Not So Secret Steve Gadd Drum Lick Explained

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[@Alexleight]

For a floating head and arms you're pretty good

[@Clementine_left_me]

+1 good job

[@gus4442]

yeah, spooky.

[@egbcop]

he's wearing a black shirt

[@loganadept6160]

Egbert Copplind whoosh

[@wmakiling805]

I've been meaning to search for this lick for years and I stumbled across this gem. Thank you so much!

[@diegus012]

Finally! I have been all over KZbin trying to find someone teaching it correctly. I saw several videos of people doing it almost right but it never sounded exactly like Gadd. Getting that bass drum to play on 1 alone was the tricky part that no one seemed to get. Hats off to you! And thanks!

[@bowiemusic]

Great explanation, thanks. What makes this lick great is to superimpose it (groups of 3) over a duple subdivision to create a polyrhythmic syncopation (e.g., as 16ths causing the placement of the bass drum note to change it's relation to the beat). This could also be played starting with the bass drum in different locations (e.g., with the BD note as the last note of the figure instead of the first. Lots of possibilities...

[@mawel1955]

I think Mitch Mitchell did something similar for his drum solo during 'If 6 Were 9'

[@alexandermglass]

Thanks for breaking this down - I'm always looking for a cool new drum fill to try out

[@billyjleva]

Love the way your kit is tuned.

[@ferdasynn]

Thanks for taking the time to give this answer!

[@mladenpalenkas7750]

For me, You're one of the best teacher on KZbin, deep respect bro!

[@TakisT888]

nice, easier than i expected coult play it right away..

[@fashioncorpse]

"this is from Steve Gadd" me - is this the Aja solo? (plays the excercise) me - this is the aja solo

[@d5a4m3o2n1]

Man those drums are tuned high, they sound great!

[@tarekelfakharany]

I love it when a good Steve Gadd trick is explained, Thank you sir, i'm enlightened. (i almost cried)

[@Wilsonbangy]

Very very good teaching .. and excellently executed !

[@drummer5359]

Great little lick, I can't wait to work on it.

[@flyerscout2]

Well done. I love the sound of you drums.

[@gonzaloperez7069]

It `s simple ,but also difficult to let it flow,Thanks

[@johnnyrotten8037]

That was excellent my friend. Thank you for sharing. Gotta practice this lick!

[@wmakiling805]

This is the SG lick I've been looking for!

[@calvinheide9591]

I was watching this, and said to myself, "Oh, this is rather easy by the way it looks!" I hopped on my kit, and attempted. Never has my brain hurt more than now.

[@faultier743]

u r really good at explaining. my music teacher just shows me once and expects me to know by just looking at him play fast! :( thank so much though. this really helps :)

[@theavenger3363]

Great job, very well explained & played 👍

[@jimflys2]

Great! Very clean and articulate. I love the open bass drum. Abassadors with no muffling?

[@johannajules8145]

I am just saying thank you because this video helped me improved in speed and in beats.

[@chuckondrums]

Awesome videos, Ive taken some myself with a nigh end digital camera, but the quality is horrible.. Anything you use or recomend for a good camera?

[@records789]

Very good example! Wish other people on here would give easy step by step examples like this.

[@Kimmo788]

Many many thanks. Now that is one more lick, i have learned from mr. Steve Gadd.

[@charlesismymiddlenam]

great video. very clear and concise. one question though, out of interest - are you bouncing the two consecutive lefts, or playing two independent strokes for each left?

[@GruvTraveller01]

OK I might regret this but this lick is NOT based on a ratamacue, it is based on rudiment #2 the SINGLE STROKE FOUR (or Ruff when played as grace notes). It is broken up between the hands and feet. Many variations on this have been used (Bonham) all essentially based on a sextuplet phrasing. By removing the grace notes the ratamacue is no longer there. Learn your rudiments backwards and forwards and know what the differences are.

[@BrianTylerComposer]

My brain wants to reverse my starting stroke to my right hand every time for some reason. DAMMIT

[@DaveSpicerAU]

@ammobile1 I honestly don't use painted sticks much on gigs because unless it's a cold venue, the sweat thing is really an issue. I do occasionally pull out the Gadd sticks if I'm playing a song that requires a lot of cross-stick playing because the sound and feel is just so good from them. I mainly use 5a Extreme or 2b. Thanks for watching.

[@tmaddrummer]

Thank you Sacha! Very well done!!!

[@1955davids]

Is that a WorldMax Maple snare drum? Excellent instruction, by the way.

