For musicians, the intricate and sophisticated Steely Dan’s compositions offer a treasure of inspiration. The band’s unique blend of jazz and rock has captivated audiences and musicians for decades. I’m thrilled to announce a collection of accurately crafted drum transcriptions featuring five iconic Steely Dan songs: Green Earrings, Aja, Babylon Sisters, Gaucho, and The Last … More Steely Dan: 5 Drum Transcriptions
In this new episode, we uncover one of the most creative and impressive drum parts ever recorded. “Fool in the Rain” by Led Zeppelin, from the album In Through the Out Door (1979), is a tune embracing rock and samba with a solid rhythm section and a captivating arrangement, resulting in a timeless hit. The … More John Bonham: Led Zeppelin – Fool in the Rain (Full Drum Transcription)
The article discusses the distinctive drumming technique of Gavin Harrison in Porcupine Tree’s song “Harridan” from the album Closure/Continuation. It dissects the song’s primary grooves, highlighting Harrison’s impressive skill in adapting to diverse musical textures, intricate rhythms, and complex time signatures. An in-depth transcription of the song’s drum part is available for those interested in studying it closely. … More Gavin Harrison: Porcupine Tree – Harridan (Full Drum Transcription)
With a career spanning over six decades, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie is widely renowned as the most recorded drummer of all time and the creator of the half-time shuffle groove. He has played on countless hit records (totaling over 5,000 records) of some of the biggest names in music, including Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, … More Bernard Purdie: Steely Dan – Babylon Sisters (Full Drum Transcription)
“Africa” is one of Toto’s most recognizable songs, a timeless classic. Originally released on their 1982 album Toto IV, the drum performance on this track is a perfect example of Jeff Porcaro’s signature sound, showcasing his versatility and musicality as a drummer.In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this iconic drum part and … More Jeff Porcaro: Toto – Africa (Full Drum Transcription)
I spent the last two months transcribing new stuff, for a great variety of styles from jazz to rock, to fusion and pop. Some of these transcriptions are commissions, which helped me to discover new music and develop my transcribing ability with the impressive Tony Williams and Brian Blade drumming. The full/note-for-note drum transcriptions are … More New Transcriptions (Tony Williams, Brian Blade, Steely Dan, Meshell Ndegeocello, Alexisonfire, The Muffs, Meredith Andrews)
Discovering a legendary groove! I’m glad to share the full drum sheet music for “Mushanga” by Toto, from the album The Seventh One (1988) with Jeff Porcaro on drums. The song is a great example of how applying rudiments can provide new ideas and grooves. Jeff Porcaro said this about the “Mushanga” rhythm:“Steve Gadd had … More Toto – Mushanga (Drum Sheet Music)
From Miles Davis to David Bowie to Madonna and Sting, Omar Hakim is one of the most versatile drummers on the planet. He played remarkable drum grooves on countless timeless hits. Born in New York City to a musical family, Omar Hakim began playing the drums at five. By age ten, he was performing publicly … More Omar Hakim Drum Transcription – Daft Punk – Giorgio by Moroder (Second Part, Drum Solo)
The second episode of my new series “drum shorts” is dedicated to Jeff Porcaro, and the nice and smooth groove played on the guitar solo outro of “Rosanna” by Toto. In case you missed it, in the first episode I transcribed the legendary drum part of the intro for “Good Times Bad Times” played by … More Drum Shorts: Toto – Rosanna (Outro Drum Groove Transcription)
Let’s start the new year with a top transcription! It took an entire week to transcribe, edit, and revise “Lingus (We Like It Here)” by Snarky Puppy, from the live DVD We Like It Here (2014). Now I’m very proud to share with you the complete drum transcription for the legendary Larnell Lewis performance, transcribed … More Snarky Puppy – Lingus (Drum Sheet Music)
Francis' Drumming Blog 