Fred Armisen Recreates Drumming Styles of Different Age Groups | The Tonight Show

[@wrestleranger]

Quest cracking up because he totally gets it lol

[@mayario]

the best part

[@robinleebraun7739]

I noted that too. His reaction showed how true it is.

[@janekihm5119]

Brilliant

[@hardcoreoma]

Rather because he's getting paid

[@Diddle1414]

It's called being polite.

[@DougKaplan]

I love how this is clearly not a bit for the masses but Fred never cares, he is all in on it even if it's an audience of 1

[@krusher74]

Even as a drummer of 30 years half of this was so personally nuanced I did not get it.

[@jaredf6205]

Whole thing just to make questlove laugh

[@MrErickstar1]

I was just about to say that🤣🤣🤣 Clearly the people laughing in the audience don't get the joke

[@valorgaming7114]

Like a crazy homeless man talking to himself

[@Prowse]

King of the hipsters

[@mandascruggs2245]

I love how Quest is loving every minute of this. This is for him. Love for all drummers of all ages!

[@KandiKlover]

Also Jimmy actually kept quiet for once and let someone finish their joke

[@whiskeylung]

I love that he did this because it’s more smart than funny but also niche and entertaining to drummers. Thanks Fred!

[@drumtwo4seven]

annoying jibberish that fools non musicians more like it

[@charlotteharriet8656]

Watch his Netflix special “Standup For Drummers”

[@unreal_taxi]

@@drumtwo4seven what

[@YTOnceAgain]

It's actually pretty random. It's just the way he sells it. I'm not sold on it, however. I really like some of his other stuff, though.

[@provisionalhypothesis]

@@drumtwo4seven who hurt you when you were little

[@danielledavis9335]

I don't want Fred Armisen to get old. I want to keep him forever

[@Kimm134Saya]

Woah, that was what I thought as well as soon as I clicked on this video. I was like, "Oh, no, Fred's getting old."

[@matthewpearce8481]

Forever rules. Top show

[@gregbradshaw7220]

@@Kimm134Saya people get older that’s life. Fuckin moron

[@Ortsman1]

He'll be funny far into his aging days!

[@krusher74]

I think he is going to be stuffed when he passes

[@rebeccaclement99]

I love that Fred picks up on the tiny little things. Accents, drums, he’s just having fun

[@davidgeldner2167]

he should make a comedy routine instead

[@rodolfosantana9015]

Light autism

[@ikarusxv]

Niche comedy

[@matthewkrause5695]

Questlove laughing his ass off at 2:44. Love it.

[@jonathanwingmusic]

I've been a drummer all my life... can confirm that the older you get, the less showy and "filly" and cymbal-crazy you become. All about solid grooves haha

[@CampbellYoungblood]

To be fair you don’t look that old 😅

[@obiwan5999]

Nothing wrong with showy drummers at any age. Anything else would be disappointing, Gene Krupa, Steve Moore, Tommy Lee, etc.

[@obiwan5999]

​@@localdrummerweb Not all of them.

[@randa4382]

A note from the strings.... same for guitarists mostly... from my tone to the stuff i want to play has changed so so much just in the last ten years. Instead of being floored by speed and wizardry i am like... listen to the sustain on that almost dissonant jazz chord... lord help us. It doesnt go away it just keeps pace doesnt it?

[@obiwan5999]

@@localdrummerweb Showmanship was the topic dude. And for the record Tommy Lee lays down a solid groove, as does Steve Moore.

[@rafa57games]

Love how he thanks the crowd every time

[@yeeehawwdy2638]

I like how the crowd is clapping for those early examples because they think he is playing well when hes actually trying to show bad drumming lol

[@JonSudano]

He's right. The older I get the less craziness I end up doing. It makes me a better drummer tbh.

[@cicalinarrot]

Nice to see you here, Jon! As a bass player, in my teenage years it could be really tricky to play with crazy drummers trying to give the 110% (which means that the extra 10% were out-of-time fills) but I sincerely miss that amount of energy and fantasy when I play with more mature people :-)

[@k.ferguson2982]

Ah, yes. From the school of... "Less is more" 👍

[@JonSudano]

@@mattdrewdrums I dunno. I like your vids though man, I hope you get more subs. You're really good!

