Drum Teacher Reacts: AARON SPEARS: Legendary Appearance "Caught Up" - Usher

[@quentondaniels8536]

Aaron Spears, extremely tight pocket, innovative drummer and engaging guy. I’m a metal drummer and adored his drumming. Rest in peace Aaron, thoughts to his family and friends.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Monstrous player. And the nicest guy in the biz

[@peterrowlands6715]

Hi Guys, To any drummer who wasn’t a player back in 2006. I’d like to put this ground breaking zildjian day performance into perspective. Drumming was developed to pretty much where we are to date. But Aaron was a lover of playing over the 1 and honestly. He was the absolute best at it. His internal metronome was incredible. So to say that the crowd was blown away is an understatement. Zildjian put the whole weekend on a double CD but Aaron was the highlight. Time and place was perfect for Aaron to electrify the drumming community. Every drummer from Vinny down was smiling with joy. Please introduce this video to any new drummer you know.. Peace and love to Aaron and his family.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Yeah you can't overstate how big this performance was

[@enriquemora9272]

Incredible playing. It reminded me of another great who sadly was gone too soon also, the unbelieveble John Blackwell.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Very much so! I meant to mention that

[@tictocbang7443]

Thank you for posting this. Few drummers could nail the feel of a pocket like Aaron did. So sad to see him gone.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

He's the one and only

[@philiplauzon1743]

Definitely one of the best drum performances of all times. RIP Aaron 😢. All feel

[@jordanvance1731]

One of the GOATs

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Definitley

[@asshollff]

This video broke my mind when i watched it for the first time, he was one of the greats for sure and will be sorely missed.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Definitely

[@azaak_melody]

One of the best drummers in history , How sorry I am to lose that legend 😔

[@charliemay5758]

Hey Andrew, I am new to Aaron Spears, sadly I wasn't aware of his work until after his death. Tragic. This legendary moment is just jaw dropping. Even without the chops his groove is enough to carry the song. Thanks for posting this analysis.

[@SJC9726]

Petition for andrew to relearn the fill and upload a video of him playing it and breaking it down..

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Oh god....

[@markmilner842]

Amazing playing. Killer time & feel.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Yup

[@mmatthews90]

RIP to one of the greats! 😥

[@samukelisiwemudau3553]

Rest in peace Aaron❤

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

RIP

[@warren_r]

This loss is really hard to process. Thanks for doing this video, Andrew.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

My pleasure. Yes it's a tough one. Such a lovely guy

[@andreaslundin7935]

The pocket, but also creating a feeling of lightness, but I'm most impressed by the exits on every fill, no matter how crazy fill, he always lands in perfect time. Sad that so many good people leaves this life to soon. Thank you Andrew for the work you put into this, educating and showing what excellence can be.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Thank you! Yeah he was just a wonder. This video actually changed the drumming world. Everyone was in awe

[@paulocarvalho6480]

For such a big man, he was so, so smooth. And his way of feeling how the music would be sounding better? Just amazing. Even if he wasn't a drummer, is passing is so doon. Too soon. RIP, big man.

[@semiterrestrial]

I learned of Aaron Spears today, man. My jaw has dropped so many times during this video. Up there with the finest drummers of all time. Thank you for this video.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

One of the greats 🙌

[@justingoulet9714]

R. I. P. to a true original, master and an inspiration He will truly be missed. MONSTER

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

You nailed it. RIP

[@thebodybeatdownDiTi]

He's straight up technical jamming lol. Crazy

[@Thesmokymountainman]

Aaron Spears used to walk into a room and Michael Jordan would say hey, that’s Aaron Spears. So,so good.

[@thiegoruan3639]

Cara literalmente eu me emociono vendo essa apresentação, é lindo demais!! Nunca tive e nem vou ter palavras nunca pra descrever o quanto isso é incrível!!!

[@mogglie]

This is one of the absolute best drum clips ever recorded. This goes so deep.

[@TheUfoProject_]

He was really a great musician. Its like he is telling a story with the way he plays the drum. Amazing. Im sad to hear about his passing. RIP Aaron Spears!

[@t_bone12571]

Tasty chops which doesn't dilute the groove. Nice choices for cymbal accents and effects, his legacy will live on. Rest peacefully, Aaron.

