Sugarfoot’s 3 Legendary Drum Grooves (Study The Greats)

Faster Hands & Feet (in 10 days)
► www.Drumeo.com/faster/
"Study the Greats" is a series of quick videos where host Austin Burcham walks you through beats by some of the world’s greatest drummers.
In this clip, you’ll learn three of Jonathan “Sugarfoot” Moffett’s most memorable grooves. Not only was he Michael Jackson’s longtime drummer, he has also played with Madonna, George Michael, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and many more. It doesn’t get much more accomplished than Sugarfoot, whose playing style is unique due to precise funky grooves and impressive showmanship (watch him play “Smooth Criminal” to see his double cymbal grabs).
Here’s the breakdown of three key Michael Jackson beats. While they may seem like simple 4/4 pop grooves, Jonathan has his own way of playing that can be tough to recreate, especially at full speed:
“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” 1:10
“Smooth Criminal” 3:42
“Jam” 6:28
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[@CastrateThePig]

The metronome uses sugarfoot to practice

[@rizkynursalim8097]

hahaha... damn, its true

[@Alidorne]

Austin himself! Love the way this guy breaks down things.

[@DrumeoOfficial]

Austin is the man! Glad you enjoyed his lesson. :)

[@abbdrums]

Thanks 🙏🏼

[@abbdrums]

Hey Drumeo crew, hope you guys dig these episodes!

[@spriestplayer2329]

I don't even have drums but I love watching these videos 😂

[@tannerjamesgaughf6852]

I love how the first two grooves left the first downbeat of each phrase alone giving them an extra funky feeling. Brilliant drumming.

[@Rustyjamesman]

That snare sound is so perfect

[@antonburger01]

Sugarfoot! What I love most about his grooves is the lack of "flash"; he plays that which drives the song - steady confident grooves - without any selfish desire to draw attention to himself and the drums by throwing in unnecessary embelishments that disrupt the drive and groove. And he's virtually a living metronome! Thanks Drumeo for making the effort and investments to bring huge names like JSM to aspiring drummers like us to learn from!

[@ALLMUTANTER]

Except for his ornate choice of finish, nickname and signature "backcrash"...

[@mrtc29]

I play drums for a busy Jackson tribute. Always listening & watching sugar foot for inspiration & stage presence 👍 Great lesson

[@Cangsque]

always admire him.. one of the BEST drummer in the world.

[@chezchezchezchez]

CANGA anton Austin?

[@Cangsque]

Sugarfoot.

[@johnnybigmac5756]

Honestly my personal favorite Johnathan Moffet groove is his version of "Scream" from Michael's "HIStory" tour. It doesn't sound all that impressive at first, and it really isn't physically- but when you sit down and actually play it, it feels so powerful. I don't know if it's the tempo or the accents, but it always feels so good playing that groove!

[@nickentros]

What a great collab between Drumeo and Austin. Great stuff

[@crazy8sdrums]

The Sugarfoot videos from Drumeo have been my favorites. TY Drumeo! He is a powerful player with masterful command of time and groove!

[@redrum567]

I've watched that specific Drumeo appearance featuring "Sugarfoot" (and many others 😁) a couple three times. Excellent tutorials & THANK YOU for always sharing knowledge. Many, many techniques involved - we sure appreciate the lessons 🎼

[@CurtisDrums]

Man, I miss Michael Jackson. It's been 10 years since he died

[@countrydj2]

I remember my sister sending me a text when I was at work telling me about Michael Jackson’s passing.

[@EclecticProductionz]

@@rmch4070 "if was"?? Learn how to speak dumbass😂😂. Go do some research Robbie...

[@Vireca]

He died this day, same day as my birthday...

[@rmch4070]

Eclectic Productionz Big time

[@EclecticProductionz]

@@rmch4070 Based off of what premise?

[@TeclaSAPcomUlissesCarvalho]

Sweet! Thanks, Austin and Drumeo!

[@BionicleSaurus]

My brain broke for a second when I saw a "Study The Greats" posted by Drumeo lol

[@johnathanflannagan2407]

As a guitarist I write drums as well because they go hand in hand. I love videos that make breakdowns like this. Keep it up!

[@DavidEspinell]

Sugar Foot is just amaizing!! Thank you Drumeo for thsi video!!

[@MichaelVLang]

Sugarfoot has as the underpinning of his style the ultimate confidence and power while playing anything. he has mastered the Inner Game of Drumming. We can play his grooves all day long, but in front of millions with the King of Pop depending on your groove. Great stuff. How would you feel it differently in from of 100,000 people.

