John Bonham Triplets! "The Bonham Triplet Ladder"

Here is a fun exercise that I came up with based on the Bonham triplet. Enjoy!
www.davejohnstone.com

[@djmaxamillionpdx]

2:19 exercise starts play along

[@miguelsilva920]

Thanks teacher! Greetings from 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🤘🤘🤘

[@reharan]

This was the best seven minutes spent on learning something that has be elusive for decades. Thanks, excellent lesson!

[@thegoodfoot]

Richard Haran that's great to hear, thanks!

[@chrislinhares7311]

What is elusive about this? I play triplets then reverse the order back and forth - sounds way cooler. If you really want cool stuff, check out Gadd.

[@Joshholbrook2024]

And along comes Debbie downer

[@hmuphilly9129]

@@Joshholbrook2024 true right?

[@hmuphilly9129]

@@chrislinhares7311 gadd is awesome but remember when you first learned the basic 4/4 rock beat?

[@jasonpaul3000]

can't wait to try this exercise out!

[@cut--]

ME TOO ! I could become Bonzo in a few days but I have a geo metro and can't fit all those drums in pos tin can! :):)

[@MattOsborn98]

This is a great exercise!!! Thanks for making it. My left arm is gonna get a major workout.

[@DanielMorales-rb8mw]

Þ

[@tecnotone]

Hey nice work Dave, that extra floor tom note with the left hand was what was bugging me for so long. Got it now :)

[@drumskas]

Thank you for the nice lesson. I will see if I can put this into practice ...

[@harrymills2770]

When you use the floor tom, it's not always apparent to this amateur listener that it's not double hit on the kick. When you move to other toms, it's more clear what's doing what, because my uneducated ear doesn't necessarily make the distinction between bass drum and big tom.

[@littledebs58]

I want your memorabilia photo and studio!!! How lucky are you Mr. Goodfoot.

[@ericgutierrez5568]

This is great! Thanks 🙏

[@davidson2004fatboy]

What ABOUT TWINS and QUADRUPLETS ?

[@chucktouchton398]

I love playing quads (h,h,f,f) all over the kit! Thanks for mentioning this!

[@tomasgarcia6575]

How many sticks you use dude? 😂😂😂

[@angelambriz4270]

Personally it really bugs me how he decided to write out the triplets as two bars of 8th notes instead of 4 groups of 8th note triplets in a bar of 4/4.

[@frankfertier34]

that's the only interesting thing: phrasing displacement.

[@drfiberglass]

Very cool... Thanks for the insight... I guess all the thumbs down dummies can do a better job..

[@sojake3712]

Not just another Bonham triplet video. This one was interesting and very useful. Thank you.

[@vernonsteinkamp1088]

I've always had problems keeping my hihat going. This one is especially challenging.

[@miguelsaavedrums]

That’s what separates the boys from the men

[@hmuphilly9129]

@@miguelsaavedrums .. Shutip

[@allenoertell6095]

@@miguelsaavedrums It is not that hard. You put your mind to it.

[@sulladrum]

I've been playing off and on for 50 years and I'm now determined to nail theses triplets. You have the best exercise I've seen yet.

[@michaelsinanis3022]

I’ve been thru countless bonham triplets. And honestly lots of good stuff out there. But your lesson inspired me and I like the methodology behind your break down. Good work brother

[@snavenai]

This is so good. I was struggling to count in triplets, 8ths, 16ths and 32s and know the difference. I can count them and change between them now. One of the most useful lessons

[@harrymills2770]

Quarter- and half-note triplets are actually the hardest for me. It's one thing to fit 3 evenly-spaced notes into one beat, and doubling that is just a matter of going to cut time and (say) tapping your foot half as fast. Spreading out 3 evenly-spaced notes over 2 beats is not very natural, but a big step for me as a wind-instrument performer. Back when I was playing sheet music for trumpet, by the time I really owned the chart, I was thinking in phrases a measure at a time, and it was all "1" time. Start in 4/4, go to 2/2, and finally 1/1 time. Make myself one with the chart. Now I just sing and play blues harp for fun. I can be a lot lazier training embouchure and voice, and still nail it. Can't do that on a brass instrument without insane dedication to your chops, both literally and figuratively.

