Day 4 - And on the drums....John Bonham.
My very first inspiration to become a drummer was Bun E Carlos, but my first teacher was Bonham. I didn’t have formal instruction, instead I sat on my kit between my dad’s giant speakers and played along to Zeppelin albums, Physical Graffiti most of all, to the best of my ability anyway. I really learned some things about adding musicality and funk into rock drumming, Some of his beats help tell a story through the song, with In My Time of Dying being a great example of that. He has played some simple but iconic beats, like Communication Breakdown and funky shuffly masterpieces like Fool in the Rain. Sometimes it’s the small choices he makes that help a song, like the switch to the ride cymbal at about the 4:45 mark in Stairway to Heaven. I can’t say he’s the best drummer ever, probably not even the best rock drummer, but I still love listening to him play all these years later.
I was going to go with Bill Bruford, a true genius and another drum hero of mine, but decided to go with my earliest major inspiration as the main qualifier.
If you hadn’t noticed, I love this topic! I’m digging all these posts.
Also, did you know there’s a drum thread?
Thread 'Drummers Drumming Drums'
Drummers Drumming Drums
