Zach Hill Licks

WARNING: For educational/fun purposes only! I never play these "licks" verbatim at gigs. Be yourself first and foremost. Studying other musicians is great, but you don't want to be a copy.
That being said, Zach Hill is the most inspiring musician I currently know of. He is pushing the drumset into new territory, just like Elvin Jones, who was accused of overplaying, being hard to play with, not understandable, etc. We need more innovators, not copycats.
I'm breaking down a few moves around the kit that I enjoy. Please subscribe, like, leave a comment and share.

[@213213yoyo]

I like your video quality. It reminds me of early KZbin.

[@CannibalWHORE22]

The best utube

[@Deshift00]

you look like a wizard. a drum wizard.

[@marcelszekowski315]

he casts spells on the sticks to play good

[@Joe-fk1mk]

i see you using that cajon as a drum throne i'm very impressed

[@sorelbaid]

Hey thanks, someone swiped my extra throne so when I teach lessons I let students use my throne and I take the cajon. Its about the right height for me, although sometimes I like to sit a bit lower or higher. Thank you for watching, I appreciate it. Volume 3 coming soon! I've been dealing with low storage space issues.

[@Yottifferent]

This makes me feel like not all of the old internet is gone

[@shreddyroosevelt9334]

This is the best video on the subject matter. Diddling into the one (phrasing) opened up as many doors, if not more, than learning to shuffle. I ended up breaking it down into a few different 5 stroke sticking combinations but playing the 4 on bass only and then in accomp on the 5, leaning into the next measure or modulating metrically. None of this would have been possible without your video and detailed explanation. Many, many thanks. I'm able to do so much more on the drums thanks to the new kinetics

[@sorelbaid]

Its nice to hear that this could help you. Stay tuned for another Zach transcription and analysis I have coming up. "Inverted diddles" are such a cool technique. I particularly enjoy the way Elvin Jones uses them in his playing, among many other folks, and of course, Zach has taken it to another level.

[@shreddyroosevelt9334]

I can't wait. The inverted diddle now that it is in my vocabulary has allowed me to play stuff from Elvin to Dilla, it's really simple once you wrap your head around it. If I may, in the next video it would be great to have some of the sticking or music written out, that is what took me the longest was to keep rewinding and watching your sticking. Although I totally would do that as the work you put in was way more than I or almost anyone else could do. Thanks again man, I've learned a lot from all of your videos and I really enjoy hearing your opinions on these IMO important but overlooked aspects of playing. I'm sure you don't get a lot of people in day-to-day thanking you so profusely for your noiserock lessons, but it truly impacted my life in a positive way. Actually helped me work through a grade 3 ankle ligament rip. Thanks man, stay S Y N C O P A T E D

[@sorelbaid]

I hear you man, thanks for the suggestion and the kind words. I have been trying to get a whiteboard set up rolling so I can have the transcription to refer to. This vid was mostly brief "vocabulary lessons," so I didn't bother writing anything, but the next one I want to cover has so much information contained in a short space that I feel like writing it out will really be beneficial. It also combines a lot of Zach-isms that become more easy to identify when you see them written out, provided that you like to see transcriptions. Again, thanks a lot man!

[@shreddyroosevelt9334]

As a heads up you can get bulk dry erase board at lowes or home depot for like $10 for a huge sheet, plywood sized. I cut one up into 3 huge panels for my home office. Sorry not trying to go comment crazy but figured I would send this just in case. Some of those big dry erase boards are really expensive for no reason. And again, thanks for working on this stuff man. Definitely excited for it.

[@sorelbaid]

Thanks for the tip! Some of those boards are way overpriced. I miss the ones we had in college that had the music staff already on there, but I can work that out. Its great to have that around when I do my drum lessons as well. It makes it a lot easier for students than trying to write it down on regular notebook staff paper and have them read it while at the kit.

[@ageispolis6960]

Hey man, great video. Very interesting to hear Zach's licks slowed-down.

[@sorelbaid]

I appreciate the kind words!

[@108mmbb]

I'd love to see more of these zach hill videos. A break down of two heavens by death grips would be sick. I love that kick drum.

