DRUM LESSON with MIKE JOHNSTON (John Legend Play Along)

[jamesfunnell24]

Crazy Fool! Mike, your drumming is sick my son!

[Penguinlordb]

Literally every time I'm about to start drumming, I watch this video. So much inspiration, so much talent, so much fun : )

[UnitingForce]

Hey mike, what happened to your splash???? I don't see you use it much any more and was just wondering????

Ian

[DXpac20]

Mike - can you put up a video on the cymbal cross-over you used at 2:19? I would really appreciate it.

[notsuchaclevername11]

ahhhhh! ur reaaly good but.... who drums to rap? that stuff is so hard

[umdiscodevinil]

im floored at your drumming!

[1108boy]

SHIT! i'm speechless..great!

[meSSican80]

MY HERO...... more covers please?

[iplaywithnoshoes]

Old school song.

Sick drumming, kinda gospel-ish. This guy can hang in there with Thomas Pridgen.

[soulander13]

he is a wise man

[daniellarsen1]

nice skills :) - its fun to see how into it you are, and really rocking on the kit ! - i started recently to play and your videos are great inspiration - thanks :)

[yeboahman]

Him having fun while playing, makes it fun to watch.

brilliant drumming

[19jc80]

Mike,

You seriously need to think about rigging a monster bass pedal to your throne and have it pound a big 55 gallon drum behind you. When you raise up with both legs and come down, ka-BOOM. Ha ha.

Seriously though, thanks for the videos.

[dadrummerdoctor]

woah. sweet stuff man

[jurr22]

brilliant!

[thatguylikespie]

man he would be a crazy double bass player if he used his left foot :p

[JAJ4000]

Double is only necessary in metal. He's amazing regardless.

[ediot6969]

Don't misinturpret this vid some of u!! This is just showing how he like to go wild and have fun on the kit!! U know that is ok to have fun on the kit!! In fact it's the main reason to play!!!

[Yondaimehokage05]

What kind of snare drum de you have?

Sounds waaaaay coool!

[ShutYourBreath]

Oh pple. I'm from Singapore. Go and hear Mike Johnston's drumming on the Shut Your Breath album by Simon Says. SS didn't have the promotional muscle that most other bands have but somehow, im grateful i came across their album in some shitty shop that sold mostly garbage. Mike Johnston, i hope you put up drum videos of Blister at least cos i really wanna see how you play. don't get me wrong, sometimes, seeing is believing.

[riotmateria]

seriously! whats that cymbal work  at 2:19?

[Simarddrummer]

used to love you - john legend

[shadowchenery]

John Legend - Used to love you. Its off his first album: Get lifted.

[simdrummer2]

he got some Gerald Heyward in him lol jump jump

[tru64art]

Mike is sick with the drums!!!! -tru64art-

[13Dazza]

Wow hes good!!!

[javier20893]

ur a really good teacher dude .. im learnin a lot from you =] keep it up

[Fresh0823]

Teach us those drum fills that u were doing off that song

[TheBeatSmith]

Hey...Fresh0823....you don't want to learn to over play....licks are cool to play but will get you kick of a gig playing that way....this is just what he hears in his head...not what is needed or required to the song.

[gergie90]

can you please break down that fill at 2:19?

[jpoynot]

it's just 8th notes on the bass drum with crossover 8th note cymbal crashes.

[jonathanvillela]

dudes i know he rocks i told my friend to chek him out and he said he had no technique i was like dude u cant even play like that even if u practice all ur life hes a jouluse biatch

[rockbandsmaster]

dont listen to ur friend he has a lot of technique he dont kno what he is talking about

[jonathanvillela]

i know dude mikes da man

[pigpen4483]

...................I just wouldnt be able to function with THAT MUCH FREAKIN SKILL! HOLY CRAP! I should just kill myself right now hahahaha

[blackvein511]

what type of crash is that? sounds so clean

[Frogropa]

he is great and it looks so funny when he jumps while he is drumming^^

[amortec500]

dude, 110% agree, he is the best drum teacher i've never seen of my life. He kick ass.

