Tony Williams' "Drop-Catch" Technique / Inside the Teaching Studio

Presented by Niko Embry
In this installment of "Inside the Teaching Studio", Niko Embry demonstrates the "drop-catch" 5 stroke technique, often used by Tony Williams.
Audio Engineering by Aaron Walk
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#MyPerfectPair - #vf5a
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In this new educational series from Vic Firth, we take you "Inside the Studio" of some of the world's top instructors to give you a peek into the time-proven curriculum that has motivated and educated generations of successful teachers and performers.
In our second series, we take you inside the jazz drumming studio of Peter Erskine from USC's Thornton School of Music. With each student's presentation, you'll see the immediate application of curriculum to the real world of performance and explanation.
Whether you're an educator or student, you'll be sure to benefit from the concepts and lessons from this series. We encourage your thoughts and questions in the discussion below.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT USC'S THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC:
music.usc.edu/departments/jazz/

[@slimyelow]

drums seem so simple but, they are are endless

[@frankburdodrums8984]

Well to some extent Yes. But if you think of it more simply than these advanced jazz players are able to explain, you're really not going to go further than 8 strokes in a row per hand or foot. I hope that helps.

[@aidandoylepolitics]

So true. So much to explore

[@nibs5821]

The more learn on the kit, I realize the less I know.

[@joecaroselli5858]

He did a superb job here. I am a drumming instructor and player. I really appreciated how he broke this down without showing off. That is what teaching is all about! Excellent job, Niko.

[@Martijn-Heesakkers]

Just what I needed! Thank you Niko and Vic Firth.

[@michaeljhintonpiano]

Beautiful playing. Stands on its own.

[@leroyvega65]

very cool , love your video and technique explanation/s .Tony Williams one of my all time favorites and one of the very best ever!.cheers man👍

[@tombagshaw2311]

Best explanation of this technique I have seen bravo...

[@williamweir1547]

Came here to watch the Tony Williams technique... Got hooked on the ride cymbal instead😎😎😎

[@ramonlalabibzobu]

cos hes playin it with the tony williams technique :D

[@VampireFreakDotCom]

This guy sounds crazy good

[@nunnayuhbitness6708]

Excellent lesson, thank you very much.

[@miodragradovic2794]

Great lesson. Eye opener for me. Helped me a lot. Thanks! Keep up the good work.

[@tomelizalde7838]

Great shirt great yellow drum kit & great playing !!!

[@mikemaroney6688]

Great lesson Niko. Great feel. Thanks.

[@mjm5081]

Thanks for sharing! Happy drumming everyone 😃

[@dominicthompsonsr]

this video is so awesome on so many levels!!!! If you don't know how to swing this is a great video to get you going

[@jameshall1648]

Great post. Thank you. I learned a lot.

[@TheDrummaboy78]

So smooth!

[@tomdrums88]

Cheers Niko I've been trying to figure this out for ages

[@caetanoparnes7321]

This lesson never gets old

[@robertmancuso1883]

Great lesson...Kit sounds crisp!

[@slimyelow]

truly fascinating!

[@URiTPublishing]

Very nice job Niko !!!

[@lyleman2112]

Great application of Moeller. I like to practice 2, 3 and 4 bounce in different combinations.

[@bogbrushify]

So clear! Thanks!

[@gregoryhussey6477]

Nice playing - dude - and nicley explained incl learning progression -

[@AbhinaySonibobby]

Nicely explained 👌

[@michaellucas3802]

Great example of TW style. Great explanation.

[@234rhuib]

Best video ever today!

[@drumyogi9281]

Great control Niko. You have ride on lock down.

[@pytagoresque]

do you have the right people around you to make music out of your talent ???? I really hope so and am looking forward to hear you....

[@richh9904]

You dance over and around the bar line doing this type of thing. Gives life to the music and you don't sound like a machine.

[@TheSaneMe]

very nice concept !

[@RolfWamFjell]

This is excellent!

[@miodragradovic2794]

Amazing!!

[@Odthean]

Great lesson

[@lqgrxdeb]

Very nice lesson. Informative too. And your snare drum sounds great. Just great.

[@baax]

And that ride cymbal!

[@GeoffBosco]

That's Peter's kit.

[@TheZooNinjaS]

The Tony Williams yellow!

[@arturofernandez6088]

Great lesson!

[@turnerthedrummer899]

Great video love it

[@TurtleTurtlez]

One of the better online lessons ive ever seen let alone from a student, no suprise Mr. Erskine is your proffesor lol

[@jasonreddish6125]

Great explantion and great independence when your playing the 5 on the ride. Lots of Tony in your groove.

