Incredible drummer. Used to think people like portnoy and mangini were best ever. Then I discovered gavin. Some of the beats he played just left me with my jaw dropped.
except I hate all the generic stuff he does. inexcusable, when realizing how TASTY and creative he can be. you can play ballads etc with CREATIVITY and feel. Ain't gotta be predictable.
If he is doing generic stuff, then that was, no doubt, what the songwriter wanted. You want session work then you best be playing what the boss wants ;)
"I started to realize, if I was a bass player, now I know what I would want a drummer to do and what I would want him to do is just playing in time." Nothing else to do ... but learning from this! Man, what a speech!
Gavin Harrison and Neil Peart. Two drummers who are fascinating to listen to not only when drumming, but talking about drums aswell. Thoughtful guys, real musicians.
Man I love his cymbal tones..crap, the whole kit for that matter and with his tasty playing..I'm a guitar guy but watching and hearing him is crazy amazing..
I was so happy when I first discovered Gavin, I really gravitate to this type of playing nowadays. Not when I first started playing though, I was all about the big fills everywhere, used to love them. Now I try to avoid them 80% of the time ha! - much prefer these little nuances, they're so tasteful
everytime I skip a little bit his playing and then come back I am always blown away how beautiful and interesting he places accents, cymbals etc. in places that seemed to be unheard before.
Excellent presentation. A very hard lesson for drummers to get is that they are there to play the song. Not to show-off, upstage, impress, etc. but simply play what is correct for the song. Took me a couple of decades to truly get this.
the snare in exacly 2:13(after the fill) ... he is making natural delay with ghosh notes...as a sound engineer i have to say i have never see something sooo beautiful!!!
Gavin's more than 'just a drummer' - he's transcended into drummer/producer territory, that's why everything he touches turns to gold... I play guitars and not drums, but he's the ONE professional I respect the most!
I love his musical approach, playing fills for the song to enhance it as opposed to playing a fill just to play a fill. I totally agree with Gavin, play to the music first and foremost..!!
As a part of my active listening routine, I was going on a focused binge of Porcupine Tree today, when I figured what Gavin Harrison is referring to in 5.30’’ of this workshop. The song, which he beautifully and artistically plays a quarter note on the ride and sixteenths on the snare is “The Sky Moves Sideways”.
Brilliant lesson !!!! Filling in where appropriate and holding back when necessary. Showing that drums is listening to the other parts is essential. Perfect sounding kit. Brilliant musician indeed. Gavin is true world class!!!!
you know what..i have to stop playing for other drummers. I've been so worried about impressing people that I've totally forgotten about the song. The song is the most important thing and somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost that. Thank you Gavin, thank you.
God bless him! So simple and intuitive concepts but still a lot of drummers doing all the things he was talking about - toms rundowns, playing separately of the band, doing what you want to do instead of what the song really needs.
We we playing "The Thrill is Gone" one time, and out of the blue (wink) I started playing it with quarter notes on the ride like that with little ghost notes or an accent on my high Tom occasionally... The band stopped.... What are you doing? No no! Keep it up.... It's soo cool! Idk I'm a shit drummer, but that day, it just felt right and I felt like I did something completely new.
@Fortificatio its essentially a term he made up to visualize and be creative with fills. He is saying that you know where you are going to end up and where certain hits are but not what the finished product is. Curling refers to a basic shape of fill and be able to put pieces in it on the fly. A very cool way to think about it. Hope that helped!
He has a video on how he tunes his snare "gavin harrison tuning heads tech spec" is the name. He cuts down the strands on the back of the snare so he only has 8. The extra ones on the outside (that he removes) are the ones that buzz first.
At 5:35 the Song Gavin is talking about is a Balled by PTree called Half Light. Great song in which he plays quarters on the ride with hi hats with foot and great finger ghost notes and "reg" stick ghost notes. Great song ideas by Gavin. Thinking like us drummers should - like a musician.
The ballad he's talking about at 4:57 is Stop Swimming by Porcupine Tree off the album Stupid Dream. Funny how I watched this vid then just happened to come across it.
+Mark G Gavin didn't play on that album, it was Chris Maitland, PTs original drummer. I'm not sure if they played it live many times after Chris left the band, it didn't seem to be in many setlists when Gavin was in the band.
It came to me now, clearer than ever that my own mindset when it comes to drumming is close to identical to his. I have several drummer friends who are into the whole "score points"-type playing, so I recognize what he said in the video.