[@m.vonhollen6673]

@@harrymills2770 To master the quarter-note triplet, count ONE and AH-two AND ah, THREE and AH, four AND ah. That’s 3 strokes over 2 beats, and 6 strokes over 4 beats. (Also something can’t be taken both literally (word-for-word true) and figuratively (meant as a figure of speech). It’s one or the other. “My dad can’t come to the phone as he’s all tied up” means that either he’s busy or there are ropes attaching him to his chair.)

[@ocho611]

john bonham triplets, otherwise known as 'triplets'

[@thegoodfoot]

Ha - pretty much!

[@lancefordrobbins9814]

otherwise known as triplets...funny!

[@giuliusspiridion]

Great. Anybody is owner of the triplets? hahaha

[@lucaspita001]

JB triplets cause leading with the left.

[@vkiperman]

Sorry in advance: this is going to be long. They're called "Bonham Triplets" by nearly everyone who knows this lick (to me personally, Bonham represents an important standard in drumming skill and style). But, as this thread points out, they're hardly his own. Keith Moon played this type of triplet (hand-hand-kick) almost exclusively left-lead (L-R-K). That is to say that leading with the left is not a uniquely Bonham approach. It may be that this lick got popularized by Bonzo through his use of it in his extended solos and playing it distinctly in various transitions and fills, like in "Hey Hey What Can I Do." It also appears throughout Zep's first two albums. The thing is, Zep plays such a pivotal roll in the history of Rock music that many musical conventions have been attributed to them even though all they did was bring certain ideas to a new audience's attention. Finally, Moon and Bonham were hardly the only names associated with the L-R-K triplet. This lick was extremely popular during the Jazz and Swing era (for over three decades leading up to Bonham's rise) and was used extensively by the likes of Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, just to name a few.

[@frankburdodrums8984]

You forgot the hi-hat. Bonham never played like this.

[@TimXJ]

This nice calm modest delivery makes this a pleasure to watch and practice. Perhaps you could have also played it in a beat context as well.

[@tulrob]

He learned it from listening to the great Jazz drummer Elvin Jones.

[@bryanbahantka6969]

I can only manage to do these triplets at a quick pace by doing doubles on the kick. Don't use a double pedal, but fast/accurate singles with the foot in this pattern are difficult for me, oddly.

[@DrumTeacherManila]

The 4 way coordination makes this exercise harder that's why it's worth practicing...... GONNA WORK ON THIS ONE..thanks for this cheers from Drum Teacher Manila -Teacher BLue

[@drumkick2315]

The speed is one thing. But what I notice is how clean your rim shots are. These are rim shots, right?

[@ibleebinU]

Every now and then I benefit from being left handed. This is one of those times where this triplet came naturally for me.

[@johnbonham8890]

Jusayin Same with me. It’s all cool until you have to use both hands on the hi hat and you want to naturally use your left hand on the snare though.

[@sixpackbiz]

I'm ambidextrous, so I can use my left hand just as well as the right. For example while playing tennis, I can move the racket to my left hand, which gives me longer reach, and allows me to do forehand on either side. As a very beginner on drums, I played around and created some simple fills myself without watching any tutorials. Subconsciously I often lead the fill with my left hand, which optimises the hand travel. For example I created this: Snare LRL Tom1 RLR Tom2 LRL Floor RLR Kick + ride accent If I started this roll with the right hand, I wouldn't be able to play it as fast. Anyway I'm a noob, so still very excited and lots to learn

[@jpritch2]

I am so glad you did the left hand lead! I have always played it this way, ... don't know why... it just felt right! But I was always surprised at how many drummers I saw play it starting with the right. To this day, I see guys starting with the right. Just doesn't have the same feel or sound. I also do a thing where I start with the left and then the right..with one hand on snare and one of floor tom.... starts to sound like a shuffle. I also do the following leads LRLL RLRR, so you get this weird paradiddle triplet thing going.

