How To Play The Intro To "We're An American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad On Drums

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  • Опубликовано: 8 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 102

  • @MikeBarnesDrums
    @MikeBarnesDrums  4 года назад +5

    Absolute classic drum intro! Brilliant suggestion by monthly member Tom Yates, who plays this tune with his band.
    Transcription here: drive.google.com/file/d/1gZ10Ldvx1wcahhSs0U6RjRPn6IWVFoDK/view?usp=sharing
    This is all about the "Bonham Triplet”, as described here: ruclips.net/video/lxRBSpm5avk/видео.html
    “Stairway To Heaven” fill video I mentioned with very similar phrasing is here: ruclips.net/video/HrIm69eApJE/видео.html
    This is pretty challenging! and I’m definitely not always playing it super clean here! But take your time and work it up bit-by-bit if you need. Lovely little one to have up your sleeve.
    Have fun and please let me know if any questions :)
    Mike

  • @RichardDupre
    @RichardDupre Год назад +3

    Thank you! My band is learning this song & I had a hard time the the intro! Your break down will help me tremendously

  • @nicoladeluca6633
    @nicoladeluca6633 2 года назад +3

    Very nice Mike! Love the way you explained everything!👍🥁

  • @robertm.4916
    @robertm.4916 3 года назад +3

    Excellent drum demo.. you nailed it. You’re hired!! Keep em coming.

  • @webman1956
    @webman1956 4 года назад +8

    Nice video. Brewer never got his due as a drummer in my opinion but then again the whole group was panned by the critics.

  • @d-rock737
    @d-rock737 8 месяцев назад +1

    Love this. Totally helps me with the intro!! Getting back into drumming after a 4.5 year break. Thanks again!

  • @StCMS
    @StCMS 2 года назад +2

    Man I have never been able to play the kick that fast and our band has decided to start playing this song. This is a great explanation and hopefully with lots of practice Ill be able to pull it off.

    • @Shug1145
      @Shug1145 5 месяцев назад

      Instead of doing quick doubles in the kick try doing triplets with your hands it's almost the same.

  • @TSTatum
    @TSTatum 4 года назад +2

    So glad I found you, your lessons are easy to understand so clear, I know the song I just enjoy the way you teach. Thanks T.

  • @dennisfurl7412
    @dennisfurl7412 3 года назад +2

    Love this guy's breakdown of songs played on the drums! Keep up the great work!

  • @rikpoloski331
    @rikpoloski331 Год назад +1

    Thank you for breaking this down so thoroughly!! I'm learning this one for an audition with a band next week. I have always loved and failed this intro!! I've got work to do. 😊

  • @patrickwhelan3079
    @patrickwhelan3079 Год назад +1

    You have an amazing way of teaching! Thanks so much

  • @my86bears1
    @my86bears1 3 месяца назад

    excellent lesson man, thanks so much for clarifying how to do this part. I subscribed, hope to learn much more!

  • @deepseadrumz1
    @deepseadrumz1 4 года назад +2

    Very informative Mike! I find that listening to the dynamics before charging ahead really helps. Cheers!

  • @dantalley1062
    @dantalley1062 Год назад

    That was sweet, love how you broke it down. Great job!!! Thank you

  • @dawsondoorshansen3241
    @dawsondoorshansen3241 4 года назад +2

    Love your lessons my bro.
    Very concise and easy to follow.

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  4 года назад

      Nice one Dawson, appreciate it and thanks for watching 👊🏻

  • @camphope9344
    @camphope9344 2 года назад

    Thanks I’ve recently started drumming again, the band wants to play this song and the intro seemed tricky. I’m going to replay this several times. Well done

  • @miketompkins1
    @miketompkins1 2 года назад +1

    Great explanation to how it is done! Going to be challenge but I think I am up for it!

  • @jeffrawker8839
    @jeffrawker8839 2 года назад +1

    Great job been playing this song for decades all different kinds of wrong ways now I know the formula! Thanks!

  • @markgarrett5007
    @markgarrett5007 Год назад

    I am brand new to playing the drums and I wanted 6o learn this amazing piece, thanks for doing such a good lesson.

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  Год назад +1

      Thanks for watching! Much appreciated. BTW playing this like Don Brewer did is definitely NOT a beginner move!

