Virgil Donati Alien hip hop (how to)

Those who know the music of Planet X and/or the drumming of Virgil Donati will also know that it is the epitome of complexity, and very difficult to master if you're a musician. I have recently been attempting to transcribe and learn the main theme of Alien hip hop, which i cracked yesterday - so i've decided to make it a bit easier for those of you other drummers out there who want to learn this amazing polyrythmic beat as well by posting this video. Forgive the slight mistakes: i only got this down last night! Transcript included in the footage!

Note: This is my own interpretation of the groove: i make no claim to play it exactly as Virgil does (for one thing he uses a double kick pattern, whereas i'm using a heel toe technique to achieve the sound) So the 'how to' in the title refers rather to the way of approaching or accessing an advanced piece of this kind.

Edit: Virgil Donati is the composer of Alien Hip hop, of which there are a couple of versions: One on the solo album 'on the Virg' and the other for Planet X.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Virgil
• Donati
• alien
• hip
• hop
• natataek
• nathanael
• taekema
• drum
• drums
• drumming
• polyrythm
• ostinato
• planet
• how
• to
• double
• bass
• single
• pedal

[amyeist86]

No Action Talk Only

[Natataek]

@amyeist86 o_O try the end...

[stumpyrob]

the hi hat part and snare are in 4/4 with the snare on beat 3. But it dances around that while the bass drum is doing a triplet ostinato against the 4/4. I hope this helps

[Natataek]

@stumpyrob I think i already expolained that, and showed it clearly in the transcription.

[Dandgms]

dude your not even playing the bass drum syncopation right.

[Natataek]

@Dandgms i'm quite confident that i am. I'm playing it the way i transcribed it, and at a recent clinic that Virgil did i asked him to take a look at it and he agreed it was accurate (even signing it for me :D)

but perhaps you can enlighten me and be a bit more specific?

[keyreal1]

very good explanation, thanks! Understandable and playable =)

[spike4379]

good video man

[Natataek]

@allmetaliswelcome Yeah that's almost right, but the last bar should be:

|-oo-oo-oooo-|

The 'odd time' feel is difficult to explain, but I'm planning to do a remake of this video in the near future with that section explained and written out, a bit more detail and less rambling at the beginning, so if you'd like to see that feel free to subscribe ;)