Correction in the video from the humans that made it: The song is The Spirt of Radio, not Spirit of The Radio. Rush is one of the most iconic rock bands in the world. Neil Peart and his drumming for Rush is a masterclass in prog rock drumming... and that's exactly what we're looking at in this drum lesson. Neil Peart is widely considered one of the best drummers of all time. If you want a drummer that you can bet will appear in the top 10 lists for best drummers of all time, Neil Peart if one of them. But WHY? How Neil Peart composed the drum parts, how Rush recorded them, the sound of the drums in all of Rushs' songs...groundbreaking on every level for music and drumming. I hope you enjoy this deep dive drum lesson on Neil Peart, Rush, and Neil's drumming. Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts! ► Start Your FREE StephensDrumShed Drum School Trial Here: bit.ly/2TpkJmJ Subscribe or I will steal your cymbals: bit.ly/2AyH1Fb Go here to snag the sheet music for this video: bit.ly/34kh0vy
Hey Stephen, love your channel. I made an African song in honor of Neil, my inspiration, love for you to check it out. Kilebu Neil Peart ruclips.net/video/Rs8ZlEcOucg/видео.html
A lot needs to be said about a drummer and a band that can take the Morse code cadence of an airport call sign and turn it into a classic, foundational song in progressive rock.
and let's not forget that he incorporate parts of Shakespeare in his works. Rush first live album "All The World A Stage", from there Moving Pictures album song entitle Limelight "All the world's indeed a stage And we are merely players Performers and portrayers", you can see the influence that Neil use in his lyric. plus how many bands or groups would wright a song about "The Trees".
Never to be forgotten, and even when we thought he was the greatest, he went back to teachers to improve himself, he was one of a kind. Thank you Neil.
Great video, like many I've seen from you. Whenever RUclips suggests one of your videos I'm all in. I like how you break down the drum parts in a song. Can I please ask you to fix the name of the song in this one from "Spirit of the Radio" to the actual title "The Spirit of Radio"?
Man, I miss Neil a lot. How someone that was so introverted managed to have such an infectious personality through his playing is incredible. Great Vid!
i don't think he was introverted, he just didn't like being crowded by people who knew him for his music. i get the feeling he'd be very social if he was somewhere that he was unknown or at least wasn't being bombarded by rabid fans
Neil is a giant among giants. The thing that still strikes me about his playing is regardless of how difficult his parts were, they were clean, musically interesting, and had a real groove. Neil played some really difficult stuff, but none of it ever felt like he did it just to show off. It all fit into and substantially added to the music, and he made even the strangest meter changes feel so natural that you often didn't realize it was happening.
I grew up (born in 1993, so it was of my own accord) listening to Rush and at another weird end Nine Inch Nails, two bands who made different time signatures just feel normal - dancey - not show-offy and flashy but to serve the music. As a consequence now, when I do come up with ideas they're just naturally not always in 4/4. I love to trace that subconscious influence in myself, I was listening to these bands as a teen and had no theoretical knowledge. I didn't know they were changing time signatures all over the place, but I learnt to air drum along to them and internalised so many Rush songs specifically that I think, now I am a musician but I don't listen to Rush anymore, those lessons have just embedded themselves in me. I'm very thankful for that.
I was lucky, I got to see Neil Peart and Buddy Rich play. Both great drummers, but Neil might have been able to play jazz but not as good as Buddy. Buddy might be able to play rock, but not as well as Neil.
I think what elevates Rush above other prog groups for me is that their overthetopness never felt over the top. Groups like Tool and Dream Theater feel like they’re showing off how great and how smart they are. Rush never did. RIP Neil. I don’t even drum, but you are a hero.
La Villa Strangiato was the song that broke their old school progressive back - so to speak - their goal was to play it straight through when studio recording it (like they would live) but it was so difficult to play for all 3 that proved impossible (at their level of excellence anyway). That experience is what led to writing songs in more digestible (and recordable) bites.
I agree bands like porcupine tree and dream threatre are that way, all technical and no sense of song, but not Tool. And rush abandoned it's prog flavor when they became a synth based, soft rock band. When Rush was in their height of progressive rock with Hemispheres, one of the reasons for doing it was to show off, and they admitted it, but they were well ahead of dream threatre and others because musical composition was still paramount.
Neil was a true philosopher, which he reflected much on his drumming style. Bear in mind that he wrote a lot of lyrics for Rush too. One of a kind. Thanks for this video, you rock!
Thanks for this one Stephen. My first drum teacher played Tom Sawyer for me on my first lesson. That was my “I need to drum” moment. I didn’t look back.
I've never viewed Neil Peart as a great rock drummer I viewed him as an incredible drum virtuoso who happened to play rock and roll, not to mention write most of Rush's lyrics, there was so much more to him than meets the eye, there are tons of great drummers out there but few like him...
People often forget it was not just that this drumming is bloody hard...he actually composed it! and it is so tasteful and fits so well in the sound of Rush. His drumming still puts a smile on my face and an appreciative shake of my head being a fellow drummer. RIP professor.
RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR! With heart felt admiration and sincerity! Gary
I’ll never reach that level of greatness, and I’m fine with that. I’m happy to be able to play what I can play considering I’m self taught. One day I hope to take a few formal lessons
That's because you have your own level of greatness you're going for. And it will look different than Neil's. And that's ok. Neil was largely self taught as well in the early years if my memory serves me correct.
