Hey Austin - great video. Been following Study the Great Series for the past 5-6 years. Huge fan of all your work an huge Danny Carey/Tool fan like yourself. Would love to see you breaking down Danny's Rosetta Stone Swiss Triplet pattern or the Descending polyrhythm (where his hands are playing in 7 but the kick drum is keeping time in 3). Thanks again and stay safe!!
yes it's cool, great analysis, thanks for breaking it down, the basic beat (without orchestration) is actually very easy - it's typical of Danny to play this kind of stuff which sounds awesome but actually isn't that hard to play. I wonder how the non drummers feel in Tool though, especially when playing in odd times.
This often gets overlooked because of his other aspects of technical prowess, but you are absolutely right. Dynamics are overlooked generally. I am a guitarist and I really like Mark Knopfler; but even if you get his picking technique right, it is extremely difficult to match his mastery of dynamics.
@@Cars_and_Games Same. I'm a guitar player as well, and my favorites are masters of dynamics. Derek Trucks, Jerry Cantrell, Trey Anastasio, Jimmy Herring.. etc.
@@Cars_and_Games Mark has such a tasteful, elegant approach to his strings. Watching and listening to his playing is like seeing a beam of light traverses through a decorated glass:so spiritually soothing.
Look, Daney can hit the snare better than everyone, but he doesn't perform a lot of ghost notes, even though he imrpoved and worked on his skill playing jazz in NY with a shitton of people or whatever, that's what I heard. I think the next Tool album should have a lot of ghost notes and Daney Carey could produce beauty that's better than Animals As Leaders. Another thing is I think is Tool kinda played out their tribal thing and should dump it, and go for beautiful guitars and perhaps a look outward instead of inward. Imagine praises to Jesus and God instead of bemoaning him and cursing him. Unlikely? Yes, but the lord all mighty deserves praise, he's made some wonderful things. Okay, he made people, but he made other stuff as well. And some people aren't so bad. I love my girlfriend.
MrFabritzzio certainly, would be nice to have more drummers playing with similar styles as Danny Carey, but I guess that’s what makes it so special right? He’s very unique
What is not explained in this video, is that Danny's mathematical patterns are actually conjuring rain deities for Maynard's vineyard. The tightening of the pattern signifies their arrival!
I have basically no clue about drumming apart from a layman's appreciation, so this was all Greek to me. But watching it made me realise more profoundly what sorcery Danny is doing on this track. So, thank you for that! You were amazing.
Best comment I've heard on the subject of this song, and specifically the middle section here: "So on the little "solo" around the middle of the song the math gets insanely complex. His right hand is playing the triplets on FIVE different drums, his left is playing quadruplets, his hihat is going in 3s and 4s and his kick drum is keeping the overall beat of the song. (I think) On top of this, he is also counting the bars, and taking away some of the toms on both (but mostly his right) hands while playing up to the crescendo towards the end of the section, so in his head he is keeping count of 4 different rhythms plus one count. FIVE DIFFERENT COUNTS! He could play a fifth rhythm, but he'd need to be naked."
And in the midst of all that drumming Danny is doing. He changes how hard he hits" accents " "dynamics " drums throughout these rhythms to Create another rhythm. It's insane and I doubt it can be duplicated by anyone.
yeah Austin does that at least a few of the times here, varying the loud/soft dynamics of the left hand snare/etc pattern in particular.. just so many little wrinkles and details, awesome
The entire band is built on this. Danny is, arguably, the most technical of the four. Even if the other parts aren’t as complex it’s the dynamics and nuance that make them heads and shoulders above anyone else out there. Would love to be a fly on the wall when they are writing....
Hey, Austin. I hardly ever comment on RU-vid but I really wanted to thank you for this video, man. I'm a big fan of Danny and you've done a great job, as usual. Keep it up! Greetings from Argentina.
Outstanding analysis. Most of us hear those polyrhythms and go, "OMG, Danny is a god and I'll never get there," but you took it apart and provided a path forward. You even developed an overarching observation on Danny's playing and demystified it a little...even the greatest are all just human, ya know. Excellent, skilled pedagogy...upvote and thanks!