[@franwas9586]

I always looked for smooth criminal sheet music and found tons of versions of that song. but when I played they did not agree with what jonathan was playing. Finally thanks to you I was able to find a right groove, thanks!

[@donkeyfacekilla1]

Excellent video. Excellent drumming. Thanks for a great lesson!

[@tdrum21]

Nice one. Great content & good to see you back 👌🏽🎶

[@Ross_On_Drums]

Is there anything better on any instrument than an awesome drum groove?!? 🎵 🥁

[@LordBaktor]

An awesome drum groove with awesome fills.

[@MyCatFooed]

Nicely done! Breakdowns are simple -- for the layman ... and, *it works!!!* New subscriber... Domari Nolo *III*

[@derrendillon]

Been wanting to learn some of these, great timing!

[@DrumeoOfficial]

Perfect!

[@derrendillon]

Drumeo thanks for educating me throughout the years!!

[@_juweee]

What a lovely fills 🤟😍

[@rythymsection7335]

Dude! You're a drum nerd! You are awesome! Thank you...

[@Notha320]

4:13 "MMMMMMMMM" TASTY! :D :D

[@AndreiaLuizaS]

💜💜💜 I love you #Sugarfoot...."JM on drums" i never forget It💜 Blessed ☀️🌹🖤

[@elliotjharris9908]

Love this video!!!

[@evan3054]

Great job!

[@diogofonseca199]

Austin is on Drumeo! Congrats man!

[@riomariucci]

Dude...your snare sounds amazing!

[@VW5767]

Great explanation!

[@alesh_k]

Hell yes! Austin and Drumeo

[@DrumeoOfficial]

:)

[@dpaint3702]

Love this dude !

[@Fiscalvids]

very clean

[@SergeyDumphreyMusic]

wonderful

[@venus6588]

Good job

[@emjfotografi]

The great ones always make it look easier than it really is

[@ddGrandahl]

I don't know if you were already affiliated with Drumeo, but congrats regardless

[@DrumeoOfficial]

We have been working with Austin for a while. He has created a Study The Greats series inside of Drumeo Edge. :) www.drumeo.com/shows/study-the-greats/

[@christyler373]

yep thanks drumeo from chris here in uk norfolk 2019

[@marccusph]

awesome!

[@drumrgal4christ987]

U do pretty well urself. I met Johnathan In person when you came down to Miami and he was working with Cameo; he gave me his drum sticks and personalized them-signed them. He told me how When he played for Madonna she was very serious about every beat...

[@jeanluctheroude3563]

hello austin i m seventy man old thank for your video i"m glad to understand the groove i never see a such professor in france soory for my english have the best jean luc

[@jarolddhavesaguit1204]

MAN! YOUR BASS IS BADASS! 🔥

[@diamondpranks5283]

Very nice sir

[@gagarin3500]

When I first listened to Jonathan playing, I thought “hmm, sounds easy, right?” Then I see your transcription, I know my hearing is bad now. Lol

[@grhone10]

Good Stuff!!!

[@alexanderdewaelenva]

just came here to re-calibrate my watch

[@flaviocardoso8128]

Toca muito

[@tct1668]

Amazing drummer - no mistakes

[@davidbaines1425]

I've no shame in saying I will be stealing that Jam drum riff. Cool vid.

[@timpedzinski230]

Great video! That said whats up with the ragged drum sticks? when you were talking and holding the sticks up it looked like a logger had been chopping away at them.

[@mrentremattor5772]

nice

[@jorgeguberte]

"he was Michael Jackson's drummer doesn't get much bigger than that" And then proceeds to tell how he was ALSO the drummer for Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, George Michael. That's how you know it really doesn't get bigger than that because where to go after you played with all those music behemoths?

[@davidj.espino2435]

I would appreciate it more if you make a tutorial about the fills in those grooves

[@FelipeBarbudinhoLopes]

Ele massagens as mãos o sentindo de: carai tenso tocar assim rsrs

[@vincentdajay9089]

here we are 1 mill!!☺️

[@philipmcevoy7206]

Concentrated awesomeness - sugar

[@wolffi90123]

There is a song which I used to listen to which has the same metronome sound as Drumeo uses... But can't remember who the artist or what the song title is.

[@tryharder249]

Austin, which snare are you using? It looks like bronze, is it pearl? It's the sound I'm looking for. Thank you very much.

[@rmch4070]

It’s looks like an Evans G4 coated, I might be wrong thought. It does sound very groovy,

[@abbdrums]

It’s a Pearl Sensitone Phosphor Bronze 14x5 w/ Ambassadors 👍🏼

[@rmch4070]

Try Harder I was way off sorry!