@@StephenTaylorDrums yip, it wasn't until wayyy later in his career until he took lessons to be more flowy (for lack of a better word). You can definitely see it too, a good example is his solo on "A Show of Hands", he does look kinda stiff while still drumming phenomenally, and his later solos look more relaxed
My favorite drummer of all time. thank you for not only mentioning their hits but also mentioning some of their deep cuts like the enemy within. would’ve loved to hear you play One Little Victory but honestly Neil’s catalog of amazing drumming is endless. There’s something to appreciate in every single rush song
I'm a 51 year old lifelong Rush fan who just took up drumming about a year before Neil's death. I got talked into teaching basic drums to kids as a music instructor (I'm really a guitar player), so I took up the drums to not feel like a charlatan. And since I had to get as good as I can as fast as I can, who better to try to start to begin to start to begin to imitate than Neil Peart, whom I've been listening to since the age of 8? These drumming videos are a lifesaver for someone like me, and now that I'm 2 or 3 years into it I'm having a blast.
My first Rush Tour was Moving Pictures. I saw them for Signals tour, Grace Under Pressure Tour, Hold Your Fire Tour, Roll the Bones Tour, Power Windows Tour, Presto Tour, Counterparts Tour, Test for Echo Tour, Time Machine, Snakes n Arrows Tour. I was quite angry at myself for missing R40 but hey, I'm grateful for all the times I did see them through the years. And of course LOVED all his solos (even though I play guitar)...
I am not a drummer, But I know what makes a great drummer, and that's courage. Neil had that in spades. And character of being because I just don't know if I could have handled the death of my only child, and my wife of many years shortly thereafter with that much courage. I salute you Professor, You were truly one of a kind and an inspiration to millions...
He said in multiple interviews how hard that song was and how each time he played it he was just trying to get it right. Part of the issue is how much power and conviction he delivers that part with. Not easy
Power, conviction, and precision on every song, every time. My No.1 drum inspiration. Saw Rush live for the first time on their very last tour R40. Will never forget it. Touched by the depth of his lyrics. My horizon was broadened by the humanity of his books. Thankfully we can still listen to his magic. We miss Neil.
Neil never stopped being a student. He didn’t become famous and then get the attitude he was famous because he mastered his instrument. He wisely knew there is ALWAYS more to learn.
The note that said he rode his motorcycle to shows and it was a nightmare for the tour manager is vague. He had a trailer of bikes that was towed by his private tour bus. When he wasn't on stage, he was riding. He loved the fans but never understood fame. He considered himself an every man. No better than anyone else, in any way. He would rather ride than be fawned over. For me? A Legend.
I'm not a drum person (don't pay as much attention to them as I do other instruments) other than Rush. Neil was just amazing. His creativeness, I believe, is the best there has ever been. His loss was probably the hardest blow the music world has ever faced.
a drummer is only as good till someone comes along who is much better (of superior quality or excellence) then any who came before them. Neil Peart IS of the highest quality of drummer of all time. simply the best!!!
This is genuinely hilarious his contribution to drumming doesn't even come remotely near that of John Bonham's. He was nowhere near as technical as Bonham or Paice or Mitchell and he was never as creative as Ringo. Peart's greatest accomplishment was somehow fooling the world into thinking he was some sort of virtuoso.
Neil was amazing @ "serving the song" . He rarely played over the vocals. His performances were incredibly unique. Of course he would reuse certain things throughout the years ("From the toolbox"). No easy task to come up with fresh ideas over 19 STUDIO A!BUMS ! People say things like "it's not that hard". Well it's easier to reverse engineer than be the engineer
Good to see the correction of the spirit of radio, which not coincidentally, was the slogan of 102.1 in Toronto, which eschewed Rush. Hence, the unflattering lyrics. And, in Canada, we say YY...ZED. Not zee. 😉
wow - I always found his playing bar none - none work the cymbals that way he does - he is the only one that brings every cymbal to life in most songs - genius -
Us 80's guys... air drumming the fill on the outro of Don't You Forget About Me is just SO satisfying. The wait before the part is murder! Great vid as usual.
That’s why we call him “the Professor”!! Been a loyal RUSH fan since first hearing Caress Of Steel in 1975, at the ripe old age of 15. I am now 63 & I miss Dirk, Lerxst & Pratt so much. I can’t believe it’s been almost 7 years since the beginning of the R40 tour. Great video. I am so glad we have all of these memories to see us through & more importantly to pass the genius of these 3 guys to the next generation. KEEP ON RUSHIN’!!!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘
I guess I'm the only person on earth that doesn't understand why everyone thinks peart was a drumming god. Like, he was good by no stretch of the imagination a bad drummer, but I could list off tons of drummers that are faster, tighter, and play more complex patterns. If you like his style and think he's the best for that reason fair enough. but this idea he was a technical master is beyond me. There's a clip online where Peart was talking about how tom sawyer is hard because his right hand is going about its max speed limit.. and im like... seriusly? I'm not even a pro and I can blast on the ride twice the speed of tom sawyer. I don't understand how someone that says tom sawyer is the limit of how fast they can move their right hand is seen as the king of drums. It just doesnt' make any sense.
Neil Peart was Beyond Human in His approach to Drumming. He implemented Jazz, West African Drum sounds into His Own an made a Drumming Masterpiece. Let's not forget Reggae. Neil Was a Master of his profession. John Bonham an Neil Peart are always going to Remembered for their ability to drive the beat of the song with precision an allow his group members to play to their utmost ability. Miss you Neil.🙏
My question would be........and I'm not being smart, it's an honest question.....How much did you have to practice for this video or are you just so familiar with Neil and his drumming? Keep in mind, once again, I think Stephen has drum moves beyond the scope of just the average good player. He's a great drummer!!!!! Smooth as glass but in no way brittle. Very solid......I'm a huge fan.