[@mattdrewdrums]

@@JonSudanoHey I appreciate it, man. Damn...now I feel bad for my original comment lol. I didn't intend to disrespect. Pocket playing is awesome and it does make you a better drummer 👌

[@TheVernon8]

The younger i get the more craziest i am! Im only 1! signed, Joey (age 1)

[@musick777]

This is basically not a joke, just entertaining storytelling.

[@IanKilpatrick801]

Thanks Matt

[@jonpoon3896]

That’s just most of American stand up

[@Eshu666]

Thanks....

[@Lucks-3]

Fred in a nutshell

[@ramion0]

Definitely not a joke, it's on Jimmy Fallon 😁

[@cogito919]

I love how he’s so over the applause by he gets to 40’s. Love it.

[@HiGlowie]

I will always love Fred Armisen. Also, his 40s drumming is my favorite.

[@TheDirtyWork]

YES!❤❤❤😂

[@SpaceJockey805]

Absolutely, that’s when he would play for Devo every now and then. Very specific type of drumming but he nailed it

[@kpatt2006]

Fred did this bit with a guitar a while back, and now the drums. He's a talented guy. Quest Love definitely enjoyed this one lol.

[@RandyHanley]

DUDE! As a drummer, you will realize how accurate and HILARIOUS this is! I love this!

[@Timbofett28]

Yes! Haha watch whenever quest is on screen and compare him to everyone else.

[@dairyairman]

I'm a drummer in my 60's and I laughed my ass off at this! I do actually hit the drums, but I'm definitely more about the groove and playing for the song than I used to be.

[@persianskeptic4814]

As a drummer in his 20s I find this so accurate lol. Trying to play fast complex prog rock stuff with so many changes. Playing most of it out of time without any percision. Very accurate

[@colinburroughs9871]

the last bit was very Bruford too.. not playing at all

[@persianskeptic4814]

@@colinburroughs9871 showing "admirable restraint." As Robert Fripp called it

[@p_man_stackowitz161]

mike portnoy is that you?

[@bassdrumcreep7884]

The older you get and more experienced you get, you realize other musicians want someone more in the pocket, less BS. Start that early and you'll get more gigs!

[@memathews]

@@bassdrumcreep7884 Truth.

[@ComradeStiv]

Deliberately doing bits that only some get is awkwardly hilarious . . . _in the right hands_ . Fred's hair may expire but his comedy chops will not

[@rich1051414]

@J It's alone enough already!

[@feckineejit]

Lay off the hair bro

[@mrchihuahuaboy4306]

What’s left of it

[@Jeremy-hx7zj]

It's well past time to shave it off and grow a mustache

[@ComradeStiv]

​@@Jeremy-hx7zj - Chrome dome + huge out of control soul patch could be comedy gold. Embrace the inevitable Fred . . fuck it. I feel for him tho

[@fujisyusuuke1709]

Feels good to see Mlepnos coming out of his shell. Truly a legend

[@mitchellmolina4235]

I think showcasing a celebrity’s talent makes them seem more human to the masses. It just seems more relatable and sometimes we forget we are all equals. Great bit!

[@scrat8177]

this guy is a celebrity? Jesus, I'm outta touch - never heard his name in my life.

[@YogijiClamzananda]

It takes a drummer to truly appreciate this humor... I remember once he did a bit about how drummers always lose the wing lug when they spin it off and it falls under the drums and you have to get of the chair to retrieve it... ha ha, I almost fell out of my chair... so true... then they pan to the audience and everyone looks totally confused, like , "was that supposed to be funny"? Loves me some Fred!

[@tucci007da]

a few pro drummers I knew back when I was a lighting director would keep their drum key on a string around their neck, also most drum techs also did this, never lose it

[@DS-um9hi]

Aaah that explains why I didn't find it funny... Wasn't sure if it was a cultural thing not being American.

[@sawtooth808]

Fred Armisen could release a set of Sample packs based on some of those drum breaks, some of those were tight.

[@crooker2]

He has a show on Netflix called "Standup for drummers". It's brilliant!!

[@alexbaum2204]

@@DS-um9hi no, you’re ok. It wasn’t funny.