[@keefriff99]

Hate to say it, but I’d never heard of Aaron Spears before you posted this video, perhaps because he played with pop artists that aren’t in my wheelhouse. He seems like the consummate professional, which is why he landed all those high-profile gigs. Reliable and accurate night after night. Thank you for introducing me to Aaron Spears, Andrew, and what a shame that he passed at so young an age. I’m going to do a deep-dive on his career now.

[@dandegunner7351]

I recommend his zildjian live performance on yt really shows off his skills.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Do it. A heavy heavy player. Doing the biggest gigs on earth

[@drummerseb]

Maybe my favorite drumming video ever. RIP Aaron

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

It's up there. MONSTER player

[@squamishfish]

Wow so sorry to hear about his passing everything I seen of him he was truly a Humble guy

[@lucasbuchanan6939]

Agreed. Copying is the wrong word. I think of it as replaying that joy to another group of listeners. You get a buzz they get a buzz.

[@martianshoes]

Found this post years ago and after 20+ views I am floored every time. Aaron appears to thoroughly flog his entire kit…..but with a paced finesse that is staggering. Is it me; or did it seem like his note choices plugged mini-octave tones into his fills? And I mean including his cymbal strikes….a different musicality than any I’ve ever heard elsewhere. It’s not really a Latin sound nor Afro-Cuban per se…he just wove these little rhythmic miniature melodies into the song. What a musical signature! Such a player. RIP.

[@cairney0037]

legend, his legacy will live on his musicality, which was absolutely fantastic, and the pocket that's sugar foot Moffat pocket with turbo chops lol 😆 another drummer sent me that last week and I said man he's that good his high hats fallen over and he doesn't even flinch lol great pic and I hope you and the family are all sorted in the new home have a great day Mr Rooney

[@krisramos7453]

I was at work when I saw the news. I immediately stopped what I was doing and watched that video of him. He will be missed.

[@alexgolovchenko3791]

Hi, Andrew. Although I've heard of Aaron I'm not familiar with his volume of work and have never seen that particular video, as a drummer I am ashamed of that. I absolutely loved your thoughtful commentary, a eulogy, if you will, on a man who's playing seems to defy analysis. Just the way he nails every downbeat on that snare during those fills, the seamless use of the cymbals, just incredible. An expression of his beautiful spirit coming through in his artwork. So sorry to hear of his passing, a terrible loss.😢

[@anderszettergren4302]

Killler groove. I think the reason why he sounds so good is that he play with the vocals and the song. Just great.

[@danmarshall5895]

Aaron was down the lineage from Clyde Stubblefield. You revisit this every year, I revisit Funky Drummer. Another song with crazy pocket and mind blowing improvisation.

[@brunorocha4516]

I also come back to watch this video often!!! That one and the vic firth´s Performance Spotlight: Aaron Spears. Could you react to this one too?

[@kdub4728]

Holy💩 WOW that was awesome.

[@larseikind666]

A drummer that can play a 16th-note only fill (with slight accents on each 1/4) and make it fill the whole room has my respect. LOVELY fills, insane groove, the simplicity of a true master, and also the way his drums are tuned and what cymbals he's using. They compliment each other perfectly. I'm stunned... End of video edit: And I just learned that he's not with us anymore. That is a true shame. :(

[@sliverhi]

You got new drapes. Hahahaha

[@ChurchOfTheHolyMho]

My first listen to Aaron Spears. When you were pointing out the note selection of the "simple" eighth note parts, I think I was noticing a pattern. And as I explored the thought, I was wondering if it is as simple as switching between "feels." If such, I had two oddball thoughts... 1) Is this like a sort of fugue? that is, there are several different parts / melodies / counter melodies - and he just adds them at will. or maybe more like 2) when I was sequencing a song in the late 80s/early 90s - it would often be easier to write all the notes / note fills for a section - and then simply mute or unmute the particular fill I want to play in this verse... (not same as muting an instrument on a TR-8S or similar.) (I dislike piano roll sequencers - lol) So maybe the same sort of thing at play... All the parts are here in his head, and he can turn them on or off at will...