[@fdasaro1]

nice feel Niko

[@user-ec1rw2pz4j]

Excellent tutorial! I love how you break it down. I’m wondering if you might consider doing a video on ideas on how does one play the left hand and kick against that 5 stroke cymbal?

[@nessuno0]

Excellent!!!

[@netzah3488]

Massive 'smooth' playing Respect

[@dmguk9931]

kit sounds insanely good 👍

[@davidperez5089]

All about dat SNARE! Tight playing.

[@JulianFernandez]

cool tribute!

[@Mixedbydavey]

great feel homie!

[@christophmeirich5928]

Cool stuff!!! Thx for sharing!!!! Greetings from germany Christoph 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

[@loucontino4804]

Great!

[@quadrant2012]

This is great , I've been wondering how he played that , thanks ! And feel free to tell us what you're left hand is up to 😎

[@gregwilliams2764]

Good job. I hadn’t heard of this before. I’m a rocker. But I enjoy the talent displayed here

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Rockers excel at singles for everything! Jazzers excel at doubles and singles!

[@stkittsdave1]

“This technique can’t be learned in two or three days.”-everyone of us thinks we got it after an hour. 😁

[@DRUMPROGRESS]

Patience Perseverance and love for the drums and you can find the way

[@drumshim]

Amazing right hand technique...

[@mattryan6886]

Thank you so much for breaking down this technique. Absolutely beautiful Tama Star drum kit as well!!!!

[@GeoffBosco]

Really dig this kid's feel.

[@Ohleysmokes]

Yo!! Great Playing Niko!!

[@gonzalezbucareli3606]

Awesome

[@thelonious-dx9vi]

Wow, you play really well.

[@strumminfuel4625]

Great tutorial. I love the sound of your ride.... what kind us it?

[@Ranger1216]

Call it also open close finger technique….very effective once mastered. Excellent demonstration here

[@AllStarOpera]

A+ great vid

[@odeskoo]

excellent

[@fuzzylightning]

Wow!

[@tapecinematique5398]

useful , thanks

[@mediumstudio]

beautiful!

[@mediumstudio]

also - i like lessons and all - but really all i want to hear is just someone playing the drums ...

[@mediumstudio]

and that goes for any drum clinic - i just want to hear a drum set concert ...

[@krispinkrisperson3614]

Thanks

[@albertcalor]

Nice shirt man👍🏼

[@billfrater1948]

Nice.

[@loidl00]

I need this drumset!

[@tdrum21]

Very nice. Love that cymbal. K Cons?

[@ettorelachina3587]

Very fine video. Pleeeease, can you tell me what ride cymbal is that? I find it’s perfect! Thank you in advance

[@manuelgchapajr4472]

Nice

[@building436]

Very great job! (well, but I think it's possible to play 5 on the toms, you can jump for a moment with two sticks and make with them 5 on each toms, and back to the Crash and Hide...)

[@brianmelody8930]

Nice tutorial! What style of drum heads are those?

[@dannnnydannnn5201]

He’s not lying when he says this technique isn’t going to be learned in a few days. I’ve been practicing this for upwards of a year (as a beginner-intermediate player), and I’m at the point where I almost have it (with my right hand). It’s not as even as I’d like but I’m getting there. Great video dude.

[@Odthean]

How's it coming?

[@dannnnydannnn5201]

@@Odthean I’ve unfortunately not been able to practice as much as I was when I made this post but I did manage to get it. I’m still nowhere as smooth as the guy who did the tutorial let alone Tony Williams but the repetition paid off. The left hand is a whole different story though.

[@Odthean]

@@dannnnydannnn5201 Well I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you find more free time in the future. Are you able to play any uptemo ride patterns in general? 250 bpm - 300

[@RhythmNotes]

Best demonstration I’ve seen of this technique. A friend of mine at North Texas was obsessed with this technique for years. Awesome video!

[@JoeyScrima]

Yes This is the "Push Pull" technique. that's exactly what its called but with much greater detailed learning steps. Come to study with me I will teach you the exact steps to learn this method www.joeyscrima.net I learned it from the great teacher Chuck Brown in Oakland, CA

[@cscamby0410]

Sounds great! What sticks are you using? They look like they have a really long taper

[@afxmnstr]

He put on his yellow drums 👌🏾

[@Brandonbraun]

i made a video on this years ago!

[@Sonny-wk3qs]

I don't care what Tony did. It works, and it sounds great.

[@8020drummer]

🔥🔥🔥🤘

[@thinktank8389]

You youngsters have (by populous) become great drummers. I'm 52, had radio only, no YT.