[@cookiedrums4773]

jpritch 2 same, sometimes it feels more comfortable than leading with your right.

[@moncorp1]

His opening triplets sound just like the opening to Over the Mountain by Ozzie

[@mercertj]

Lee Kerslake is a great drummer. I'm sure he was a huge Bonham fan

[@davormaplenik2776]

This looks kinda hard work to get through. Will try nevertheless. Thank you very much for the sheets

[@ldcsam1]

davor, this really isn't hard at all. This video makes it look easy because it really is. The best thing about it is it is totally awesome. A little bit of hard work = a whole lot of awesome

[@lonebikerofapocolyps]

Great demonstration and exercise Dave! I like how you keep the hat going steadily throughout the different interpretations. While this will definitely help with accuracy and tempo (especially when playing with a click,) it will also help form the feel of how the various interpretations can fit into a groove or as part of an improvised fill. You could even go a step further into overlaying the three stroke pattern into a five-tuplet, seven-tuplet or eigth-tuplet polyrhythmic thing.

[@XX-lx4mr]

Haha, "just what the internet needs..." Thanks for the video man.

[@Crazy-Roland-vDrums]

Hi, a bit confused, and also with the notation. @ 2:19 the heading on your chart reads "Triplet EXAMPLE" but is that Triplet NOTATION? You've got it on 4/4 measures, and transcribed in 16th notes. It looks like Quadruplets? Similar applies @ 2:50. Could you please explain again how it works transcribing Triplet Notation onto a 4/4 16th Note Chart? Normally triplets are counted as "1 & ah", "2 & ah", "3 & ah", "4 & ah". But to me those look like "1 e & ah", "2 e & ah", "3 e & ah", "4 e & ah", but still playing triplets? Do you mean you're still playing triplets but add a 16th note at the end of each one? In the case of the latter what's the count "1 & ah [Extra 16th Note]"? Isn't that quadruplets? THANKS!!

[@thegoodfoot]

Great question! While the end result of this exercise is triplets, the point of the exercise is that it takes you through all subdivision permutations of the figure (eighth, sixteenth, etc). as a way of working on your coordination.

[@lahockeyboy]

Thanks for the triplet lesson! Yes there are many others in the interweb, but i found yours to be the most helpful. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!

[@ronaldbraxton3213]

Now that you learned that start playing doubles with both hands and feet accent with both hands and feet in augmenting time structures

[@Chrisbell804]

He’s leading with his left, I said right before he said it. I am an accomplished guitar player but drumming is a fond hobby of mine. I have never been taught nor have I learned any rudiments I just do what comes natural.🎸🥁🕊

[@eusebioeduardoperezo6855]

Thank you, very good exercise, it is a challenge for any drummer.

[@ekimnavillus4452]

Unless you are a natural lefty playing a right handed kit.

[@Bob-nu3xe]

yes Larry your correct in this exercise your left hand is moving round the kit as It leads,I find that as I pick up speed my right hand and the kick drop out of sink. the pattern sound better at speed so your wanting to run before you can walk!

[@Kiekhaefer6]

Thank you great exercise

[@robbieparton2123]

I'm confused why the hi-hat lift is not consistent

[@sickofthebulldodo1461]

My God those drums sound beautiful but the kick drum holy freaking moly man

[@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371]

When I was maybe 13yo I Heard d'yermaker on the Radio and was impressed by the drumming So I decided to become a drummer. 3 years later I gave Lessons to a little boy And thaught him to play "the Ocean" Now Im 59 yo, and I am a joiner, but the boy, now 50 yo is the Drummer who loves Bonzo...😥😥😥

[@johnsilva-henebry5819]

