, Rich, Bellson, and too many others to name... that drumming has gone so far. For crying out loud Bellson basically created the double bass. I grew up with stuff like Be-bop, Rock n' Roll, listened to Swing, but I'm a Metal fan. Jazz paved the way for these guys, historically. Playing a 5 piece like a modern drummer takes more than rudiment knowledge. It's an art, and they definitely established themselves as the pioneers!
MINDBLOWING
Thomas Lang is one of the most technical drummers in the world and deserves that kind of credit. He plays with such power but is so smooth. Wish he would have gotten the DT job, but oh well.
It used to be that the only drummer anyone knew of with chops like this was Buddy. Now there are several guys out there, like Virgil Donati, Jojo Mayer, and Lang being the best. I think youtube and the other social media sites will spawn more super-human talents like this as time goes on. When I was growing up, the only way you found out about what was possible was through magazines, records and tv shows. You couldn't really see what the drummer was doing with your own eyes, and a description didn't really capture the performance either. Now you can hear it, see it, and have it demonstrated and dissected for you in detail. I wish I was younger.
What does chops mean? I've heard it used in musical discussions and kind of get what they mean but I would appreciate a proper definition. Thanks
I put Donati above Lang, but that’s about it. Donati is certainly much more musical in his solos. There’s more of a composition to it.
Technisch brilliant, unglaublich variabel und ein wahnsinnig guter Lehrer. Sein Video über Bass Drum Techniken ist das Beste was ich je gesehen habe.
Und er grooved auch noch!
WAHNSINN
AMAZING!!
He's such a master of his craft!
to piękne , mało kiedy można zobaczyć i usłyszeć coś tak fenomenalnego . SZACUN
Thank you Thomas Lang!
One of the best and most creative drummers of all time!
Such beautiful technique! Very inspiring.
He doesn't seem to play quite like this anymore...
It is an absolutely musical solo!!
Wow you are so gifted Man God bless.
The stars may fall....Epic!!!
Pues yo soy baterista autodidacta, no soy la gran cosa pero me esmero mucho por adquirir técnica. Sé lo que se requiere para ello. Conozco las tardes interminables con una baqueta en cada mano repitiendo lentamente un movimiento con toda la atención puesta en la forma de las manos para cuidar que la técnica sea lo menos imperfecta posible, y estar así, horas y horas durante los suficientes días como para que ese movimiento lento y concentrado se convierta en un impulso automático y veloz. En este vídeo pude apreciar (dada mi gran ignorancia), por lo menos un par de técnicas de mano, técnicas de pié ademas de las interminables sesiones de desarrollo de psicomotricidad que se requirió para adquirir esa independencia total de sus extremidades. Haber llegado a ese punto no es cosa fácil. Es por eso que simplemente no puedo comprender cuando alguien le llama "baterista de sala de ensayo" a uno de los mejores bateristas que hay en el mundo en la actualidad. ¿Ustedes quieren escuchar un buen groove que les haga mover los pies?, ok, escuchen a Red Hot Chilli Pepper, Chad Smith tiene un muy buen groove, pero no creo que algún día llegue a desarrollar la mitad de la técnica de Tomas Lang, que, en mi opinión, es lo mas cercano a Dave Weckl que conozco en cuanto a técnica se refiere. Obvio, si me preguntan, el baterista que yo puse como meta final para mi es Dave Weckl, pero me daría por bien servido si llego a tocar como Tomas Lang!!! :P :P :P.... Como quiera que sea, cualquiera que llame payaso a Lang, debe estar verdaderamente trastornado. No es de personas en su sano juicio llamar payaso a un experto que es mas experto que los demás en lo que hace.
Lo mas increíble de esto es que a mi me han insultado durante ya casi 5 meses por comentar en youtube que Lars Ulrich es, y con dificultad, apenas un baterista de garage y me daban los argumentos mas inverosímiles para demostrarme lo contrario. A este genio de la batería en cambio, vienen y le llaman payaso??? WTF???!!! Dios! Donde diablos estás???
i just can't imagine anyone surpassing this level of skill, and very few equaling it.
Imagine it. There are geniuses are always surpassing geniuses in generations to come. It's a phenomenon that comes when least expected...and then it happens.
Here is one at the same level: ruclips.net/video/MEP6p0PJQnM/видео.html
Simply amazing how out of all his solos he manages to keep a fresh groove. Rarely do you see him leaning on certain patterns .
I wish he WOULD. Drummers love to show off, and DELIBERATELY try to be UN-musical. (EX: if Lang introduces a kiler groove or riff... REPEAT that 2 minutes later! THEME and VARIATION. ala verse chorus verse chorus.)
DRUMMERS HATE TO BE MUSICAL.
ARGH!!
@@dumpygoodness4086 Isn't that the point? :-D
Amazing !
Sign on his shirt is pretty accurette! :-D Drumming monsta! I can´t understand most of the things he´s doing in his solos... He´s the man!!!
Speechless, just speechless …..