[@Chamindrums]

+1955davids Is a Yamaha Akira Jimbo signature snare, 13x7"

[@GaddStuff]

Uhm ... Just watch the video “Up Close” with Steve Gadd where he explains how he plays the lick that you’re referring to. It’s a ratamaque rudiment that ends with the kick (bassdrum). You can play the kick on every quarter beat. Steve also explains a similar rudiment which is a 6 stroke roll. That’s the one you play. The small difference between these two rudiments are the strokes on the snaredrum. These are played like a ruff. A ruff is a bit like a flam but two fast strokes before the last stroke on the beat. I leave this comment not in a bad way but to share how it’s done properly. The transcription of Fifty ways to leave your lover (not to be confused with Muppets Animal version of “How to leave your liver”) also I have seen transcribed not properly in books etc. Like in Rick Lathams Book. Long before “Up Close” was released I thought I sorted out why the first two hi hat hits sounded different. I had managed to get my hands on a second hand single (vinyl had to be played on 45 rpm) of the song and played it over and over again in the lowest 33 1/3 rpm: a “woesh” sound on the first hi hat hit and a shorter hit on the second. My drum teacher said I got it all wrong till “Up Close” was released. Than he admitted that I was right en he was wrong. A relief! I took some time to figure it out! Best regards, Jack de Bruijn/DrumcoachJack

[@eriklarson9137]

You typed a ton there. You know what would have been awesome? For you to post a video proving what you say. I see you have a lot of videos posted. None like you are talking about here though. :(

[@terrytk9398]

GaddStuff well spotted that it’s from the book and video/cd Gadd ‘Up Close’ : I wonder how many recycled video clips play on YT with on line presenters unaware of their drumming antecedence?! 😀

[@fromallsides]

Thank you for your video, it was informative and your playing is great. I love all styles of drumming. -A metal drummer

[@yltcraxe]

Sounds great and very helpful yet accessible. Thanks. Though the timing of the vid is a little off, at least on my phone.

[@TheMichaelseymour]

very cool ...greetings from melbourne .

[@royayersrules]

Clear and concise. Just as an instructor should be. No need to ask any questions. There's lots of flakes on YT!

[@soncries]

that's what a ratamacue is... and you also taught me the spelling! cheers mate!

[@xXParanormalPunxXx]

I love your drumset!

[@misterbrand]

brilliant! - i also got the idea of an world-spinning social medium to connect people with each other, having a picture of themselves uploaded before i knew Facebook...

[@pborgbarthet]

Great videos.. keep it up. THAT is one beautiful snare!! What is it?

[@CRM537]

Great stuff, nice drums... I have the same set, but in green.. and gold plated lug nuts.. Thanks !!

[@dbsendyd]

2:42 I love this 'accent'! haha

[@misterbrand]

Dynamics! the thing is when you play the fill with the accent, the two ll become ghost-notes, while every other note (snare-accent, toms and kick) will be played on a much harder level. - If you listen to Steve Gadds solo in Asia by Steely Dan you will hear hear why. Also the feel of playing the double ll is different then just playing singles - so it might be possible to emulate this with singles, but especially in a high tempo it is more difficult to get the dynamics/feel right ... (i guess?)

[@Eljubilodeltambor]

Thanks for being Kind by Sharing Knowledge... This is what we really need.. people that offer good things :D... Thank you... I'm Working on this actually... My Interested began watching this "tribute fill" on Todd Sucherman's DVD methods and mechanics... Now I'm More focus, thanks to your explanation. :)

[@maxwellgordon9868]

Beautiful Yamaha kit!

[@detroitfella]

It's definitely Steve Gadd's pattern. Steve was an innovator in applying rudiments to the drum set. This pattern is the right-hand part of a ratamacue, orchestrated around the drums. Other drummers may come up with something similar on their own now, but it's only because they're standing on the shoulders of players like Steve.

[@jordankelly9836]

Nice lick you figured out, it helped me out.

[@sinkai2000]

Well, the mystery has been solved. Thank you !

[@mexicanpoptart17]

great vid...I'm not criticizing but how is playing kit with an akward traditional grip comfortable?

[@cast390]

That was awesome,more steve godd please!!!!

[@jacobspeth6464]

Max Roach does the exact same lick on his solo on “Raincheck” on the Sonny Rollins album “Work Time.” Gadd had to get it from somewhere!

[@landart67]

Thank you. This may sound stupid but Gadd usually follows this lick with a similar "reverse " lick, Is there any way you could put the two together for us Gadd wanna bees? :)

[@drummerman558]

@BradenPitts midi*, it is just a type of music file and can be used to share music between people, usually via email i guess.

[@drumbfounded]

Depends on your ability to play doubles. It's a double paradiddle (two pairs of singles and a double) with the double on the second and third notes, or pud duh dud triplet.