[@mrx-b3i]

you have good talent too bounce that stick on the drums

[@drumroll420]

I studied with Tony, and there was no "drop/catch" technique from what he showed me, and he literally used my arm standing behind me moving my arm and the stick between my shoulder and the ride cymbal to play it.

[@workatprince1]

I agree, this doesn't sound like Tony. To my ears and eyes, tony used his fingers but his heavy use of his hand gave him a very fat sound, he didn't rebound much. Philly Joe practiced on pillows. Tony did the same thing from what I know. Not to take away from the lesson, it great. but more of a Joe Morello thing I think

[@drumroll420]

@@workatprince1 Tony taught me to use hold the stick in the right hand with the back two fingers, pretty much like you see in his Zildjian Day video. In fact, everything he taught me as far as technique is what he demonstrates in that video, it's very simple, yet difficult at the same time (he would have me do full strokes with the dynamics of tap strokes, for control, for example). There were no fingers or rebound at all, you made every stroke with the hands/wrist. The approach to the ride cymbal: the position of the cymbal was very important, the bead of the stick (yes they were the mammoth Tony Williams Zildjian 2B's lol) hit to hit the bow of the cymbal in the right spot to draw the sound out, and again you held the stick with the back of the hand. The pattern was of course the "spang spang a lang" pattern (not the 5 pattern at first), and on the "lang" part, you pulled the stick back almost to wear you hit yourself in the head with the stick (Tony said this was just to show you were doing it right lol), then repeat the pattern and so forth. Again, this is all in that vid, anyone who studied with him at Don Sfarz'os Drum World in San Francisco would attest to it (this was I think back in '94, forgive me it was that long ago), and almost every video I see trying to teach the "Tony Williams Ride Technique" have it all wrong, as again he literally played the ride cymbal with my arm, holding my wrist and moving the stick and my arm back and forth to the ride while standing behind me while I was on the practice room kit. The ride used in the kit was a Zildjian 22" K Custom Dark ride, just to be specific. Tony then got behind the kit, played the ride at blazing tempo, looked at me in a manner almost bored (like he was reading a newspaper) while playing it and said "I can do this all day". It was that awesome.

[@workatprince1]

@@drumroll420 thank you this is fascinating. You should post a video showing this

[@drumroll420]

@@workatprince1 Just watch Tony's Zildjian Day clinic video, or any of his vids on KZbin. I spent a lot of money to study with him, it was worth every penny, but I am not of mind to give out free lessons on social media lol. That vid pretty much explains it anyway. There is a cat here on KZbin who demonstrates "The Tony Williams Technique" that pretty much has what Tony taught accurate, and all he did was watch that vid. You could practice on pillows, the rudiments anyway, which Tony even pointed out during my first lesson. There was no rebound, you made every stroke. People can take my word, or not.

[@antonzigando150]

@@drumroll420 selfish

[@friedchicken371]

Daaaaaaaammmmn

[@josteinv.jordet257]

POSTURE!

[@dmgsoultogetherness6667]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@elithepitbulldog2209]

That ride.......

[@michaelanderson2881]

Boss shirt.

[@Flexapr]

Who’s Tama Star Maple Drum Kit in Tony Williams Yellow? What are the sizes of these drums? I’m guessing they’re: 7x10” and 7x12” racks, 14x14” ft, 14x18” bd, & 5x14” snare. I just noticed it’s got Tony W’s 16” and 18” floor toms, too. 😆👍🏻🇺🇸

[@anthonyjack1859]

Beautiful. Anyone know what snare he's playing?

[@shadowthebeatboxer]

Anthony Jack probably the tama starclassic Bubinga or walnut. Shells

[@virdixxii8341]

This is how I learned to play doubles. How do you play bounce stroke without this technique?

[@Samsgarden]

Would you suggest that he only used this technique early in his career?

[@herbielewis2334]

Do you know anywhere which explains slide hand technique where you twist your wrist if that makes sense?

[@herbielewis2334]

Think it’s called slide but I’m not sure ahaha

[@Bcabatista559]

Anyone know what ride he is using?

[@Dragndroprecords]

What is the name of those Remo heads they look awesome?

[@midnitemedia]

Fiberskyn Ambassador

[@benjaminkenobi21]

What make/model of kit is this? Is the ride cymbal a Zildjian K Kerope?

[@TuplexGaming]

Looks like a Tama Star. Kerope ride.

[@tacocino2810]

What's the implementation of this in context, I couldn't quite hear. Like what would the notation of it be/what would the rhythm or beats played on, be??

[@sreekanthr1171]

It's up tempo swing. It sounds like straight 8ths because of how fast it is.

[@CrochetNewsNetwork]

What is the pattern or is it random? 5, 3,2 in random patterns?

[@midnightrainstoparis]

Do u play in a jazz band??