777-9311 groove analysis, breakdown and explanation, tutorial

[Sen1or1ta]

Finally! Sumbody dat can actually play it rite! Thumbs up

[LaughingOutKraut]

Kind of messy sounding in the beginning.

[tiffaneeannbarrett]

Damn dude,you was jamming!!!!!

[124gthomas]

damnnnnnnnnn!



[Jakegoad1]

Thks man helped me out alot with this

[MarcEAllen]

I still say that this is one of the hardest drum licks in the industry and I remember Jellybean Benitez playing it live in Oakland, California back in 1986...my goodness...nice job though bro'

[markmarktarmann]

hey benno . didnt know you were such a beat scientist AND a groovemeister.

i like the the sound, and the way you play it better than what i heard on the time or tupac...prob cuz yer doin it ....not on a machine. really nice, and great tutorial. and no your facial expression is not too stern. much friendlier than most professor's or seminar givers.

[steelyben]

@markmarktarmann

Mark - long time!

thanx for chiming in, and thanx for the props as well!

all the best,

b

[LISTENtotheMANofGOD]

@steelyben erratic, needs work but you've got it down. Remember, it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!

[dj9747]

Hey Ben-Great new page! Very helpful instruction and insight into this beautiful beast of a beat. Please check-out my take on it on youtube under 777-9311 dj9747 Coup Detroit -

[1227Julius]

This guy almost got the 777-9311 beat perfect, its a very difficult beat to master but this guy is close!!!

[darkadaberry]

simply sick!!! you could have easily stepped in for jellybean!!

[jermakki]

@darkadaberry

He would have to step in for a Drummachine... only the cymbals were "real" in the original Song... and were played by Prince himself ;)

But yea, really great work! *bows*

[MultiGuarddog]

This guy gets it .There's another guy who is suppose to be an expert on the drums ,but couldn't make it work . THIS DUDE UNDERSTANDS THE DRUMS !!!

[MultiGuarddog]

This guy gets it .There's another guy whois suppose to be an expert on the drums ,but couldn't make it work . THIS DUDE UNDERSTANDS THE DRUMS !!!

[careergyrl1]

Yo...dude!! You are GREAT!! You got the pocket on LOCK!

[MultiSk8freak]

War das in der Aula von der Hvk Die hatt auch so Wände!

Schöne Grüße,

Luca

[steelyben]

@MultiSk8freak

ha. good to see ya!

nope, tonAtelier studios, Frankfurt.

couldn't get the sound as good in hvk, even if i tried to :)

[sgj002]

wow! man i wish i played an instrument ...

[Papillonmuscogee]

Very nice. Towards the end of tuturial, I'm reminded of "Dance Wit Me" percuss (Rufus)

[BayanTheOne]

in fact there's no 2Pac version of this groove cause his track 'What'z Ya Phone #" uses a direct sample from the original

[steelyben]

@BayanTheOne

well, i would agree with you of course.

i did not intend to say that tupac did anything generically new with the groove. he just sampled it, yes.

but first of all, he slowed it down a tad bit, and added some compression of some kind. it is easier for me to hear the 32nds in "what's ya phone #".

and then, yeah, i really wanted to point out the obvious: this exact groove has been re-used by another famous artist!

ez,

b

[Dzoni73]

@steelyben actually producer Johnny J of 2pacs song everything played live in studio, so it wants a direct sample from original source

hi hat was recorded in stereo, coming from left and right speakers slightly different, compared to prince version which was tracked in mono and level balance is same.

love the synth in outro of whatz ya phone #



[Dzoni73]

@steelyben sorry for typo, meant to say - "it wasn't a direct sample"

@BayanTheOne

[1stickynotepad]

Dude you got it right.....I played it just like that were are some Bad ASSES!!!!!!

[musicofthesoul85]

great vid!

[brohoop]

BEAUTIFUL!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[geminidrums]

again I love your playing of 777-9311

but as a drummer who plays mostly by ear. your break down of the song sounds wierd to me because I do not know where your down beat falls. mainly the 1. The slowed down playing sounds nothing like the song to me.. I'm lost. maybe it's just me lol.

I knew I should have done more site reading..dang!! lol

thanks for sending me this post I have subscribed for all future post.

[steelyben]

@geminidrums

you got the ears my friend, and your version sounds great.

my trained brain needed to know where the 32nds are exactly, and slowing stuff down is a talent i just happen to have. it helps me understand and analyse, and sometimes even to come up with a more convenient sticking.

but check out john blackwell on this one, even he is not literally quoting the original linn groove!

but he sounds so funky and close to the FEEL of the original, and that is what counts after all.

[geminidrums]

@steelyben I have checked out John Blackwell version and it does sounds great also.

and as for your slowing the beat down talent...two thumb up. look foward to seeing more of your videos.

[MrHostilestudios]

You could play both hand together on the beginning of the 7 stroke roll

I just realized I do 1 too many hits at the end.. haha

Nice job explaining well done...

[steelyben]

@MrHostilestudios

i am lost, can you point out where and how you mean that exactly? or can you show it on a video response maybe?

thanx for the comment!

[MrHostilestudios]

@steelyben I sent a vid to your inbox hopefully it worked..After reading the posts again I realize you were talking about the 2 and 4 claps.. I'll have to work on that one.. But I meant to say on the E of 4 the snare and hats play together on the beginning of the "5" stroke roll,. I mistakenly said 7 stroke..

[MrHostilestudios]

@Steely.. It wouldn't let me add a video response.. so I posted on your main Comments page..

[steelyben]

@MrHostilestudios

i dont know why youtube couldn't let posters know that i want to approve - simple as that.

i love a discussion, but i want to avoid certain off-topic behaviour.

so first of all, welcome!

i can see in my inbox you tried to post a response - can you do that again? cuz the inbox folder ithen s empty for some reason.

[steelyben]

@MrHostilestudios

the video response thing is broken or something.

here is the link to yours, i could see it from my inbox:

paste this after youtube.com

/watch?v=nP1HmwRwgQw

very well played i think, and we're like groove-brothers on this one.

will try to sort out that vid thing later.

[MrHostilestudios]

@steelyben Thanks man.. I'll have to do some homework to figure out those hand claps.. haha

[Foreverass]

This is good, I just read your message, this was a really good cover and explanation, and you didn't use a drum machine. You should try doing a cover with the other instrumentals in it.

Keep it up :D -Fore

[steelyben]

@Foreverass

you mean, playing along with a backing track?

thanx for stoppin by!

b

[steelyben]

addendum:

a great fellow drummer by the name of oli rubow has suggested, that as the next step we should try to incorporate the claps on 2 and 4 somehow, even if that meant to technically compromise the above cadence in parts.

any suggestions?