Mercedes Lander: 5 Tips For Making A Song Catchy (FULL DRUM LESSON)

[@JCridford]

Mercedes is such an underrated drummer - very dynamic and expressive. I like what she says about being a "rock drummer stuck in a metal band", because I think that's what gives Kittie their identity. Her playing gives real lift to the arrangements.

[@cyrusfreeman9972]

Rock drumming in metal is the antidote to constant kick blasting amd quantized inhumanity.

[@magrildz]

I love her drumming but her voooice *-* love hearing her talk.

[@tatann666]

She's a great singer too

[@rebelguy9487]

She sings like her sister but at a lower register.....both Lander sisters can sing like angels and scream like demons!

[@markdemell3717]

She is in 6th gear on that kit and she has strong arms that wack the skins hard ,I really like how she uses her cymbals .She seems like a cool cat.Rock on.

[@SoilentGr33n]

Go listen to The White Swan if you like her voice.

[@louderthangod]

She’s also cute as hell and hits hard which is all very good.

[@killerpeaches7]

Seriously underrated drummer.

[@prepperandson1399]

Agreed

[@cosmicsman666]

underated by the pilsbury Dough man yes.

[@NewGuyMedia-xe7bm]

I never realized how good she was untill I saw them live for the first time, she's very very good!

[@frontsidegrinder6858]

No, people who listen to good music know her , so what?

[@blstem5561]

FOR.. Shhh

[@vadiknetsko8504]

Well, I remember those times when Kittie's song "Brackish" blows my brain out. That was awesome!

[@spudsapoppin]

Mercedes is good people. Kittie are good people. London, Ontario's gift to the world - Kittie.

[@claudioolate2516]

I liked her aproach to drums. Really solid drumming. No super technical, fast or fancy stuff. Just powerful grooves that perfectly fit the song and the so called "hooks" carefully placed in the right place in the songs. Also she seems to be super cool and kind person. Very "down to earth" person.

[@MarkArandjus]

The Lander sisters have always been my heroes when it comes to metal, they're badass!

[@Fucklesticks]

I love her style. Tasteful, hard hitting and precise. No overplaying, just serving the song.

[@upfactoryracing4148]

Man I have had stars in my eyes for her and her sister since 97 when I first saw them! I knew they would make it big!

[@koolBOY8323]

kittie's "what i always wanted" was the first double kick groove i ever learned. while i disagree on some of her view points on songwriting, i still respect her skill and playing alot. i feel like Mercedes got skewered a bit in this interview and it was cut short in a few places. Dave seems really intimidated and uncomfortable and in a few places even heated and disagreeable in others. I think a revisit and maybe a different topic is in order IMO. maybe on how her approach to drumming and musicality has changed in the 20 years that kittie has been around and producing music? Her approach to being a 'rock drummer stuck in a metal band' and what that means to kittie's sound? a few anecdotes on her impeccable timing and how rumor has it she doesn't need a click track, even in studio? seems to me since she's not Anika or Meytal she's been a bit slighted here.

[@dieforme666]

Hell yeah

[@onerandombruh]

Kinda agree with you... Interestingly enough, there's a lot of myths around Mercedes' craft which is great...

[@bellfire1238]

yeah i feel that the topic of song writing was rather odd and felt like it should have been something else

[@lo4d3dgun]

She’s an underrated and incredible drummer, so is Kittie.

[@2Pinapod123]

am I the only person that clapped and cheered with full enthusiasm at the end of this video as though I was at a gig, despite sitting alone on my couch in my flat... Awesome video, awesome person, makes me glad to be alive when I am :,) thanks for the amazing content @ drumeo, wowee!

[@Mike-oz5pp]

She is such a great drummer, always loved her playing, feel, & her tuning. Everything about her is attractive; looks, voice, a "beautiful" woman no doubt!

[@COTTERO]

It´s great to see Mercedes again, she's one of the finest (and maybe the most powerful) drummers out there. Definitely she's in my top five with Senri Kawaguchi, Anika Nilles, Terri Carrington and Hannah Ford, without wanting to belittle the many excellent drummers in the business.

[@PlanetNeo]

COTTERO No Martina Axen?

[@deadstar44]

She's a Valkyrie on the drums. Samantha Moloney is underrated as well.

[@TranzparentMethods]

Dude, when she started talking about melody with drums?!?!?! I've been Kittie fan for 20 years now. This is AMAZING!!!

[@dcmastermindfirst9418]

Lol. a Valkyrie? do you even know what a Valkyrie is and did?

