Vinnie Colaiuta Zildjian Drum Clinic

[ScumOfCaligula]

It's amazing that at one time people thought those electronic pads sounded good.

[jgeorgel]

This is when he was sensible and used matched grip. He looks ridiculous with trad grip: stiff, awkward. Drummers don't seem to understand: unless you're Buddy Rich leave traditional alone, put it away, forget about. Its a thing of the past and should stay there.

[jiro69100]

in Drum dave is better! bt in mustache dave gonna eat one sack of cerelac! XD

[jiro69100]

vinnie is good but dave is much better!

[BigAce94]

Vinny has way more groove when he plays traditional. Not saying he doesn't when he plays matched it's that I think he over plays when he is matched.

[Easleytee]

Weckl is far more musical.

[nicksib911]

what an incredible mustache

[Kroy5312]

Maybe it's just me, but I hate watching Vinnie play with a matched grip.

[snottydyck]

Fast and Bulbous!

[blica1]

lol ! vinnie looks like a porn star with that hair and stache !!! fucking great drumming !

[ThomasMetal75]

I know why some view said they didn't like the video (besides the quality). Vinnie is sporting a rather ugly mullet and mustache.

[newmexicoflygirl]

Gotta get those rudiments down to ever come close to playing like this.

[GimmeKitty]

Sounds kinda bad, but ... what the hell. Vinnie's great. One of the all time great rock and roll drummers.

[CrazyDave313]

Regardless of his clothing or weather he believes in Jesus or not, he is my favorite drummer of all the guys this day in age. He can play anything that the gig requires. Considering this was 25 years ago, it's some pretty damn good shit...

[digimaton]

@CrazyDave313 I don't think anyone here is disputing that, might slag him off, but we still love what he does, he's a legend.

[Mortison77577]

@CrazyDave313

Yeah, why is he such as damn Jesus freak?

[Debonardo]

8:24 clearest shit ive ever heard. hes so in the pocket in what he plays. The Man.

[drummer20]

de verdad el es vinnie colaiuta?? me lo aseguran? porque no se parece

[PingaloBill]

Si si, es el!

[godzuki444]

He seems like a porn actor here

[FalcoPR91]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL true

[tharri]

i cant here triplets there

its more like BBRL BBRL BBRL BL

B for kick

[borlaifan]

everything is allright?

[curiousdwarf93]

at 7:04 is he playing triplets with the snare hand or double strokes?

[murdstyx]

It's like inverted doubles between the snare and bass drum.

[aronizer]

I think he's playing something like RLLRLLRLLRLLRLLRLL

with right on the ride

[Helslinky]

That kit my friend is a YAMAHA 9000, the best... in my opinion ;)

[TheChiFlows]

@Helslinky ----The PHX kits are probably the best sounding drums made .Those & the Sonor HQ'S like gavin harrison uses . But thats why there such big bucks .

[darkstararmorlight9]

what kind of sets did he use? tama? you cant really make out what it says

[davidpenna]

Vinnie must've gone thru a wierd phase in the 80's trying to be a rock star or something... look at the hair, red pants, simmons pads, matched grip, super angled toms... thank God that didn't last long!!!

[digimaton]

you maybe haven't seen his set-up with Zappa then, the drums were even more angled, and higher, with roto-toms!

Simmons were all the rage at one point, as were bad haircuts and muscle shirts, the trousers are his own personal statement, now he's into jesus, so who knows what the fuck will happen next.

[lovestuff78]

Yeh but its about the playing,, Not the pants

[TheLiesette]

@davidpenna electronic percussion makes you a rock star?

[TylerGGrinstead]

@davidpenna There is nothing wrong with Match Grip

[sweetfly66]

@davidpenna .... this is what everyone did in 1986 .... this was normal ... the " rock stars " were using 20 piece kits with four bass drums and 10 simmons pads

[TDKE72]

Matched, traditional, german, french grip it doesnt matter which one use. Its a matter of how much you practice.

