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

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/1gZ10...
This is all about the "Bonham Triplet”, as described here: • One Minute Drum Lesson...
“Stairway To Heaven” fill video I mentioned with very similar phrasing is here: • Drum Fill Of The Week ...
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
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[@MikeBarnesDrums]

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: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqm1c4amopqUrM0 “Stairway To Heaven” fill video I mentioned with very similar phrasing is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqOsnmlvmqajgKc 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

[@webman1956]

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]

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

[@RichardDupre]

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

[@StCMS]

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]

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

[@my86bears1]

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

[@nicoladeluca6633]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Nicola!

[@robertm.4916]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers and thanks for watching! 👊🏻

[@dennisfurl7412]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Dennis! Glad you dig :)

[@patrickwhelan3079]

You have an amazing way of teaching! Thanks so much

[@TSTatum]

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.

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers man!

[@rikpoloski331]

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. 😊

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Have fun, thanks for watching.

[@deepseadrumz1]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers for watching man, and good call!

[@td-12kx53]

Oh! What a great drill for that one!😳

[@kevinhines3487]

Helped do much thanks

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cool Kevin, thanks for watching :)

[@dantalley1062]

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

[@dawsondoorshansen3241]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

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

[@jeffrawker8839]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Jeff!

[@camphope9344]

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

[@4dan2]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cool! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

[@winkfinkerstien1957]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Duane! 🙏🏻

[@METALONLY100]

Nice break down bro thanks for sharing 🇨🇦🤟

[@dmelv]

Nicely demonstrated

[@miketompkins1]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cool, go for it. Thanks for watching :)

[@TheViva73]

that was really enjoyable

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Michael!

[@user-ok8bh9gd6e]

Excellent!

[@shawncosmos5431]

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!

[@markgarrett5007]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

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

[@markgarrett5007]

@@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.

[@Javelin405]

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]

Cheers Shawn, thanks for watching. I boils down to this!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIS2fnx4m8mDjbc Have fun :)

[@mikeschumacher9715]

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

[@joetoland4120]

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.

[@stevenordstedt2535]

Now if our drummer could practice it

[@bobc.5698]

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

[@fernandotenorio1768]

Excellent!!!!!

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Thanks Fernando!

[@discreet_boson]

Just Superb!

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Jai!

[@djbotti]

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]

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

[@TheDonko901]

Great job my man!

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Thanks! Glad you dig.

[@phaedrabandatlanta]

You nailed it

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Bill! Thanks for watching.

[@raywhite8539]

Very cool, thanks

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Ray!

[@markbrickens3587]

Love it

[@michaelfamighetti9524]

Very nice awesome..👏👏

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers!

[@frankdavis1139]

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 .

[@LyndaWhite-ju1gj]

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.

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Ha ha, good stuff Lynda!

[@LuisRodriguez-tx3ub]

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.

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

¡Muchas gracias! Realmente lo aprecio.

[@jeversonmartinsdefreitas]

Best vídeo ever

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

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

[@LyndaWhite-ju1gj]

Mike, there’s a video recreation of Don Brewers drum solo TNUC from the live album at MSG on KZbin 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

[@LyndaWhite-ju1gj]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3m0k5uLbLp5q68

[@rolandkarlsson7072]

Ah! Here you can also see how it is played! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpSUf2idfsqfp9U

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Yeah very cool!

[@scoobydoo4087]

How do I get the bass drum that fast?

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Practice and time! Playlist of bass drum videos for you here: kzbin.info/aero/PLcfoni8UPb9rfMKiVUYJVO6C7lBcKZNvb

[@jimlaverty8346]

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.

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Cheers Jim! Thanks for watching :)

[@drumsrlife71418]

Where can one get the sheet music for that tune?

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

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: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXS1YomVqtNrbJI

[@drumsrlife71418]

@@MikeBarnesDrums alright thank you

[@mikeschumacher9715]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Thanks for watching Mike. This one? - kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqfGimdmf7KnhpI 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.

[@motodrummer]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

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 :)

[@jasonclay8107]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

😂

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

Thanks for watching Jason

[@gushutchinson8758]

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

[@MikeBarnesDrums]

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

[@gushutchinson8758]

@@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