[rockbandsmaster]

how can u say that honestly. he is a great drummer and the best teacher maybe but compared to keith moon neil peart and others that i dont feel like naming he is nothing. he is just the best teacher.

[7Cab0ria9]

dude... hes playing a john legend song why are you comparing him to neil peart and keith moon ? completley different styles of music.

[Forlaniz3]

woahhhhhhh. that's all i can say. good googly moogly!

[tcruz81]

This is a great video to show. Everyone comments about his chops and fills, but I think the best part is when he adjusts his earpiece and does the high hat/snare combo with one hand to keep the beat. Other people might have started the recording over on that one heh

[jsh4drum]

best drum teacher in the world right here

[bradbradbrad15]

that was sick

[EkayDrums]

its so funny i've had this song on my ipod for years and i love it....but i never thought of putting some drums to it lol

[jmc2219]

does anybody know if the fills at 2:03 are 16th note triplets or just groups of 3 16th notes? thanks

[SuddenlyPASTA]

3 16 notes, it's just really quick so it's misleading.

[twindragonslegend]

they were just groups of three. no triplets there :)

[drummerjc5]

my favorite video ever!

[travmanx]

someone strap this guy down!!

[dxtriple123456789]

(=

im happy

[dxtriple123456789]

man i lov 2 play 2 music but wat type

[jgovani29]

hey man i love how you play the drum im a big fan of you .... i have learned a lot from you please dont stop making those cool videos. hey i heard you hit the ring but i dont matter

[gamafon]

whats the name of the song?

[willlovestodrum132]

just search jhon legend youll find it i have before

[doskyinthehoy]

what is the name of the title..thanks ^_^

[EPhontanilla]

1:36

Reverse splash hit!

[hollylinda]

1:37 upwards on the splash. 1000 points

[ianpossible]

this old stuff is great... you're feelin it man!

[garebear72261]

can you break down that fill at 2:29?

[rboeger]

hey garebear72261. im pretty sure the fill at 2:29 is just RLRLKK all around the kit.

[garebear72261]

that head shake at 1:30 was funny as heck

[ilovemypetrockbrian]

Great as always Mike, and inspiration to us all.

I love your minimalist approach to your setup and playing. :)

[Joshplaysinstruments]

Minimalist approach to playing? Hahahahaha. He's an animal on this track.

[ARisenServant]

He means he doesn't have a ton of drums and cymbals....We can do alot with A little!

[drums6678]

this is awesome! nice drumming

[missingmike]

Mike-What the size drums on that kit?

[LulJam]

Man, people as me who a drumming inspiration is, and its hard to explain that Its a dude that runs a website and makes youtube videos! :P

Love your videos, keep em up

[idrumkingdom223]

dude where are you located? where is the drumlab???

[runescapefreak1234]

can you put up some other great songs to play covers too

i need some new ones and up beat too pls i play sorta like you

you are such a insperation

[drums6678]

wow that was insane! awesome drumming

[SI5drummer]

Thanks for introducing me to this song. I really needed it...after I walk 165 miles to my now ex's house in the winter in upstate NY, and get the news that I was played for a fool. Not only do I need this, you truly open me up for some productive sessions behind my e-kit. Thanks man...you've saved me from myself.

-Brad

[yaomigne]

What is this song?

[jaydendrums111]

this bloke changed my opinion of drums

he inspires me to practice

[SpicyNutcheese]

We talkin' bout practice!

[craveplanetcaravan]

damn, man, go join a touring band, i love to see you live.

[ap291]

AMAZING!!!! very good choice of song too!

[sickstix182]

why are u not more known ur one of the best drummers out there

[BigVSonor]

sick!!!!!!! luv you man!! this is what i call chops!!! thanks!!

[Kairu16]

wow thats tight, how did u get ur bass and ur floor tom 2 sound like that? i can never get mine 2 sound good. hit me back up- peace Mike.

[JMgymnast22]

what kind of cymbals do you have?

[zzcr6c3rzz]

every time i watch this i get inspired to practisee. hoepfully gonna start takin lessons from u. drum lab is hella close to house

[HgMeza114]

Mike...

thanks for uploading your videos.

You Are The BEST!!