Great question...this took a little while. I filmed 7 Neil peart videos in one week. Multiple grooves, fills, entire intros, solos, etc. His playing style is VERY different from what I intuitively would do. There are some players that are easier for me to learn their parts...stylistically they're closer to what I might do. But Neil just thinks about constructing his parts differently than I naturally would. So it took a little more time than I usually take. It's also just a lot of notes to remember AND teach. Playing it is one thing. Breaking it down to teach is a different ballgame lol
Answer -- because no one is Neil Peart except Neil Peart, like Keith Moon he made things up in his mind as he went, he invented, he did not boringly count and try to make something appease his music teacher, even he stated that he had problems recreating at times what he did in the studio, especially Tom Sawyer
One of my fav Neil Peart parts is his subtle playing during "A Lerxst In Wonderland" starting ~3;36 mark of "La Villa Strangiato" and then of course as it builds up again
They all had very great taste in dynamics, especially for their studio albums (ok, most of them, a few seemed to be less dynamic than the others :) )...
As someone who knows Neil's drumming inside and out (99% listening, 1% trying to play!), this is a fantastic highlight of his most famous grooves, and you pretty much nailed every one of the demos.
Neil Peart was my inspiration starting back in 1975 when I was ten years old. I have been drumming now for 42 years, and one of my favorite things to do is throw on a Rush CD (I have every one of them, and have seen Rush in concert more times than I can remember) and drum along with them. Talk about a workout. Sadly, I haven't had a drum set now for a couple years. Had to sell my kit, and then we moved cross country.
Come on anyone can say what they want about NP No one could have replaced him and it still be Rush . The name would have remained but it would have not been Neil's Rush . And that peaple is what makes him so good . No one sounds like him . Go ahead copy him . But you are copying. Oh and I'm 53 from St.Catharines Ontario. My Brother's house is 2 minutes from Lake Side Park . And I have been playing drums for 40 years , so I must know what I'm talking about . Lol one of my greatest possessions is the drum head Neil gave me signed and all .
Glad you covered Neil’s ride and hi-hat techniques and implementations. He could’ve given a master class on using those alone in his style. Legend has it his kit mics went out during a sold out arena show. No one else noticed. 😳🤯
The guy who's death inspired me to finally take up the drums at age 48. One of the most unique and creative drummers ever. If I can get to the level where I can play Tom Sawyer decently well, my life will be complete.
WAY too RUSHED of a video!!!!! 😲🤷♂️😢 Please take the time to break Neil’s perfection behind the kit in a more detailed and slow manner!!!!! The drum GODS demand it!!!! He is MOST worthy of a FAR MORE deep dive from someone as knowledgeable as yourself for us salivating fans!!! 🙏🙏
Neil once said in an interview he wrote his music so that it would be challenging even for him to play at any time. He said he never wanted to just be able to play effortlessly so that it was always an experience when he played well. He wrote everyting that way including anything he wrote for the other members as well. This high standard is the reason his music seems hard for others but he said he wanted people to play it, he just wanted them to have to make an effort to do it well.
I now see that Mike Portnoy adopted the same mindset about what to play. He sticks with his signature fills and beat grooves, of course adding some new tastes here and there, but always coming back home sweet home. I miss Neil so much. He was the second drummer I really appreciated as a kid.
As a music teacher that I am for so many years already, I just have something to say, Neil Peart was is and will always be THE GREATEST and also The best drummer of all times , y punto Cabrones , RUSH por siempre🎼🥁🎵🥁🤘🏻🎼🤘🏻☹️☹️🇨🇦🎵🥁🇨🇦🎼‼️
I KNEW I would get one of these wrong lol. Their song names are ridiculous. You have no idea how much we went over this video to ensure we had our facts, parts, etc correct. His fan base is just next level with the details
In "The Weapon", you actually have to reverse your hands so that you play the hi-hat with your LEFT hand and the snare with your right. Give it a try! Neil once said that this song was presented to him with an impossible-to-play drum machine part and this was his interpretation of what Geddy & Alex came up with in their writing sessions.
Lol, yes. I knew we were going to have a typo on one of those song titles...and we reviewed this one 10x as many times as we usually do. But those slip through sometimes.
Try to bear in mind Neal was a creative genius working with what is the best little Symphony orchestra in Rock, so he had LOTS of time to create. Just my thoughts. BTW Great job as always
The bizarre groove from The Weapon was actually originally made up by Alex Lifeson on a drum machine while he and Geddy we're writing the music. Neil describes the process of trying to learn it and how backwards and awkward it was in the tour program from the Signals tour. In it he tells a little story of the genesis of each of the songs on the album. So Alex was the real mad scientist in this case with the pro treatment by the best in the business!
Stephen you are a great drummer and nailed the elements with great technique. What separates all the rest of the drummers from Mr Peart is that along with incredible precision there was an amazing amount of feel that nobody can match playing his music. Much like Bonzo. We can all play his music to varying degrees but none have his feel and touch. Thanks again for a great video.
Another drumming legend lost. I cried when I heard the news. All the years Rush performed, I never once got the chance to see them live. I just watch videos of Neil and Rush playing past shows. I always love watching him rocking out on drums! As a long time drummer myself, Neil has always inspired me. Just as another drumming legend Ginger Baker has. I still listen to his awesome solo in “Toad.” RIP Neil and Ginger 😢
Neil was my main influence as a drummer. Rush was my main influence as a music lover. In all the great musicians we lost in the past few years, neil's in the one that touched me the most, and still does. Oh and great video BTW ;)
The "dance-able" weird beat in THE WEAPON was, if I remember correctly, a beat from a drum machine that was programmed by Geddy, and then played backwards, and Neil learnt it and played it in the song. You might want to ask Geddy to confirm this but I'm pretty sure it's what he said a while ago.