[@robbie891]

Followed this band since the very start. This lady has been a huge inspiration to me and my drumming career. Copying her from kit setup, cymbal tones and little things like red balled kik beaters lol. Truly amazing. Luv ya girl x

[@joealias2594]

Damn you can just tell from watching how hard she hits, awesome

[@preciousjjongbear]

She is absolutely amazing!! Been a fan of hers and her sisters since 2000! Thanks for having her on ♥️

[@jasperjenkins7729]

Kittie' 1st Gig in America was @ the I-Rock Night Club in Detroit. My Band BURNER opened for them. They were so young that Their Mothers were with them driving a Motorhome. IT WAS KICK ASS🎯🤘🔥

[@cfhnate3125]

I WAS FUCKING THERE!!!!!!! I took the tunnel bus from Windsor at random! Thanks for that memory!!!!!!!

[@derrickgpgwilson5371]

She's Beauty and the beast wrapped in one!!! Beautiful and a beast on the drums!!!

[@peter9314]

I love Mercedes. She's awesome. Thank you Drumeo for this!

[@lr8684]

Mercedes is a beast on drums. She's a musician who has a great feel for music. I've seen them several times. Ozzfest 99 i think was the first and several times after that. Watching her play is magical!! Keep up the great work Mercedes!!

[@namoraxo]

She’s so cool. The power behind her drumming is such a treat to watch.

[@Musical_Sweetness]

Ohhhh, out of nowhere this appear in the feed. I saw them live in México back in the day, I was like 15 or so. They signed my "Until the end" CD. I always loved Morgan's vocals, her type of grunts fits with so many metal styles and the drums parts that were not usual as other bands. And I had a crush on Mercedes back then hehehe. Nice to see her here.

[@23ograin53]

Love her drumming. The fills and chinas on "what I always wanted" are sooo good!

[@matthewwhitt3844]

My favorite drummer for sure. My favorite guest drummer I have watched on the channel. Watched her since they first started! Amazing video!!

Kittie is a very special band to me. Their What I've Always Wanted is the song that brought me to metal. I had no Idea Mercedes is such a heavy hitter when drumming. I like her style and her views on songwriting too. Sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go even for a progressive metal artist. Besides that it's me who listens to her music today, not the other way around, so her method definitely works :)

[@drumcrazyozzy7410]

love her playing...one of my fav female drummers...in my top 10 drummers of all time...

[@djabthrash]

Never been a huge Kittie fan but she has a killer drum tone (that explosive snare !!!), parts that fit the music perfectly (which is kind of the point of this class), and she seem to be a very cool person in general. She makes want to revisit the band albums and watch their documentary !

[@tatann666]

Go past their new metal debut (if that's not your style) and you'll see they became a really good metal band in the 2000's when they matured

[@nightshadeii9248]

Still in love with her...20 years later.

[@knittingnetty1980]

This makes me even more passionate about Kittie, If I ever got lucky enough to meet Mercedes that would be a day to never forget, fantastic video

[@jahwarriorfrmsd]

I still remember when I met Mercedes in person back in 2004 in Chico, CA. I took pictures with her and she was sooo awesome to talk to. I love you... still!! definitely my fave drummer... still.

[@kristoffslovijk9637]

Mercedes Lander is awesome! I've had a musical crush on her for years. Plus, she's pretty.

[@dieforme666]

I really liked fallon till i found out she quit just cuz she was being a bitch 😒 how u gonna leave a badass band for no reason at all

[@horhe0423]

These are lessons you can only get from an experienced metalhead 🤘🏼 So much fun to watch 😁

[@squibboops9651]

Phenomenal beautiful genuine. Massive kittie fan from the early 90s. Love to see mercedes crush the jams still.

[@dhruel]

Thank you for this. Never managed to catch Kittie on tour, and I've been crushing on Mercedes' drumming for years, so this is friggin' awesome.

[@grooveclinic]

Thank you so such for this amazing video !! Mercedes is such an amazing drummer.....WOW.... She has a very raw and unique voice as well as amazing technique !! 🤘🏻

[@fivebyfivesound]

Wow. So much practical direction on composition and playing an ensemble role as a drummer. And I feel like this is equally a lesson in having fun and holding confidence, as modeled by Mercedes. Kudos.

[@dudemanaric]

I have this same setup and the same ride cymbal.. I don't play double bass though.. What a powerhouse! Very impressive.

[@sylvainpauze1336]

Amazing! What a presence, great hard beat. And useful tips so well explain! A new Kittie fan is born!! Thanks!

[@matao33]

I heard the song she was playing to, then heard the singer, and was like "kittie?" Then I saw the title. It's been a minute since heard a kittie song. They are something indeed. Im happy to see Mercedes on drumeo!

[@Raijin-RyuX24]

Met Mercedes some years ago and she was super cool to hang with. She is so focused and solid when she plays too. Also very pretty. I’m not a fan of her band Kittie as much as I used to be back then though. Curious about the other projects she’s worked on.

[@JJmonty7s]

I was going to go on a KZbin lesson drumming spree. Now I'm sitting here letting this soak in. Really cool lesson. Thx!