[@ontheruntonowhere]

I unwittingly saw Fred's band Trenchmouth open for one of my favorite local KC bands in the early 90s. I was so impressed I bought the CD from the merch girl that night. Twenty-plus years later he mentioned the band on WTF so I dug out the CD, and there he was in the liner notes. He was a powerful and gifted drummer.

[@mjgrady74]

Saw them twice in the early-, mid-90s in Lincoln NE (once in a basement). Can confirm. It was also notable at the time, for me anyway, that the drummer was doing all the between-song banter.

[@gamby16a]

I love that they went ahead with something so musician oriented. This humor & observations were for the musicians in the crowd and I appreciated it. Great bit.

[@thefuturist8864]

Like any other instrument - in fact, like any other skill - there’s always a difference between what impresses people and what is genuinely hard to do. The two can overlap, but when we’re younger we’re more caught up in what impresses us and how we can use it to impress others. As we get older, assuming we continue to learn, we start to realise that certain skills which appear unimpressive to others are, in fact, horrendously difficult to get right. For example: when I was younger I was always impressed by ‘melisma’ (the musical, usually vocal, technique of playing as many notes in one phrase as possible (think Whitney or Mariah going up and down the scales). Now I’ve been training as a singer for 20 years and I’ve realised the hardest thing a vocalist can do is to hold a note. Not sing the same note for a long time, but *hold* it at the same precise pitch and intensity. I imagine Fred Armisen began to see this too, and alongside this he learned more styles and worked out which ones he liked rather that which ones would impress others.

[@n.miller907]

When I've taught younger people to play guitar, I show them that one of the hardest things to do is play the same note over and over and over. Most can't do it perfectly past ten seconds. Has anyone ever tried to play Phillip Glass music? That stuff takes super human concentration and intensity.

[@phirus646]

An there is the third category: things that aren't hard or impressive, but they are so much fun, you just do them for yourself.

[@DangOlJesse]

I just want to take a moment to say that I really enjoy your comment. You have a sincere love for your craft, and I always enjoy seeing that.

[@JimmyNuisance]

People don’t think twice about blues drummers… They’re probably the drummers I have the most respect for. Keeping a steady blues beat is SO HARD. Firstly it’s usually sloooooow, which is by far harder than fast. Then it’s that ridiculous kick pattern… dudun dukah dudun dukah.. Maybe my brain is just broken, but I just never could do that stuff right. Such a fumbly rhythm! Hot For Teacher is one of those rhythms that I would never EVER be able to play, ever. I get like 2 bars in and then my feet just start galloping.

[@leif1075]

Well DAMMIT what if im too tired and depressed to work hard and FUCKIT I don'twant anything to be horrendously difficult--life is already that--how can I make everything easier and feel like a genius at everyhting

[@maximusmiles8435]

I love how he says "thanks" before the applause.

[@metjovi]

What do you mean? That never happened not even once.

[@JimmyNuisance]

I took a similar trajectory, then I hit my 40s and started making retrowave with drum machines… now I don’t even have drums cause I live in the city, and I miss drums every damn day… I love synthesizers a lot, but it’s hard to beat the immediacy and reliance on different techniques that are key to playing the drums. The way a perfect pair of sticks (SD4 Combo) feels in the hand during a perfect double stroke roll is impossible to explain. It just feels like home.

[@Euthymia]

The perfect pair of sticks is actually Vic Firth AJ3's, and my double stroke roll is far from perfect, but I get it. I too am currently doing the composing-with-drum machines thing. Matter of fact, I don't even have real drum machines, everything I do lately is via virtual instruments "in the box." I say "currently" because I suspect that I can't stay away from playing a real kit forever....

[@ttksa470]

Fred is so talented man, never gets old....love it

[@katiestarling665]

I saw him live at the 40 Watt in Athens a couple months ago. He came out to talk with folks before the show and was so nice. Super cool guy . Love him !!

[@prilljazzatlanta5070]

I envy that. Go Dawgs!

[@michaeldeloach838]

I'm a drummer now in my 50s and I totally get this hahaha. You go through all these chapters and changes in your style as you learn and grow on an instrument. So true. Although for me it was types of music. In my teens (the 80s) I was playing classic rock and hair metal. In my 20s (the 90s) I played grunge and alternative. In my 30s and 40s (2000s) it was nu metal. Now I'm full circle playing classic rock again. I predict in my 60s I'll be learning jazz and swing lol

[@shovedhead]

My people.