That is one of the tunes Neil learned the sequencer part Geddy programmed. Started with The Spirt of Radio, they stopped doing sequenced parts through whole tunes on HYF. Notice Neil's parts on those tunes are usually the most technically locked in, in the whole catalog.
According to Bill Wheeler Drum Techniques Songbook the 2 bars of 6/4 that you explain are wrong... Neil do triplets on bassdrum in the 2nd time of each measure... And the 5th time of 1st measure is not a 5 notes...
Amazing video! Not trying to nitpick but the last show was August 1, 2015. Anyhow, love all the breakdowns of all the songs. Very entertaining and enlightening video. :)
Most air drummers think they nailed it from start to finish but in reality ......no. It's still super cool to jamm with the professor ...RIGHT ???😌💖 MISS U MR. NEIL 🍁😪
because it just is...Neil just didn't give a backbeat to the band. He COMPOSED his DRUM PARTS like each DRUM was an instrument in an ORCHESTRA. Each drum had a part to play.
Hertas? I think he’s over analyzing. I don’t think you can credit a drummer for something they are not aware of? True Neil “invented” a groove. The cymbal bell groove. The Spirit of “the” Radio…..C’mon maan!…..got it, he corrected, but still. I think the groove he supported Geddy’s bass solo in La Villa was one of his best.
Common mistake but it is "Spirit of Radio", NOT "Spirit Of Radio". Radio in this instance is the radio broadcasting system, not the little box used to receive the signal. EDIT: Just saw your first comment correcting the mistake. Well done video!
Correction in the video from the humans that made it: The song is The Spirt of Radio, not Spirit of The Radio.
Rush is one of the most iconic rock bands in the world. Neil Peart and his drumming for Rush is a masterclass in prog rock drumming... and that's exactly what we're looking at in this drum lesson. Neil Peart is widely considered one of the best drummers of all time. If you want a drummer that you can bet will appear in the top 10 lists for best drummers of all time, Neil Peart if one of them. But WHY? How Neil Peart composed the drum parts, how Rush recorded them, the sound of the drums in all of Rushs' songs...groundbreaking on every level for music and drumming. I hope you enjoy this deep dive drum lesson on Neil Peart, Rush, and Neil's drumming.
Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!
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Spirt?
@Stephen Taylor You should pin this comment to the top.
I commented it but scrolled and saw this so I deleted the comment 🤣
Hey Stephen, love your channel. I made an African song in honor of Neil, my inspiration, love for you to check it out.
Kilebu Neil Peart ruclips.net/video/Rs8ZlEcOucg/видео.html
It's also Why Why Zed, not Why Why Zee. 😁
A lot needs to be said about a drummer and a band that can take the Morse code cadence of an airport call sign and turn it into a classic, foundational song in progressive rock.
and let's not forget that he incorporate parts of Shakespeare in his works. Rush first live album "All The World A Stage", from there Moving Pictures album song entitle Limelight "All the world's indeed a stage
And we are merely players Performers and portrayers", you can see the influence that Neil use in his lyric. plus how many bands or groups would wright a song about "The Trees".
So very true!!
Never to be forgotten, and even when we thought he was the greatest, he went back to teachers to improve himself, he was one of a kind. Thank you Neil.
Great video, like many I've seen from you. Whenever RUclips suggests one of your videos I'm all in. I like how you break down the drum parts in a song. Can I please ask you to fix the name of the song in this one from "Spirit of the Radio" to the actual title "The Spirit of Radio"?
Yea, knew we were gonna have a typo in there somewhere even though we checked this one SO many times.
@@StephenTaylorDrums Thank you sir. Your videos are awesome. Many thanks for doing what you do.
Man, I miss Neil a lot. How someone that was so introverted managed to have such an infectious personality through his playing is incredible. Great Vid!
Couldn't agree more!
Introverts are awesome that’s why lol
Hear you brother!
i don't think he was introverted, he just didn't like being crowded by people who knew him for his music. i get the feeling he'd be very social if he was somewhere that he was unknown or at least wasn't being bombarded by rabid fans
@@unluckykeys I thought the same thing. Just imagine hearing the same questions over and over again? It would drive me nuts after a while.
Neil is a giant among giants. The thing that still strikes me about his playing is regardless of how difficult his parts were, they were clean, musically interesting, and had a real groove. Neil played some really difficult stuff, but none of it ever felt like he did it just to show off. It all fit into and substantially added to the music, and he made even the strangest meter changes feel so natural that you often didn't realize it was happening.
I grew up (born in 1993, so it was of my own accord) listening to Rush and at another weird end Nine Inch Nails, two bands who made different time signatures just feel normal - dancey - not show-offy and flashy but to serve the music. As a consequence now, when I do come up with ideas they're just naturally not always in 4/4. I love to trace that subconscious influence in myself, I was listening to these bands as a teen and had no theoretical knowledge. I didn't know they were changing time signatures all over the place, but I learnt to air drum along to them and internalised so many Rush songs specifically that I think, now I am a musician but I don't listen to Rush anymore, those lessons have just embedded themselves in me. I'm very thankful for that.
@@DevinJuularValentine what songs of NIN are with weird time signatures?
Neil Peart did do certain things just to show off. He has admitted as much.
rush as a band was literally created to show off because they wanted to write hard songs other bands couldn’t play lol.