Thank you for your video. I am an ambidextrous drummer. I started very late in life. And I love drumming. I realized recently John Bonham leads with his right foot, and I started to do this and let everything else follow. This open up my drumming a lot. Even if I don't lead with my right foot, I internally lead with my right foot as a directional point and let everything else flow naturally. I love different rhythms. I love Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, and John Bonham. I have a heavy hit. And my soul has been dying to set up my drums set like John Bonham. Right now I have two double kick pedals, both left and right, attached to a 1/4" piece of wood (1/4"H by 23"L by 3 1/2"W) and then my bass drum laid on top of the wood and pedals, (you can do this with a double kick pedal, either left or right, and attached a single pedal next to it, and have the double kick pedal with soft heads or hard heads, and then have the single pedal with a hard head or a soft head, and this along with the hi hat pedal adds another dimension to drumming, using a four pedal system), and my drum set goes all around me from left to right (kind of a Neil Peart thing). And it is strange how things happen in life. I've been hungering of soul to jam rhythmically like John Bonham, (I do now in some way), and with your video and along with changing up my drum set to reflect how John Bonham played, I am going to have the best time drumming. I am very grateful for your video. I thought this morning, how does John Bonham do triplets? And your video was here to help me to get exactly what I needed to be. Thank you too for the Triplet Exercise PDF at www.davejohnstone.com. I'll sign up today on your free website. With gratitude, John Silva-Henebry (Popo).

[@chrisfisher1100]

Great vid bro ... Thanks for putting in some serious effort. That is my favorite triplet pattern. I love Bonham. Tremendous influence... Cheers bro

[@billblendick9780]

Yes, the world does need another video on his triplets. They were very innovative !

[@onebadhombre7158]

One of the coolest drum lessons on KZbin! So awesome thank you! 😭🙌

[@snarecat3441]

Aka : any drummer triplets Big Sid Catlet played these in the 30’s and 40’s , maybe earlier, 1920’s .. Thousands of cats do , did this all over the WORLD too!!! .. it ain’t new . The hippies in the 60’s and 70’s thought they were cool and the first to smoke weed ! Wrong again… my dad who fought in ww2 born in the 1920’s smoked it when he was a kid ! They just hid the cool stuff. Everyone don’t have to know wtf you are doing was the idea , then everyone would quietly go about their business! It was accepted …Anyway “ Bonham” didn’t invent anything… sorry, not to burst the bubble but it’s all been done way long ago , you ain’t special .. just another player in the world .

[@garyasmussen7213]

Great vid - much appreciated and you have challenged me again. Can i share my Bonzo triplet challenge with you which after 12 months is still difficult. LRKLRKLRKLRK played as 16th notes in 4/4 woth 5:30 hihat chic on all 4 quarter notes. Wow!!! A mental and physical challenge for me anyways. Sounds great at speed and becomes a part of fills once comfortable (which has taken me a whole year). Keep on posting this valuable info - greatly appreciated.

[@wingchun-simplekungfu7584]

Being able to lead with his left or right gave his rhythms a unique style that is easily recognised at Bonzo

[@lancefraijo8585]

Thank you for the John Bonham triplets exercise, I'll be using on my arsenal of tricks

[@8LLRoadranger]

That is a great practice drill. I’m gonna try this for sure as I predominantly lead right.

[@sixpackbiz]

Great exercise, thanks a lot for breaking it down to be easy to understand. However I'm afraid your triplets don't sound like John Bonham, it's very robotic. Bonham has that intensity fluctuations and also varying speed / spacing, yet his accent is where we feel it should, even though it might be off the metronom.

[@Andrewnutrition]

dont you start on the snare with both hands?

[@cruisemates]

Ummm... your scoring does not show triplets - it shows 1/8 and 1/16 notes. Triplets are written 3 notes per beat, so you would have 12 eighth notes in a measure, grouped in threes with a "3" written over the ties.

[@gtnsteve1]

Don't anybody dare to denigrate the musicianship of good drummers! Watching this I'm amazed at the skill! Note: it ain't just banging away.