[ShoesNeverWorn]

That's not to say, however, that people who play matched can't play as lightly as those who use traditional, or that people who play trad can't play as aggressively as those who play matched

I'm just saying that most of the drummers I've encountered say they have a lighter feel with trad than with matched

[ShoesNeverWorn]

I think most drummers would agree that traditional gives you a "lighter touch" than matched (a reason why so many jazz drummer choose to use traditional over matched)

I'm sure that there are people who for some reason or another don't find this true for themselves, but it definitely is for most of the drummers I've ever talked

I play traditional b/c I feel I have more "finesse" when I do; It feels like my weight is "underneath" the stick (it's just a feel thing, it's hard to explain)

[PingaloBill]

There's is no reason to play trditional grip unless you play in a marching band. I teach only matched grip. Cheers

[ShoesNeverWorn]

In your opinion

Many drummers would kindly disagree and say that trad gives a lighter touch and should be used in jazz, or that you should use whichever grip is more comfortable

Buddy Rich, for instance, thinks the opposite of your thoughts: he sees matched grip as useless and restricting on a set,and that the "correct way" is to use trad which allows you to "get around" faster

I don't agree with that, I just think there's no real concrete answer when it comes to which grip to use where

[PingaloBill]

Yes, everything that I say or write is my opinion. Otherwise I wouldn't write it. :)

Buddy Rich has no clue...hehehe, just kidding. I play both, matched and trad. and I really don't see the advantage of trad. unless I would carry a drum between my legs and walking (marching). It's up to you. But there's really no restriction.

[PingaloBill]

Correction: Unless I would carry a drum ( not between my legs, but on the side of course:)

[samm1809]

i like it. less choked ang ghost notes just feel better in the hand on the snare.

[PingaloBill]

That has nothing to do with traditional or matched. You just practiced alot more trasitional. For me it's exactly the opposite ;-)

[doublethumpbass89]

Well with trad grip I get those ghost much easier and less stressing..I play both trad grip and match grip either way there both comfertable

[digimaton]

in terms of restricting rebound, there is no difference, one grip is a matter of tradition and the "benefits" are arguably psychological, look at the physics of the matter, earlier thread discusses this re: french grip. Does matched grip limit finesse amongst those who play mallet instruments or orchestral percussion? no it doesn't, case in point.

[65DegN]

Traditional grip as most of you know stems from playing marching drums where the left hand played closer to the drum. If traditional is so much better on a kit than match grip why not hold both sticks like the left hand.

[PositivelyBored]

@digimaton

physically, I have determined that matched has no disadvantage rather than traditional. It takes much work to get both hands and grips 100% (right hand trad as well)

[leftpuman]

@ShoesNeverWorn ive always played matched grip, but recently started messing around with traditional, i like the way it feels but i am so limited cuz i dont have hardly any power or rebound with that grip, obviously cuz im just starting with it, whats the fastest way to get comfortble with it, practice pad? playing? everything basically? i really wanna get as good traditional as i am matched....not to mention it looks so awesome! its just so professional looking

[ShoesNeverWorn]

@leftpuman Getting power with traditional just requires Moeller Technique. As for speed, it just takes time. Practice with pillows and bouncy pads, but the majority of your practice time should be on actual drums. It's the same as getting good at matched grip, really

[steldrums87]

@leftpuman start practicing your thumb on a rebound pad first cause thumb is the fulcrum...after getting comftarble practice whrist with open palm..or download mayer's dvd (secret weapons) good luck

[drumbot23]

oh man the pull technique at 4:30

[nicholassmll]

Yo man I love the way he's playing "around" the track. sorry if the "phraseology" is not understood. lol Vinnie is a great drummer....and is quickly becoming one of my favorite drummers.

[liamcordrey]

wow! vinnie's always been one of my favourite drummers!

[Antiks72]

I've always hated drum pads. Ugh.

[TheKickassdrummer]

Why does grip matter? When you hear a recording, can you tell? It's all about the sound kids!!!

[revresbo101]

technique determines sound you moron.

[trendyjon]

SIMON PHILLIPS dosn´t play traditional

neither do other great drummers but they

still manage to shred.

[roccovaselino]

Vinnie plays both rudimentary grip and matched grip, dependent upon the application. One way is not inherently better, but one is usually more appropriate. This isn't a black and white world, kids.

[sweetfly66]

i agree ... the key word is appropriate . I think there is a definite difference in how the two grips sound . Traditional grip , for whatever reason , usually ends up sounding lighter and more forward feeling ... matched grip usually sounds more heavy and the feel is more laid back

[digimaton]

not sure about that really, in terms of biomechanics, I can't see a scientific reason why this would be so, your description is speculative at best, no reason whatsoever why you couldn't invert the description, look at players of mallet based instruments, matched grip, yet a full dynamic range is displayed, as light, or as loud, as required. I think it really is a question of preference and the weight of tradition.

