The Ringo Shuffle Challenge

[@joc8]

I cannot fathom why Ringo is such an underrated drummer, he wasn't afraid of space, he played with swing, he kept time, and he served the song... what more could you want from a drummer. Not to mention, he created some of the most iconic riffs and grooves. So to all his detractors out there, listen again, and don't expect a John Bonham (who I also love), or any other well known drummer... Ringo is Ringo, and he should be celebrated.

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

Well said

[@paulrous1670]

I've been trying to explain that to non drummers for years , just cos it sounds simple doesn't mean it is! I've often struggled to get the Ringo feel correct ...

[@DrummuseTimbo]

Well said!!

[@ryancox5097]

I disagree. I think the "brilliance" of Ringo Starr takes place mostly in peoples' minds. Most Ringo fans are Beatles fans. They WANT to hear brilliance. And so they think they do. Nothing particularly special about Ringo Starr. Sorry.

[@nickpruett8022]

@@ryancox5097 Put a metronome to any Beatles song he recorded. You’re welcome, now you know……..

[@jackk8093]

The notes not played is just as important as the notes played. Ringo knows that and goes for what sounds musical. He understands how to not take the limelight away from people but still shines while playing.

[@giuseppebuscemi179]

Congratulations for the exercise in this video and for the entire YT channel. The fact that a drummer of your level (your precision, cleanliness, dexterity are enviable) shares his efforts gives great encouragement and concrete interest to those who follow.

[@benfrater7516]

Love ringo, LOVE Revolver and love this breakdown. Im a huge beatles nut and have done a lot of beatles covers in piano trios's/small ensebles. have always found nailing the shuffles like" getting better " and "got to get you into my life ". RINGO THE GOAT

[@dpkennedy]

Let me start with this - even George Martin was skeptical at the start, remember the “Love Me Do” sessions?!? Ringo has always been my favorite drummer ever, and I am a jazz/legit pro drummer. Once upon a time, pretty much all of the jazz and legitimately trained musicians made negative comments about Ringo - HOWEVER, that was then and this is now! People everywhere recognize Ringo as a great musician, which is true. Ringo is by far the most famous drummer who ever lived, and always will be. Ringo was an integral part of the Beatles sound and success. Ringo’s amazing musicality starts with his ears - we’ve seen how he absorbs and digests the song, and then crafts the absolutely perfect part. John, Paul & George continually blossomed as song writers, and Ringo was right alongside creating one iconic drumming performance after another, mimicked every day, somewhere by some drummer, not for note. Ringo is highly respected by drummers such as Stewart Copeland, Dave Grohl, Chad Smith, Abe Laboriel, Max Weinberg, Tré Cool, Jim Keltner, Questlove and ME, to name a few. Regarding this video - Darryn unlocks a piece of the incredibly groovin’ shuffle groove that sets Rings apart. Rings is left handed, but dig his right handed shuffle grooves (mostly straight 8th’s which swings ever harder!) on tunes such as “SHE’S A WOMAN” / “ACT NATURALLY” / “HELP” / “I’M A LOSER” / “WHAT GOES ON”… Great video - THANKS DARRYN!

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

Great comment and observations. Thank you. There's an out take of 'You Can't Do That' on Anthology 1 that has the hardest swinging 8th groove in the bridge that I'd like to add to your list.

[@dpkennedy]

⁠YES! Brilliant! Ringo Swingo!

[@BradleyThomasbassman]

Thank for this lesson. I learned something new today.

[@eschaef71]

Thanks for this!! Ringo has to be the most... either disrespected or misunderstood musician ever. On the fast shuffles, his HH stroke isn't straight up and down, he actually swings his stick back and forth. That's how he gets that awesome HH sizzle. Maybe it's because he's a lefty on a RH set, and that's the way he could get to those fast ride tempos. Even in the tribute bands I have rarely seen his parts played like he played them. Cheers!! And don't forget, "Peace and Love" !!

[@morbidmanmusic]

your first line is extremely wrong. Yeah, some drummers don't get him, but most modern drummers point to him for many things.

[@mallorga1965]

Great video. And by taking this approach, you open possibilities for other things to happen, like adding a shaker or a tambourine without creating a mess.

[@HarryJoiner]

6:26 - Great exercise. Thank you so much! 🍻

[@boomerguy9935]

There are many types of drummers. Without Ringo, there would have been no Beatles. Pete Best was not unique or a team player because he made it all about him. Ringo made it all about the music. Well done, Ringo! I've been a rock and jazz drummer since the 60's.

[@ngunnawalmick7029]

Thanks Darryn, I've been collecting shuffles for yonks. Sorta knew this one but never really identified it as a 'Ringo' shuffle. It's off to the shed for me!

[@vernonsteinkamp1088]

Playing these beats for years, I never really thought of them as shuffles. I guess they are the stripped down model of a straight ahead, full on shuffle.

[@flyingburritobro68]

Not a shuffle at all!

[@vernonsteinkamp1088]

​@@flyingburritobro68I'll have to disagree.

[@thebluecollardrummer9032]

Tremendous lesson. Thanks!