[@jamestaylor-mdh-39]

Well done, great video... BUT, I've decided to put a floor tom over next to my hi hat and continue playing R, L, F :)

[@cut--]

otherwise known as doing three things with two sticks really fast and perfectly.. I know nothing about drumming but I sounded good ! a little :\

[@williambock6975]

It’s not easy to start with left hand after 30 yrs of starting with right hand. Had the same issue after learning he “Led” with left! I’ll try this. It should help with playing his 3/4 shuffle on Moby dick I feel as well. Idk how but I have a feeling it will.

[@MM-ig1iv]

Another good thing to point out.. or what I had trouble with is hitting the drums evenly or the "bass drum" in particular to get the right sound.. it needs to sound powerful!

[@garricksviridoff]

Good afternoon. I have a request to you to also analyze the solo of the no less great drummer of our era, Ian Pace from the Deep Purple group in the song " Flight of the Rat”. Thank you, God bless you.

[@paulrushing8610]

I know what you mean by trying to lead with the left as opposed to the right. That is difficult for me. I’ll work on that. Thanks for breaking it down for me. Paul.

[@hmuphilly9129]

Why would anyone dislike this jeez people just hate everything? This could be a helpful exercise to develop speed.. Cmon

[@popeyesailor9571]

that is all he could play. No multiple bounce rudiments what so ever. don't even mention flam rudiments. I was never impressed with his soloing. He had great time and tuning but his solo's sucked.

[@joseph-ow1hf]

Before I even started studying drumming and just started playing, I always led w/ the foot. I dunno, seemed most natural.

[@Delrada]

Nice exercise, but actually, these are not Bonham triplets or anyone else's triplets, for that matter. Just because you are playing a 3-note pattern does not mean you are playing triplets! The amount of notes you play has nothing to do with whether the musical phrase involves triplets or not. Triplets are a group of three notes played in the space usually taken up by two notes of the same value. So, sometimes these are triplets, but sometimes they are just eighth notes or sixteenth notes or whatever.

[@Avaloctus]

Thanks for uploading. Great exercise. ( may I ask, is this a Sonor Perfect Balance Pedal you use ? )00

[@thegoodfoot]

Thanks! Yes, it is indeed a Perfect Balance! However, I have since switched to a DW 9000. I love the feel of the Sonor but the way it attaches to the hoop was problematic for me because I'm always attaching it to different bass drums (backlines, rentals, etc).

[@patking9072]

To play Bonham Triplets the guy had to change his entire playing style.

[@billypigati5914]

What's hardest is actually keeping the hit hat on the 1 2 3 4.. the triplet pattern is easier than you think.. the left foot is what will get ya. Even kmin this video he lost hi hat beat...

[@ludwigmaple1911]

He didn't invent the gosh darn triplet..also there are tons of drummers better than him anyhoos...plus he's gosh darn dead any hoosen housen.

[@Sol_knows]

When you’re left handed playing on right handed drum set and been doing this by accident since you been playing

[@spamh1409]

I like the drum sounds. Something odd is going on with that high hat though.? It’s just a bit inconsistent

[@drumbyte]

Fantastic!!! I think I'll skip the 32nds, lol

[@scottlindsay841]

Never had lesson in my life til now . Learn to play by ear only . Thanks for the lesson , Bonzo is my drum god !

[@bongo042]

I think your video would be way more interesting if you spoke about what you were doing on the hi-hat and how it related to the time changes. I did enjoy the video btw.

[@thomasbuhman2405]

Couldnt find the pdf... just wanna know where to clap da hats mang!

[@katanatac]

I heard somewhere that British drummers learn to lead with their left where American drummers learn to lead with their right.

[@brianchisnell1548]

Chick Webb's grandfather came up with those. Nice demo.

[@Everlongfive]

Awesome video and thanks for the PDF too. :D

[@gmcjetpilot]

Ochoa cabrio Don't troll. No one said John Bonham Bonham invented the triplet. However the way he played, the sound he got, how he incorporated the lick into songs and grooves was very uniquely Bonham. No one played like him before that time, and no played like him since or will. Clearly he was influenced by great drummers before him.

[@jtparty2568]

best one yet on Bonhams triplets- great work Dave !