[@olaniyidamilola4232]

God! I'm not a drummer but the is awesome.

[@alastairs3727]

Aaron!! Great vid dude ! Drumeo keeps going from strength to strength :)))) am I seeing things or is sugarfoot playing double tipped drumsticks?? And if so, surely that makes the stick weighting really weird and requires a completely different brain, like breathing 3/4 rather than a full breath?

[@aswingopi8950]

Still luv u jonnathan

[@markchaves6946]

sugarfoot has feel like few others, hard to re -create that

[@jt5392]

hope you also covered Thriller.

[@ShinSenter]

Wow, he is definitely a drum machine

[@brodie659]

The drum track on Smooth Criminal at 5:39 kind of reminds me of the opening groove of No Excuses by Alice in Chains. Until I heard an isolated drum track, I didn't make the connection. Definitely not note for note, but it sounds similar to me.

[@joshwizinsky1979]

YOu know, i've heard that song several times and it never dawned on me that its the exact same drum beat from Smooth Criminal, wtf!? lol

[@finleythompson]

I know Moffet is a great drummer but wasn't JR Robinson the drummer that recorded in the studio and Moffet was the live drummer? Tell me if I'm wrong though

[@betherealdeal]

Q is this Are MJ’s studio song recorded with him playing or drum machines?

[@mothersuperior7942]

Its him playing. It sounds like a machine for a couple of reasons. In the studio, every drum was mic'd twice for a stereo sound. 2. Sugarfoot's precision is unmatched.

[@sickofthebulldodo1461]

Dude great snare and kik sound!

[@BurnedDestroyer]

What is that Hihat Clutch? It is looking quite interesting

[@bobbirdsong6825]

BurnedDestroyer I think it’s the Tama quick swap clutch.

[@BurnedDestroyer]

@@bobbirdsong6825 Might be, thanks man :)

[@jacobbrown1690]

yea being the drummer for emerson lake and palmer or rush would be cool also..

[@marvinhanson9391]

Do Ringo!

[@FelipeBarbudinhoLopes]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@victorsantossilva5477]

Brasil

[@user-vz7qv4hf2w]

muscle💪

[@nhattran6765]

Look at he uses pedals , unbeliveable

[@mickavellian]

Funny thing ..to me the groove is just a FAST disco groove . I haven't a clue as to what that entails technically but it is part of my repertoire . On the kick drum however he embellished (very subtlely ) the bottom and it and it adds a presence . that no other disco groove has (Bee-Gees) Now ! "Criminal" is just HIS groove and it is magnificent.

[@SoundScientist1]

@1:40- WHO in the hayle thinks these MJ grooves are "easy?" HaHa. Nuts.

[@HaloAdmiral]

Are you guys adding Austin to the Drumeo roster?!

[@DrumeoOfficial]

You bet & we're lucky to have him! There are 15 exclusive episodes of Austin's "Study The Greats" inside Drumeo Edge: www.drumeo.com/shows/study-the-greats/.

[@vkrocks4891]

👍

[@changmk9673]

Good..

[@melikezeynep7857]

It would be great if you could have Roger Taylor on your studio❤️

[@the6ig6adwolf]

Matt Halpern ain't got nothing on Sugarfoot's deep-V.

[@AmericanMe]

LOL

[@carpediem4179]

he bro, do a analyze from the song 7779311, prince, that will be interesting

[@LscVip]

High hat deez nuts

[@dedemalvina3633]

Damn that snare sound so tight man..., Adding rim shot makes more uggghhhhh.....

[@handy1arnwald947]

I wonder if sugarfoot has got a cybernetic right foot......

[@tom_kaufis]

I need to my feet Is sugar too 😅

[@thomas_the_cat]

he does utilize a lot of those hats huh

[@jonjoni5282]

So this is Terry Crews' daddeh hahaha.

[@arky5674]

are his legs just really skinny or does he have a prosthetic one, and if he does how does he even play

[@pfrillele]

I dont understand why even a drummer like him has a pillow in his basdrumm instead of sonic foam,the money could not be the reason.

[@MexTubu]

Traditional grip? :)

[@spidermight8054]

You sure Jonathan played all those notes? What about the pause(s)? I am stoned, but legally so.

[@stefan_mf]

I really don`t understand why drummers wear earphones while playing drums. Can anybody explain me that?

[@marcival]

Some uses metronome, some just plays songs and try to apply it to drums.

[@TriptoCo]

Time to do/try Danny Carey. Anything by him. Good luck. Lol.

[@sauptikdatta6047]

Mmmmmmmmmmm