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Great thoughts

[@weshartman1894]

I feel the hi hat, How did any of that kit survive…

[@joseantoniodrolettvallejos1326]

" A A R O N " , LEFT US , I T F E E L S H I S A B S EN C E 🕊️ 🕊️ 🕊️

[@julien2231]

Hey andrew question about that drummer amd other pop drummers... You say it wasnt requested here but my guess is, pop drummers are almost always forgotten because pop fans only focus on the singer and think the band dont even exist? I wonder if only drummers and drum community would be more aware? Even seeing that incredible performance, we never hear the crowd cheer his drumming.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Massive pop stars can pick and choose their players. All their musos are A+++ And in return the musos enjoy it. Massive gigs with good pay

[@AeroDude73]

Was he always a big guy like that? If so, I wonder if that played a part in his untimely death at such a young age 🤷‍♂️🤔. Damn. Tremendous drummer.

[@jraben1065]

Amazing "pocket". But even more, I'm blown away by Aaron's audacity, to impose those long crazy "slow" fills onto that groove. In a way, this reminds me of what Keith Moon would do. Abandoning the beat to go off into some unknown and unexpected place, and then eventually come back to the beat again. Don't get me wrong, Aaron is much more "technical" than Moon was, but few drummers were as "audacious" and "agressive" as Moon. Aaron is showing that "mad" audacity, imposing himself onto the music.

[@JhonydasiLvadrums1987]

R I P MR Aaron. way way way too soon. thanks for everything

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Yes far too young

[@JhonydasiLvadrums1987]

@@AndrewRooneyDrums i discovered Aaron spears on that caught up video. and I wil never forget the impact. and the playing like no one is looking. he was one of her best of my time. I'm 35.. in 4 days I'm 36. I was always in love with Thomas pridgen playing and Ronald bruner jr and Eric Moore and Teddy Campbell. and then I see this guy. and I couldn't resist. one of my favourite..

[@JhonydasiLvadrums1987]

@@AndrewRooneyDrums one day do some of Thomas pridgen and Ronald bruner jr. o have like 30 drummers that i love. it's hard do tell.

[@leoalexhorta]

Amazing!!! Didn’t know him yet! Big fan already!!!!

[@rosasoc3982]

He doesn't have that energy and strength of BONZO....noooo🥁🥁🤷

[@marklewis3579]

I’ve always considered Aaron to be a downstroke drummer. I don’t mean the literal downstroke of a stick action - I mean the downstroking playing style (where emphasis is put on the downstroke, and the upstroke is floated as little as possible). It’s more of an old school drum corps thing. To my mind, you can’t sound like Aaron without using the downstroke playing style. It exemplifies the deliberateness and power of his drumming. To play what he plays - using any other technique - would sound like mush.

[@Jason-vn5xj]

I once read an article by Russ Miller. He said that to be a working drummer you need to do three things: Play well. Be easy to work with. Be a nice person. I don’t think anyone embodied all of that at its highest level more than Aaron Spears.

[@scottzappa9314]

I think this guy became one of my favs within the first minute. And he's not even working up a sweat, disgusting. You ain't lying, blew my mind man. Unbelievable. He ain't human. One thing is when you're hitting good drum playing, you're not thinking about it much, it just flows out of you. RIP Aaron.

[@cairney0037]

it's got to be cooper drummer

[@Iammrspickley]

I play guitar myself....but drumming has something insanely special....when you hear a musical and technical super drummer.....it is something entirely different....I love the counter rhythms and of beat fills and etc....dont know the correct terminology....but I know I do love it 😊

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

I hear you. KILLER player

[@fastfiddler1625]

This video is removed now! What the hell!?

[@realestbg4176]

Great reaction.He was my favorite drummer.Learned a lot from him.Really a big inspiration as a drummer and father.He is gonna be missed.Rip to the Goat!

[@jwoodzy3764]

I met Aaron at a drum expo years ago. A very humble and genuinely nice guy. I remember watching this for the first time and was amazed!! Rip to a true legend!

[@ajwilson1985]

He willed that hi-hat to life like “hang in there lil buddy”

[@rhythmicbeast]

RIP legend a true genius ❤️🥁