@@NanoverseProductions i started casually practicing swiss army triplets about a month and a half ago and it was really difficult for me to do even at the slowest speeds. now i can get to about half speed of what he's doing in pneuma consistently. It's a long way but you can get there! Just need perseverance. I still cant even get close to triad lol. Watch the live video to know what I mean if you havent
I feel like this is not only a great lesson and concept in isolation but also as a general concept this is great to do with other odd groups like 5s or 7s but also other subdivisions hitting some interesting shifting accents or acting as more of a texture over a part. Awesome work as always Austin.
This video made me understand how awesome Dany Carey is, I watched other reaction videos but this is by far the best as it shows just how hard and complicated the drumming is. TOOL is the best band on earth.
It's always so amazing to see just how complex his drumming actually is when you sit down and try to imitate it. You can certainly hear it in the recording, but damn...
Polyvalent when you listen to the record it sounds like something you should be able to play, but then you actually try it and it turns your brain into mush.
Guitar player here, but this content friggin amazing. This kind of breakdown is invaluable for any musician on any instrument to understand how geniuses like Tool relate to one another. Incredible stuff man. Thanks so much.
Danny limbs are basically octopus with brains in each one. Hes one of the best ever and of his gen. Glad hes finally getting some love. Hes the only ONLY drummer to put me into a trance with his rythem. Absolutely phenomenal
This has to be one of the best breakdowns of how drumming works for NON-DRUMMERS on the internet. I learned a great deal just watching you explain pieces into "slow" parts and trying to reconstruct the action in half the time. It's amazing to me as a musician on the melody side of things to see the underbelly of what bass/drums deal with. Very well done.
Watching an octopus playing drums ,great video man ,even through out Danny's complexity I love how he always adds elements of simplicity and the building and releasing of tempo unmatched is tool ,they are the PNEUMA of polyrythms
Played self taught rock cover guitar since I was around 20 (I'm 59 now). Last year when Peart died I gifted myself an electronic drum set. Drums were always my favorite instrument. What I've learned is how little I knew about music, and stuff like Carey's is great confirmation of my opinion of myself. Thank you so much for this video. It gives me the info I really need to fix that issue.
I'm not a drummer or musician at all. I just like music and I can't always explain why I like certain things. With that said, this breakdown was my favorite part of the song. It makes the synapses fire in my brain. Interesting that this is the section you covered.
I have zero knowledge on notes and reading music but I like watching people like you explaining so skillfully how the dynamic of the song works because it makes me appreciate the music more.
That arrow placement was as incredible as Carey's drumming.. That descending cycle part was so brilliant, Carey knows when to play and just what to do to make his playing as effective as possible, simply by referring to him as a legend brings more value, impact, and credibility the very status.
Danny: So I heard yall like Swiss triplets; so I put Swiss triplets into Swiss triplets and nested them within swiss-triplettish dynamics and added a little bit of offbeat triplets in there. Youll love it!
hundreds of "drummers" have recorded themselves reacting (or just inventing new ways to say "wow that's cool") to this video. You're the only one who actually dives into the specifics to explain what is happening and recreate it. Well fucking done!
As someone who is guilty of having made a reaction video to that video, I'm stoked that you're actually sitting behind the kit and breaking the song down! This was my original plan, but I A) don't have access to my kit right now and B) I'm just not good enough to try to replicate what he's doing! Looks like you have it covered, mate! Keep it up!
I am a musician and always saw what Danny did on drums as madness but this in depth look really allows you to see into the incredible compositional mind of Danny! Also the speed at which he plays
i've been a big fan of Tool since i first heard then and i didn't even know. i'm getting into music producing (digital) as a bit of a quarantine hobby, since i've got a looooot of musically talented friends. Breaking down Tool to understand them better has been immensely helpful.
Thank you for this, I've been obsessed with this performance since the first time it popped up in my RU-vid suggestions. Been listening everyday since, i am not even a drummer or that much of a tool fan. But it's just so mesmerizing. This gives me a bit of an insight on how it is constructed, because i was frying my brain trying to understand how it all works and why it speaks to me so much. It still left me with more questions and awe, but you gave me a "tool", that helps me in understanding why this is so amazing to me.
I've been doing Swiss triplets for years, but I didn't realise that what they were. Thanks! I attempted this song for the first time today. It did not go well.