[@fatmarkyli]

I have known Mercedes since she was a kid. She is one of the kindest sweetest people there is.

[@BokuPower]

That was some nice drumming. Nice clean ideas. The sign of a good drummer is someone that makes you believe that you can go and play just as well.

[@ronnywilson2112]

Love Mercedes and love Kittie since year 2000 ❤🤘🥁

[@HeavyHauler81]

i've always wanted to see a video like this of Mercedes! She's grown so much as a drummer! great job!

[@mpk33]

I feel for the snare stand. It's copping a proper hiding!

[@paulgrossman8830]

As a professional drummer myself, I would dsiagree with her on point #1. The drummer does not control that. The band controls that. It is a group decision or a decision of whoever is writing the song (should the band designate that responsibility to just one person). The drummer CAN be that person, but to just assume its the drummer who makes such a decision just isn't true. that said... Mercedes is awesome. Nothing but respect to her abilities and her accomplishments. Shes great.

[@rjones6801]

Kittie will always hold a special place in my heart and history. They played pretty early in the day at Ozzfest, and I’m about 99% sure they were the first band I ever moshed to. That was over 20 years ago. You never forget your first. I got a bloody nose, lol. Metal.

[@1111Paiste]

Mercedes is a really fine and powerful musician....wow! I PLAY BAREFOOT too; always have. Best, Jimi

[@BoomerMusicCompany]

Great video Mercedes! Mouth guitar=totally! I've created whole parts buy just singing the band the parts. I love doing that!

[@billybobhorton9998]

I’m so glad he talked about copying song structure. I’m also glad that Mercedes didn’t bullshit and she said it’s okay to copy song structure because they completely “riffed” off of Zao The Rising End, it’s almost static verbatim. That said. I love Old Zao and reaching back and bringing back certain aesthetics is A Okay with me!

[@ricardodaniel1305]

Siempre me ha gustado como toca, y esa voz uuuuuffff fenomenal ❤❤

[@talkingshopwiththebossandt5719]

LOVE Mercedes! One thing I've realized listening and watching Kittie songs is that... She doesn't fill alot. Very minimal in rolls. Straight to the point with the beats in all the songs. Not a bad thing, just an observation.

[@NewGuyMedia-xe7bm]

I was thinking the same, she never lacks, but never over-does-it... that's exactly what ya want in a drummer.

[@Tamarocker88]

AKA boring. Too minimal. Gets lost in the rest of the songs because not much is going on. There's a fine line between being too flashy and playing for what a song needs. Seems to me that more often than not she's typically on the meager side of just keeping the beat.

[@J0intV3nture]

I saw Kittie for the first time in March '00 in Frankfurt/Germany supporting "One Minute Silence" and "Slipknot". Damn that's a long time ago...

[@theshapeexists]

I bought their first record when i was a teen. Im in my 40s now and still get down with kittie

[@nattybuffalodread]

I'm going to picture myself Mercedes playing with every metal song I'll listen to from now

[@charlessmith4446]

I'm a big fan of kittie. Love watching Mercedes play. One of my favorite drummers. She plays 2 of my favorite songs on this lesson. You're hot and a beast on that kit. Love it. Thanks for all the gut crunching metal you give us.

[@WindsonTrevizoli]

Mercedes is an underrated drummer. She has her own style of playing. She is very creative and aggressive. At the same time she manages to be captivating. She's wonderful. One of the Best Drummers in the world.

[@SpacedockRecords]

ORACLE! She showed some serious drum sound on that one!

[@Stray1One]

I’m the best drummer in the world until I saw Mercedes I’m stray1 and watched brackish from the first time I saw kittie I realised I was and still nothing best female band ever and no others will ever come close you’re music has helped me in ways you could understand

[@brianmarquet2602]

My personal favorite drummer

[@nimh1515]

Mercedes, you rock, thank you for doing this video.

[@xcronex]

Thank you for this!! I love her and her drumming .. long time fan

[@carlosborjas797]

I love the drumsticks Ahead, great duration, good feel, less tiredness in the arms, and NO !! no friends do not break the cymbals, 4 years using them and a more than amazing experience.

[@Marcus2750-u1t]

BIG FAN OF KITTIE AND MERCEDES!!!! Wooooow what a doll!!!! Thank you!

[@BokuPower]

Just to add on to Mercedes explanation of a drum hook, I would say a way creative way to create a drum hook is by adding in space(s) to a rhythmic idea. That was a cool lesson. Nice!

[@spinfected]

She's a machine. Much respect 🤘🤘🤘

[@BW9971]

I want to play the drums to "Sleep Walking" so bad. I feel like it's in 6/8 time with a 1 and 2 and 3 and feel to it. That song seems so fun to play! I need a drum set!

