Jeff Randall: James Brown - "The Funky Drummer" - (DRUM LESSON #1)

[drumteacher76]

Damn Jeff, that was awesome. Such a great feel and such a clear way of breaking it down one limb at a time :)

Mike Johnston

[jeffJRrandall]

@drumteacher76 Thanks so much Mike, I've been a fan of yours for a long time. I just had a long day at work and when I saw your comment I felt so motivated to come back home and play drums.

[jupiterjermaine]

Jeff, finally somebody played this damn beat correct!!!! I love you man!

[noelevan]

Thanks jeff, This is the best breakdown of funky drummer on youtube. The breakdown on the hi-hat is very key and important i thought and even down to explaining clyde doing it heel-toe. Never knew how to play it and now i know it after this video. Thanks!

[ezbit14]

sounds really great man !!! where are the links ?? :) i cant find them .. thanks man !

[samthekunt]

i agree this burns other you tube attempts. Are those rim shots or is ur snare just mad tuned up? impressive

[jeffJRrandall]

@samthekunt Yeah, rimshots on 2 & 4, the rest are ghost notes. Thanks Sam

[dieconashi]

Great control with the right hand! Off to the shed...

[Dazzer1234567]

best version on da toob, very well done.............check out my videos, i've got a few nice things to jam / practice to, more coming soon.

[justincredible214]

Whoa!!! Now that is a funky drummer! Love the head movements while you play, you can tell you are truly feeling this beat. Great job bro.

[drumkepka]

Thank you, man!

[baronvonchunk]

excellent drumming, props to the questlove wallpaper

[SnuggleHumpagus]

Nicely done

[TiagoDrumming]

Awesome awesome stuff! This video will help me alot, this groove looks so fun to play, damn i need some drums right now!!! Cheers bro! =)

[pampdog]

a perfect, graceful interpretation. beautiful.

[sh0k0nes]

Best online version. I jammed with Clyde about 15 years ago and he couldn't do it anymore. He said he was 19 when he originally did it and did so many other classics since.

[jeffJRrandall]

@sh0k0nes Wow, how did you get the opportunity to play with him? 

[sh0k0nes]

@jeffJRrandall Strange story. I used to be a scratch DJ and when he came to London around 96/7 we did a gig at Rock Garden in Covent Garden. I said I used to drum and we had a session. Even gave me a pair of his drumsticks I'll cherish forever. Wish I had footage.

[ickledrummerboy]

Awesome mate. Sounds amazing the right hand 16ths are so tight. What technique are you using? Looks like you're using your fingers in french grip to me. Is that right. Really want to get my right hand 16ths better so your help would be appreciated

Cheers

Ali

[liennto]

nice! ive got the exact same set up. 3 piece, ride, and hat.

[blueshifter]

hands down, best breakdown of Funky Drummer online, fantastic job. Your shuffle is dead on.  I won't even tell you how many hours i've spent analyzing those few seconds of tape! Just wanted to say that to my ears, the first open hh on the 2-and is a "tschk" on the recording. not sure how one would play that (i ain't that good of a drummer), but i don't hear a stick there, just a pedal close. then the next 16th is a stick-on-open... do you hear that at all?

[pampdog]

Deliciously on point. Well done.

[asbm90]

I loved it man, Remember this and apply it to your life.

Those who can't..... criticize.

F the haters keep doing what you do!

[cspalmisano]

Killer pocket. Absolutely impecable hi-hat technique. I'd love to know how you got that french grip throw / catch technique down so well. Any practice tips?

[HenryLewisRadd]

The hi-hat technique is ace, perfect tempo, all around great interpretation of that pattern.

I was bummed when I watched Clyde's recent lesson on the pattern. The basics were there but he played 8th notes on the hats, and we all know hey played a relentless 16th note pattern on the original.

You should mic up the kit and record it, bring up the snare in the mix, let those ghost notes shine :)

[timmyh13]

@jeffJRrandall My intention was never to insult or belittle your fine hard work and effort. As I reviewed my comments I realize that I could have gotten my point across with more honest facts and less acrimony and for that I sincerely apologize. You're a fine technician and I hope you teach also because you do have much to offer. Peace!!!

[timmyh13]

@jeffJRrandall I did mention that Clyde has his own posts on Youtube in which he not only explains how and why he played what he did, but also embellishes and stretches out on the groove also. He articulates very simply how to bring intensity to the groove without increasing volume or overplaying. Which all contribute to his high level of musicality and dynamics. That's musicianship not just some slick drum shit.

[timmyh13]

@jeffJRrandall No not really. The dissemination of inaccuracies about music that means so much to me is highly disturbing. That's all

[billybrown3000]

hi jeff ! i love your drumming man ! i am tryin to open the transcription file but i cant figure out what kind of program it is ! what do i need to open the file ? thanks.

[jeffJRrandall]

@billybrown3000 Thanks Billy! It's a tiny JPEG image so it shouldn't be too hard to open. The 4shared website should have a download button and will force you to wait 20 or so seconds before you can download the file to your computer. I use 'Preview' to view it on my mac but any old preview software should work. If that doesn't help maybe someone else here could give you some advice, I'm really new the public storage stuff.