I was lucky, I got to see Neil Peart and Buddy Rich play. Both great drummers, but Neil might have been able to play jazz but not as good as Buddy. Buddy might be able to play rock, but not as well as Neil.
Farewell to this drum king. Humble in his life, honest with his words, complex with his rhythms, and a beacon of light in this world. RIP Neil
Your statement perfectly describes Neil, I wish the rest of world could understand what a genius he and the members of Rush are. Thank You.
amen!
Perfectly stated 👌🥇🥁🇨🇦&🌎🤘🖖✌️
Their will never be a another drummer like him. Miss him so much still
Ever hear of Jeff Porcaro or Steve Gadd?
I think what elevates Rush above other prog groups for me is that their overthetopness never felt over the top. Groups like Tool and Dream Theater feel like they’re showing off how great and how smart they are. Rush never did.
RIP Neil. I don’t even drum, but you are a hero.
Rush for me always looked like 3 mates having a f**king good time. Never saw a bad show here in the UK.
La Villa Strangiato was the song that broke their old school progressive back - so to speak - their goal was to play it straight through when studio recording it (like they would live) but it was so difficult to play for all 3 that proved impossible (at their level of excellence anyway). That experience is what led to writing songs in more digestible (and recordable) bites.
@@jimbosc Nice factoid, didn't know that!
I agree bands like porcupine tree and dream threatre are that way, all technical and no sense of song, but not Tool. And rush abandoned it's prog flavor when they became a synth based, soft rock band. When Rush was in their height of progressive rock with Hemispheres, one of the reasons for doing it was to show off, and they admitted it, but they were well ahead of dream threatre and others because musical composition was still paramount.
@@gianthills porcupine tree and dream theater have no sense of song and tool do? Garcon, I'll have 2 of what this guy's having!
Neil's drumming is something we might never see again. Amazing work here man!
Couldn't agree more...and thank you my friend!
@@StephenTaylorDrums Cheers!
Agree! Once in a lifetime. Only one Professor!
@@JT-sl3ui ruclips.net/video/7XZbzweWKnc/видео.html
Neil was a true philosopher, which he reflected much on his drumming style. Bear in mind that he wrote a lot of lyrics for Rush too. One of a kind. Thanks for this video, you rock!
Thanks for this one Stephen. My first drum teacher played Tom Sawyer for me on my first lesson. That was my “I need to drum” moment. I didn’t look back.
Haha! You had an epic drum teacher...I love it
I've never viewed Neil Peart as a great rock drummer I viewed him as an incredible drum virtuoso who happened to play rock and roll, not to mention write most of Rush's lyrics, there was so much more to him than meets the eye, there are tons of great drummers out there but few like him...
People often forget it was not just that this drumming is bloody hard...he actually composed it! and it is so tasteful and fits so well in the sound of Rush. His drumming still puts a smile on my face and an appreciative shake of my head being a fellow drummer. RIP professor.
RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR!
With heart felt admiration and sincerity!
Gary
Definitely paved the way for generations and why he's Drum God rip Neil
Only problem with this video....TOO SHORT>
I’ll never reach that level of greatness, and I’m fine with that. I’m happy to be able to play what I can play considering I’m self taught. One day I hope to take a few formal lessons
That's because you have your own level of greatness you're going for. And it will look different than Neil's. And that's ok. Neil was largely self taught as well in the early years if my memory serves me correct.
@@StephenTaylorDrums yip, it wasn't until wayyy later in his career until he took lessons to be more flowy (for lack of a better word). You can definitely see it too, a good example is his solo on "A Show of Hands", he does look kinda stiff while still drumming phenomenally, and his later solos look more relaxed
Neil's genius was a gift to humanity. What an absolutely transcendent, inspiring talent.
My favorite drummer of all time. thank you for not only mentioning their hits but also mentioning some of their deep cuts like the enemy within. would’ve loved to hear you play One Little Victory but honestly Neil’s catalog of amazing drumming is endless. There’s something to appreciate in every single rush song
I'm a 51 year old lifelong Rush fan who just took up drumming about a year before Neil's death. I got talked into teaching basic drums to kids as a music instructor (I'm really a guitar player), so I took up the drums to not feel like a charlatan. And since I had to get as good as I can as fast as I can, who better to try to start to begin to start to begin to imitate than Neil Peart, whom I've been listening to since the age of 8? These drumming videos are a lifesaver for someone like me, and now that I'm 2 or 3 years into it I'm having a blast.
I had the pleasure of seeing him live in 2010, I was 16 and it was my first concert ever.
So jealous.
First time I saw them I was 16 as well, in 1991 on the Roll The Bones tour, from that point on I was hooked
My first time seeing them live was 2004, R30 tour
My first Rush Tour was Moving Pictures. I saw them for Signals tour, Grace Under Pressure Tour, Hold Your Fire Tour, Roll the Bones Tour, Power Windows Tour, Presto Tour, Counterparts Tour, Test for Echo Tour, Time Machine, Snakes n Arrows Tour.
I was quite angry at myself for missing R40 but hey, I'm grateful for all the times I did see them through the years. And of course LOVED all his solos (even though I play guitar)...
I am not a drummer, But I know what makes a great drummer, and that's courage. Neil had that in spades. And character of being because I just don't know if I could have handled the death of my only child, and my wife of many years shortly thereafter with that much courage. I salute you Professor, You were truly one of a kind and an inspiration to millions...
1:18 this is killing me. Love the drum lesson, but the song’s title is The Spirit of Radio.
