Sweet Home Alabama - Drum Lesson

Okay, let's take a look at Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd, featuring the great Bob Burns on drums.

Introduction

The tune comes in with a huge, big power flam, making it a great introduction.

• Tip: Make sure to play both hits with the same volume.

I'm going to rim shot this in my performance, so you'll see in my performance a rim shot on both sticks. It's not essential that you do a rim shot, but it's just the way I prefer to play that.

Bass Drum Part

Coming in with the introduction, it's important to check out the bass drum part. It's not hugely technical, but there's enough to go on. You need to be aware that you're filling in those notes between the hi-hat and the bass drum.

• I'll just tap this out for you. Not too heavy, but just to have a look at this bass drum part.

  Count: 1, 2, 3, 4.

I'm playing that at a slightly lower dynamic, but it's important to feel those bass drum notes and ensure you get a good connection because it's a recurring theme throughout the tune.

Groove Overview

Intro Groove

In the main, on the intro groove and in other grooves, when we move to the right cymbal, I'm going to be playing a rim shot. It's not essential that you do that, but it's just the way I'm going to approach the piece.

• You'll see in my performance that I play a rim shot backbeat.

Chorus Groove

For the hi-hat in the chorus groove, I'm going to be playing quite a heavy rim shot there, so it has a nice big dynamic.

• This general feel from the intro to the chorus would be something like this.

Chorus Dynamics: In the chorus, that's the kind of rim shot sound I'm aiming for.

Verse Groove

Looking against those two different bass drum patterns, let's step back a second to the verse groove.

• We've got to get into this cross-stick feel.

Even though it's quite a standard tune, it's not hugely complicated; there are lots of changes. We must be vigilant about the actual changes and anticipate the different sections.

Cross-Stick Technique

With the cross-stick feel:

• Normally I'd like to play on the butt end to get a thick cross-stick sound.
• However, if the stick spins back around, it's difficult to get into the next section.

In this particular track, I decided to play on the tip end. It was much easier to transition back to the drums without having to spin the sticks around.

Snare Positioning

Generally, get a good feel and position on the snare drum. It's crucial:

• If you're too close to the tip, the sound can be thinner.
• Move the stick up about another inch for a chunkier sound.

Make sure your stick is in a good position to achieve that sound.

Fill Section

When transitioning from the introduction into the verse section, aim for a nice dynamic fill:

• Count: 1, 2, daka daka, daka bomb hand to hand.

Tip: Be definite, energetic, and positive with those single strokes.

Chorus Section

In the chorus section, watch out for the cymbal crashes.

• Sing the tune in your head to remember the phrasing.

You've got to get those off-beat pushes and offbeat 16th note pushes with the crash cymbal. The bass drum part there is standardized and repetitive, so focus more on the crash cymbals.

Guitar Solo

Transition to the ride cymbal for the guitar solo:

• Pay attention to the crashes.
• The bass drum part is steady, but we have lots of unison parts with cymbal crashes and 16th note pushes.

Ride Cymbal Feel: Just a slight dynamic so it doesn't sound too trashy with a big rim shot.

Transitioning Back

Coming out of that guitar section, ensure you're ready to return to the cross-stick. Be mindful of your position:

• Don't be too far away, and anticipate the return to the cross-stick section.

At the end of that section, there's another 16th note fill:

• Count: 1, 2 (this time from snare to floor tom).

Be very definitive and positive in that transition.

Play Out Section

Then we go back to the right cymbal for the F section, which is our play-out section. It's literally a chorus section played on the right cymbal instead of the hi-hat.

• Support everything by listening to the backing track and the nuances around it.

Familiarize yourself with the parts you've already been through on the hi-hat.

Final Flam Fill

At the end, we have a nice flam fill:

• Count: 1, 2, 1, 2, and 3 cymbal crashes.

It's great, just like the original record. Please take the time to listen to the original track and focus on the drum feel.

Conclusion

That's about enough for Sweet Home Alabama. It's a fantastic tune that every drummer should have played at some stage in their career.

The main point with this tune, given its simplicity, is anticipation and ensuring you can move between sections while managing the dynamics between the snare's positive sound and the more delicate cross-stick.

Have fun with Sweet Home Alabama, and see you soon!