I have learned more from your one video than I have hundreds of other youtube videos. You are a fantastic, clear, and concise teacher and easily the best and most informative drum teacher on youtube. Thank you.
its really refreshing to see a drummer that understands this and can deconstruct it. So many reaction videos to this are drummers just like "I don't even know what's going on in this song"
Just to clear one thing up in case people don’t know, the synth sound Adam Jones plays for a big part of this section is a keyboard, not a guitar, then he switches back to guitar when we hear the guitar tone again
Dude, that makes so much sense. I’ve been trying to figure it out since the album dropped. Once I set up my kit in a month, I’m gonna be trying it out.
Yo man, cant stop watching this lesson. Love how you broke this down w your simplified kit - yet mastered the technique and thus pulled it off - sounded perfect to me! Sincerely appreciate this!!
It never ceases to amaze me that he is that large of a guy, yet moves not only fast, but fluid and accurate. More so than most other drmmers. He's well known as one of the best ever in any genre, and that's awesome. Yeah, he's in good shape and has some guns on him for sure, but that's also more weight to push and pull, stop and start, and swing around. I think that's why a lot of people love watching him, whether they know why or not. I remember how entertaining that video was that he did at the basketball game where he plays with the band. He just dwarfs that drum set. I'm pretty sure he really is part octopus, or alien of some type.
his left hand also switches how he's playing. it seems he's alternating b/w 2 drums w/ equal measure during the 5 section, 2 different drums but in a 3 pattern of 2 high, 1 low during the 4 section, then back to 2 w/ equal measure in the 3 section, then adding accents in the 2 section. I think the point is to create different and varying pattern cycles that will eventually match up but not always be on the beginning of the measure.
Carey is the one drummer that you absolutely need a breakdown like this to achieve any sort of resemblance to his playing. Can't tell you how much brain strain I've had trying to figure this one out. Great work. Thank you.
There are plenty of others that can play similar difficult drum lines...He is definitely at the top but like I said there are plenty of others as well...
This is one of the best explanations I've seen, and its still mindbogglingly complex. Every time someone breaks it down I'm blown away all over again. The idea that he just randomly improves on top of all that! Holy crap!
Learn the Swiss triplet, it is Danny's secret weapon, for this song anyway. He has the most comprehensive set of weapons to be a near perfect percussionist. An almost universal , natural sense of rhythm and structure and dynamics, long limbs, well built, perfect meter, innate ability of total limb independence of each other. He is polymetric and polyrhythmic. Which allows him to play any genre of music.
Danny Carey is the most amazing drummer I think I’ve ever heard. 26 years old and just got into tool last year. As a musician, i wish I would’ve studied this more when I was younger.
All his explanation sounds like hardest mathematics class 😅😅. I will just enjoy the beauty of music and appreciate both of these drummer. Very high quality content! Beautiful!
This was amazing. I have no clue what 75% of these words even are, but I love watching people who are really good at things (and other people who understand).
Do you think you could do a "Study the greats" on Bill Bruford? Discipline would be absolutely amazing, though it might be difficult for copyright reasons.
Thanks for making this! I was just thinking about about how TOOL builds their songs up and out and to an emotional crescendo, especially in Pneuma, where they do it several times and I couldn't put my finger on it. Then in the last minute or so of your video, you completely break it down and put it not only into words, but into exemplary action, with great skill and precision! Your "compression" analogy of how Danny shortens the range of what he's play from 5 drums to 3, and how he uses his understandings of sacred geometry to come up with it, and use it to drive the song, makes perfect sense! Thanks so much!
Really nice analysis. That "flat-flam" pattern is something Danny has pulled out several times before, on 'Third Eye', ' Triad', and again on middle of 'Rosetta Stoned'. Has a very tribal, African feel, rhythmically.
I really think this kind of content should have more support because i bet thats al least 2 days of studying the paterns Danny plays anda then be able to play is other hard thing i think this channel needs more support because it really deserves it
Awesome that you broke down that 5-4-3-2-1 progression! That was probably the thing that I found the coolest when I first saw the Pneuma video; I love that Danny creates an order to the (apparent) chaos in that section. Your eye for detail is impressive! Keep it up man!