[@DaveSpicerAU]

@willkanoff Calling this lick a ratamacue would be incorrect. Gadd says he derived it from a ratamacue, but it has become something completely different in application. A ratamacue is a single stroke four preceded by a drag. This lick is a non-alternating ratamacue, with the drag interpreted as 2 even notes (aka paradiddle-diddle), then displaced by 3 notes, THEN partly voiced on the kick drum. To explain how it relates to a ratamacue would have been a waste of time. Just like posting this.

[@rudedoc]

Has the Steve Gadd sticks to match!

[@AlexDaigleDrums]

Both times you presented the pattern in the beginning, you did not start with your foot. Why is that? Wouldn't that turn the pattern into LLR LRF (These drums SSS TTK)

[@ferdasynn]

Very nice vid. One question though: isn't it easier to play KRL RLR?

[@drag0nfis7]

Not to mention the feel required to know where you are while doing this.

[@peanutpeanut123]

I hearby suggest all drum tuition should refer to leading hand as A and weaker hand as B. No longer R L RR L R LL but A B AA B A BB, this makes it easier for all the left handed players. please spread this idea if you agree.

[@shillmon]

I’m a little late to the party but excellent lesson.

[@dejd]

@drummerkingmike Or 16 note triplets, right? I suppose there would be no difference in playing 6 notes of sextuplets or 6 notes of triplets inside one quarter note in 4/4 measure.

[@ntrakit6]

What a beautiful lick!!

[@angelgroover]

great stuff Sacha.

[@terryf5131]

Yes.🤠 Thank you.

[@ronaldpapa8182]

Great lesson!!

[@skippyskatestuff]

i love your bass what size is it and what heads do you have? :) -Alex

[@tbone12354]

How do the wood hoops go with the accents? Do they dint at all or mark or anything?

[@makokan2000]

beautiful

[@MrNanoGod]

Awesome wood hoops :) sounds great

[@Azarie03]

You're a great teacher. Subscribed

[@DaveSpicerAU]

@ZackPomerleau Yes they could be depending on the time signature.

[@DaveSpicerAU]

@gstek1 That's a 20" Maple Custom with Coated Ambassadors on both sides. Cheers.

[@hardhitter0421]

Steve Gadd - Aja Drum Fills!

[@soundhaus6404]

YOUR AWESOME

[@classixdrummer]

Neat little lick, thanks !

[@TheJkirsch]

@sushiquad you should check out sacha's other videos, this ain't going crazy. theres a beast that lurks within this mortal man haha one of the purest talents mixed with unrelentingly accurate technique. a drum super hero

[@Aowkrjrnf]

is this for people who have never played drum set before....?

[@debralynnpaxton5238]

Brilliant! Thank you Sacha :D

[@Aowkrjrnf]

@schoolofmusiconline yea...took me like...5 mins to get it that fast lol, just reading the title of vid thought it was a more difficult lick but deff a good lick to use in most styles of music for a drummer

[@mads32]

Thank you! Great explaining !!

[@DaveSpicerAU]

@donius22 That's a Yamaha Akira Jimbo Signature 13"x7"

[@gretschbasher]

I think he means the last right hand stroke and kick stroke hit at the same time, which is just another take on a 6 stroke roll, but not so much Steve Gadd it's more Mitch Mitchell.

[@danb2140]

Steve gadd Sig kit to awsome!! Those are super rare

[@alenty]

@DTxOctavariumx Thanks, but what time sig is it meant for?

[@davidjames1684]

What would be really cool is on alternate groups of 6, leave out one of the toms and do 2 bass drums hits instead (2 pedal would be easier).

[@SachaKDrums]

Well I wasn't around in the 70's so I couldn't give an account of the chronology - only where I heard it.

[@68thelzeppelin]

excellent video man !!!

[@Jrkk2493]

What hats are those? They look cool...

[@leolillsked]

is that the akira jimbo signature snare drum? sounds great anyway.

[@lookingatthemarkets]

Classic lick. Good explanation

[@ZackPomerleau]

@schoolofmusiconline Okay, thanks! I thought so!

[@toninodrumlecce]

very good!!!thanks..

[@pollymatication]

@schoolofmusiconline ooh, now you gone a made me feel bad for being mean. Thanks for this moment of self reflection.

[@Fededrum71]

Great lesson

[@pollymatication]

@Joffy76 yeah, you're right. I meant to remove that comment after realising how childish I sound. I didn't realise that was the sound he's after. I don't know much about jazz or fusion, Im a rock drummer.

[@Anonomusturd]

Yes it does. All he's saying is that he thought the bass was last not first. I thought the same thing before I learned it a while back.

[@BrianFosterdrummer]

Great lesson! Check out Al Di meola "casino" love it