[@jesser6229]

1:07 Jimmy hi-fiving himself in an *ode to percussion instruments*

[@WeLuv9x5]

In the early 80’s, Fred was a prolific fixture in the LA Punk scene. Time flies!

[@pete7164]

Wtf are you talking about?? He was born in 1966 and lived in NY until 1988 when he moved to Chicago to join a local post punk band called Trenchmouth. Later in the 90s he was a member of Blue Man Group

[@marokokisetter]

Lol at this exaggerated comment

[@martmeliJMJT]

I knew it!

[@marokokisetter]

@@martmeliJMJT knew that the main comment was exaggerated and false? loll

[@martmeliJMJT]

@@marokokisetter yeppp

[@nanashipersonne4151]

That they clap when he plays fast😂 and said that he felt like he needed to prove himself. Whoooooooosh

[@frankmacleod2565]

It really doesnt get better than this. I havent laughed this hard in weeks. The guy is incredible

[@Diddle1414]

Probably need to start watching funnier things.

[@frankmacleod2565]

@@Diddle1414 fantastic, sounds like you have some suggestions. What would you recommend

[@frankmacleod2565]

@@Diddle1414 or were you just here to be rude and snarky

[@Diddle1414]

@@frankmacleod2565 Mainly rude and snarky but I could give suggestions.

[@frankmacleod2565]

@@Diddle1414 if you dont like Fred Armisen, that's fine. nobody cares

[@matthewbartlett3442]

2:06 bro really thought he could play "Fire" by Hendrix and we wouldn't notice

[@G2mxrZ]

Extremely therapeutic no matter what stage in life! Bravo Fred!🤣

[@shawnhapney8784]

Carrying on a decades long tradition of the Tonight Show: Showcasing Drumming. Absolutely Fantastic.

[@carlosbellmas8675]

He does have a point. I agree 100% as i get older i try to play as more basic and clean as i possibly can.

[@bent.5062]

40s drumming is straight later radiohead

[@scottsozmtns7534]

Truly a very talented musician/drummer. He’s definitely got a job in the music biz anytime he wants it & I for 1 would be glad to listen to some of Fred’s chops!!

[@stefanboster5728]

Fred & his hair are a in some kind of battle, I think.. Time marches on.. 😂

[@navyryder]

No matter what Fred does is just hilarious 😂 He just got it!

[@kurtx8827]

1:08 I was in a band when I was a teenager and our drummer was exactly like that. 2:17 My late dad was a drummer and that reminds me of him when he was in his 40-50s. He died at the age of 60.

[@whitedove2352]

Hit the like button as soon as I saw Fred was on...and was going to play drums. Love U Fred!

[@marmichaux7520]

Now THIS is something totally different, and fun, and what I like to see on late night talk shows. Taking the guests into another element of themselves. I had no idea he was a drummer, and a pretty good one. I totally get his takes on each age. I have a cousin who's 54& a drummer, and a very good friend, who's 55,& a drummer, too,& I've watched,& studied drummers in heavy metal, funk, and rock bands all my life. (Duran Duran's)Roger Taylor😍😛 R.I.P., Tony Thompson 🥁🕯

[@TWTexasA1]

Fred is one talented dude….👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@jillv4006]

Quest love playing at the end is pure respect

[@quentingartside2166]

Fred acting like he nervous for his first audition😂 gotta love him🙏🏼

[@jumpinjojo]

*He’s

[@quentingartside2166]

@@jumpinjojo Thank you Josephine

[@jumpinjojo]

@@quentingartside2166 Anytime, Quentina.

[@AthenaGM]

That teal drum set is just, lovely!!!🥰💘

[@darquise92]

This guy is a universal genius, isn't he? What an all around talent.

[@edburns00]

Totally raggin on Louis Cole at 0:42. Love it. Big time!

[@da404lewzer]

The funniest thing I've seen Jimmy do in a while is pick up the bag at the end and start playing it 😂 but I only say that because he didn't interrupt his guest 500 times

[@carp68]

Fred Armisen is so supremely talented.