Gavin is on of the drummers you benefit more from listening to the wisdom he shares as well as watching. Most drummers you look up to you see something they play get influenced because it sounds good and you add it to your music ideas. When Gavin speaks you completely reassess your drumming and think about it, as well as pick up something cool from him. Maybe that's just me!
My favourite drummer for a while now........ (well actually since Ian Paice & Neil Peart!) IMO Gavin's another one of these drummers that always hits the right things in the right places.
I was there, this was at the Guitar Center in Hollywood. I wish these sort of places that post his clinic footage would post ALL of it. This stuff is like crack to me. I wish the play-a-longs would work.
I agree less is more. Spaces between the beats can be as meaningful if not more. I have a lot more musicality now than when I was young. Back in the day it was how fast I could play. Whether you like Phil's playing or not. Check out the break at the end of 'against all odds' There's a subtle gap in between and it speaks more than the power full strokes sounds on the toms. Always draws me in.
Gavin Harrison, thank you. This is something a struggling young drummer could use adivce in. I'm no fanboy of any sort of but I do appreciate your take on fills.
Listen to the magic he creates on the Anesthetize Live In Tilburg version of Sleep Together...the snare dance he does when the drums kick in so subtly perfect, it's ridiculous!
wow man what ever he said towards the is so true.... i mean it happens to me every jam session... we as drummer are in our own world thinkn of new parts while jammin... n it stays in our minds....everyone cares about their instruments
i could listen to that snare all day long
I have
Nah, it needs a touch of ring overtone.
Ho Lee Sheet nah, that sound is common and used by many other drummers. This is woody, fat, sharp, articulate. It’s perfect.
Yeah but have you ever listened to that bass drum through a sub?
"What are you really trying to say with it? Is it just like a nervous habit?"
- Gavin Harrison with some great advice on drum fills.
Ba dum tsss!
Sorry, couldn't help it. Just a thing I do.
A true musician I could listen to Gavin all day.
same
Well said
Gavin Harrison is some of the tastiest drumming. Butter smooth, lots of restraint, and so musical. Obvious chops, but applies everything creatively.
It's all in his restraint. He's a classy case of where less is more. Think My Ashes and I Drive the Hearse. He always serves the song.
A perfect summation
Gavin is one of the best drummers ever. He beautifully explains his reasoning and then shows it on the drums with impeccable skills. Awesome!
Incredible drummer. Used to think people like portnoy and mangini were best ever. Then I discovered gavin. Some of the beats he played just left me with my jaw dropped.
except I hate all the generic stuff he does. inexcusable, when realizing how TASTY and creative he can be. you can play ballads etc with CREATIVITY and feel. Ain't gotta be predictable.
If he is doing generic stuff, then that was, no doubt, what the songwriter wanted. You want session work then you best be playing what the boss wants ;)
Check out Bobby Jarzombek. His ability is scary
Portnoy is still probably my favorite drummer. I love his style too much
WhoDarestheMAN gamer i have
"I started to realize, if I was a bass player, now I know what I would want a drummer to do and what I would want him to do is just playing in time."
Nothing else to do ... but learning from this! Man, what a speech!
Gavin Harrison and Neil Peart. Two drummers who are fascinating to listen to not only when drumming, but talking about drums aswell. Thoughtful guys, real musicians.
That snare....damn
His snare sound is ALWAYS dope :)
I come back to rewatch this once in a while. It's just so smooth.
He does unbelievable things on Anesthetize. The best rock drummer for me.
"Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art". I think Gavin embodies this philosophy perfectly, and many musicians could learn much from this.
Man I love his cymbal tones..crap, the whole kit for that matter and with his tasty playing..I'm a guitar guy but watching and hearing him is crazy amazing..
"What does the perfect drumkit sound like?"
Ever hear of Gavin Harrison?
This guy is incredible.
His diction is as elegant, articulate, and purposeful as his drumming
A thinking man's drummer. Brilliant!
He is a musical genius.
WhoDarestheMAN gamer Music isn‘t a competition. Grow up.
What's great is the things like what he's describing here aren't even weird super smart stuff, he simply applies common sense and plays without ego.
I never get tired of listening to him. His advice is so thoughtful and easy to implement in my own way.
Fantastic Drummer . beside skill , his playing style has so much musicality and Creativity .