[dribble321]

1:29 To good for two hands!!! Frikin amazing talent.  And all it took was practice. Years of practice but practice in general.

[lorlproductions]

HOLY CRAP!!!! all i need to say...

[Dan1028mi]

that was tight...... i need lessons like a motha fucka

[portnoy2045]

i second that, just amazing!

[fav14]

...I wish I had a drumset. I need the money for that to though.

[timeisticking99]

whats so awesome about mike i that he doesnt need a huge kit to play on, he can make a smaller kit and still sound AWESOME!!!!!!

[MrGabeBoi]

DUDE U TIGHT WORD UP!!!!!!!!!

[bmalaquias]

True Dat

[Chunibob]

damn right

[brainwashedEdgard]

deeeeng! I wish I had somewhere to practice!!

[inimax1]

i aswell have watched this about 100 times, you are rewriting the standard absolute don at the drums

[skipper06]

:O your a genious Mike!

[Paradittle]

you are definitly up there you got skill im inspired to watch you play

[alloneword154]

he really gets into it.

[jeffblnts]

so do i wen im playing my drums lol

[recondoc82]

Drum Machine...OWNED!! Ad-libbing like that isn't thinking outside the box. Ad-libbing like that, is making the box catch fire with your mind, and then pouring gas on it. We are not worthy. Truely truely amazing Mike, I look forward to learning from you. -Jared

[FU0C0]

What box?

After seeing that I don't think there are any limitations anymore

You're awesome Mike!!!

[thickpooxbox360]

1:37 hes too cool to hit downwards on it cybals :P

[pandamarihuana]

dont you mean upwards O.o lol

[neelshiv]

Nice tip about playing with songs that use drum machines for practice. I play along to rap, but I never thought of those specific benefits that you mentioned. I also don't have the chops to do the things you did, but I could definitely step out of the box and play a little more than what the machine plays (which is often what I try to do).

[backbeatbobby]

mike man seriously you gotta tell me the pattern for that fill you did at 2 mins 29secs i know that most of your fills on this vid start with rlrl kk but bro i need to learn this )) peace!!

[awesome980]

this is propably one of the best cover i've seen.i wish i could play that good

[LulJam]

Not really a cover, just him improving to a song with a drum machine loop.

[willlovestodrum132]

yes it is him doing a cover

if u see a band like the red hot chili peppers live, chad smith wont play the same beats or the same fills all the time he'll vary very often

is that not a cover?

[awesome980]

this probably one of the best drum cover i've see.man i wish i could play that good

[theNo10]

his kit sounds dope!!1

[Maindfrick]

MAN ! You should be the drummer of SANTANA !

You're THE MAN !

[Honkadoo]

crazy drumming...

does mike johnston have a triplets lesson anywhere?

[chekito123]

Cobus needs years and years of training to even get to Mike's level...

[mindfreak380]

wat song is this?

[theNo10]

Used to Love U

[neelshiv]

"Used to Love U" by John Legend

[EverythingEvil007]

WAYYYYYYYY better than Cobus. Cobus is amazing, don't get me wrong...this guy is just on a whole different level.

[gavin709]

hes fuckin sickkkkkkkk!

[mrmurder1510]

Hey Mike,

do you have an Ipod lesson covering that fill you played at 1:23 ?

[Deshua3Q]

dude cobus is nowhere near this dudes level hes sick

[xbabyxlookxatme]

Now there's the passion! great!!

[EBFTW]

With my earphones i can only hear it through my right ear, and no, there's nothing wrong with them.

[gamerguy007]

whoa...Them is some chops....makes me wanna practice more! Thanks and keep it up!

[gibspadovani]

yeah, me too

[borishog]

you are the man bro

[PopesDrinkCoke09]

quite amazing.

[ericneedsU]

i just came

[Indeavor]

Mike Johnston signature fill at 2:19!

[spoketwister]

You are my hero

[RdGr12]

Nice chops!! I can see what you're trying to say playing with music rather than just chopping away.

[sonor503503]

2:18 is money i love it

[amandob]

SICK!!

[ZoomZ]

Amazing.