    • @markgarrett5007
      @markgarrett5007 Год назад

      @@MikeBarnesDrums Your welcome Mike and thanks for doing a great jobs explaining and breaking the out. Yes, it is a difficult piece but I plan to stay with it.BTW, you mention James Brown ... I live in Cincinnati Ohio and James Brown recorded here at King Records. James was a friend of mine when I was a kid, he would send me new shirts for Christmas every year.

  • @winkfinkerstien1957
    @winkfinkerstien1957 2 года назад

    Thank you for the detailed breakdown of my all-time favorite drum intro! 😎👍

  • @Javelin405
    @Javelin405 4 года назад +3

    My new band is wanting to play this... and as I approach 54 y.o. this is going to be a challenge. I have been away from the kit for about 8 years and trying to get some speed back ... thanks for this lesson... it will definitely help.

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  4 года назад

      Cheers Shawn, thanks for watching. I boils down to this!: ruclips.net/video/rSSMIBfdPWU/видео.html Have fun :)

    • @mikeschumacher9715
      @mikeschumacher9715 2 года назад

      Don Brewer has done an instruction on how he plays this song. Look that one up.

    • @joetoland4120
      @joetoland4120 Год назад

      I know exactly what you mean. My new band want's to do it.... and I just turned 66. I played it with another band years ago but I was a lot younger and in better shape. Ohhhh well! Any thing worth doing is worth working for.

  • @shawncosmos5431
    @shawncosmos5431 2 года назад

    Proud to say I learned that song at age 10 on my TempPro 5 piece.. Was drumming at a real early age.. I was a classic rocker before it became classic!

  • @td-12kx53
    @td-12kx53 4 года назад +1

    Oh! What a great drill for that one!😳

  • @dmelv
    @dmelv Год назад

    Nicely demonstrated

  • @METALONLY100
    @METALONLY100 2 года назад

    Nice break down bro thanks for sharing 🇨🇦🤟

  • @4dan2
    @4dan2 3 года назад +1

    Awesome! Thanks!

  • @kevinhines3487
    @kevinhines3487 3 года назад +2

    Helped do much thanks

  • @djbotti
    @djbotti 4 года назад

    Good job explaining it! A music staff helps me with this also. The drum intro impresses me more than the lyrics to the song.

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  4 года назад

      Cheers man! Thanks for watching, Transcription is here: drive.google.com/file/d/1gZ10Ldvx1wcahhSs0U6RjRPn6IWVFoDK/view

  • @stevenordstedt2535
    @stevenordstedt2535 5 месяцев назад +1

    Now if our drummer could practice it

  • @bobc.5698
    @bobc.5698 4 года назад +1

    That 2nd measure reminds me of Finish What You Started.

  • @fernandotenorio1768
    @fernandotenorio1768 3 года назад +1

    Excellent!!!!!

  • @ChrisBarry-h5h
    @ChrisBarry-h5h 8 месяцев назад

    Excellent!

  • @TheViva73
    @TheViva73 3 года назад +1

    that was really enjoyable

  • @raywhite8539
    @raywhite8539 3 года назад +1

    Very cool, thanks

  • @discreet_boson
    @discreet_boson 4 года назад +1

    Just Superb!

  • @TheDonko901
    @TheDonko901 3 года назад +1

    Great job my man!

  • @LyndaWhite-ju1gj
    @LyndaWhite-ju1gj 4 года назад

    Had the chance to see GFR back in the 70’s when still a three piece and Don Brewer put on a great show on every song, he has a very fast right foot almost as fast as yours Mike.

  • @LuisRodriguez-tx3ub
    @LuisRodriguez-tx3ub 2 года назад

    Hola Mike te escribo desde chile, para decirte que me encantó tu clase explicativa, quiero decirte que me ayudó mucho, gracias profesor por existir, amigoun abrazo a la distancia.

  • @LyndaWhite-ju1gj
    @LyndaWhite-ju1gj 4 года назад +1

    Mike, there’s a video recreation of Don Brewers drum solo TNUC from the live album at MSG on RUclips and there is a camera on the kick drum through out but keep in mind he used a Zep Set config and the speed he had from the rack Tom to the floor Tom was lighting in a bottle. Ok I’m done. Lol

  • @phaedrabandatlanta
    @phaedrabandatlanta 2 года назад

    You nailed it

  • @michaelfamighetti9524
    @michaelfamighetti9524 Год назад

    Very nice awesome..👏👏

  • @markbrickens3587
    @markbrickens3587 Год назад

    Love it

  • @frankdavis1139
    @frankdavis1139 Год назад

    Don good as any big band drummers with singing lead on that song John Bonham to that from Zeppelin. Both great drummers they had their own style great hits back in those days real instruments .