Yep, see pinned comment. Knew we were gonna get one of those song titles wrong lol
Always makes me cringe. As well as people spelling his first name "Neal". SMH
I caught that too and it bothered me only a tiny bit. At least Stephen pronounced Neil’s last name correctly. ;)
@@DavidHoustonMusic thats for sure :)
Thank you for this, now I don’t have to.
Neil was unique! A genius! Nobody like him! He is simply a legend! A scientist of drumming! Rest in peace Professor!
I’ve been trying to play Tom Sawyer exactly like it is and I always fail lol. Niel Peart is deeply missed.
He said in multiple interviews how hard that song was and how each time he played it he was just trying to get it right. Part of the issue is how much power and conviction he delivers that part with. Not easy
Power, conviction, and precision on every song, every time. My No.1 drum inspiration. Saw Rush live for the first time on their very last tour R40. Will never forget it. Touched by the depth of his lyrics. My horizon was broadened by the humanity of his books. Thankfully we can still listen to his magic. We miss Neil.
Neil would say: It's hard indeed, even for myself. But keep trying and you will make it!
Neil never stopped being a student. He didn’t become famous and then get the attitude he was famous because he mastered his instrument. He wisely knew there is ALWAYS more to learn.
The note that said he rode his motorcycle to shows and it was a nightmare for the tour manager is vague. He had a trailer of bikes that was towed by his private tour bus. When he wasn't on stage, he was riding. He loved the fans but never understood fame. He considered himself an every man. No better than anyone else, in any way. He would rather ride than be fawned over. For me? A Legend.
I'm not a drum person (don't pay as much attention to them as I do other instruments) other than Rush. Neil was just amazing.
His creativeness, I believe, is the best there has ever been.
His loss was probably the hardest blow the music world has ever faced.
a drummer is only as good till someone comes along who is much better (of superior quality or excellence) then any who came before them. Neil Peart IS of the highest quality of drummer of all time. simply the best!!!
This is genuinely hilarious his contribution to drumming doesn't even come remotely near that of John Bonham's. He was nowhere near as technical as Bonham or Paice or Mitchell and he was never as creative as Ringo.
Peart's greatest accomplishment was somehow fooling the world into thinking he was some sort of virtuoso.
Fantastic video Stephen. There’s so much subtlety in Neil’s playing that many of these techniques can be missed. 👍🏻🥁
0:59, 1:06 to 1:48, 2:19 The song is called The Spirit of Radio, not the Spirit of the Radio.
That was driving me nuts. For someone who supposedly studied Neil so much, he doesn't even get the name of one of the band's biggest hits correct.
Neil was amazing @ "serving the song" . He rarely played over the vocals. His performances were incredibly unique. Of course he would reuse certain things throughout the years ("From the toolbox"). No easy task to come up with fresh ideas over 19 STUDIO A!BUMS ! People say things like "it's not that hard". Well it's easier to reverse engineer than be the engineer
Lol, couldn't agree more. Always easier to be a critic than an artist
It's not "The Spirit of the Radio". Just The Spirit of Radio. Neil Peart Rules!
Good to see the correction of the spirit of radio, which not coincidentally, was the slogan of 102.1 in Toronto, which eschewed Rush. Hence, the unflattering lyrics. And, in Canada, we say YY...ZED. Not zee. 😉
wow - I always found his playing bar none - none work the cymbals that way he does - he is the only one that brings every cymbal to life in most songs - genius -
Us 80's guys... air drumming the fill on the outro of Don't You Forget About Me is just SO satisfying. The wait before the part is murder! Great vid as usual.
My 3 favorite drummers in no particular order: John Bonham, Neil Peart, and Danny Carey.
I've always thought that the drum fill that comes a few bars after the infamous Tom Sawyer drum fill was even better, but it never gets mentioned.
That’s why we call him “the Professor”!!
Been a loyal RUSH fan since first hearing Caress Of Steel in 1975, at the ripe old age of 15.
I am now 63 & I miss Dirk, Lerxst & Pratt so much.
I can’t believe it’s been almost 7 years since the beginning of the R40 tour.
Great video. I am so glad we have all of these memories to see us through & more importantly to pass the genius of these 3 guys to the next generation.
KEEP ON RUSHIN’!!!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘
I guess I'm the only person on earth that doesn't understand why everyone thinks peart was a drumming god. Like, he was good by no stretch of the imagination a bad drummer, but I could list off tons of drummers that are faster, tighter, and play more complex patterns. If you like his style and think he's the best for that reason fair enough. but this idea he was a technical master is beyond me. There's a clip online where Peart was talking about how tom sawyer is hard because his right hand is going about its max speed limit.. and im like... seriusly? I'm not even a pro and I can blast on the ride twice the speed of tom sawyer. I don't understand how someone that says tom sawyer is the limit of how fast they can move their right hand is seen as the king of drums. It just doesnt' make any sense.
Neil Peart was Beyond Human in His approach to Drumming. He implemented Jazz, West African Drum sounds into His Own an made a Drumming Masterpiece. Let's not forget Reggae. Neil Was a Master of his profession. John Bonham an Neil Peart are always going to Remembered for their ability to drive the beat of the song with precision an allow his group members to play to their utmost ability. Miss you Neil.🙏
Good video, but confounding how many times you got The Spirit of Radio song title wrong even when reading from a list. It isn't "Spirit of the Radio".
What a nice video! Thank sioo much to do not mispronounced is last name! My english is bad, îm a Quebecois!
Because he was the best drummer in the world. the grandfather the professor of drumming.
Spirit of the radio? that implies your not really a Rush fan, thats ok! your a fantastic drummer that likes to talk DRUMS. and you know your stuff..