I was so happy when I first discovered Gavin, I really gravitate to this type of playing nowadays. Not when I first started playing though, I was all about the big fills everywhere, used to love them. Now I try to avoid them 80% of the time ha! - much prefer these little nuances, they're so tasteful
I will show this to all my future bandmates, regardless of what instrument they play. This is the kind of advice that people really need to hear.
everytime I skip a little bit his playing and then come back I am always blown away how beautiful and interesting he places accents, cymbals etc. in places that seemed to be unheard before.
Gavin's "ballad" pattern is more interesting than most people's craziest fills.
And more musical.
Excellent presentation. A very hard lesson for drummers to get is that they are there to play the song. Not to show-off, upstage, impress, etc. but simply play what is correct for the song. Took me a couple of decades to truly get this.
the snare in exacly 2:13(after the fill) ... he is making natural delay with ghosh notes...as a sound engineer i have to say i have never see something sooo beautiful!!!
Gavin's more than 'just a drummer' - he's transcended into drummer/producer territory, that's why everything he touches turns to gold... I play guitars and not drums, but he's the ONE professional I respect the most!
Amazing how Gavin can make even "duggadugga duggadugga dum dum dugga dum Bosh" sound sublime !
I love his musical approach, playing fills for the song to enhance it as opposed to playing a fill just to play a fill. I totally agree with Gavin, play to the music first and foremost..!!
With a drummer like Gavin behind me it would inspire me to write so many riffs. Unbelievable sound and choice of hits. Wow!
That was the single most precise movement ever performed by a human being. Gavin Harrison could be a heart surgeon.
I always love the tuning and sound of his drums.. So crisp.
You're an absolute inspiration, Gav. A true musician and never selfish - always humble and willing to share ideas and knowledge :)
As a part of my active listening routine, I was going on a focused binge of Porcupine Tree today, when I figured what Gavin Harrison is referring to in 5.30’’ of this workshop. The song, which he beautifully and artistically plays a quarter note on the ride and sixteenths on the snare is “The Sky Moves Sideways”.
A living Role-Model. I confess , I'm as enchanted by his presentation and skill as I am inspired by his discipline and attitude.
Brilliant lesson !!!! Filling in where appropriate and holding back when necessary. Showing that drums is listening to the other parts is essential. Perfect sounding kit. Brilliant musician indeed. Gavin is true world class!!!!
This is exactly why Gavin and PT is so incredible. Subtle perfection is mastery.
you know what..i have to stop playing for other drummers. I've been so worried about impressing people that I've totally forgotten about the song. The song is the most important thing and somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost that. Thank you Gavin, thank you.
What a vast library of technique and expertise that Gavin has within him! An honest-to-goodness MASTER of his craft! Wow...
God bless him! So simple and intuitive concepts but still a lot of drummers doing all the things he was talking about - toms rundowns, playing separately of the band, doing what you want to do instead of what the song really needs.
Funny thing, I always learn a lot from Gavin's videos as a guitarist and it always inspires me to try new things.
Thanks for posting this guys, watching this year's later and still being inspired by Gavin's words.
Being a guitar player this is one drummer I love to listen to.
We we playing "The Thrill is Gone" one time, and out of the blue (wink) I started playing it with quarter notes on the ride like that with little ghost notes or an accent on my high Tom occasionally... The band stopped.... What are you doing? No no! Keep it up.... It's soo cool! Idk I'm a shit drummer, but that day, it just felt right and I felt like I did something completely new.
Oh I think gavin has the best touch in the business, so delicate and creative, probably thanks to his background in jazz..
Could listen to this guy talking for hours, he's really inspiring...
@Fortificatio its essentially a term he made up to visualize and be creative with fills. He is saying that you know where you are going to end up and where certain hits are but not what the finished product is. Curling refers to a basic shape of fill and be able to put pieces in it on the fly. A very cool way to think about it. Hope that helped!
I don't remember the last time I watched a video on TH-cam that the drums sounded soooo damn good. Unbelievable.
He has a video on how he tunes his snare "gavin harrison tuning heads tech spec" is the name. He cuts down the strands on the back of the snare so he only has 8. The extra ones on the outside (that he removes) are the ones that buzz first.
Nice to see all likes. This man is awesome... what a drummer and what a musical mind!
Very smart and wise words from Gavin. Great playing and amazing ghost notes too.
This guy is one of my favorite ....He is an amazing drummer and He also cares about a good drum sound, like Simon Phillips and a few others.
how i love the way gavin talks about playing,its so informative!
Yes sir. Could listen to him talk all day long. Cheerio.
Gavin has a bright class and an excellent drum set possibilities knowledge. I am impressed.