Totally rad video. The dynamics in the cross sticking are also another element to take into account. I loved that when I first heard this track. Great playing!
Unknown pleasures oh he does, i'm not saying he only does polymetric stuff. i'm more annoyed at the fans who confuse polymeter and polyrhythm, because they're vastly different things
Dude you just blew my mind even more. Im already addicted to the original DC video but now knowing a little more of how he is doing it? 🤯. Can you please break down the verse... i cant even clap to it
Love how all these other drummers who clearly have forgotten more than I know, try to analyse this guy, they try and pick out a section to try and replicate it, with varying levels of success. Now, this is absolutely not a dig at any of them including this dude. But what it graphically shows is just how much on another level to ANYONE Danny Carey is.. I'm going to do a reaction video from a perspective of a clueless Joe, for the man on the street and explain in layman terms just what Danny Carey is doing... not in an analytical way, because quite frankly, I haven't got a clue! But just in a way that will convey the off this planet difficulty of what he's doing...should be a laugh..
Hey mate. Love your video. I’ve watched Danny drum this so many times and while Ive spotted all aspects that you discussed I’ve never been able to fully decipher it. Maybe coz I’m a guitarist. You make it very clear and easy to understand, both with the notation and the language you use. Plus you’re a beast on the kit as well. I’ll be watching plenty more of you from now on man cheers.
"a lot harder than it seems"...? You're kidding me right?! I can't imagine how any human being could even begin to do that it's so complex even before you broke it down it's obvious it's totally complex. in fact I fully believe that anyone listening to this for too long would become totally insane. I started piano when I was younger and music theory but I certainly don't understand percussion and drumming it's just beyond me. This was really interesting.
Thanks for this vid, man. I'm no musican, but when I saw this whole 7:00 - 8:55 section of Danny performance I knew somethig "wow" was going on. Thank you for helping me see better what I've just witnessed :D
This is a fantastic video. The level of depth and detail is both informative and extremely interesting to follow. Only recently discovered Tool, so it's great to get a musician based insight to their process.
not a drummer, but a clarinet player from a long time ago. Have heard Pneuma MANY times, have felt this part of the song and struggled to understand its structure, other than noticing that it basically works itself out every few bars. It's a bit like Kashmere by Led Zep. So interesting to see it broken down so perfectly, thank you!!
Wow! Austin this was some of the most informational and most exciting drum content I’ve seen in a couple of days! Not only will it be interesting to see how the Swiss Army triplets applied from this rock an alternative rock standpoint, but how it also he’s a factor in many other styles of music. It makes me think about New Orleans style, some New York jazz drum solos,Plus it’s a great way to stay excited about all types of music! Great job
I've been a guitar player since I was a teen and I've been a tool fan just as long. Danny Carey was definitely the guy who showed me just how dynamic, and complex drumming can be. Because of him I've always been fascinated by great drummers. What they do is amazing. Danny is amazing.
@@toddfeathers421 What you said makes more sense than you'd think. Fantano clearly likes the noise side of heavy music more. He gives glowing reviews to grindcore, mathcore and noise rock albums, but his progressive rock reviews are always on the negative or indifferent side.
Guys he didnt give it a bad review bc he thought the album is bad; but bc the album sounds like a tool - greatest hits slightly remixed. The album is certainly great; if you just ignore every other album that came before it. But if you want to tell me you listened to this album and didnt feel like you heard it ALL before already (from tool themselves) then....well; I guess then Im happy for you. Bc I listened to this album for what; 10 times; desperately trying to have it in my heart as all the others; but...it didnt work....it all sounds like weaker rehashes of previous songs... As said; Im very happy for those that can totally and doubtlessly enjoy it, and I wish I was among them....but personally when I listen to tool; I listen to all the albums...except for FI...
Great breakdown. Such an outstanding drummer. You didn't even get into his clever use of accents and ghost notes particularly with the crescendo/decrescendo of the rim click at the beginning. Masterful drumming
You're stuff is always spot on man. I've been studying Danny Carey for years and I'm finally starting to understand his approach to song writing. You are doing a tremendous service by breaking his stuff down. I hope to see more in the future.
Austin, you are worth your weight in gold!!! I am in a Tool tribute band and this song is the next one I have to learn. Thank you for posting this!!!!!