My question would be........and I'm not being smart, it's an honest question.....How much did you have to practice for this video or are you just so familiar with Neil and his drumming? Keep in mind, once again, I think Stephen has drum moves beyond the scope of just the average good player. He's a great drummer!!!!! Smooth as glass but in no way brittle. Very solid......I'm a huge fan.
Great question...this took a little while. I filmed 7 Neil peart videos in one week. Multiple grooves, fills, entire intros, solos, etc. His playing style is VERY different from what I intuitively would do. There are some players that are easier for me to learn their parts...stylistically they're closer to what I might do. But Neil just thinks about constructing his parts differently than I naturally would. So it took a little more time than I usually take. It's also just a lot of notes to remember AND teach. Playing it is one thing. Breaking it down to teach is a different ballgame lol
Answer -- because no one is Neil Peart except Neil Peart, like Keith Moon he made things up in his mind as he went, he invented, he did not boringly count and try to make something appease his music teacher, even he stated that he had problems recreating at times what he did in the studio, especially Tom Sawyer
One of my fav Neil Peart parts is his subtle playing during "A Lerxst In Wonderland" starting ~3;36 mark of "La Villa Strangiato" and then of course as it builds up again
They all had very great taste in dynamics, especially for their studio albums (ok, most of them, a few seemed to be less dynamic than the others :) )...
La Veea Strangiato and YYZed if you're feeling fancy. 😉
It's called The Spirit of Radio. No The in the title.
YYZ PRONOUNCED YYZED! Canadian speak.
Been a drummer and massive Neil/Rush fan since 1980. Great job.
As someone who knows Neil's drumming inside and out (99% listening, 1% trying to play!), this is a fantastic highlight of his most famous grooves, and you pretty much nailed every one of the demos.
I see you corrected the Spirit of Radio thing, but at least you're not pronouncing it Pert, as soooooo many erroneously do. Thank you!
Neil Peart was my inspiration starting back in 1975 when I was ten years old. I have been drumming now for 42 years, and one of my favorite things to do is throw on a Rush CD (I have every one of them, and have seen Rush in concert more times than I can remember) and drum along with them. Talk about a workout. Sadly, I haven't had a drum set now for a couple years. Had to sell my kit, and then we moved cross country.
im sure I am not the only person to say "zed" after you said YYZ
Ahem..Y Y Zed
Just hope Neil was saved with our Savior
Come on anyone can say what they want about NP No one could have replaced him and it still be Rush . The name would have remained but it would have not been Neil's Rush . And that peaple is what makes him so good . No one sounds like him . Go ahead copy him . But you are copying. Oh and I'm 53 from St.Catharines Ontario. My Brother's house is 2 minutes from Lake Side Park . And I have been playing drums for 40 years , so I must know what I'm talking about . Lol one of my greatest possessions is the drum head Neil gave me signed and all .
Tsk tsk Mark, all that talk and you spell his name wrong??? 25 laps and 200 paradiddles!!
The Spirit of Radio . You said Spirit of the Radio .
The Spirit Of Radio. Not "Spirit Of The Radio".
Lol...if one more person says this haha 😄
See pinned comment
Nice work! Especially on a smaller kit, you broke the fills down incredibly well and made it easier to duplicate!
Glad you covered Neil’s ride and hi-hat techniques and implementations. He could’ve given a master class on using those alone in his style.
Legend has it his kit mics went out during a sold out arena show. No one else noticed. 😳🤯
Spirit of the radio? NO
The spirit of radio
The guy who's death inspired me to finally take up the drums at age 48. One of the most unique and creative drummers ever. If I can get to the level where I can play Tom Sawyer decently well, my life will be complete.
and you started when?
@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 Almost 2 years ago. Long way to go, but I'm in no "Rush".
*The Spirit of Radio
Not spirit of the radio
WAY too RUSHED of a video!!!!! 😲🤷♂️😢 Please take the time to break Neil’s perfection behind the kit in a more detailed and slow manner!!!!! The drum GODS demand it!!!! He is MOST worthy of a FAR MORE deep dive from someone as knowledgeable as yourself for us salivating fans!!! 🙏🙏
Search my name and Neil Peart. I have about 5 super in depth videos breaking down a lot of his drumming
Neil once said in an interview he wrote his music so that it would be challenging even for him to play at any time. He said he never wanted to just be able to play effortlessly so that it was always an experience when he played well. He wrote everyting that way including anything he wrote for the other members as well. This high standard is the reason his music seems hard for others but he said he wanted people to play it, he just wanted them to have to make an effort to do it well.
I now see that Mike Portnoy adopted the same mindset about what to play. He sticks with his signature fills and beat grooves, of course adding some new tastes here and there, but always coming back home sweet home. I miss Neil so much. He was the second drummer I really appreciated as a kid.
Love Neil’s playing so much! Rush was such a powerhouse with three incredible musicians, so great. Love this Stephen, awesome playing!
As a music teacher that I am for so many years already, I just have something to say, Neil Peart was is and will always be THE GREATEST and also The best drummer of all times , y punto Cabrones , RUSH por siempre🎼🥁🎵🥁🤘🏻🎼🤘🏻☹️☹️🇨🇦🎵🥁🇨🇦🎼‼️
There is no “THE”, it’s:
“SPIRIT OF RADIO”!
Nice work though.
I KNEW I would get one of these wrong lol. Their song names are ridiculous. You have no idea how much we went over this video to ensure we had our facts, parts, etc correct. His fan base is just next level with the details
Dave Grawl calls it Spirit of the Radio. 😉
There is a "The" at the start of "The Spirit Of Radio". 😉
@@MarkyMarc413 yeah, I know, I blew it, I hang my head in shame.