[@janelliot5643]

Fred is extraordinarily gifted!

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

…more Armisen genius. The dude can play any style of music, and almost every instrument. He is an artistic and creative genius. There are few people in the history of the world who have possessed such innately brilliant talent.

[@juniorxranger]

Fred, we know that’s you.

[@tommynikon2283]

I'm going with one guy who kicks his ass musically: Wolfie Van Halen. Played EVERY Instrument on his debut album. WON Best Album. Sounds EXACTLY like Dad. Chops out the ass. If I want comedy, Fred's my guy.

[@LeslieJayBoschPhoto]

and how would you know that?

[@leveldrums1]

You’ve written some overarching, hyperbolic statements here about the quality of skill level you think Fred Armisen possesses. “Artistic and creative genius”… I completely disagree. “Few people in the history of the world who have possessed such innately brilliant talent”…again, I completely disagree. All of the patterns he displayed here might qualify as a beginner/intermediate level of drum set patterns. He is NO WHERE NEAR “advanced” in his musical skills. Comedy? Yes, a genius. Music? Meh. You want to see an artistic and creative genius on drums… Mike Mangini. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqjVZaaQj8h3mcU

[@Awesomepotamus]

he is also an insufferable asshole IRL who treats his partners like complete shit. Real surprised he didn't caught up in the metoo shit

[@jacobsnightmaregarage_hh]

As a drummer, this is what you call Drumming Humour.

[@christinemerritt974]

There is NO ONE FUNNIER ALIVE❤😂 FRED!!!!!!

[@puf0923]

What a versatile talented human being.

[@adrianpoesiat]

Fred’s sketches of the Queen are a riot ❤

[@RockerGirl]

So funny! Something I can look forward 😂

[@hardluckclub7271]

i’m here from Carvey and Spades podcast, fly on the wall. great show all about s.n.l. cast members. Fred’s episode was amazing!

[@nomadicroadrat]

Armisen has not hit a wrong beat since I first saw him perform even before the SNL gigs.

[@gregoryromano9211]

Preach it Fred! I'm in my 60's--playing the "no frills" beat. Fred understands.

[@Qetsia]

He’s legit good at everything

[@hardcoreoma]

except entertainment

[@JeremyDeWallMusic]

Alright, Jimmy picking up the Bag and "playing" it during the outro was pretty damn funny.

[@drumset09]

I approve of these impressions on behalf of drummers everywhere.

[@biglejdog]

Fred hits 50, wants to be Tony Allen. Love it.

[@TC-lk2ev]

hah thats exactly what i was thinking.

[@jmm8229]

Agh, this is just so true. I still like to think I can replicate keith moon explosion drumming on a whim, but now I'm 50 & I lovecto play mellow solid beats.

[@beardown6574]

Lol love when Fred does his musical impressions. So good.

[@ChristineTdoesntexist]

can confirm, had to play the "when I paint my masterpiece" cover not too long ago. I'm mid 40s and sliding into full time Levon Helm groove. its really all you need.

[@kurtdewittphoto]

Too many fills?.. RIGHT to jail.

[@SeaOtterGamer]

Not enough fills, believe it or not also jail

[@saidoterodiseno]

That drumkit looks and sounds beautiful.

[@JasonB95]

This man is just bursting with talent. But it's the humility through it all that gets me. Love this guy!

[@modelcitizen1977]

I like how he subtly got better as a drummer in general. Really nice touch.

[@chrisbarrett192]

Love seeing actors and other artists that are drummers. Fred's a great drummer!

[@JonnyDIY]

Love the drums and Fred 💕👍

[@katie4623]

You’ve got to give it to American audiences. They’re supportive enough to clap and cheer even when they don’t get it or find it funny.

[@kevingrady8103]

How would you know they don’t find it funny or get it? Were you there?

[@lp712]

It’s because they are forced to clap and laugh…. There is a sign that pops up thag tells them when to clap and when to laugh…

[@jasonthomasaylward6913]

No no, she’s right. This is just so unfunny.

[@JeiElRai]

As a punk and a drummer i commend and thank Fred for being a devout, lifelong nerd. 🎉

[@Tendura1993]

The drummers watching this are DYING! The Instagram drummer thing is spot on. Why cant anyone just play drums without a bunch of crap sitting on them anymore?