[@thegoodfoot]

Jack T thanks, glad you're digging it!

[@santinocastillo9348]

Really?...Now why wouldn't you demonstrate the cross over slow?

[@russwilson2305]

2:38 Your hi hat placement begins to change in relation to the triplet as you speed up shortly beyond this point.

[@No-mart]

Russ Wilson noticed the same thing. At the start he's on the snare first bar then on the tom second bar repeating then at faster tempos it's all on the snare hit.

[@drummerbuzz]

I really gotta work on the leading with the left hand.. great video

[@jedd82]

Can you explain the notation to me. I see double kick sometimes?

[@anthonybirch3650]

unfortunately there is no 'downloads' link so i cant get the pdf file

[@elbay2]

Very nice!

[@janetowens7288]

The rhythm method of birth control is really Bonham Triplets.

[@Soapygeri]

what brand snare and size are you using? probably bonham's size, but nice lugs and rim, so who makes it?

[@thegoodfoot]

Geri Lehnardt that’s a Mayer Bros snare. As is the rest of the kit. They make amazing stuff - check out www.mbdrums.com

[@bradleyshuppert3393]

I am a guitar player…. Not a drummer… but I watch these videos because my right hand guitaring techniques always feel like I am chasing the drumbeat. Much like a bass plays tight to the drums… I think it is important to focus your guitar playing to the anchor or music… the drums…. You could take this drum beat and be inspired to play along with it and it would change your approach to kicks and chords by grooving to the drums…. Try it… Metallica and many bands of that style chug to the drums and have made millions!!

[@MarcP5267]

Yea. Usually it’s the bass and drums but with Zeppelin it was Page playing with the drums.

[@jhonataalmeidcrazydiamond]

2:19

[@DylanL69]

John Bonham did with left hand lead right hand lead and also led with the kick

[@Ingens_Scherz]

This should be an Olympic sport.

[@monotone9408]

holy shit you have a lot of sticks in that bag

[@jefffisher4449]

agreed, this simplified alot of things holding me back, thanks

[@thedrumman64]

This is a fantastic lesson. Thank you for sharing. :-)

[@docdoon]

Nice video. I've found that I can increase the possibilites by playing it both ways (RLK or LRK) but ALSO by playing it with different parts on the downbeats, or the beginnings of the triplets. It's surprising how much thinking about the beat in a different place can make the exact same movements feel so much different. To spell it out, RLK as KRL or LKR, and LRK as KLR or RKL. Thought I would share as a fellow teacher.

[@thegoodfoot]

Dave Muldoon absolutely! You could definitely go through this exercise with each of those permutations.

[@docevans5971]

Good break down on this technique. Thumbs

[@willyloman9485]

Loved it Dave. Thanks for breaking it down man!!

[@kynancecove]

hEY bROTHER HOW WOULD ONE APPROACH THIS as I've the facility Just as I've only One Arthritic One Foot & One Hand ONLY sadly yet I've sustained a massive Brain Injury and I'm finding this iSUFFED AbRAIN hEM WHICH TRIGGERED a Stroke I rather difficult triplets don't feel Right in my state cheers bravo on the video I'm nobody Famous LIMEY but teamed up with the infamous Steve White no RelationI'm Mark D. White Iplayed on a Mapex clinic not long after my Brain went Bang and we both made stroke Awareness for drummers movie years back called "DRUMBREATSTSTROKE" with the HOPE that I'm One of the Last Drummers to LOSE Their ABILITY this way GREATDRUMMING bONHAM WOULD BE PLEASED HEARING YOUR TRIPLET EXECUTION It would MAKE his JAZZ ROCK Soul /Heart HAPPY!!!IF I Love Your Playing then I'd recon He would Blimey Yes great Video mate Thankyou #M.D.W #

[@napadrummer1143]

Great instruction and explanation without overkill, thanks.

[@egatz4u]

That’s funny never New he led with left hand. I am left handed and play open righty. Like Simon Philips I trained my self to lead with my right. Cool I can just play it natural.