[@chyeahfurries]

Love the break down, you make the rhythms much simpler to understand once slowed down. I found it quite difficult to deconstruct Zach’s beats even after listening to the phrasing multiple times. Rewatching this vid will definitely help me master some of those licks, great work man

[@EarthWorms77]

Would love more videos like this studying Zach

[@nuclearhunter99]

Great playing, cool to see some more!

[@vagrantmonke3701]

yo you are the real MVP for breaking this down 🙌

[@kingquasar4721]

breaking down zach hill drumming is amazing. Thanks for making this.

[@joshualoveless20]

Diddle on the basd drum! He diddled on his Bass drum! Nice groove! Keep on Rocking in the Free World!

[@PerpetualTwilight88]

this makes so much sense.....ty!

[@FatRobsVideos]

awesome job man!

[@mariorossipuzza]

Hey great video! btw at 9:12 zach also usually plays that rhythm on a 16th notes feel with right hand and kick together (rlrrLrrl).

[@sorelbaid]

Yeah, its a phrase that he uses a lot. "Toll Road" has 1/4 notes on top, but he definitely uses that phrasing doubling the right hand and right foot quite a bit, as well as playing 16th notes with both hands. Many variations to be hand out of that rhythm. Thank you for checking it out.

[@DillonMcSwain]

Great video i hit thumbs up

[@mistercath]

Dude the KZbin algorithm led me here....awesome

[@jmarchese1149]

very informational video. much appreciated! by any chance could you do a video explaining your snare tuning?

[@sorelbaid]

Hey man thx for watching I could try. Basically I like metal snares like the acrolite or slingerland and for this kinda stuff u want it cranked. Zach's snare is like 7.5" deep and cranked tight like a marching snare. New phone so hopefully easier to upload

[@ronankerrigan7821]

i would love to see someone recreate Zach's drumming on a song but slowed down

[@TomMcisaac250]

This is great

[@k1lm3n0w3]

Couple of questions 1. What is that snare drum and head? 2. How do you tune it?

[@sorelbaid]

Ludwig Acrolite with a Remo Black Suede Emperor. I'm not too specific about tuning, usually medium tight to tight, and occasionally a little looser. I usually just try to even out the tension as best as I can between all the lugs and make sure it feels good with the kick and the hihats. Thanks for watching!

[@k1lm3n0w3]

SORELBAID Your welcome, thank you again.

[@aydenhill6418]

Great video man, was wondering what cymbals you use

[@sorelbaid]

In this one, the ride is thrift store 20" Zildjian March Band cymbal, crash is a 16" Turkish cymbals crash, and hats are 14" Zildjian New Beats. Thanks for watching!

[@sean8190]

My favorite will ALWAYS be full moon.

[@healgrowsociety4318]

Primal

[@therandomyoutuberplayz3586]

8:19 👌

[@raspberrywater]

Oh nice im not the only one who sits on a cajon while i drum

[@sumbitch8604]

could you write out that rythym at 8:30. I can't figure it out for whatever reason

[@sorelbaid]

It is based on alternating strokes grouped in threes, with a back beat.xooxooRooxoo (x is hats, o is snare, and R is an accent on snare), bass drum is BooooBRooBoo (B is Bass drum and R is the accent and o is the subdivision which is three or six depending on how you want to think of it.) The basic motion is a crossover where you play triplets hat snare snare hat snare snare, then you add the accent on the snare and the kick. Make sense? Thanks for watching and posting a comment,

[@sumbitch8604]

Yeah that makes sense, thanks for explaining

[@charleshayem]

thx so mery vuch!!!

[@exalted_kitharode]

Please make one more

[@sorelbaid]

Check out volume 2!

[@benjaminglass5571]

@ 6:36

[@realsaddamhussain]

zach hill licks what

[@diegosatori5718]

Awesome if only you put the scoree

[@poopyjoe7883]

1:02

[@poopyjoe7883]

3:43

[@poopyjoe7883]

8:55

[@poopyjoe7883]

10:50