This guy is so humble! Provably the best drummer of all times.
Gavin is a genius. Best drummer there is. His kit sounds absolutely amazing.
Gavin is awesome! Great teacher. He teaches with with life experience analogies better than most school teachers.
The sound of that Snare is just awesome:)
A great drummer and a great teacher too!
At 5:35 the Song Gavin is talking about is a Balled by PTree called Half Light. Great song in which he plays quarters on the ride with hi hats with foot and great finger ghost notes and "reg" stick ghost notes. Great song ideas by Gavin. Thinking like us drummers should - like a musician.
The ballad he's talking about at 4:57 is Stop Swimming by Porcupine Tree off the album Stupid Dream. Funny how I watched this vid then just happened to come across it.
I'm pretty sure it's Half Light :)
Koen Maassen it is you are correct
+Mark G Gavin didn't play on that album, it was Chris Maitland, PTs original drummer. I'm not sure if they played it live many times after Chris left the band, it didn't seem to be in many setlists when Gavin was in the band.
It came to me now, clearer than ever that my own mindset when it comes to drumming is close to identical to his. I have several drummer friends who are into the whole "score points"-type playing, so I recognize what he said in the video.
drums sound really impressive. i love the punch of his drum.
Musical genius small subtle fills instead of big rock arena fills and keep perfect time this is what will keep you working great video and advice
I could listen to Gavin talk about drumming all day long, let alone watching him actually play. Super musician
Lessons in life from a drummer. Less is often more; become a great listener; appreciate other's needs and check your ego in at the door.
Ahhh, I want more!!! This guy's got a lot of great insight and conceptual ideas.
Great, amazing and perfect.
Gavin is on of the drummers you benefit more from listening to the wisdom he shares as well as watching. Most drummers you look up to you see something they play get influenced because it sounds good and you add it to your music ideas. When Gavin speaks you completely reassess your drumming and think about it, as well as pick up something cool from him. Maybe that's just me!
@naooki They're both great. I like both of them. they're both prog metal and its hard to say one is better than the other.
His techniques are great. Like his style, especially the song In Exile... Incredible!
This has really opened my eyes
Another classic GH Video! Thank you man!
This is actually some of the best advice I’ve ever heard
Half Light is the song he's talking about with the Quarter note ride pattern. I love that drum part.
so insightful. gavin is one of the best alive.
My favourite drummer for a while now........ (well actually since Ian Paice & Neil Peart!) IMO Gavin's another one of these drummers that always hits the right things in the right places.
Great video, great drummer.
Love his approach
Wow, best advice i've ever gotten from a drummer
That kit sounds like gold.
I was there, this was at the Guitar Center in Hollywood. I wish these sort of places that post his clinic footage would post ALL of it. This stuff is like crack to me. I wish the play-a-longs would work.
His left hand on the snare at 2:13 , love it!
Great video. Really interesting and made a lot of sense.
This lesson is really true for all members of the band, especially guitarists :D
sounds really fantastic!
god, Im not even a drummer, but his playing is so immediately recognizable.
Another great video from Gavin!
Astounding Perspective
This guy is like, the smartest man I have ever heard talk about music haha. Great perspective.
hes just so smart man!..he doesnt care about flashy fills he just cares about the music,what it would sound like you know..and thats rad man!
OH...MY....GOD! This video is practically life changing!
If God had a drum kit, the snare would sound like this...
kisaposti and if God played the drums his name would be Gavin God Harrison!
I agree less is more. Spaces between the beats can be as meaningful if not more. I have a lot more musicality now than when I was young. Back in the day it was how fast I could play. Whether you like Phil's playing or not. Check out the break at the end of 'against all odds' There's a subtle gap in between and it speaks more than the power full strokes sounds on the toms. Always draws me in.
Gavin Harrison, thank you. This is something a struggling young drummer could use adivce in. I'm no fanboy of any sort of but I do appreciate your take on fills.
I am not a drummer either, but I could listen Gavin talk about drums all day long-Adorable, Genuine and Genius. Adorable Too :) !
it's almost philosophical! life changing
Listen to the magic he creates on the Anesthetize Live In Tilburg version of Sleep Together...the snare dance he does when the drums kick in so subtly perfect, it's ridiculous!
wow man what ever he said towards the is so true.... i mean it happens to me every jam session... we as drummer are in our own world thinkn of new parts while jammin... n it stays in our minds....everyone cares about their instruments
this is ingenious. very cool.