[Wh1teL1ghtinn]

this makes r&b cool! B-)

[naugfam]

dude love the tune of your drums man. seriously man you ought to teach how to tune your drums. but nice playin.

JAKE NAUGLE

[Twitched08]

I have watched this over and over since I found it. I've stolen a few of the ideas from this video shamelessly. I can't get enough of this clip, and I wish you could still find the entire video.

[FueledByDrums]

can anyone suggest any songs like these that i can just make some crapp up on the drums?

PLEASE HELP!

[SalDaDrummr]

UR FREKEN AWSUM MAN!!!!!

[davidcre8s]

I am totally amazed and humbled...

thanks man.

[bbison49]

move aside swiss criss, haha. kidding, but really good job

[mixfixdrummer]

holy hell. that's was amazing

[TheCholoKingTJ]

Freaking INSANE!!!!

[Ewokizzle]

ur the man

[jaydubdizzle]

sweet man! this helped me alot. Very good idea about the style of music to jam to. I actually play anything from punkish prog to metal and this is a really cool idea for being able to keep time and applying new things to the kit....btw i use your little crash and bass fills at 2:20 all the time lol gotta love 'em!

[Tequillaresist]

Holy shit..that's good 8-)

[Geebanga718]

U KILLED IT

[Torrezd16]

oh and what heads does he use???

[5rjb]

I believe he uses Aquarian heads, and is endorsed by them.

[Torrezd16]

what john ledgend song is he playing to?

[alch3myst]

used to love you

[bosserbee]

hey that was a great lesson... i think not playing along to music is the reason im still so weak

[sammyjs1983]

can u tell what u u did at 2:02? ill send u a money order if u want...it seem simple....sounds very cool, thank you

[bosserbee]

hahahahahahaha

[jesusdapnk1]

damn man your good ey man what cymbals are you using and what is your kit

basically can i have all the specs on your kit? :)

thanks man

peace

[CJG90]

hey mike, could you break down the cymbal fill at 2:18. it would be much appreciated.

[XxDanRemxX]

What kinda heads are those studio x's? Anyone know?

[212NYCdrummer]

I think those are the stock DW heads, just a guess

[bacon57]

haha your a very bouncy drummer

[you89156]

i just love the cymbal crossovers

i wish i need 2 do that

ima practice right now!!!!!!

[osterkenn]

just watched vid from my drum throne. By 1:98threw my sticks down in disgust and walked away.

[xXMnMXx]

are you trying to say he is amazing?

if so, i agree.

[drummerzarate]

Any idea where can we get this type of CD to play along with, i just have one year lerning drums in Mexico, but is really fun and helpful this type of things, any webiste to by this stuff

[PentucketXC05]

This is "I Used to love you" By John Legend. Try that.

[eXdXgXe4life]

1:36 = awesome under splash hit!

[PentucketXC05]

I loved that too!

[keysonyanosmilanos]

Do any of you guys have any recommendations for good sounding hi-hat work kinda like used in this video?

[pdpjack805]

Dude i think mike uses some Paiste signature hats and i think there 12or13 inch. Really crisp totally suit R n B but will come at a price. For the same thing from Sabian AAX fast hats 13 or zildjian K or A custom should give you the sound your looking for.

[you89156]

hey man jsut experiment thats what i do

[DrUmMaStA14]

after watching this video i played to the same song you did and now i know why you chose it. It's so much fun playing to this. even though my fills don't even compare to yours and your beats are so sick. Just wanted to let you know that I learn a lot from you and enjoy your vids. This one might be my favorite so far. Good job Mike!

[hovernator]

Great job Mike!!! You got the beat, bro! lol.

LOVE IT!!!

[dynamokiev69]

wooooooooooow

[fatsobumcheeks]

man awesome thanks for all the video's you've posted, real encouragement to drumming. Nice tattoo too by the way lol, what is it of?

[slipknot27913]

lol thanks for this dude

john legend is very fun to play to

and i totally stole youre cymbal crossover haha

mike do you have any tips for new teachers? i now have two drumsets and i'm trying to go more legit with giving lessons..

[nynth09]

i have to watch this at least once a day

ur that awesome mike xD