[sweetfly66]

Well you can just look at the grips for physical evidence .. typically with traditional grip ( grip is a sort of deceiving word since it is not really gripped ) , with the stick lies in a basket , with just enough pressure so the stick doesnt fall out of the basket .. this would suggest an overall lightness

just physically .. i think it translates to lightness musically ...

and matched grip .. in which one is literally gripping the stick in a much tighter and more aggressive manner

[digimaton]

I disagree that one is necessarily gripping the sticking when using matched grip, exactly what you describe for the traditional grip is achievable using matched grip, it's how you manipulate the fulcrum in controlling the rebound. If you "grip", the mechanism is choked, especially at faster tempos. I really see no difference in the resultant sound, the more you choke, using either grip, the more closed the sound, because the coupling of the stick with the head is dampened.

[sweetfly66]

Just look at the physics of the two grips ... one grip the stick " sits " ..gravity keeping it in place , so no grip is really needed .... the other , matched grip ..the stick will fall to the ground if you do not hold on to it ... these two facts alone show that more pressure and a tighter grip is needed for matched than for traditional

[digimaton]

nope, you are wrong, the stick will not "fall to the grond" at all, no grip is required, particularly if using French grip, the stick cradles naturally without gripping. You cannot exploit rebound in your playing if you are gripping the stick, and that goes for matched and traditional grip.

[shlempnar]

unless you're rocking matched french. then it sits in your hands.

[inharmonicity]

Genius, try to program that into a drum-machine...

[VittorioPetrina]

I have the complete vhs and it's very cool the Zildjian Day!

Vinnie is my favorite exibition of this 1987 Zildjian Day vhs

[samm1809]

oh and what's with the matched grip?!?!?!

[regmusician1]

Youeh -- very rare for vinnie!

[haolekillah]

its for real men that drum. i suggest you stick to traditional wuss, it'll be easier for you

[samm1809]

i do play matched, douchebag. it's just that vinnie usually uses trad.

[drumbot23]

hey haolekillah

its harder to play traditional

and the greatest drummers play traditional

theyre the "real men"

[haolekillah]

wow..... you're an idiot. just take a minute to think about what you said. you think drummers play traditional because its harder? thats pretty stupid. traditional, for me, is much easier then match grip especially for playing quickly. for rock with a loud back beat id play match like vinnie in this video. go learn some more

[drumbot23]

think about what i said asshole

i said its harder to play traditional

i never said they do it because its harder

do you even know where the traditional grip came from?

[skaterblm1]

definitely harder. transitioning to traditional so that i could march snare was very difficult. Haolekillah, if you think trad is easier, perhaps you have never drummed a day in your life

[samm1809]

lol he sounds way different now....(vocally, i mean) like higher pitched and he says the letter "H" like he's jewish. but this is great, ofcourse!!!!!!!!!

[dreamjamer]

the best!!

[MrEasytouch]

Thanks, this was a reare treasure. I love to watch Vinnie soloing with sequencer, it's sometimies hard for me to follow his soloing without any backround. That's how far he goes... (the music though was a bit gay Ü )

The 5/4 basic groove reminds of seven days-maybe Sting wrote the song based on VInnie groove?

[shlempnar]

oh my god!!! mustache!!!!

[00Resev]

From analog to Vees!!!!

Awesome!

[Slipstream0001]

Wow... what an epic solo! Shame about the quality :(

[CoolName68]

Back in the days when having the ride cymbal ridiculously high seemed a good idea .. Dave Weckl used to have it very high too, but as he told us in a seminar, he repositioned it after two or three shoulder operations .. Anyway, Vinnie is an amazing and very tasteful drummer ...

[shlempnar]

well if you get problems haha then yeah its bad. but when your micing drums its nice to have cymbals higher so the drum mics dont pick up the wash.

[regmusician1]

All depends who you are. I'm starting to have some wrist issues, and I find putting the stress on my shoulder by raising the ride higher helps. After you've been playing awhile, I think you need to readjust things due to . . . mileage issues. (Vinnie still keeps high.)

[candidsnow]

VINNIE COLAIUTA e Dave weckle sono straordinariamente straordinari!e ZILDJIAN secondo me sono i migliori piatti!