6 years and still dope!!
i wish i could play drums like him... awesome
He went professional at 18 years old and he’s practiced through the blisters one gets putting the hundreds of hours in to perfect his technique. This man is amazing. his polyrhythms are difficult to follow merely watching and listening. He doesn’t multi-task, he quadruple-tasks. I like him as much as Minnemann (my personal favorite), and Roddy, Mangini (also absolutely stellar!) , Donati, speaking ONLY of drummers alive today. I also just realized these drummers all auditioned for Dream Theater when Portnoy left. I can not think of anyone alive who can strike with the power of Lang. All the drummers I’ve mentioned are world class technicians. Lang is certainly that. I found it near impossible to follow his polys, a true master.
Amazing
Love how everyone has negative comments about his drumming. I bet none of you could even play 1 single minute of this 23 minute piece. There's a reason why he's a world renown drummer and you're not, it's sad that you have nothing better to do than hate on people who are better than you.
This guy is on a whole new level.
This is ART Drumming
A Master !!
anyone "bored" with this probably has little appreciation for truly virtuosic playing and/or probably can't follow what's going on...when you understand what he's doing and the coordinations he's pulling off flawlessly, each one crazier than the last, boring doesn't apply...I could gawk at this for hours on end and find something new every time I watched it
The coordination between all his limbs is top class.
all i can say is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!
dude ur amazing 4 sure , inspireng.
I was there when he played this solo. It was at la baguetterie in Paris 2001. Gregg Bissonette and Virgil Donati played the same day there. Tomas Lang broke his headphones right after he finished his solo. I have a complete video of this same solo from another angle, but with better audio!
Post your video, would love to see, he's an amazing player!!!
I knew it would be a long solo when at 3 minutes in he still hadn't hit a single drum.
Pretty amazing.
Wow an excellent drummer!
I like the way he brings in the afro Cuban rhythms and incorporates them
I think that if you were to jam with Lang, you would have trouble knowing where beat 1 is. Purely a monster drummer. Genius!
amazing
IMHO, his drums sound so much better in the videos in which he plays Sonors vs DWs. Unreal technique, made all the more amazing considering the size of his signature drumsticks (marching sticks-like)
Agree, Sonor is an amazing Drum company!!!
Is he man or machine?
Man, I've never seen or heard of one man doing this shit before!
Maybe cause I'm 50..lol Nah! Just never seen the stuff of legends!
You Are a Legend!
Thomas doesn’t need to go to the gym for an upper body workout. Simply astonishing.
drums as if he has 1000 hands n legs..OWNED
best drum solo in the world for sure !!!!!
Oh yeah! Best ever seen!
Im rly proud of Mr Lang, all these haters show how jealous people get when they see his skills!
For me i believe, that he just takes it all to a new level and it still takes time for some people to understand it... some don't want to understand it and just call it rubbish.
NOT FAIR, sir. ALL of us respect and admire Lang's SUPER-SKILLS.... but that doesn't mean we don't want LESS MACHINE-like playing. Calling us "jealous" is LAZY. (How ironic that a Lang defender is so LAZY, ha ha.)
I NEVER want to be Precision Perfect. I like WILD AND FREE energy in my music. (Even bands like ELP who do precision so well, ALSO got wild and crazy in their shows, like when KE climbs on his Hammond organ and beats it up during Rondo!)
I like to think that when buddy rich died, his soul split into three parts. his speed and precision became Thomas lang, his feel and soul became Benny greb, and his left hand and innovation became jojo mayer.
Sick!!
he is utterly amazing....very technical....
I saw this man in the drum workshop and he is not even amazing he's not even human I don't think there's anyone out there that can do what he does I mean it is just not even human he's from another world
And just think he has students out there he teaches can you imagine how good they're going to be
ANOTHER LEVEL OF DRUMS TECHNICAL SKILLS
O CARA E MONSTRO
Amazing speed.
Svaka ti dala za ovo Milane!
Lang es uno de los grandes.
His best solo!!! Gen x!!!
Thomas Lang kicksass!
awesome
Dude is a MONSTA !!
This man stands alone! Alone I tell ya!!
Crazy speed.
At 14:12 that roll from snare to feet decreasing and increasing accordingly is mind boggling!!!!!!!!!!
1:57 someone thought the solo was done
amazing.....................................................................
he truly IS a MONSTA
best drummer of all times!
I can’t watch this more than once....
The master
I've been playing for fifty five years, and no one touches this guy, ever. Saw Krupa and Rich and every great rock and jazz drummer that drew attention. No one in his league, Sorry.
Gary Fitzhugh - totally agree.
His chops cant compare to the best gospel drummers though
Buddy Rich will ALWAYS be the GOAT!!!
NOT sorry!!!
Gary Fitzhugh you are correct, Thomas is the hands down BEST!!
Ryan Michelz his chops can just maybe not his feel
So since when is playing music about fame and fortune? Thomas Lang is the epitome of smooth, polished, and technicality. He makes a living doing what he loves. To all the haters you're just jealous his left foot is better than both of your hands combined.
0:55 sounds like the school bells or an oldschool phone ringing :D.