  • @jeversonmartinsdefreitas
    @jeversonmartinsdefreitas 3 года назад +1

    Best vídeo ever

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  3 года назад

      Ha, cheers Jeverson! Take it you’re a GFR fan! :)

  • @LyndaWhite-ju1gj
    @LyndaWhite-ju1gj 4 года назад

    Yeah I’m watching this one again for about the 10th time its that good. Hey Mike if you feel like getting a workout in.maybe you could do I Come Tumbling another GFR song where Don Brewer is going crazy.

  • @AlanReeve287
    @AlanReeve287 4 года назад +1

    Hi Mike, another cracking video and something that'll take me years to master as a newbie to this drumming lark. A notice that your hi hat foot is keeping rhythm especially when you are going full on with the kick patterns. Is this a natural thing you do or something you have worked on to help you keep time or the beat?
    Also for me it would be interesting to see how you go about learning a new song. Obviously that's mainly down to your skill and many years of playing but some beats and timings must be more of a challenge to master. A video of your process would be interesting for me and possibly others just starting out.

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  4 года назад

      Hi Alan,
      Yes, good spot - I do tend to move my left foot, as you say especially when the kick drum goes faster. Not something I think out explicitly - just feels natural, help me get into the feel of the thing and keep a sense of balance.
      And as for learning tunes - I have been playing the drums for many years now, so I've done lots and lots of listening and transcribing. As you learn and play and practice and listen and transcribe over the years you get better and faster at it. You develop an instinctive feel for patterns and how they would be played (although my ear is far from flawless!) On trickier sections I'll generally listen out for the overall rhythm rather than what parts of the kit are being played at first - like I did for bars 3 and 4 in this, then work out the specific orchestration. Often drum charts for songs already exist too, it's always worth a quick google, as that is obviously really helpful if you're fluent in reading music. Cheers!

  • @greghopkins6269
    @greghopkins6269 Год назад

    Hi, great breakdown and teaching technique; it helped me to finally nail this intro. However, you say the 3rd and 4th bars follow a 1-ee-and-ah 2-ee-and-ah etc phrasing, but I don’t hear/feel that. I hear/feel polyrhythmic triples in triples, relative to the phrasing of the 1st and 2nd bars and then the rest of the song. What am I missing?

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  Год назад

      Cheers Greg! Thanks for watching. The note value through those is 16th notes. Notation is here which might help you with that: drive.google.com/file/d/1gZ10Ldvx1wcahhSs0U6RjRPn6IWVFoDK/view?usp=sharing
      In any case, very glad it was helpful and that you're successfully playing this. Cheers!

  • @tx_reds2426
    @tx_reds2426 2 года назад

    Any recommendation on what I’m doing wrong? When I practice mid speed I can hit clean doubles on my master. When I try to speed it up I keep getting a accidental triplet. I can play triplet when I want to but for this Intro I do t want to and I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.

  • @Michael-iq2yf
    @Michael-iq2yf 2 года назад

    Thank you for posting.
    What kind of e kit is that?

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  2 года назад

      ruclips.net/video/EHQbhU7UFuM/видео.html

  • @scoobydoo4087
    @scoobydoo4087 2 года назад

    How do I get the bass drum that fast?

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  2 года назад

      Practice and time! Playlist of bass drum videos for you here: ruclips.net/p/PLcfoni8UPb9rfMKiVUYJVO6C7lBcKZNvb

  • @drumsrlife71418
    @drumsrlife71418 2 года назад

    Where can one get the sheet music for that tune?

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  2 года назад +1

      Hi Dave, transcription of the intro is linked in the video description.
      A great free chart is on Robert Ferrell's brilliant website, here: robertferrell.com/Resources/We're%20An%20American%20Band.pdf
      This is how I find sheet music: ruclips.net/video/oCR1V_un860/видео.html

    • @drumsrlife71418
      @drumsrlife71418 2 года назад

      @@MikeBarnesDrums alright thank you

  • @jimlaverty8346
    @jimlaverty8346 3 года назад +1

    Great work. Makes it easy to play. Need a "pop filter" on your mic there mate. You're "p's" are popping when you speak. Great instructions though.