[kenshireen]

Jeff,

You have a good ear... Can you help me transcribe the beginning of the following Clyde video... It's a bit different from FD... I am somewhat lost on where the open HH sits. The title is "clyde stubblefied funky drummer".... It was made in 2008.

I could not enter the youtube ID in this post

Thanks,

Ken

[timmyh13]

Dude That is NOT what Clyde played on the original recording. You obviously spend all your time in a practice room and not playing music professionally. Your sterile, antiseptic, lack of feel style screams this. Sad

[Thefroggys1]

This is great bro

[FaithIsAccidental]

Mate what kit is that? It sounds beautiful. Greta playing too.

[jeffJRrandall]

@FaithIsAccidental It's a Yamaha Absolute Maple kit. Thanks for checking out the video!

[FaithIsAccidental]

@jeffJRrandall Cheers mate :)

[odeed]

Really nice,this is my favorite drum break of all time and you did a damn good job on it.

[kidzsanlorenzo]

Great job kid you rock !! ( Or Funk in this case.. ) :D

[crashbash21]

Your clear insight, attention to detail and obvious chops are what makes this FD breakdown the best on youtube.

Imo the most sampled part is at 5 mins 34 secs in the actual song/track, and that break omits the 2nd hat lift. but hey, you even already acknowleged that and explained why.

More please :-)

[jeffJRrandall]

@crashbash21 Wow, thanks a lot crash. I plan on putting more videos up beginning sometime in August after I finish moving practice studios.

[kenshireen]

@jeffJRrandall - Clyde does the clearest breakdown on "james brown funky drummer lesson and original". It is from 2006 and is better than the 2008 exhibition.

He clearly does not play straight 16ths.. The author claims he does not on the original recording..

Take a look and give me your transcription of the hat and opinion.

[jeffJRrandall]

@kenshireen It's all in the music man, listen to "The Funky Drummer (Bonus Beat Reprise)" and use YOUR ears! The example Clyde gives in the video you listed isn't the same as the original recording, although it IS of course, fuuuuunky.

[kenshireen]

@jeffJRrandall Jeff, I agree with you... It just seems that the video(s) have a bit more swing to them. I suspect it would be difficult for Clyde to remember exactly what he played 40 years earlier. Also, I doubt if he still has the chops to play straight 16ths at the tempo for an extended period of time.

Just curious but what size sticks do you play.

[jeffJRrandall]

@kenshireen I was probably playing Regal Tip 7A's when I shot this, but I switch my brands/sizes up pretty often...

[JamaicanPhoenix]

This actually helped me a lot with figuring out funky drummer. I normally play heel up on my hi-hats so it was slightly easier but this video really helped me get the technique down. Thanks dude!

[jeffJRrandall]

@JamaicanPhoenix glad it helped!

[JamaicanPhoenix]

@jeffJRrandall Hey man, if you're ever in Ottawa, Ontario Canada let me know. I'd love to jam with you and maybe even have a drum battle. :P

[kenshireen]

Great video but if you check on Clyde's own breakdown of the beat you will notice that he does not play straight 8th notes on the HH.

BTW what size sticks do you play with?

?v=Xlh-XKQ7VJA

[FaithIsAccidental]

@kenshireen This guy's playing 16th's not 8th's.

[kenshireen]

Great video

[GregoryGraveyard]

cool man, you're room looks just like mine with the turntable right next to the drums!!

i try to learn all the classic breakbeats too. and this one is a MUTHA!!! great lesson man please do some more!!

[jeffJRrandall]

@GregoryGraveyard Thanks a lot Greg, I'll be posting some more in the near future when I finish moving my practice studio.

[fuzzycows]

Someone a Purdie fan, funky stuff, love the ghosting and the New Orleans style ghost rolls to dirty it up. Good stuff, a little Garibaldi from TOP in there as well. I'm not a drummer but as a bassist I could play with you all day long.

[jeffJRrandall]

@fuzzycows you sound like the kind of bass player I like to play with as well!

[clettisklump]

tight, you got some skillz, stay fonky...Myles

[crazycutter]

Clyde explains it all watch?v=Xlh-XKQ7VJA

[yoni2406]

that was great man!! i love your lesson. now i can play the funky drummer quite well !!

[mosdef69]

really close but you are opening the hi hats one too many times. still way better than i could do.

[jeffJRrandall]

@mosdef69 You are correct if you are only taking into account the first 30 seconds of the recording. If you listen to the whole track you can hear how the hi-hats as well as the rest of the beat subtly change throughout. I tried to simplify the lesson a little by creating a move repetitive groove that pulls all the elements together a bit.

[mosdef69]

@jeffJRrandall for sure homie. I appreciate you taking time to do that, your deffinitely a sick drummer. Keep it up, peace.

[ryremusic]

HAA that was fuckin awsome, cheers man!

[delijica]

Yeeeahhh!!Bravo,boy!!

[5ynnoj]

What's the technique your using on the hi hats? Are you throwing the stick into the hats or just finger technique?

[jeffJRrandall]

@5ynnoj it's really a bit of both. If you just use fingers, it's going to sound too straight. On the other hand, if you just use your wrist, it's going to be hard staying on the top of the hi hat

[5ynnoj]

Yes! This is by far the best version I've seen on YouTube.

[jeffJRrandall]

thanks so much!

[shakey64]

very good. funky funky. thumbs up!