Ten laps and a hundred paradiddles @@miguelcalvin946 !!
I don’t know man, I’m pretty sure the drummer has the easiest job in any band.
Ok.
The ride cymbal bell groove was dubbed, "The Neil-a-diddle" by our marching band drum line back in '92
In "The Weapon", you actually have to reverse your hands so that you play the hi-hat with your LEFT hand and the snare with your right. Give it a try! Neil once said that this song was presented to him with an impossible-to-play drum machine part and this was his interpretation of what Geddy & Alex came up with in their writing sessions.
The name of the song is "The Spirit of Radio" not "Spirit of the Radio!" Please show proper respect. Ty. RIP Professor.... 🙏🙏
Lol, yes. I knew we were going to have a typo on one of those song titles...and we reviewed this one 10x as many times as we usually do. But those slip through sometimes.
@@StephenTaylorDrums once or twice can be overlooked. You said it incorrectly at least 4 times. Tsk tsk
Try to bear in mind Neal was a creative genius working with what is the best little Symphony orchestra in Rock, so he had LOTS of time to create. Just my thoughts. BTW Great job as always
Stephen, what a GREAT explanation of the genius of Peart! You did your homework, and we're all better for it.
Mr Taylor, Sir, you nailed this explanation of greatness!
RIP Professor!
PS - I'd love to hear your take on Carl Palmer's ELP work!
Mmmm. The Weapon….
The bizarre groove from The Weapon was actually originally made up by Alex Lifeson on a drum machine while he and Geddy we're writing the music. Neil describes the process of trying to learn it and how backwards and awkward it was in the tour program from the Signals tour. In it he tells a little story of the genesis of each of the songs on the album. So Alex was the real mad scientist in this case with the pro treatment by the best in the business!
NP was one of a kind. Deeply missed but we were lucky to be alive when he was. Rest in Peace brother. 🙏❤️🎶
Even if I love Led Zeppelin , Bohnam 🥁 , Neil was a GENIUS 🍾👍 , really good lesson !
Stephen you are a great drummer and nailed the elements with great technique. What separates all the rest of the drummers from Mr Peart is that along with incredible precision there was an amazing amount of feel that nobody can match playing his music. Much like Bonzo. We can all play his music to varying degrees but none have his feel and touch. Thanks again for a great video.
Another drumming legend lost. I cried when I heard the news. All the years Rush performed, I never once got the chance to see them live. I just watch videos of Neil and Rush playing past shows. I always love watching him rocking out on drums! As a long time drummer myself, Neil has always inspired me. Just as another drumming legend Ginger Baker has. I still listen to his awesome solo in “Toad.” RIP Neil and Ginger 😢
Neil was my main influence as a drummer. Rush was my main influence as a music lover. In all the great musicians we lost in the past few years, neil's in the one that touched me the most, and still does. Oh and great video BTW ;)
Aleksandar Zivojinovic..... now I know where "Slovovic" comes from.... and "Gardic is my friend from old country..." lol 🤣🤣🤣
The "dance-able" weird beat in THE WEAPON was, if I remember correctly, a beat from a drum machine that was programmed by Geddy, and then played backwards, and Neil learnt it and played it in the song. You might want to ask Geddy to confirm this but I'm pretty sure it's what he said a while ago.
That is one of the tunes Neil learned the sequencer part Geddy programmed. Started with The Spirt of Radio, they stopped doing sequenced parts through whole tunes on HYF. Notice Neil's parts on those tunes are usually the most technically locked in, in the whole catalog.
The coolest implementation of the ride bell-hi hat groove is at 3:19 in Bravado. Check it out if you get a chance.
Also, *The Spirit of Radio
It’s actually not that hard if you break it down. The hard part is playing it right. 🤣 I still struggle with songs I’ve heard a million times
This is facts!!
According to Bill Wheeler Drum Techniques Songbook the 2 bars of 6/4 that you explain are wrong... Neil do triplets on bassdrum in the 2nd time of each measure... And the 5th time of 1st measure is not a 5 notes...
Glad you fixed that shit. Now, go off and call a magazine a “clip.”
Amazing video! Not trying to nitpick but the last show was August 1, 2015. Anyhow, love all the breakdowns of all the songs. Very entertaining and enlightening video. :)
Most air drummers think they nailed it from start to finish but in reality ......no. It's still super cool to jamm with the professor ...RIGHT ???😌💖 MISS U MR. NEIL 🍁😪
And while we're throwing corrections out...
The band's last concert was August 1, 2015...not August 15, 2015 (at 7:32 )
its not that hard, its just CONSTANT and technical. i find the jazz stuff harder, and polymetric guys more diffiuclt.
because it just is...Neil just didn't give a backbeat to the band. He COMPOSED his DRUM PARTS like each DRUM was an instrument in an ORCHESTRA. Each drum had a part to play.
Hertas? I think he’s over analyzing. I don’t think you can credit a drummer for something they are not aware of? True Neil “invented” a groove. The cymbal bell groove. The Spirit of “the” Radio…..C’mon maan!…..got it, he corrected, but still. I think the groove he supported Geddy’s bass solo in La Villa was one of his best.
Common mistake but it is "Spirit of Radio", NOT "Spirit Of Radio". Radio in this instance is the radio broadcasting system, not the little box used to receive the signal. EDIT: Just saw your first comment correcting the mistake. Well done video!
Last Rush show was August 1, 2015, as documented in their farewell documentary, Time Stands Still.