[jongodwin]

The cool thing about the first 2:00 is it sounds awesome as a solo piece but can I can totally add horns to this and create a catchy tune to be played at all wedding receptions and baseball games (I know those are two totally different things, but trust me).

[garrettmillerdrums]

Dennis Eckersley rocks.

[Brianin206]

GOLD!

[MoonisGod226]

don't compare drummers, Colaiuta and Roddy are both amazing, and btw check out the vids of Roddy playing jazz they are actually quite exceptional

[kirk7524875248]

Vinnie is the ONLY guy I've ever seen that makes matched grip look completely natural and flawless! Jeff Porcaro comes close, and of course his groove is completely flawless too:)))) I like traditional better, but hey, two fucking geniuses playing matched!!! Greatness!!!

[ctsurg]

David Garabaldi from Tower Power is just as good.

[mtxrules]

vinnie is one of the fiew drummers that will play with only one basedrum and be very fast at it. those double and triples are insane. paul delong, rick gratton are just a couple that come to mind who also folow this style of playing. very good vid.

[tofee35]

awesome.... loved his work on joe's garage

[godzuki444]

He seems like a 70´s classic porn actor .

[MrMondayNight222]

LOL

[chichothedrummer]

OMG... his speed on the bass drum at 2:10 is just INSANE!

[WuTangClan69]

Apparently you never heard of derek roddy.

[BokorugroRR]

Derek Roddy is undoubtely very fast. And thats all he can do. Colaiuta is one of the best drummers. Derek is for the Guiness-book, Vinnie is for the Hall of Fame.

[chewiemalmsteen]

Actually, Derek Roddy can drum quite well at 25 bpm. He has a video of it on YouTube. Roddy and Colaiuta are both good in their own ways.

[ShanilROX]

you mean '225' bpm??hahaha

[chewiemalmsteen]

Funny, but no. He can play at 25 bpm.

[juanbarros88]

25 BPM thats insane,  I sure can't play 25bpm without subdivisions, thats actually hard. the distance between beats(quarter notes) is very big. my metronome doesn't even have that

[doublethumpbass89]

@BokorugroRR i dont like derek roddy....hes boring to me...now vinnie...i can listen to him all day

[bajsung]

@BokorugroRR Derek Roddy is one of the fastest drummer, but doesn't always fast if you watch a couple of videos. He can play many genres of music. Derek is a very good drummer, but Colaiuta is GOD!!!

[PositivelyBored]

@BokorugroRR

Roddy actually has some skill outside of metal, however he's known for the insane death metal drum speeds. He's not a great all-around player like Vinnie though, Vinnie = master of all trades , basically

[nicksib911]

@BokorugroRR Anyone that says all Derek is is speed has not watched much of his stuff. Not saying Colaiuta isn't amazing, but Derek is a great drummer in his own right.

[lagcore]

you are completely idiot

[DBP92]

Vinnie has played on over 1000 albums, played on the Joan Rivers show, toured with Sting, currently tours with Jeff Beck and Herbie Hancock, and can play any style of music. He even played on a Megadeth ablum (The System Has Failed). The man can defy analysis. He also does all first takes. Listen to City Nights (Allan Holdsworth). You may not believe this but that was a first take.

[panhead55]

who cares who is better than who....typical american thinking. i just enjoy everything for what it is...

[elsegno]

How old was he when he did this clinic?

[drewbydrums]

around 26 I think if this video was shot in 82

[SteelyDug]

Weckl over Vinnie, and Vinnie over Copeland

[Fallaji]

terry bozzio over all 3 of those.

but theyre all excellent drummers.

[DrumCoalitionWithWar]

my ass!

[brothersdown]

What DCWW said, Rich and Peart maybe. Bonham possibly, but otherwise no, Jazz drumming only Rich.

[Drakel64]

can't choose between them...

[Drakel64]

hey guys...who do you think is better...vinnie or stewart copeland?

[DarthKazi]

Weckl makes easy things look hard, but Vinnie makes hard things look easy.

Take your pick.

[DarthKazi]

I hate to keep this stupid argument going, but I to put in my $.02. Dave Weckl hasn't recorded a meaningful piece of music since 1984 with Robert Plant's Honey Drippers. He plays elevator music---which nobody can deny--- and on the merit of his recordings, you CAN'T compare him to Vinnie. Chambers has a little more artist cred, but he can't read music, so that HAS to hinder his ability to play sessions. The artists who have hired Vinnie speaks louder than chops.