[@johnrofsocalgroover2645]

Not knocking the video at all as you are a super drummer, but Ringo would just laugh at all of this analysis of his playing. The Beatles laughed that people tried to upack the hidden meaning of all their stuff. Ringo just played from his heart, untrained, but his feel was dare I say just fab! The Beatles were all about feel and what worked for the song. Nobody grooves like the Beatles rhythm section. They just had it. Bissonette tells some great stories about how Ringo approached various songs. What a legacy Ringo has left us all

[@heavymetal1330]

Ringo played simple because he knew he wasn’t THE star of the band (as if i can call the Beatles a band! I think they were some kind of an alien orchestra kkkkk)! I think this is one of the things that made the Beatles the Beatles. I can’t Imagine the Beatles with all those crazy grooves!?!? THE BEATLES THE GOAT!

[@randallfranklin2548]

I played in a blues band for 20 plus years, and the thing that killed several drummer auditions was the simple shuffle and there are several slight variations…..but when a drummer and bass player is locked in on a Chicago shuffle…. Everybody’s toes gonna be tappin!!!!

[@scottapthorpe6172]

The shuffle he played on old brown shoe was great as well..

[@permpress]

One of Ringo's shiniest of moments 👍

[@sijmes]

Legend would have it that Paul McCartney played drums on "Old Brown Shoe".... Strange drum part, main groove at least...

[@stevejenkins6919]

I've heard that too but I think this shuffle is beyond McCartney's drumming wheelhouse. Paul even admits he can't play a shuffle.

[@sijmes]

@@stevejenkins6919 It's a pretty unusual way of playing a shuffle which could point to McCartney but it's played really well. There's an isolated drum track on YT. It sounds clinical... More so than Ringo, no disrespect.. what do you think ?

[@wannabeadrummer]

Great stuff 👍

[@alexgarza4513]

What are your thoughts on charlie watts? Id love to see a video on his work! His drumming on exile is perfection

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

I really should check that out. Although I saw Charlie play with the Stones in the mid 90s, I'm yet to do a deep dive. All I know is I've loved everything I've heard over the years.

[@chezchezchezchez]

Nice video. Couple questions: What do you know about Bernard Purdy playing on Beatles records? Why do you have your snare slanted away from you? I don’t see that very often.

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

The Purdie claims are so controversial and I've never seen compelling evidence to confirm the truth of this. Regarding my snare drum angle, it's because I play traditional grip and this angle compensates for the angle of my stick. Drummers like Buddy Rich, Steve Smith and Dave Weckl do this also.

[@fearnobizarre]

Drums. The only instrument where playing LESS notes is more challenging than playing more. 😅

[@boomerguy9935]

"Less is more" is the rule. The band is a team and, "there is no I in TEAM". The music comes first. Ringo understood this. People always compare Ringo to Buddy Rich or John Bonham. Different music, different drummers. I've been playing drums since 1965 and of course, I've followed rock and jazz drummers ever since. For the music that Ringo plays, he is EXCELLENT. If Pete Best had stayed with the Beatles, I doubt you would have ever heard of them.

[@matthedrummer1474]

I don’t know if it’s me but I kind of pick up off his playing that he slightly opens the Hi Hats on 2 and 4, bit similar to Roger Taylor from Queen. Have I got that right or are my ears misleading me?

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

It's very possible

[@morbidmanmusic]

the slower one can play, the better one will be able to play. Speed is the enemy of many things. (not all)

[@yournamehere6002]

I can't believe they changed the name to Good Day Sushine!

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

Oops!

[@robertdowler3347]

My Unofficial Trainer since '62.

[@keithwegiel5902]

Ok, space is great But now… play behind the beat on just the snare hits. (And the the Hi hat complimentary hit) That will get you closer to Ringo style JR Robinson employs this technique quite often Good luck 🍀 Nice Ringo subject !!

[@Loudjazz]

drummer's horror vacui 😂

[@Drummmerboy1234]

There's five songs that he didn't play on.

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

A few on the white album I believe.

[@raythackston1960]

Rinos odd patterns through out his career are all due to his lack of top knowlege of the drums and that he plays a right handed kit and he is left handed. It is not so much being creative as much as it was from necessary. I started playing drums in 1964 at the age of 4. By 1966 I could play anything Ringo played. And when I ask my drum teacher about Ringos odd style of playing he told me that Ringo played a right handed kit but he was left handed. He also said he had no formal training which would have solved that issue. I never was a huge Ringo fan but did love most of the Beatles music. And that was always the reason for his odd fills and weird ways of playing stuff.

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

In an interview I saw, he said he didn’t enjoy practicing either. I guess he made the most of what he had and made great music with it.

[@olympiawashdrummer]

Displacement!!!

[@musikus7092]

I think it's not difficult

[@MarcoPolux]

Really? Man! That’s just an over examination of an EXTREMELY basic drum groove.

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

Yes. Really.

[@flyingburritobro68]

True as it’s not a shuffle

[@darrynfarrugia9904]

@@flyingburritobro68if that’s not a shuffle I’m a monkey’s uncle.

[@MarcoPolux]

@@darrynfarrugia9904 it is a shuffle of course. It is so basic that it feels like attributing the I, IV and V progression to Paul McCartney... peace! ✌

[@stevejenkins6919]

What Ringo plays on Old Brown Shoe is often referred to as a "flat tire shuffle." The back beat is rather on the up beat. He clearly demonstrates it on the song, "Raunchy," during the little jam he did with Paul and George on the Beatles "Anthology" TV special.