  • @rolandkarlsson7072
    @rolandkarlsson7072 2 года назад

    Ah! Here you can also see how it is played!
    ruclips.net/video/Xc1N5gIelqs/видео.html

  • @mikeschumacher9715
    @mikeschumacher9715 2 года назад

    Funny Don Brewer himself has done an instructional video on this song and it isn't at all how you show it here.

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  2 года назад

      Thanks for watching Mike. This one? - ruclips.net/video/4vcY40JMtP0/видео.html I'd say my description is accurate - the exact way he orchestrates the second half around his toms is slightly different, but the rhythm and sticking principle I've shown is sound I'd say. Thanks for taking an interest! Cheers.

  • @jasonclay8107
    @jasonclay8107 Год назад

    Id love a version of this video without all the extra chit chat. Its Super disstracting while learning

  • @motodrummer
    @motodrummer 3 года назад

    i may be too old at this point but no way i can play it without heel toe and it sounds like shite

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  3 года назад

      Start slow and build it man! Nothing against heel-toe technique which works for lots of drummers. Whatever technique you choose, it takes time and consistency! Work at it - I’m just getting started after playing for nearly 30 years! Thanks for watching :)

  • @gushutchinson8758
    @gushutchinson8758 6 месяцев назад

    Wow !You Make it look easy.. But it's not.!!

    • @MikeBarnesDrums
      @MikeBarnesDrums  5 месяцев назад

      I didn't say it was! Thanks for watching.

    • @gushutchinson8758
      @gushutchinson8758 5 месяцев назад

      @@MikeBarnesDrums you're a patient teacher and modest.. I'm a new subscriber.. I have a request, can you try and break down the drums on vitamin c by CAN? Jaki Leibezeit is my favourite drummer and this track is one of his best beats. That bass drum and snare weave magic. I can only just play it with my hands, beep trying for years.
      Moonshake and I'm so green are almost as good.. Dizzy dizzy is snappy, soul dessert is perfect minimalism, You do right and Mother sky are long and loose with drum lead segments. Father cannot yell, outside my door, uphill, I'm too liese, red hot indians, Don't turn the light on all speed by. One more Saturday night has 7 to the bar, future days is dreamy with the surprise percussion returning end! There's several trance inducing tracks, like chain reaction, quantum physics, bel air, Hallelujah, I want more, more and more the live album tago mago.. sees them getting too anarchic for most new listeners although it does have mushroom and oh yeah separated by a thunderstorm and another excellent simple driving beat arising out of the heavy rain... Listen out for the perfect yet out of time cow bell hit in mushroom... Spoon has great drums, there are many more CAN tracks worth discovering not just for Jakis drumming but how they all played together developing a telepathic musical connection after long periods of isolation from distractions where they would focus on long experimental improvisations from which eventually emerged most of their more accessible shorter polished tracks.. Such as Vitamin C which still occasionally gets played on radio. The beat is what makes it so amazing but the whole band are really tight with everyone playing no more than needed, I think it could easily have gotten over crowded, it's so good to hear that beat nice and clear with everyone else giving it the centre space, but still managing to define verse and chorus. I would not be surprised if you had never heard of CAN... most people haven't!! I'm quite envious of the journey of discovery awaiting any newcomers to CAN. I'm sure you will really enjoy this Vitamin C beat and you will be able to give us help playing it. If you want 2 more to make a video.. Moonshake and Soul dessert are easier...and I'd love to understand what EXACTLY is going on in Dizzy Dizzy?! My attempts sound clumsy by comparison. Bum dada Bum dada Bum dada Bum dada Bum dada Bum dada Bum dadadadadada.. It's got such a swing feel, I don't know what to do with the high hat,? Or right hand generally!.. I'm sure you will be inundated with requests from fans of your channel so I won't hold my breath, in the meantime, if you get time,, please let me know if you already know the track Vitamin C and/or the band CAN and do you rate Jaki? on all the film of him playing he always has a simple kit and it's all on the lowest possible horizontal plane...which I copied, why not make it as easy as possible to hit everything!? Bit too long this comment.. I'd not be surprised if you overlooked it.. Life is short!! Regards Gus

  • @2528drevas
    @2528drevas 2 месяца назад

    Not bad, but Yoyoka does it better, sorry.