[eskimoposh]

Best comment on why Vinnie reigns supreme.

[tnsoltw]

omg watch out you spoke the truth on one of the most overrated drummers in the world. i don't know if the great minds here on youtube can handle all that.

[Ardent15]

I fucking deny that he plays elevator music.

[nadir4aver]

cmoon u can't compear them each 1 has his own style and story on drum history

[keystop]

God he looks older there than he does now!, and those simmons drums sound terrible.

Oh well he still rocks

[drumjedi]

This is an awesome solo!!

[jerrywitaj]

The best of the "Gadd school" drummers. So superior to Weckl...he was born to play the drums. (even though I love Weckl...but Vinnie is so much more rhythmically INNOVATIVE.)

[drumjedi]

Why are there so many drummers that have to dis Weckl in order to pay Vinnie a compliment?

I just think it's unnecessary to compare them in the first place, unless it is in the interpretation of Chick Corea's music(go hear Vin's Humpty Dumpty, then Weckl's, and to me Weckl owns it). It is like comparing flavors of ice cream; no better, just favorites.

[jerrywitaj]

I'm not dissing Weckl he is a GREAT drummer. I just believe that Vinnie is THAT good. Weckl is the product of great talent, and monster hours of practice. In fact, he went to the same music school that I went to, and he hung out with a buddy of mine. He is a notorious practicer. If you play, you can tell. Its not a bad thing, but to me Vinnie is such a natural, he's just more gifted. I would have to bet that he doesnt put in nearly the hours of practice that Dave does either, but I cant prove it

[digimaton]

They both practiced non-stop. Arguably, Weckl's style was a response to the demands of a mid-80's session environment that was increasingly using drum machines and click tracks; Colaiuta had cut his teeth before that paradigm shift happened (not that it didn't effect his playing). Personally I think Weckl's best playing was prior to 1990 peaking on Inside Out. Then he got all stiff or something. Both are simply monster talents.

[SteelyDug]

Sorry, I'll take Weckl over Vinnie...Fact is, I feel that the Holy Trinity of living drummers today include Weckl, Chambers & Cobham (in any order you please).

No disrespect to Vinnie...He is in my top 5 or 6, and hell...they are all good

[jerrywitaj]

Not for me, but you're entitled to your opinion.

All great drummers...but simply not in Vinnie's ballpark.

[digimaton]

Colaiuta has superior understanding of polyrhythms; Zappa is on record as saying VC was the first drummer he employed who really understood the application of polyrhythms in a musical context; he was also a 'phenomenal'

reader. The way he uses meter in an improvisatory context is second to none, just has so many more tricks up his sleeve, always pulls something new out of nowhere, admire others on your list but VC just continues to surprise me, can't say the same for the Weckl et al.

[Symmetry44]

You're absolutely right. As we try and pay each drummer his own due, why do we need to discredit the other greats in order to do so.

In my opinion each one accelerates in different areas. it doesn't make one better or worse than the other.

Everyone of these guys is amazing, and every one of these guys should be paid their just reward for all that they have brought to the table over the years.

Let's not knock one great drummer so as to uplift our favorite gang.

To each his own in the end I say.

[150929]

gah! it looks so weird seeing him play match grip hey?! But one thing is certain, HE OWNS EITHER WAY!!!

[rebeat2u]

one of my fav drummers of all time!! luv the moe!! gr8 clip

[tommygaston]

Nice...

I especially like the off beats (double strokes) starting at the 8.30 mark.

[Drumming2thelord]

WHAT A BEAST!

the GREATEST!

[B0ardfreak]

AND he kinda reminds me of Shane Gaalaas, now of course Gaalaas i way after this guys time but i can see vinnie being in anfluence on him.

[souio]

He played for Frank Zappa. If you don't mind offensive lyrics, check out the albums Joe's Garage Acts I, II and III; Tinsel Town Rebellion and (no offensive lyrics) Shut up n' Play Yer guitar. People say those have some of the best drumming ever recorded. Hope this helps!

[B0ardfreak]

Wow i've never heard of this guy before in my life, who is he and what band did he play for? or did he play for a band at all?

he kinda reminds me of neil peart>>?

[brothersdown]

My thought lol.

[otherkind0]

the greatest