[@lelehuna68]

You are a massive talent Fred!!❤

[@Flixtrix466]

2:50 questlove hitting the Feel Good Inc laugh

[@mjolnircarlssen4211]

I’m a bassist, and we’re in the same boat. The older you get, the less “showy” that you become, and less becomes more: the root, groove, feel, and playing what’s right for the song is where it’s at. I’ve gone from playing 16th and 32nd note runs and frenetic slapping and popping on an Ibanez bass (I’m a product of the 80s shredder culture), to doing the same on a Music Man Stingray 5, to playing tastefully (but still with a bit of showiness) on Fender Jazz and P Basses, to holding down the low end on an Englehardt or NS Design upright these days. The evolution to “playing less” is a natural progression.

[@OneAdam12Adam]

What a great guy Fred Armison is!

[@tylerhackner9731]

He’s so awesome 👏

[@Cycology_Major]

Mostly knowing him as an actor, I had no idea he was proficient on instruments (his punk guitar mimicry of 70s-2000 appearance here was soo good). What a phenomenal performer ! 🤩🤩🤩

[@kylephelps]

Is Fred slowly turning into Tom Hanks?

[@jaymcbakerk]

Complete with shitty hair transplant lol

[@k.ferguson2982]

Ya mean like Fredest Gump? 🤔

[@dugjay]

Absolutely nailed the 'gram drummer lol!

[@michellegault4122]

I agree with the toms thing in their 20’s lol and I have one thing to add : always made me laugh when a young drummer came to my studio with an extensive amount of tom toms I was asked to mic individually, BUT never ended up using them. :)

[@shawnmcvey7789]

They're always small toms too.

[@michellegault4122]

@@shawnmcvey7789 more than half of them for sure lol

[@shawnmcvey7789]

@@michellegault4122 It's like when guitar players have 5 distortion pedals, 3 delays, and 4 reverbs but never use 90% of them.

[@michellegault4122]

@@shawnmcvey7789 guitar players want to compete for the most amount of tracks for their parts. They get jealous when they see all these tracks for drums.

[@shawnmcvey7789]

@@michellegault4122 It's crazy. On my band's last EP I specifically limited myself to a handful of tones that were used all over it and none of them overlapped. It felt more immediate and made it infinitely easier to translate the parts I solidified while tracking to live performances. I also got all my gain out of my amp for the first time ever.

[@PolPotsPieHole]

Beauty of a drum set...love the color

[@asteverino8569]

Thanks Fred. Loved your drumming through the decades, (your decades), and the bands reactions.

[@AnthonyPtak]

Moving dangerously close to jazz!

[@Matt_Villines]

I learned drumming fundamentals from Rock Band and Guitar Hero 15 years ago. I stick to guitar, but having some basic idea of what things sound like is fun whenever I do get behind a kit

[@MrJctii916]

Thanks Fred... Quest enjoyed this the most

[@jordanweimer788]

In 2013 I was working at the Sony retail store in Century City and I thought I saw Fred walk in. When I started to talk to him he replied only in Spanish about three octaves higher than I expected and seemed uninterested so I left him alone.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

It was probably Spanish for “I get this all the damn time”.

[@RHCPsTv]

That drum kit is absolutely gorgeous.

[@marchdoesvlogs9823]

As a drummer this is hilarious

[@alonzovillarreal4666]

Fred is awesome. And the Ludwig Neusonic kit sounded good too.

[@freddieg1095]

It's difficult to play 'bad' when you're actually good..there's skill right there on top of all his other skills!

[@lh1678]

Nice!! Love the color of that kit! Got a 50's vibe.

[@angelmatos9143]

Brilliant. Only Fred can pull this off. Like Adam Sandler & Operaman.

[@asmrbroccoleader]

This dud makes me crack up every time and everywhere i see him on TV. he is hilarious! especially when he plays a foreigner/out of place character....learning that he can also drum - awesome!

[@PWTD341]

Fred Armisen should just start a punk band dude 😂😂😂

[@gungrabber970]

Check out Trench Mouth, Siberia 7" 😉🔥🔥🔥

[@PWTD341]

@@gungrabber970 your a fuckin legend for that