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Beginners Track 1 Lesson 8 - Billie Jean


Julia

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Hi all,

I gave myself extra time for this lesson because I wanted to really work on learning my first song.  I have finally gotten the basic groove down at .75x speed — I can do it at normal speed, but barely hang onto it.  

The fills still need a lot of work, but I have now officially confirmed for myself that drummer's high is a thing 🙂. I'm glad that Stephen put an actual song early on within the lessons, because it's really great to see how a song comes together in practice, and I feel more confident and capable.

 

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@Tim B. Thanks!  I have trouble thinking of something easier, it's pretty basic, and the fills are the most minimal I can find in any song.  Don't make us tackle any more fills in one lesson 😂 Maybe just something a bit slower?  

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@Stephen actually, I have a musician friend on Twitter named Jake Nolen.  My favorite song of his, a track called "Please Don't” (I'll link below) has synthesized drums.  I told him I'm learning drums and would love to learn his song, and he replied, "Please DO!”  

The groove is just like Billie Jean, but slower, and the fills are just as minimal.  I think I can do this.  It sounds like such a small, almost silly thing, but I'm seriously telling you that nothing would make me happier than to be able to send him a recording of me drumming his track as just a shout out and a gift to him for being such an awesome guy.  

Even five months ago I had no kit and no lessons and couldn't imagine this even being a real thing, but now I have a kit and you are teaching me things that are making this real -  so I want to thank you again and tell you how much I appreciate being here.

"Please Don't” by Jake Nolen:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c1aDQ9r-6oI

 

 

 

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@Julia agree with lifting hi-hat foot on and-of-4 is a major challenge for me as well (didn’t start working on my left till 1-month ago / 9-months in) but know getting that foot independence is a good bundle to get over.

Another great Beginner song is Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly”.  Classic drum groove, crash on the 1 very 3 or so measure, 2- eighth notes on snare right before chorus & the breakdown /tradeoff with acoustic is great 2-beat fills.  It’s one of the songs my band group/ lesson is doing so I broke it down & been playing for a few weeks.

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