[@JETX1990]

Always digging these videos!! Sarah Thawer would be another amazing drummer to watch on Drumeo if y'all don't already have her on the schedule.

[@RodPimentelSound]

i´ve been her fan since i was sooo young. God bless her.

[@whanowa]

I like that she's humble.

[@confessorsedai]

0:43 - Cut Throat 33:40 - Sleepwalking 41:39 - Empires 2

[@natalirivera2694]

omg Mercedes!! Its great to see her in Drumeo!!! Loved it

[@razorrawb]

I'm a wizard at mouthing guitar as well!! I may not play guitar but I definitely hear riffs for sure.

[@DanHovington]

She is such an underrated drummer, just awesome and also just beautiful

[@christopherk111]

LOVE her voorhees tattoo,,,and her drumming talent as well

[@frontsidegrinder6858]

Nowadays girls without tatts are more rare, check this.

[@LAWIKKA]

15 years ago I discovered kittie and of course fell in love with Mercedes and her drums so I took lessons and realized I sucked so just let go that dream and enjoy their music 😂

[@SnEaKeRSkEr]

Ofcourse you sucked that's what the lessons were for🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ryanrcaster]

What a wonderful Canadian moment 40:21

[@DejaVuDejaVuDejaVu]

The trance she is in when drumming 🤩👌😍

[@rafaelcarosia9328]

Kittie band deserves more media!

[@bknoxx]

she needs to come back.. their new stuff kicks ass!!

[@dafnemottaflores2536]

Mercedes....The love of my life!

[@DiZzAzZtErPrOdUcTiOnS]

This is the most soothing video ever.

[@brettservin4395]

Love that she always dons the white tip black sticks

[@AaronPatriot]

Mercedes is totally a badass drummer.

[@southsidemikevlogs]

mercedes is a hell of a drummer remember seening her 2000 when kittie open up for relative ash good time she blow my mind with her drumming i am also a drummer it takes alot to be a great drummer

[@carloscintron7733]

What a legend. She plays like no one else.

[@FanaticDrummer]

On the topic of Ahead sticks, ive had the Joey Jordison sigs since they were released. The one pair has lasted over 15 years minus the sleeves. They feel amazing and let you play effortlessly with little to no shock or vibrations. However, this is a big one, because the sleeve is not wood or hard, you do lose the volume and attack on ride bells, which is sorta a bummer. They are also uncomfortable for jazz because the metal ring is placed where your knuckle would rest and really rubs into your skin lol But if you play heavy music or speed music they are fantastic. Another down side is they are super expensive, so unlike wood sticks where you can get 4-5 pairs, its hard to fill your kit with back up stick as a ahead player who isnt endorsed. I mean they are $30 a pair lol. 6 pairs for your kit as back ups would cost you $180... OUCH.

[@crimsun7186]

Just use correct technique and go back to wood sticks. Maybe you hit too hard and hickory might be better for you, being more dense. Or maybe you should use heavier sticks. And so on. Yes, drum sticks are disposable, but they're not that disposable.

[@xjesusxchristx]

So, I'm not a drummer - I'm a multi instrumentalist, and trained composer(trying to learn to write better drum/percussion parts, hence being here). I want to add something to her comment about fast drums vs slower paced structure... I actually quite like the juxtaposition between fast drums, in an otherwise slow part. Used in moderation, I find it can give a great texture, and flavour. I find it extremely effective in outros, or reintroduction of earlier riffs. In outros, it works especially well if you speed up the drums progressively, and maybe even over a slow fade out. So you could, say, have the kicks speeding up into faster divisions of the beat, or where overall you end up going into full blasts with snare and kicks, while cymbals and/or toms keep the original "slower" accents, or runs. And I'm still only 15 mins in, so forgive me if she addresses something along these lines later. Anyways, just my two cents. PS: I love how down to earth, and unpretentious she is - while remaining so extremely professional. Thoroughly enjoyed this video, and her plain speak makes it so easy to follow as a non drummer.

[@xjesusxchristx]

O..k... Sure.

[@rich3858]

Great lesson. Great drummer. Great sound!

[@drewm1808]

She makes it look easy

[@russergrensa140]

She has a precise timming. Like her style

[@BlackMambaOfficial]

What an energy!!! Black Mamba Approved!

[@iamnoone9041]

I was so happy when Kittie came out man! It was about time some women came out and kicked metal ass the way they did. Great band and a great live show!

[@Birddie_]

I would literally die for Mercedes 😭

[@msigallery3977]

youre here?!

[@Birddie_]

@@msigallery3977 yessss😫😈😈🥵🥵😩✋

[@afeky]

Drumeo are the BESTTTTT

[@Jermusicislife84]

Talented and GORGEOUS, I'd LOVE to meet her and talk music

[@johnwoodcock3208]

My favorite drummer!