Explanation of Vinnie Colaiuta's drum fill in Don't Ask Me by Nik Kershaw

Vinnie Colaiuta is on all but one track of Nik Kershaw's 1989 album - The Works. The whole album is full of great drumming (it's Jeff Porcaro on the remaining track!) but this fill stands out as the craziest thing on it.

In this lesson I break down what's going on in that fill. For the full explanation (youtube gave me a 10 minute limit) go to www.joecrabtree.com/masterclass

The MasterClass version is 20 mins long, breaks down the whole fill and I go into more technical detail and suggest exercises to make it easier to play. For further in depth lessons on technique and creativity check out the other MasterClass lessons.

Have fun,
Joe

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Vinnie Colaiuta
• drum fill
• drum fills
• drum solo
• Nik Kershaw
• Jeff Porcaro
• The Works
• drum lesson
• drum lessons
• Don't Ask Me
• joe crabtree

[snorhyveln]

Great job!

I got the feeling that the end of your second part is actuall the same as part four!?

If you listen to the "lonely" splash hit in 2, and compare it to the "lonely" china hit in 4, you´ll notice it´s the same placement of the hits on toms and the hits the bassdrum - respectively.

Also I want to make shure I got it right when listening to the fill and watching your exlanation, in fourth part - Isn´t it a bassdrum hit just before the tacet and the china hit? Not a floortom..

[pfefftube]

@snorhyveln Hi, thanks for your comment. The second part and the 4th part are a bit different. The splash is on the 'e' of beat 2, but the china is on the '1' of beat 4.

I'm pretty sure it's a floor tom before the china in the last beat. Vinnie does have his china on the left side though so he'd play the floor tom with his right hand and the china with his left. It's easier that way.

The full lesson on my website includes the flurry of toms in beat 1 - that's the hardest part.

[mentzsana]

Amazing video but there's an error on transcription: the one showed at 02:41 is not the same played at he end (as you can see at 07:11) - it's the figure of the first quarter of the second bar.

Sorry for pedantry and my poor english.

[pfefftube]

@mentzsana thanks for your comment. 2:41 is the actual transcription. 7:11 is the simplified version. The full lesson, on the masterclass section of my website, has another 10 minutes covering those extra notes which are more difficult to play.

[Mahavishnu80]

what is that snare? one of the best ive ever heard.

[pfefftube]

@Mahavishnu80 I think it's a 14x5 Pearl wood free floater

[zhovenga]

thanks very pro explanation.

[SimonVicFirth]

Vinnie could be a maths teacher!

[CCCdrumview]

To technical for this country boy

[qoeotla]

This is the one of the most attractive part of the drums 4 me!! just few of the simple things r making really awesome sound when they got combined!! thanks!!

[kikstikdrum]

Interesting analysis which offers many alternative ideas !!

It's a linear drumming concept implied by many greats such as Nik, Steve, Steve, Vinnie, Jojo, Dave and David.

I have found Rick Latham’s “blue book” to be the ultimate learning source for this technique. After study I got very creative - fun as hell.

You fellas can learn this in weeks. Quintessence: drum fills like these will become 2nd nature, quickly lead to extended fills, over the bar, solos etc. Recommend DVD too. Thanks Nik!

[tthueson]

@billygoatbrough That's why Vinnie is often referred to as "The Turd Polisher"!

[cacapipi0123]

wooow. nice work man

[dagostinoification]

merci à vous! très bon! didier d'agostino batteur compositeur , vidéos sur youtube ,dailymotion.

[bceltics99]

top 3 fills i have ever heard!!!!!

[smilinglemur]

Wonderful explanation of a pretty crazy opening fill. You really do explain things very clearly. You even awakened in me an eagerness to get back to looking at charts.

Great sounding set, too. Much appreciated.